The Speck In Her Eye (Part 5)

Funmi then talked about how she was a victim of abuse for 3 straight years. After her parents passed, she moved in with one of her mum’s female relative (a distant cousin). The woman was married but did not have children at that time. It wasn’t long at all; before her husband started to abuse Funmi…she was not even fully grown or matured. It was like being stuck in a hole with a vicious rapist without a way of escape.

Funmi cried as she narrated the story, ‘Mummy Pastor’ held her and cried with her…reassuring her that the hurts were a thing of the past. Funmi would pause, cry some more and continue the story

The abuse was brutal and consistent…it demeaned her and affected every area of her life, even her academics. She was flunking secondary school and could not even relate with her class mates.

This was the same man that taught Sunday school at the Church they attended and was considered a Christian and respected by everyone. He was gentle and a man of few words when everyone was around but anytime it was just him and Funmi, it was as if the devil switched places with him. He would be wild, lewd and violent

The man threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone and would always physically abuse her anytime she tried to hold back. Funmi was just 13 when this started and was too afraid to call the man’s bluff.

This continued for a long time and Funmi got pregnant before the age of 16. The pregnancy blew everything up…Funmi’s innocence made her unaware of the pregnancy.

A neighbor told her ‘aunt’ that she should keep an eye on her as she looked pregnant. The Aunt wasted no time and after a trip to the hospital, it was confirmed. All hell broke loose as the victim became the villain.

The abuser claimed that Funmi was a witch and had used diabolical means to seduce him; as he must have been under some kind of spell to have done something like that.

Funmi’s aunt bought the lie…

How else could they have explained that a seemingly gentle, easy-going, church-attending, Bible-carrying, liquor-abhorring, spirit-filled, tongue-talking man abused and impregnated a young girl?

The only sensible thing would be that Funmi was indeed a witch or had an “ogbanje” spirit…as a matter of fact; she must have been responsible for her aunt’s childlessness

The woman accused Funmi of being an agent of the devil sent to break up her home…she even accused Funmi of killing her own parents.

She called her an ingrate and promised to send her to the street…but not before she got rid of the “devil’s seed” growing in her.

I didn’t know when I started to shed tears; it was like watching a movie as I could not believe anyone could be that cruel. I wanted her to stop telling the story but she insisted that she had to tell me. I wanted to hold her but her ‘parents’ were there so I could only pat her on the back.

Some days later, the aunt and her husband drove Funmi to another town. They had set up an appointment with a man they called “doctor”…he had to be a quack because it was not a real hospital.

It was about an hour of intense pain as the “doctor” pulled, twisted, and did whatever he was doing. Funmi almost passed out due to the pain.

It felt like the “doctor” was told to intentionally inflict pain as punishment. There was no sedation of any sort neither was any pain killer administered before, during or after the “evacuation”.

After the abortion was completed, Funmi’s aunt dropped her off in the middle of nowhere, in a strange city and warned her never to come near her house. Funmi cried and begged as they drove away.

Her options were few as she did not know any other family member except her estranged aunt. She wandered about all day but was too afraid to ask anyone for help. Her tummy was hurting real bad and she felt weak.

It was getting dark fast and people were dispersing to their homes. A lady asked if she was okay because she had noticed her loitering around that area all evening. She said she was fine, and quickly walked away…she was in a strange land and didn’t know who to trust.

The last bus left the park and she saw the woman that had talked to her earlier get on it. The woman was looking at her intently as the bus drove off.

Funmi later found shelter under an abandoned kiosk in the motor park, but could not sleep because of the thoughts of everything that could go wrong and what could become of her.
Some street urchins had walked by earlier and the way they were looking at her, she could tell they would be back. She clenched her bag, the one her aunt had packed for her…she blenched at the thought of spending the night there and prayed in her heart for God to help her but nothing happened.

She must have been under the kiosk for a couple of hours…she was in so much pain, she was hungry, cold and alone…then she noticed blood all over her skirt and on the floor. She wanted to scream for help but was too weak. Her head felt light and she could literally feel life going out of her. That was the last thing she remembered.

She woke up at the hospital the following day. It took a while for her to figure out where she was. Her vision was blurry and she could feel the infusion needle in her left hand. She groaned as she tried to turn, she could still feel pain around her stomach area…it wasn’t long before a nurse came in.

The nurse didn’t tell her much but went to get the doctor. The doctor checked her vitals and advised her to stay in bed and not try to move around yet.

Funmi wanted to know how she got there and was asking a lot of questions. The doctor told her how lucky she was to even be alive and that she owed it to God and a lady that brought her in.

“It was not a pretty sight my dear; I was even scared to admit you. We thank God that you are back. We had to do a dilation and curettage procedure to remedy whatever happened to you” said the doctor

“Thanks ma, where is the person now? Can I see her?” Funmi mumbled

The doctor informed her that the lady stayed and prayed all night and had actually just left not too long ago; however, the lady’s husband was still in the waiting room.

They called for the lady’s husband and when he came in, he was very happy to see Funmi conscious…he started to praise God

“Thank you Lord for saving this one

Thank you for your faithfulness

Thanks for showing yourself strong once again” his hands were raised and he was singing praises.

He talked about how his wife had gotten home the night before and talked about a young girl she saw at the motor park…who looked lost and confused.

He said his wife couldn’t sleep or settle down as the Spirit of God wouldn’t let her rest until she went back to check that all was well.

They finally decided to go check the motor park that night; they got there around 11PM and met her passed out under the kiosk, soaked in blood. At first they thought she was dead but then saw her eyelids twitching so they rushed her to the hospital.

Funmi later found out it was the same lady that had asked her a question earlier on that day.  
Funmi was at the hospital for about three days…her rescuers used this time to learn more about her. After they heard her story and how her ‘aunty’ treated her, they took her in and promised to take care of her.

They even went to see her ‘aunt’ for reconciliation and to explain Funmi’s side of the story but the ‘aunt’ insisted that she never wanted to set her eyes on Funmi and they could keep her for all she cared.  

That was the day I knew how Funmi met Pastor Fred’s family and how she became one of their children. I wasn’t sure if Elder Sam even knew this story

“So there you have it, that’s the story of my life…I want you to go think about it and let me know if you are still interested” Funmi said as she ended the story...

PART 4                                                                                                                PART 6
 
 

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental   

© 2016 Lanre Olagbaju All Rights Reserved