I was a victim of child molestation and abuse. It happened when I was between the ages of 5 and 6. There was this family that was living in the other wing of the face-me-I-face-you house my family was living in then. They had children of my age group that were my friends and playmates. The husband also had a younger brother who was in his late teens or early twenties at that time, who was living with them. His name was Samuel but everybody called him "Samu", to the children, he was addressed as "Broda Samu".
My parents were career people. Though they were attentive and loving to my siblings and I, they couldn't stay at home with us 24 hours of the day. Whenever they had to go out, we were left in the care of our neighbours. The couple worked too, but the wife was a cleaner that closed from work early. And anytime she had to go out, she in turn left us and her children in the care of Broda Samu. I didn't mind being home alone with my siblings and neighbours/friends. In fact, we all loved it whenever we were, because we get to go downstairs and play with other neighbourhood children, which was not allowed when my parents were around.
Anytime we were left in the care of Broda Samu, he was ever so nice to me. He took my side anytime there was a fight between me and anyone else. He was obviously partial and favourable towards me, I was the envy of the other kids. If he was eating something, he made it a point of duty to give me a bigger portion compared to the others, or he gave only me. He shouted at and scolded others but only smiled at me. I got to like and trust Broda Samu because of the special treatment and attention he lavished on me.
One day, he was eating rice and he asked all of us to sit round him watching, as he took spoon after spoon of delicious smelling rice. When there was about two or three spoonfuls of rice left in the plate, he passed it over to me to eat the remaining food. After having been salivating profusely watching him eat the food, I was beyond relieved and elated that I got to taste out of it. It was as if I won the lottery. I grabbed the plate with grateful hands and ate the rice a few grains at a time. It wasn't that I was hungry or something. My parents didn't joke with our feeding and we always had more than enough to eat and drink. My Mum used to even feed our neighbour's children whenever they were around during meal times. But you know how children can be. Maybe it was the feeling of being singled out or the naivety of an innocent child, whatever it was, Broda Samu's actions earned my trust. So after I finished the food which he made sure I didn't share with my friends and siblings, he sent them away to go and play and asked me to follow him, I obeyed willingly. I didn't suspect any foul play, it's Broda Samu after all. He did not stop when we got to the sitting room but proceeded to the bed room of his brother and sister-in-law.
He carried me and laid me on the big bed. I remember wondering at what he was doing. He lifted my dress high above my waist, removed my panties, and opened up my thighs. I remember moving uncomfortably and trying to get up but he quickly held me down, instructing me to stay put. I was afraid and scared. I stayed lying down while he looked at me down there. Though he didn't touch my vagina, it was unsettling looking at him. The next thing he did was to remove his trousers and brought out a long thing. I remember this experience vividly as if it happened yesterday. I was scared by the way the long thing was moving spasmodically in his hands. My eyes filled with tears but I didn't attempt to move again so as not to make Broda Samu angry. He kept looking at my private part as he touched the long thing up and down. It looked funny and though I didn't understand what was going on, I hated it. I didn't like seeing what I was seeing or opening my thighs the way Broda Samu wanted. My joints were aching and I couldn't move them so as not to make Broda Samu angry.
Suddenly he shouted and a big splash of white water came out of the long thing. I was shocked and traumatised. The white water poured on the bed and my body. I was mortified. He cleaned himself up, cleaned off the white water from my body, helped me put on my panties, took my hand and led me out of the room. He smiled at me and told me not to tell anyone about what happened. I looked at him and said "Okay Broda Samu". I didn't understand what just happened, but I felt bad inside me about it. I was sad and sober throughout that day. I kept replaying everything that happened in my head. Though he didn't hurt me, I felt bad and was confused by how I was feeling. Broda Samu did not beat, slap or hurt me, but I was feeling as if he had just done something worse than that to me, even though I felt no pain.
To be continued.
Life is to be enjoyed and not to be endured!
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