Hope for Tomorrow

There will always be a time in my life I will never forget no matter how decades roll by. It was back then in my undergraduate days; if I get my figures right, it was back in 1995. I was in 200L studying accounting at the University of Lagos. One Saturday I had gone to my best friend’s apartment where she lived with her boyfriend to visit because she called in sick on Friday. I took my time to make her favourite meal of yam and egg sauce despite my busy schedule. I loved Shade like a sister and wouldn’t jeopardize our friendship for anything. I knew she wouldn’t or so I thought. When I got to her apartment, I met her boyfriend John who told me she went to the pharmacy.

I figured to wait for my friend who would not take long anyway. It was there on the couch that I must have dozed off. I woke up by an unusual sensation touching me; and the sight was disturbing—my best friend’s boyfriend, John, was there standing almost bare to my face. I was shaken to my very marrows that I never thought of him doing something like that to me. I dropped my gaze on him, lost in shock and disbelief as it all sunk in. I fought with him at that moment but took advantage of my very moment disorientation, and at that moment, the whole world shattered around me. It was then that it dawned on me that my friend was not at the pharmacy as he had claimed. Later, I learned that my friend was actually travelling home for treatment that morning. I thought of reporting to police but did not want the stigma attached to it.

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John kept on stalking me and begging me for forgiveness yet I kept avoiding him to avoid doing something I might regret. My friend returned from her trip, I had avoided her for I was too ashamed to look her in the face. After much pondering, I somehow mustered the bravery to finally tell her what happened to me. In telling the story, I realized that she was completely oblivious to the whole affair; indeed, it was quite surprising. I asked her why she was so aloof, and then came the real jaw dropper. She gave me the unexpected hit so hard that my ears rang, and for one second the world went mute. She screamed like a banshee, calling me a liar.

She said her boyfriend told her how I came to their apartment in her absence to seduce him. I was very surprised to realize that John had changed the narrative. I felt shattered and broken as my friend continued embarrassing me. People had begun to gather around us to watch the scenario. I walked back to my hostel in embarrassment and burden in my heart as I felt helpless.

Before I knew it, the story had spread around the campus like wildfire and people stared and spoke in hushed voices wherever I went. Some mean ladies even took it upon themselves to disgrace me wherever I went. Soon my G.P dropped drastically as I couldn’t maintain my position as the best overall. I no longer had friends and Shade swore to never have anything to do with a betrayal like me. Funny enough, she didn’t break up with John. They were still waxing strong in their relationship and even showed it to my face. When that semester ended, I went to spend some time with my elder sister. We are orphans and  She was the only family I had; we only had each other. She broke down in tears as I told her, and I was the one comforting her.

She vowed to stand with me adversity or otherwise, and I felt relieved that love existed between my sister and me. It was at that moment that she took me to a clinic, and it was at that clinic that I found out I was pregnant. I was so low in my spirits I hadn’t even noticed that I’d skipped my period. At first, I didn’t know what to do upon hearing the news. I talked to my sister and decided to keep the baby. My sister pampered me like a baby and would not let me do any chore. She nursed be back to shape and I regained my health and beauty. After a month, school had resumed and I developed cold feet about going back. My sister encouraged me to go back with the promise that she Click to download full story.

Before you click to read the full story, can I have a minute of your time? Thank you; I just want to tell you that you are special and deserve the best things!