Dawn

Morning too I replied washing my face with the cup of water I had in hand, Mama Ejima wasn't a bad neighbor,a single mum abandoned by a reckless taut who got her pregnant at age 17 in 2016,unfortunately/fortunately for her she gave birth to a set of twin boys and had managed to take care of them some how or any how since then...Stacy stays just opposite my room and is well known for her sex hawking business as she always entertained male visitors from time to time, it wasn't easy for her and certainly not for her boys as she would sometimes leave them with me when they were younger to attend to her customers, I pitied her and even the boys more... I have been in this face me I face you house now for a while now

I decided to leave home when I finished my Nysc as I was from a polygamous home, my mum died giving birth to me,i dint have any one apart from my dad whom would always brag about training me in school...it dint get any easier as he kept marrying till his wives became 4 with 12 children and counting, my friend would often tease that I was going to marry my sibling one day... Which wasn't far from minding considering how reckless my dad was,funny enough he was just a retired civil servant and only was stable when the pension came in stable. I wonder how my mom was and how she ended up being a third wife to such a man..sometimes I would just imagine how life could have turned out with her around..

Stacy wetin dey for your boy na I asked... Sometimes that question could be productive other times it will result in unnecessary romance that I didn't ask for, my neighbor was just a flirt all the same,

I have decided to stay away from women wahala for a while since my ex Mimi and I broke up though it hasn't been easy... Stacy and my guy frank dint even help much... Stacy with loud moans from time to time from her room which would sometimes leave me aroused and Frank always tempting me with numerous girls that he would normally bring around..

My house wasn't as bad It was a single room in a face me I face you compound but at least it was better than my father's house where children would be littered every where, it was just peaceful staying alone,the compound was shabily built but with brick consisting of 14 room, yes fourteen.. We shared 2 bathrooms and toilets which the most frustrating part of living in the house apart from that and my neighbors constant noises it was not bad..

A sister cooper occupied the first room of the block,her ppa is very close by just across the junction,she barely goes to work this days self opposite her is

mama iya the cook who we barely see she sells Food at the garage and has to go to work really about 4am and comes back about 9pm beside her room is papa chukwudi he reminds me so much of my father... Married with 3kids in a single room,the wife sells akpu sometimes to help but papa chukwudis desire for women surpassed his ambitions by far... Mama chukwdi had caught him cheating too many times to begin to count now and opposite their room is Aisha a Muslim widow I have only seen her feet once all my stay in my compound though we greeted when we crossed paths, Besides her room is Mr Freds room, the very stiff man we hardly talk about from when have compound meetings he is so rigid, opposite him is Frankie my guy and they is me and the mama Ejima aka. Stacy

My room was well arranged as I wanted, I had a mattress which I used throughout my nysc days at the right corner, then a storage catche beside it then to my left was my stove and pots I basically kept everything simple as a hustler na..., my brushing dint take much time, going in to drop my brush I saw two lizards fighting, I stood wondering how is it they knew territory and female partners, the sun was out and shinning it was already almost midday I thought as I went to drop off my brush and find what to eat... As I laid in my bed in thought of what to eat, I heard voices from afar... I peeped through the window to discover a group of angry mob... This wasn't strange as youths get into trouble always and even get themselves killed at times... Funny enough they were heading towards our house, who's in trouble this time I thought... I wore a blue shirt and my regular jersey short... On stepping out there rushed me... The uproar was too much now as they dragged me out and one hit my head with a Bart I was speechless before I could say anything they had drag me and pushed to the floor... I. Managed to say wetin I do but the reply was a dirty slap it was so hard I felt my nose bleed... I no do anything na I shouted on top of my voice but it made them angrier, some beat me with sticks others with matchet edges I still couldn't comprehend what was happening... The more I tried to explain, the more the crowd grew before I knew it I was too weak to even react... I could hear just voices now as I laid in pain... Some would ask na thief ?others na him rape the girl? others saying I sure say na the guy be this, some without remorse others with pity, some in awe others very confident but the beating dint stop I scanned around with my eyes for any one who I could talk to but they was no one... My eyes were getting dim from swells... They all had judged me a rapist ,i heard one say na blue shirt I'm wear before e run na... Today we go show them example so that next time to carry ashawo no go hard you... I laid defensless and half dead rolling... I thought to myself, is this my end?, why me?? Is this punishment for something I did before but then God have mercy on me, please help me, I didn't recognize any of the faces,my heart beat Was fading ,all my neighbors were no were to be found I looked up only to see Stacy peeping through the window... I knew the hour had come... The ladies were even more furious at me... I thought to myself was it the cloths,my hair where exactly did this bad luck come from... Then I thought of my mum, how I would never have a family of my own,kids, a job ...but I wasn't guilty,one woman then ran across and picked something... They were all watching me die slowly... Then the last thing I heard was no him ooo!!! The guy name na Dan the rapist na Emma, see him I. D.. As I shut my eyes in death.