The Wake 4
THE WAKE
Mayowa Ojo
6/10/20262 min read
Vera stood by the window in her office on the 18th floor of the consulting firm where she worked as head of the finance unit. She was the youngest person to attain that position in the firm and on some days she really did feel like she had accomplished something in her life...but not today.
Her call with James - her most recent boyfriend - left her angrier than she wanted to be. Of all the guys that she tried to date he was the most clingy of them all and it irritated her to no end. So she ended the call in frustration.
She often loathed the person that she was inside - broken, needy and in constant search for love.
The first night Dennis raped her when she just turned thirteen was still fresh in her mind. The months leading up to that night he began to show her special attention. He would buy things for her and often defend her whenever Paloma would find yet another thing to accuse her for.
She thought it was because she was acing her studies in school. Much later she realized he only started to ask about her studies because he was trying to warm his way under her clothes. By the time he made his move she already felt indebted to him.
Truth is she had always been book smart from the day she started school. There was never a term she did not come first in class despite all the heat at home but Dennis never knew or cared until he was ready to.
She tried to fail once and still failed at that because passing was the only thing she found she could do well without anyone - Paloma inclusive - faulting her.
Vera thought Dennis was a weird man. Soon after he started abusing her he also started confiding in her. Sometimes when he was drunk he would tell her things while raping her. Other times he would just stroll into her room, sit with her and tell her things not even Paloma knew about his business. A couple of times he even apologized for the abuse while crying saying he felt helpless about it.
None of that changed the damage that continued within Vera but she listened nonetheless, too afraid not to.
Her complaint of the rape to Paloma was met with further accusations of lies and seduction.
Vera stared blankly out the window. In the middle of her career success her past was a landmark that no matter how far she thought she had gone it was still visible.
**********
Back in her apartment, around midnight Vera got out of bed and stretched. She knew something was up. She walked to her kitchen which really was an open plan of some sort merged with her living room.
She sat at the kitchen counter facing the entrance with the lights out.
When she saw the door knob turn slightly and what sounded like a spare key turn in the door, she knew.
Vera saw them before they saw her. She smiled even though she was a bit nervous. She waited for their eyes to adjust to the darkness while they whispered. Just when she thought they were comfortable she turned on the lights, catching them by surprise.
“Hello mum. I’ve been expecting you,” she said hiding the gun she had beneath the table; safety button off.