I got home that night and told my mum about my encounter with dad, she was upset and started crying. I tried consoling her but she was inconsolable. She went to check on my younger siblings in their room and as she kissed them good night, it became apparent that we had lost all hope. I looked at her and I felt sorry and helpless for her suffering.
The next day I went to Mr. Richards’s house to do my normal house cleaning. I saw him and gave him the report. I told him my dad doesn’t have the money and went home from there. He nodded and looked at me intently. I tried to read what the look could mean but I was unable to understand it. He looked at me from head to toe and said “okay”, he was going to give him another opportunity to pay him up or else he was going to take matters into his hands. I was bothered by his statement but I left him and went to do my house chores. As I walked past him, he looked at me and shook his head.
I got home that day earlier than usual because there was no much work to do. When I entered the house, I heard noises, and arguments inside my mum’s room. I asked my younger sister Jenny what was happening and she said dad was home. Immediately, I rushed into mums room to rescue her from my father who might hurt her, he has always had a history of being violent sometimes. When I got to her room, I could see bruises on her arm and he was standing there looking indifferent, a beer in his hand. I felt like pushing him away but I knew he was too strong for me. I struggled to get mum out of his strong grip and took her to the living room where everybody was. Our neighbour was already in the house wondering what was going on. The neighbour tried calming dad down but dad wouldn’t listen, he was just hurling abusive words and shouting at everyone. There was nothing he could do to our neighbour because he knows that any attempt of abuse on her would lead to his arrest. More people came in and told him to leave the house, after minutes of persuasion he left promising to be back.
Two days later I went to work in Mr. Richards house like I usually do. I met him at home and he was in his room. I greeted him and told him I was going to start cleaning the compound which was full of fallen leaves. While i was raking I had a feeling that Mr. Richard was looking at me through his bedroom window. When I was done, I went into the house to start cleaning when he came downstairs and said I should start from his room. I didn’t take it as a big deal or neither did I get suspicious. I politely nodded and went straight to his bedroom to start cleaning.
I started cleaning the floor when he crept up on me and grabbed me from behind. He carried me to his bed. I was so surprised that I did nothing at first. Then I started struggling when i realised what was about to happen. I tried to wiggle from his grasp but he was too heavy to push aside. I screamed for help but nobody could hear me since he was the only one living in the building. He forced himself on me and finally had his way, I kept scratching his body with my nails but he held my both hands with one hand and did what he wanted. While he was ontop of me, he looked at me with a smug look on his face and said, “your father owes me $2000 and you are paying for his debt. That was the agreement before I lent him the money.” At that point I lost all hope, I couldn’t struggle any more, I became weak when I heard this. I could not believe my dad could do this to his own daughter. I wept for the pain and for the betrayal, I felt like a part of me died that day.
Just when I thought the worst was over, Mr Richard, after finishing with me called two of his friend to come and have their turn with me.I was the most excruciating feeling. I was in so much pain that I came in and out of conciousness during the whole ordeal. It might have takes hours, thats what it felf like. I do remember vaguely how the men looked like. I saw them when I got my conciousness back. One was tall while the other was average in height. They both had beards and were putting on only their boxers. I started screaming and wriggling my legs and it was like it was turning them on and they decided to go for another round with me…When it was all over I lay there felling like a dirty old useless rug. I started crying bitterly, cursing my dad for doing this to me.