I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND BROKEN

   

    We had just moved to a new apartment, everyone was excited. It was a gigantic building with families from different backgrounds. We were just settling down to life in a new environment when the unexpected happened.

   Hunn, one fateful and dreaded evening with the gentle breeze sweeping the area, I left the comfort and safety of my home to run an errand unaware of the dangers that lurked in the dark. I had successfully completed my mission and was on my way back. I had to pass through a narrow path and was scared to the bones, scared of the black and green sneaky legless animal with a fork shaped tongue when this son of the devil came around. He was much older than I was and I easily found succour in him.

    Little did I know that he was a sexual predator, all of a sudden he was all over me, grabbed me, covered my mouth and threatened me with death. He bundled me to a corner and had carnal knowledge of me before help came my way in the form of the a noisy engine sound.

The deed was done and over with and I was emotionally and physically bruised with no one to lean on.

     Who could I tell, who will believe me, how will I narrate what I had experienced? I was just 8, a young child with no experience whatsoever, with parents I was scared of, with siblings I couldn't tell and with neighbors I wasn't close to.

      So, I grew with so much pain and burden on my mind, retreated like a snail into its shell, secluded like a leprosy patient and confined my pain to the prison yard of my heart. I was slow in doing everything, the one girl that knew not how to do a right. 

Lest I forget, the devil came back, begging to be spared of grief, spared of spillage but who was I, a young lad that had no fault and saw no wrong than that I trusted recklessly.

      No day passes by without the thought of what I had lost at a tender age, my innocence. Now I am grown but scarred by the past and disheartened that thousands are still being molested, assaulted, raped and maimed every year.

The society and parents still have a long way to go in making sure things are brought under control.

Cases of sexual assault are swept under the tiles and sealed, withdrawn from the court and termed family issue, victims are victimized and stigmatized and the culprit left with no blame.

Parents have forgotten that it goes beyond the luxuries, friendship is key. How much time do we spend with our kids, are we willing and ever-ready to listen without bias, how close are we to our young ones, is sex and love a taboo word? Spare the rod and spoil the child they say but never underestimate the power of your loving care and deep concern.