🧖♀️MARRIED💞
Episode 12.
©Miriam Edem
I breathed out and paced round knowing I can’t give up now,
“I don’t know about you but its very necessary that I leave this place, I told her.
“What’s your name? The harsh one asked.
“Sharon, I replied.
“Sharon, stop dreaming because you can’t leave this place, she replied.
“Well good for you, i angrily said and went back to the wall to lean on it but it made a sound as if I hit my head on a wood.
I rubbed my hands on it and knocked and it gave a resounding sound, not like that of a wall,
“There’s a wood here, if we can break this then we can escape, I told them and they managed to get up from where they sat and met me confirming what I said.
“If we can leave this room we can escape, the harsh girl said.
“But you said the field is where the girls are buried it may be fenced, the girl said.
“When I tried escaping yesterday when the guys was returning me to the room, I ran to the door and I don’t think the area is fenced, its only protected and it must lead somewhere, but we still have to do something, the girl replied while I used my eyes round the room searching for something to break it but it was very clean.
“When are they coming back here? I asked.
“This night, the boss has just eaten, the harsh girl replied.
“Is he a human being or an animal? I asked.
“Thats not important what are we going to do? She asked back.
“We need something to break this, at least a stone can do but then I hope they won’t hear the noise, I replied but the girls went back to their normal position and sat down while I looked at them.
“Did you understand me at all? i asked going to them and the door opened.
The guy who took me out pushed in plates of good jellof rice with big laps of chickens and bottle water that my eyes bulged open as he shut the door back.
“Ewo! Is this what you eat here? I asked them.
“They have to feed us for their money, I knew they were coming that’s why we left the place, the girl replied and took a spoon from the food.
“What are you doing? I asked but she went to the corner i was sitting before I left and that was when I saw an iron on the wall which I don’t know what it was for,
“Let’s start with this, because they will soon go out to hunt for a new replacement, the harsh girl said carefully using the handle of the spoon to lose the bolt that held the iron. Despite the rice was entering my eyes, I took a spoon also to loose the other end while the other girl sat down eating.
It was not easy but we had to do something, and when we succeeded to loose it after enduring the pain at the tip of our fingers, I saw that the iron was quite heavy.
“Let’s eat, the girl said to me but I shook my head.
“I have a daughter to fetch and I don’t want to waste time here, I said to her.
“Eat because you won’t see this again until tomorrow, don’t worry I’ll start with the breaking, the girl who was eating said and she stood up getting the iron from me. I showed her the place of the wood quite scared,
“Easy please, I told her and shifted backward as she landed the iron on the wall. The first layer cracked which she used her hand to peel it off to reduce the excessive noise that will come from the iron,
“I’ve told you to eat so you’ll have the strength, the harsh girl said to me and I sat down and began eating as we watched her do the job. She was able to peel off the first layer revealing the wood, it was a small area but manageable for us to pass through,
“How are we sure this will lead us outside? She asked looking at us.
“It will, I think the cement was not enough and they replaced it with wood somehow, the harsh girl replied and stood up knocking on the wood,
“Its soft, give it a wound, she continued and she continuously used the iron on the wood while I almost got choked with the food and coughed.
“Easy please, what if they hear the noise? I asked very disturbed.
“I have told you the boss has eaten, when this happens they leave and this is the only opportunity we have, the harsh girl replied.
“But the guys? i asked.
“They have gone to hunt, relax Sharon and hurry up with the food, The other girl replied as they stood together breaking the woods while I joined them later. Just as we guessed, the wall led to the outside and we took the water they gave us and passed through the small opening we gave outside. I was the last, but I saw it necessary to carry the bended iron for protection, because I was ready to use it on anybody eyes who will try to stop me on the way.
The whole place was smelling and we saw the body of the girl they took in the morning at a corner,
“They didn’t even bury her, the girl said as I pitifully looked at her and we passed.
“So you have a daughter? The harsh girl asked and I nodded.
“How old? Because you’re still very young, the other girl said.
“7 months, I replied and We saw a high fence made with iron bars and the girls looked at me,
“Try it, the harsh one said.
“Try what? I asked back.
“Try to see if you can climb, you’re stronger than us and we are getting weak, at least let us see the way you will put your legs while climbing, she replied. As a village girl what have I not climbed before? Without wasting time I threw the water over to the other side, dropped the iron I held and began to climb, but when I was at the top where I saw curly iron wires I heard a shout,
“Hey! Stop there! One of the guys shouted and with that shock I don’t know how I rolled over the wire and landed heavily on the ground that I heard my ankle crack.
“Sharon run! I heard the girls screamed on me and I placed my hand on the water I threw already and ran as fast as I could.
“Get them! One has escaped! I heard them shout and I thought it was risky to still run on the road though both sides were bushy but there was a clear narrow path. Since I don’t know how the building was built nor was I able to understand the environment, the entrance may just be very close and I didn’t want to risk that, so I entered into the bush and hid when I heard a car coming.
I was very thirsty and gulped down the water at once still trying to endure the pains from my ankle as I breathed so hard alone in the bush looking around. 2 cars passed which I strongly suspect to be the guys but I didn’t want to leave the bush scared they might be waiting on the road for me.
“What has happened to the girls? Oh Sharon is this your punishment?, I fearfully said to myself not knowing what to do next.
I stayed there for a very long time and dusk began to fall on me but I didn’t have the courage to leave that place despite the cars returned. I still saw it to be a plan, because they can’t give up like that nau, they must have dropped some guys on the road to catch me when once my shadow passes. Just as I thought, the cars came out again and I was still watching, and after some minutes it returned with a very big black one following at the back.
“Chineke! Is this what people uses human beings to do? I asked myself and saw it as a right time to leave, at that time, it was very very late and so dark but I never allowed sleep to cross my eyes through out that time.
I came out peeping at first to be sure the area was very clear, and that was how I took my one and a half leg and limp to wherever it led me to…………….
TBC
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