BROKEN

Bisi lived in fear. 

Fear of time. Fear of life. Fear of death. It was her constant companion. She couldn’t remember the last time she was truly happy.

6 years of walking on egg shells in her home had robbed her of her self worth and sense of accomplishment.

 Tunde’s anger was something that should not be stirred or toyed with when stirred. If the bruise on the side of her face was anything to go by, it showed that. 

She winced as she tended to her bruises with foundation and concealer, she needed to go get some food items and she needed to look at least presentable.

Mama Sikira knew what she went through on a regular basis, that was why she had put off going to her shop for a few days. The woman couldn’t stand seeing her like that and always complained whenever she did. It made Bisi feel ashamed of herself. She didn’t know why, she just did.

Now that Tunde had instructed her to make him pounded yam with bitter leaf soup for dinner and there was no egusi to use to make the stew, she needed to go to Mama Sikira’s shop. The woman wasn’t the only one in the area who had a food items shop. There were over 4 shops in the area but Bisi just preferred her because she was a very nice woman and her goods were so cheap that sometimes she couldn’t believe the peanuts Tunde always left for food stuff could get such quantity of items from her.

 Bisi usually wondered if the woman didn’t intentionally sell things to her at a give away price.

“hurry up , Bisi, better to go early than late” she said to herself as she added more concealer to her face.

Her husband’s meal had to be ready by 7pm. Any later than that and he would refused to eat. Another round of beating might follow if he was pissed off enough or maybe he’d be merciful and just shove her and the plate away or fling it across the room.

She winced as she remembered the last time his dinner had been late by 15mins because the gas had finished as she had been making the food and she’d had to call the gas man to come and fill it before she continued.

Tunde had not taken it lightly and had screamed in her face when she had finally finished and brought the meal

“You must be very stupid to think I will eat this food at this time of the evening!” he’d said to her when she had gone to tell him where he was sitting on the couch reading a newspaper

“But honey” she’d explained “the gas had finished and you still haven’t bought the kerosene, I would have continued with the stove but there was no money in the house to buy kerosene. I even had to plead with Mr. John to fill the gas on credit till you came back”

Her explanation had fallen on deaf ears and she had been gifted with two slaps that sent her vision into under-drive and had also earned a plate of food in her face where she had fallen on the floor struggling to recover from the slaps.

You see, Tunde liked to keep very little amount of money in the house. He wanted her to be completely dependent on him.

A month or so after they’d gotten married, she had woken up one morning to find all of her credentials gone. She had gotten ready to go out job hunting again that morning and she had met an empty envelope. She had asked him about it and he had told her that no wife of his would work while he was alive and well to provide for them in the house. She had thought it romantic of him at the time. Well, that was before the beatings had started. Now she understood why he had taken them.

“you belong to me”. He would always say and he never failed to remind her of that.

As she tended to her bruises and covered them with more make up, she wondered if it was really true.

Her phone rang cutting into her thoughts. She hesitated then answered

“Mrs. Ayotunde!!” Loveth chirped loudly in her ear. 

Loveth was Bisi’s long time friend. The only one who had stuck with her through the rough and tough parts of her life. She was also the only one who called her Mrs. Ayotunde as opposed to the proper Mrs. Arire which happened to be her husband’s surname.

Bisi chuckled “you don come again Loveth. What’s happening?”

“Nothing much. I’m outside your house. The hulk Hogan at your gate has refused to let me in”

“Ahah You were supposed to call me nau” Bisi complained “you know the drill. What if I wasn’t home?”

“hahaha. I know your head of state very well na. He never lets you leave the house” Loveth said “Come and minister to this gorilla abeg, these shoes are killing me”

The Hulk Hogan/gorilla was Mike, the huge, almost 7 feet tall gateman Tunde had hired and instructed to never let anyone in the house. He did his job well but he also had a soft spot for Bisi and he compromised for her more often than not.

“Jesus Bisi!” Loveth exclaimed as soon as she sets eyes on her “what the hell! This is getting out of hand”

“shh, be quiet!” Bisi snapped as she dragged her friend into the house.

“whats the meaning of this bullshit Bisi. You told me he said he would stop this” Loveth swore as Bisi shut the front door removing the sun shades she had donned to go outside. They were her constant companion. She felt almost naked without them.

Loveth swore a lot when she was upset.

“yes he did. I think this one was my fault. I shouldn’t have angered him so much. You know how he is when he gets angry”

“That’s why I keep telling you to find a solution to this. And I really don’t give a rat’s ass how mad he was. Why won’t you let me treat his fuck up just once ehn.”

 Loveth complained then scooted closer to her friend and held her hand “You know the only way to get out of this Bisi. Please, you need to leave. please, i beg you.”

“I can’t leave, you know that” Bisi shook her head “I have nothing. Absolutely nothing...my certificates are with him. I have checked the whole house. They’re not here. I don’t have any money. He takes care of all the bills. I mean everything. He even goes with me to the salon to pay for my hair. What do u want me to do? Please Lets leave it alone abeg”

“what about human rights?, I think I might know someone who might know someone who knows someone who might be able to help, I just have to go through my contacts”

“no” Bisi shook her head as her friend reached for her phone “I cant risk it. If it goes out of hand, how will I get my life back? My qualifications, I can’t play ludo with the first 20 years of my life please.”

“of course the court will order him to produce it” loveth hissed

“and if he says he doesn’t have it? What proof do I have that he does?” Bisi shook her head “I can’t risk it. You don’t know Tunde the way I do. I’m praying that with time, he will give them to me or I will find them”

“I still find it so hard that we never saw a sign of all these”

“actually, I saw signs but I was too in love and naive to understand what they meant” Bisi looked forlorn as she spoke

“oh my God. Really?”

“yeah”

“shit! I just knew a 38 year old guy loving up all over a 20year old undergraduate was too good to be true. How come you never told me this?”

“what difference would it make?” Bisi asked “I can’t leave if I wanted to. He made sure of that. And besides, it won’t change what has already happened”

“well if you don’t want the human rights deal. Why not let me organize some guys to give him some tender loving care. Just once“

Bisi chuckled “I no get liver for that kain thing abeg. Don’t worry, I have survived this long. I can handle it”

“bisi-“

“really loveth” Bisi said sternly” leave it alone”

Loveth studied her friend and held her tongue. She was starting to get upset. She hated the fact that her friend’s low life of a husband would degrade himself this much. It broke her heart to see the bruise on the side of her face up to her hairline but there was nothing she could do. If she pushed any further, Bisi could shut her out.

She focused on the reason behind her visit, gisted with her friend some more and left.

Bisi hummed to herself in the shower. 

It had been a good day. It was almost 9pm. She’d enjoyed her afternoon with Loveth. 

Mama Sikira had been sympathetic enough not to comment about her look that afternoon, she had come home, made dinner, Tunde had eaten and had gone to his study to work. She was pleased that he was content. Even though he barely spoke a word to her, she could sense all was well.

As she increased the temperature and flow of the water to allow it pound and seep into her aching muscles, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She stiffened as it went from her shoulder to her breast and further down.

“Tunde” she pleaded “I’m on my period. It will end tomorrow. U know this”

He kept a record of her cycle. It would stop unwanted pregnancies popping up from time to time. He had said to her. That hadn't stopped the ones he'd made her abort though.

 “7 days period is too much for a woman. Don’t worry you will wash it away” He said as he pushed her against the wall, water splashing over his frame as he took her.




.....to be continued