A BLACK NIGHT

It was a black NIGHT! A night I will never forget, a night I will never want to see anymore.

My name is Adeola & I'm 22 years old. I'm writing this story from my cell, CELL? Yes!
I was sent to lagos to live with my uncle and his family. I left ibadan on the 5th of August, 2010 ( 17years old) to stay with my uncle. I never wanted to live my parents in ibadan but I understood the reason why my parents wanted that so I had no choice but to leave for lagos. It was a sad day for me when I left ibadan, I got to my uncle's house safely and I was welcomed like a queen who just returned from UK. We chatted all night and told my uncle about the financial situation of my family especially the one of my father. He told me everything will be fine and told his wife and 3 kids to show me where I would stay in the house, I really felt like a rich kid that night I got to Lagos.
After some weeks in lagos, my uncle and his wife called me to suggest a craft I could learn instead of sitting at home without doing anything since I just finished my secondary school. I started going for my fashion designing training and everything was on a right path. I called my parents everytime to tell them about whatever that was happening to me in my uncle's house and to also check up on them. Indeed, everything about me changed! I was well treated by my uncle and wife.

One tuesday morning, after my uncle's wife had gone to work and the kids had gone to school, I was dressing up in my small room when I had a knock on the door. "Knock Knock" who's that? I shouted since I never expected such and not even when I was still naked, "It's me Gbenga, your uncle" I was surprised "Hold on sir" I rushed everything, opened the door and saw my uncle well wrapped with towel, guess what? He came to ask for his breakfast and went. I didn't pay much attention not until he started coming often to ask for breakfast at my room door. I couldn't call my people at home to tell them the new style of asking for food in my new home and couldn't tell him to stop coming whenever I was  dressing for work. Oh well, he's my uncle and nothing can happen.

Unfortunately for me but fortunately for my uncle, his wife was sent to Abuja to carry out an assignment for her company and she was to stay in Abuja for 2 weeks. I was scared when I heard about the travelling but didn't know what to do, should I tell them I want to travel too? I asked myself but still didn't know what to do. The day came and she travelled. I was left with the kids and my glutton uncle who kept knocking on my door for food.
After 2days, my uncle started showing some nasty attitudes. I was bothered but didn't know how to call my parents to tell them what was happening or what could happen. He was always coming to my room to ask for his food, well being of his children and some unnecessary 18+ talks. I left lagos to ibadan one day to inform my parents about the whole issue but my father didn't take it serious and ensured me nothing was going to happen. I got back to lagos that same day and nobody knew about the journey.

One night, I was in my room reading a novel when I heard a knock on my door, I thought it was one of my nieces who I just played with so I didn't bother to ask who the person was. I moved closer to the door and opened, it was my uncle who welcomed me with a smile. I was shocked to see him, he entered, I tried to free my self & then he left! OMG! I was RAPED and DISVIRGINED! I was raped by my uncle? I shed tears all through the night without knowing what to do. It was like for that four consecutive nights, I couldn't tell anyone because he threatened to kill me and put me to shame. He made it known to me that nobody will believe me because he's a respected man of God in his church. Shedding tears was the only way I could tell myself how pained I was.

After that night? He's raped me more than 6times and it was always at night when all the kids were sleeping. His wife came back from Abuja and I couldn't tell her what happened after she travelled. I called my parents I wanted to come home but my father insisted I stayed because of the money my uncle gave him everytime. I wasn't free in the house anymore, I wanted to tell aunty but my uncle was always with her so I couldn't. He kept coming to sleep with me every night after he put "sleeping drug" in his wife's drink before they sleep. I have had over 4 abortions for my uncle within 1 year, I was abused! I was raped! I was threatened for a year!

Who can I talk to? I asked myself but I didn't get any answer so I decided to take actions. I thought if I didn't do anything, he would keep abusing me and keep taking me for granted.
I called my uncle's wife and told her about what happened when she travelled. She shouted at me and beat me for telling her the truth she saw as set up or a way of tarnishing her husband rep in the society and church. She told my uncle everything I told her when he was away and behold, my uncle denied everything and I was later blamed for telling the truth. After I told the truth, I turned a slave in my uncle's house and everything changed! I was used like a servant but my uncle didn't stop raping me for almost 3times a week.

Since I wasn't believed, I poisoned my uncle's food and he died! After a lot of findings, It was known to everyone that I killed him! Death was the only option I gave him to stop raping me.
I was raped! My dignity as a woman was taking that very black night in my small room, I was alone for over 2years, nobody wanted to hear me out, nobody believed what I passed through.
Many girls are getting abused by their loved ones, they get threatened not to tell anyone about it and feel shy to speak up to create awareness about the issue of rape. Who should deola blame? Her self? Her parents? Her uncle? Let's keep creating awareness and keep giving voices to those without.

Written by Aderogba Adediji
Twitter : @RealBabymouth