My name is Rahila and I would like to share my story.
I was 13 years old when Jibrin raped me and this is how it happened, I was young and I can barely know what beauty is, but I know that I am beautiful with my dark complexion skin. Till date, people still admire my glowing skin. To add to my beauty, I am blessed with longhairs. My hair lay down beside my face since when I was very small and everyone liked it.

Now that I have your attention, let me go straight to the point, I grew up seeing Jibrin in our house all the time. He was my uncle’s friend and as they studied in the same university.

Whenever he is in our house, he rarely called me by my name but his wife, I never liked it even though I was young and naïve, this is common in mostly Hausa home in the North.

One day he came home alone without my uncle, my two siblings were in school also, I was supposed to be in school too but I woke up sick that day and the house maid they left me at home with was sleeping in her room as my mum was also still in the university pursuing her degree.

Jibrin came in and asked me why I did not go to school and I told him I had malaria, he asked me where is everyone and I told him it is only me and Zubaida (our maid) and she’s sleeping in her room.  Jibrin started touching me in places he shouldn’t and saying “my wife you’re really beautiful”.

Slowly then he started playing with my hair, I try to walk away but he dragged me back, I don’t know why I didn’t scream for help, maybe I was confused, surprised of what was going on, he pulled my pants down and tears are already rolling down my cheeks even though I don’t know what was going on but I don’t like it and it scared me to death.

I raised my head up to look at him he was already half naked, his shirt was still on but he had no trousers on him, he looked at my eyes full of tears and he said “don’t worry it will soon be over” I will never forget those words.

I was shouting but he used the throw pillow on the couch to keep my voice down, I scream and at the same time begging him but no one could hear my voice. I couldn’t remember anything else than seeing Zubaida, our house girl standing behind him and screaming laud.

So he quickly stopped, he dressed himself up and dragged our house girl outside. I did not know what they talked about but before they came inside I ran to my mum’s room and locked myself.

Zubaida came in and started knocking on the door but I refused to open it as I was scared of everyone and I only want to be with my mum. She continued knocking on the door nonstop while saying “oh dear uncle was just playing with you, he will never hurt you”, I refused to open the door. Zubaida and Jibrin begged me to open the door for hours but I still refused to open it, it was around 11.00 in the morning.
That was how I stayed in my mum’s room till 3pm when she returned from school. I opened the door and ran to her, hugged her real tight and tears were still running down my cheeks. She asked me what happen and I told her everything while I was crying. My mum beat the house girl up.

She raised my skirt up and saw blood (believe me I didn’t even noticed I was bleeding), mum drove us to the hospital, but I already had an injury in between my legs.

After arriving the hospital, a nurse told me to follow her, she hold my hand while going with her and I ran straight back to my mum. My mum then hold me and said let’s go together, we entered another room where a doctor examine me and told my mum “he had already gotten to her, the doctor added she will be fine for now”. He ordered for HIV and pregnancy test.

My dad joined us at the hospital also, they then took the case to police station, unfortunately they found a way to manipulate it and put the blame on my mum for leaving me alone.

When I started my period, it became extraordinary painful, though I heard its hormonal imbalance. Till date, if I get too much stressed, I bleed for 21 days straight instead of the normal 7 days I observed.

Sometimes when my mum remember the incidents she still cry, because of this incident my mum dropped out from school in her 3^rd year in the university that year, now all her life is about us. My dad also shade tears when he remembers.

As for Jibrn, he was only detained in the police station for one day if I am not mistaken, I still don’t trust any guy coming too close to me even if it’s in a public space.

My concern now is I don’t know or let me say I am scared of what to tell my future husband or how he will react.