The Chief and his wife were based in the North while my parents were based in the Eastern part of the country. One day, my parents called me and informed me that I had to move to Zaria and stay with Chief Ogbonaya and his wife. This decision came to me as a surprise, but when my dad explained and gave me details, I could not but agreed to stay with the couple.
I had been at home for about three years after my school certificate examination without admission. My ambition was to be a lawyer like my dad. My younger brother luckily made all his papers at the first sitting and got admitted to study law at the University of Nigeria. You can now understand why I was desperate.
The second reason was that Chief Ogbonaya’s wife did not conceive on time. The only child of the family, a boy was just about eight years old. It was concluded that I should go and assist the family while studying for the advance papers that would enable me enter the University.
When I got to Zaria, I found the couple very accommodating. In fact, Chief Ogbonaya had secured admission for me at the University’s School of Arts and Science. I found the environment conducive and settled down for serious studies.
Meanwhile, as time went on, I realized that the Chief always starred at me embarrassingly whenever we were alone, he would always find an excuse to touch me. The day he fondly patted me on my buttocks, I did not read any serious meaning to his action but one early morning when I was coming out of the bathroom, I met him in my room. Before I could rush back, he held me and grabbed my breasts with both hands. “What is this?” I thought; he started squeezing my nipples. It was then I realized I was in great danger. I forcefully pushed him away and ran back to the bathroom and locked the door. It was after I heard the sound of the door that I quietly opened the bathroom door to peep at the room. He had left. I heaved a sigh of relief and went about my chores.
My doom’s day did not tarry for long. Mrs Ogbonaya had to travel to the East on a family matter. I was left alone with her husband. On the following day of his wife’s absence, he got home very late in the night. He was heavily drunk. I had to stay awake to open the door of the house for him. I was already dosing off when I had his car horn hooting. I stood up and peeped out of the window to ascertain if he was the one. The gateman opened the gate and he drove in. He parked the car, opened the door and staggered out of it. I was already waiting for him at the main door by the time he got there. I greeted him collected his briefcase and closed the door.
As I was already preparing to sleep, I had only my night gown on. To my chagrin, Chief Ogbonaya grabbed me right there in the sitting room, pushed me down on the couch. There was little or nothing I could do under his mighty strength. He deflowered me that night.
When he woke up the following morning, he warned me never to tell anyone. After that first gruesome encounter, he made it a regular occurrence. Even when his wife was at home, he would surreptitiously come to my room and got me laid. I have never seen a deep sleeper like Mrs Ogbonaya, or could the husband been doping her with sleeping pills? I could not trust the man; it was not beyond what he could do.
Respite came for me when the school went on vacation. With nothing much to do, I had to travel home. I told my mum that I was not going back to Zaria. When she insisted, I told her point blank that it would have to be over my dead body. She was visibly shaken and wanted to know the reason for my refusal. I parried all her enteritis. She eventually gave in.
But with a condition that I had to secure admission into the University in a shortest time possible on this, we made a pact.
I did not know how she made it, but my dad did not press the issue further after his initial admonition. I intensified efforts on my studies as if my life depended on it. God crowned my efforts and I gained admission that same year.
I finished my course in good time and passed out from the law school in flying colours. During my service year, I met a young medical doctor who was the only child of his parents. Ekele, as he was called was head over heels in love with me. Both of us were deeply in love.
Both families were supportive and co-operative. They had already performed the traditional marriage rites. The wedding date had been fixed. We were working on the wedding programmes when my dad suggested that we should invite Chief Ogbonaya to come and chair the wedding reception ceremony.
I rejected this choice vehemently and there and then another choice was made. What would Ogbonaya be saying as the chairman to young couples? What advice could he give me on sanctity of matrimony? Tufiakwa! I reject him in Jesus name.
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