Thirty Tales (1)

 

THIRTY TALES- I turn 30 in 8 days. I hope to post stories from the decade 21-30 every day until the 2nd of February.

On sexual predators

I got into the university at the age of 16. I was a child. Both my parents went with me to settle me in just like in the days of boarding school. This time however, things were different. There was this huge void. It felt like I had been left alone to face the world. I cried after they left. On most days, before lectures resumed; I would go to the common room and sit there for hours lost in my own thoughts. I just wanted my mummy.

Registration began and we had to get our courses for the semester signed on the course form by each lecturer. One of such courses was a compulsory borrowed course from the English department (I studied Linguistics in my first degree). I joined the queue outside the lecturer's office. Everyone went in and came out swiftly and then it was my turn. I got in, closed the door behind me and greeted him waiting for him to gesture that I approach his table.

He looked up at me, put his head back down and continued what he was doing. I was confused. So I managed to mutter "Please sir, I would like to sign my course form". "Sit", he said. I wondered if that was the process everyone else went through. I sat but I was very uneasy, I just wanted to get it over with.

He got up, came around the table and sat by the chair next to me. "What's your name?", he asked. "Love", I said. "Let me have the course form", he said. I handed it over to him. "06224004", he said calling out my student identification number as he handed it back to me without signing. "I like you. Be mine and enjoy your life in this school till you graduate. You will never have to read to pass", he said as he placed his hand on my left thigh. I jumped up clutching my course form to my chest. I was furious. My eyes must have turned red from anger. I said nothing. I turned around and headed for the door. Just as I placed my hand on the knob, he said "I know your registration number, I will find you". I did not look back as I opened the door and walked away. I was trembling.

I ran back to my room, buried my head in my pillow and cried. I contemplated calling my mother but I changed my mind. She would panic and there really wasn't anything she could do. I was now a big girl. Big girl, big problems.

I avoided the road that led to his office for the longest time possible and till almost end of the semester, my course form was still not signed. Luckily for me, the course rep was asked to gather all unsigned course forms as there were many people who resumed late and it was not practical for them to go individually to every lecturer. I snuck my course form in and it was signed along with the rest. The idiot must have missed my name and number. It was easy to avoid him in the lecture halls (we barely had lectures anyway. We read on our own for most courses). It was a very large class consisting of hundreds of students. At the end of that semester, I had straight As (or almost..) in all courses including his. He must have forgotten about me or so I thought.

We never saw again until I was in 400 level. We had been taken to a Government secondary school to write our exams. As I walked into one if the classes, there he was. He smiled wryly. He was an invigilator. I quickly did an about turn. I went to stay under a tree until it was time for the paper. I went to another class and stayed at a corner. The idiot was searching for me. I could see him from where I sat moving from class to class. He would pop his head in, scan the class and move. He finally got to mine. He popped his in, saw me and approached my table. I did not look up. I continued writing. He stood over my head and would not move so I finally looked up. He took my answer script, turned to the first page and read out my registration number; "06224004". He dropped it and said "I told you I will find you" and then he walked away.

Nothing came of his threats as I passed that particular course he invigilated with an A. We never saw again.

Sometimes I think about it and I wish i could get the police to find him and arrest him. I wish I wasn't so scared. I wish I sought legal action. I wish I knew what I know now. How do you sexually harass and threaten a child? I was 16!!!

BUT I am thankful to God who always keeps His promise to protect us.

"...the Lord always does what he has promised...He will keep you safe when Satan attacks you."
2 Thessalonians 3:3 EASY translation

Your favourite writer girl,
Love.