It was an all-night prayer and praise session. At about
4:20am Kassim became restless and unstable. He began to shout, “fire” “fire”
“fire”. All of us standing by saw no fire but he kept screaming and complaining
fire was burning him all over his body. Remove the fire,
I will confess, he
begged but baba rather increased the intensity of the fire by intensifying the
prayer. For ten minutes, Kassim was rolling on the ground in pain and agony yet
he refused to confess. Suddenly, baba came closer and touched his back and he
screamed very loudly and began to confess.
When I was in secondary school, I use to be the best student
until Monica joined us in SSS 2 from Queen’s College Lagos. Monica was
exceptionally brilliant and she came out the best in her first exam with us.
This brought me to second position in class and many who respected me shifted
to Monica. All the boys in my class made me a subject of ridicule, saying an
ordinary girl had beat me hands down. This development really affected me so
much that I developed hatred for Monica. The next term, I tried hard to take my
position back but my efforts took me a step backward. I became third position
in class from first.
The third term was worse as my position went back to tenth.
This made me develop more hatred for Monica and I began to plan to hurt her. All
my attempts to harm her never materialised until few months to our WAEC. I
became close to Monica so I could get opportunity to carry out my plan. We
started studying together but all was to get her. After I had entered her and
gained her trust, I lured her into a government primary school on the pretense
that we want to go and study.
She was too innocent
to suspect I will harm her or take advantage of her. As soon as I noticed she
was buried in her study, I grabbed her from behind and took advantage of her.
She begged me not to do it to her but my heart was clouded with hatred for her
over her taking my position and making me a laughing stock among my peers.
Monica was a virgin but I took away her virginity without her consent. She wept
bitterly and began to curse me.
She lifted her stained pant up and mentioned my name three times
and began;
“You forcefully took away my virginity which I have been
preserving for my husband.”
“I trusted you but you betrayed my trust.”
“You took away what does not belong to you in the midst of
tears.”
“You turned deaf ears to my begging because of lust.”
“It will not be well with you.”
“My innocence will inflict you with demons of rape until your
life becomes miserable.”
“Your generations will suffer rape forever.”
“You will never know peace until you rape your mother.”
I didn’t take her serious until seven years later when my
desire to rape every woman around me grew like wildfire inside of me. I have
been looking for Monica to seek for her forgiveness but she’s nowhere to be
found. I had done many atrocities that led me to where I am today but they’re
too heavy in my mouth to say in the public. Help me beg my mum to forgive me.
Kassim looked at his dad. Please dad, forgive me. I have sinned against you and
mum in many ways that you are not aware of…..
