THE ACHE OF DESPAIR
By Japheth judea
"Hi, I'm Japheth Judea Omojuwa, author of {THE ACHE OF DESPAIR} a gripping novel exploring resilience and hope. My book tells the story of a young protagonist navigating life's challenges. I'm excited to share my work with readers and hope it inspires meaningful conversations.
The Ache of Despair' delves into emotional resonance, pain, loneliness, and trauma, offering a thought-provoking read."
CHAPTER ONE : LITTLE ME
Fourteen-year-old Praise was sent to the market to buy vegetables and other ingredients for dinner. As she walked home, the setting sun cast long shadows, and the air grew cool. Suddenly, a young man stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He was perhaps ten years older, a fashion designer named Pop, a graduate.
"Excuse me," he began, "could I have a few minutes of your time?" Praise, startled, nodded. Pop asked where she was going and why she was out alone so late. Praise clutched her bag tighter, "My mother sent me on an errand. I’m heading home, "Pop then asked if she could visit his shop when she had free time. Praise agreed to come the next day.
The following day, Pop and Praise were together at Pop's shop, laughing and chatting about their lives. Pop then asked if Praise would be his girlfriend. Praise hesitated, saying she needed time to think about it. She stayed a little longer before heading home.
The next day, on her way to school, Praise saw Pop and instinctively turned to run away. However, Pop spotted her first. He called out to her, asking her to meet him in the evening after school. After finishing her chores, Praise went to Pop's shop. Pop was overjoyed to see her and asked for a hug. She embraced him, though she felt uneasy and scared. Pop looked into her eyes and assured her he would never hurt her. Praise nodded and hugged him again.
One night, he called Praise, asking her to come to his house . “That night, Praise went to see Pop at his house, and he was thrilled she came.
While they were talking, Pop asked Praise to prove her love for him. Praise replied, 'I don't know how to prove my love; I have nothing to offer.'
Pop then told her to undress if she truly loved him. Without hesitating, Praise quickly undressed. Pop then asked, 'Are you still a virgin?' She responded,
'Yes, I am. Is there a problem?' He said no. Then, he moved closer to Praise, kissing her and touching her. He started inserting his fingers into her vagina, and Praise screamed, telling him to stop because it hurt. Pop refused to stop and pushed her onto his bed. He took out his penis and tried to slide it into her, but she pushed him away, saying she couldn't endure the pain anymore. He then grabbed her hands, still trying to force himself inside her.
Praise pushed him off and quickly put her dress back on before running home. Once she got home, she couldn't sleep. She was deep in thought, crying because she couldn't believe what almost happened to her. '(Was he about to deflower me? Did he forget I'm still a very young girl ? Why does he want to use force on me?' )A lot of thoughts raced through her mind, and eventually, she fell asleep.
The next day, while going to school, she decided to take a shortcut that led to her school so she wouldn't have to see Pop anymore."
CHAPTER TWO: DARKEST DAY
It was Christmas season, and Praise was excited about eating lots of meat and having fun with her family. On December 25th, Praise's parents threw a Christmas party for their family and friends, Everyone had a great time celebrating Christmas together.
On December 27th, Praise's uncle called and told her to come and collect the gifts he had for her and her elder sister. Praise was happy, thinking she'd be getting a Christmas gift from her "dad's best friend's son." Little did she know, it would be the darkest day of her life.
Praise was eager to see "brother Quadri," so she asked her friend Amy to go with her, as it was late. Praise and Amy arrived at the estate gate around 8 pm. Praise called brother Quadri to let him know they were there. Brother Quadri told her to wait, that he would come and get her. He arrived at the gate on a bike.
She then asked if her friend could ride on the bike with them. He said no, the bike would be too crowded with four people, including the driver. He told Amy to wait, saying Praise would be back shortly, as it was just to pick up the Christmas gift.
Five minutes later, Praise and Quadri arrived at Quadri's house, and he began talking about his day. Suddenly, he started asking Praise strange questions: "Do you really like me?"
Praise replied, "Yes, I do like you; you're like an uncle to me."
He said, "Yes, I know I'm like your uncle, and I really do like you."
Then he asked, "I'd like to know if you're a virgin or not. You're 15, right?" She said yes. Quadri then said, "I want you to take off your joggers. I'd like to check for myself if you're a virgin or not."
Here, (there's a way some African mothers check if you're a virgin. They’d tell you to lie down and spread your legs, then they shine a light to check if anyone has touched you).
Yes, Quadri was about to use this method on Praise. He told her to pull down her joggers and lie on the bed. Praise trusted him because he was like an uncle and she thought he could never hurt her. While Praise lay on the bed, Quadri moved close and lay on top of her. Praise told him she wasn't comfortable with him being on her and asked him to get up. Instead, Quadri held her hands down on the bed, and she couldn't move. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but no one was there to help her. Quadri forced himself on her, and she was in pain and traumatized. After he finished, he stood up and saw that his bedsheet was stained with blood. He went to the bathroom to clean up and came back to apologize to Praise. He said he was drunk and couldn't control himself, that he didn't mean to hurt her. Praise couldn't say anything because she was in pain. She went to Quadri's bathroom to clean up, put her joggers back on, and told Quadri she wanted to go home. Quadri suggested they walk to the estate gate since it was too late to get a bike ; Praise and Quadri walked to the gate, but Amy had already left. Praise was upset about walking home alone, so Quadri suggested she use hot water and salt to ease the pain, and not to tell anyone what happened. Praise went home alone, her legs shaking and bleeding. She was too weak to speak to anyone, including her sister, and couldn't eat. Praise became withdrawn, lonely, and stopped playing with her friends. She kept everything to herself, afraid of being mocked, and never spoke about it. Quadri never came to her house again.