Lasting Solemn Days (episode Eight)

The scent of hatred permeates a living abode with everything so capricious in the life of an introspective ambitious girl who hopes for a better future with nowhere to start from the fallen scratch.

Things were so hectic and stressful for Bewa that she could not even leave the house during the day anymore. She was able to get across to her mum once, who told her things were not so easy for her either because of her new job, which required her to work overnight and wake up early too.Very soon, her number was not going through again after it did once. Her supposed family, too, made everything hard by gloating in her face; her step sibling made it harder by picking up silly fights with her and making her want to fight. She had no strength.

All hell broke loose one morning when an older daughter, Fenwa, got to the well after Bewa did in the morning and pushed her roughly, saying the older one should fetch first. Without saying much, Bewa poured the one she was fetching into the bucket and dropped the fetcher as she turned to go. "You rude brat," she called to Bewa, dragging her by her top. Bewa, who was still stressed by the previous day, tried to lose hold of her grip without talking, but it seemed like Fenwa was ready for a fight."Are you not supposed to offer to help," she continued as her hand touched Bewa's cheeks and struck her eyes who retaliated by pushing her.

The fight got real, and she dragged Bewa cloth tightly, which started to tear her by the arm and also slapped her. Bewa returned it in twos and beat her to the ground. Life had been stressful lately, and it was probably the best way to vent her anger and frustration on the person who asked for it. It took a while before they could get separated, with Fenwa covered in dirty mud and water as she cried loudly. No one wanted to listen to Bewa's side of the story as they all called her names, talking about how her life had become useless and a mess ever since her mother left her.

They said children like her only ended up either dead or locked up in jail due to violence. Some even wanted to hit her head, but she made sure she was out of their reach because things could get even uglier. "It shows in the motherless children," one of the wives retorted. Bewa cried hard that night, wondering what she was going to do and how her life was going to be. The next day, she left at dawn, leaving Abena a note saying she wanted to make some enquires about some things. She made her way home by 10:05 pm, convinced that there would be no one to harass her concerning her mother's debt at the time of the night. "Hey, stop there, stop," she heard.

Bewa quickened her steps, not wanting to mind who was calling her until the footsteps caught up with her. "So you have been avoiding us now for days," the shirtless guy said in his dialect as he held her arm. Bewa brushed his hand away disgustingly and looked at the figure who reeked of alcohol. "You don enter am this night." "Oga, said we should bring you anywhere we see you, but first we'll do our own," he said, laughing drunkenly as he signaled to his guys.

Bewa knew her life could get sullied in just a few minutes as she picked to her heels. She ran as fast as she could, like she was in a 100-meter race, without looking back. Screaming was probably a useless idea, but she did anyway; someone could still be awake. When she felt they were about to catch up, she suddenly shouted in her dialect towards a house she saw nearby. "Brother, come and help me; these kidnappers are after my life; where is your father's hunting gun." And that was like a saving grace; they turned back in fear as they were without defense. Bewa got home around midnight and had to rest in the new construction at the back of their house because no one was going the open the door that night. She was at the mercy of mosquitoes the entire night.

The next day she made up her mind and told Abena that they should make plans to leave. If she spent any more days around, they would carry out their threats. She was never going to end her life being at the mercy of someone old enough to be her father and have him walk over her dreams. Never!

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