If there’s anything I’ve learnt in life, it’s the fact that
the mind of a desperate being is desperately stupid. I can never forget those
eight girls; we called them the heroic seven Chastity, Thomasine, Irete; the
girl whose father owned a boat, Chika, Abigail, Pelumi, Josephine and
Aminat. I watched them as they raided
the first aid box for the things they could use and took over the entrance of
the cargo. They all sat and acted like they were up to nothing with Abigail
their fearless leader telling them what to do.
‘Thomasine’ Kike called with concern in her voice. Thomasine
ignored her. She looked at Abigail who signaled to her not to answer her
‘Ignore Kike’ Abigail said
‘Thomasine, remember what Uju said about being stupid’ Kike
persisted
‘I’m not being stupid Kike, you’ll realize that when we come
out of this cargo’
‘There is no coming out of this container’ she interrupted
impatiently then growled after
‘Kike please shut your stupid beak’ Chastity shouted
‘Don’t discourage us here’ Pelumi said ‘I’m not ready for
what’s out there for us’ she continued
‘Please leave the chicken and let’s help us get ourselves
out of here. My boyfriend doesn’t even have a clue on where I am’ Irete said
I scoffed mockingly. ‘Your boyfriend?’ I finally said. ‘You’re
endangering all of us because of a boy!’
‘Shhh’ Muna said covering my mouth
‘They are going to turn us into prostitutes’ Aminat started
attracting the attention of everyone ‘Don’t you see it, we are being shipped to
Italy or wherever where we would be used as money making ventures for them’
‘You don’t know that I _:’
‘If I don’t’ she interrupted ‘where are the guys in this cargo?’
Everyone started murmuring. I sighed and looked at Ejiro,
Ebun then at Muna
‘She’s wrong’ Asher said in tired breaths
‘What if she isn’t?’ Ebun said
‘Then we adapt’ Ejiro said ‘we cannot die’
‘We should fight too don’t you think. Abigail has a point;
at least we’ll say we tried’
‘Abigail is brutal’ I interrupted Muna ‘and violent. We will
fight but let them clear the coast, we cannot go to the warfront if we don’t
have any idea what our opponents have installed. If their plan seems to work,
then we’ll fight’
Muna and Ejiro nodded in agreement.
‘Last chance to join everybody, anyone, some_:’
‘Oh shut up Abigail’ someone interrupted startling everyone.
Already a label had fallen on Abigail’s shoulder as fearless and not to be
messed with and this girl seemed not to care
‘Shut up Abigail if you want to go down, go down alone don’t
drag other people with you. Don’t look for more disciples if_:’
‘Don’t ever tell me to shut up in your life’
‘If you are alive in the next five minutes I would never.
But I am sure you won’t be. You and the dumb seven behind you are the damage
control so that the rest of us will be kept good, alive and healthy. So go
ahead, play hero but don’t drag anyone down with you’ she scoffed and looked
directly at Abigail
‘My friend was shot in the head and tossed out because she
wasn’t needed and I was raped before we got here by one of those hulks that you
are planning to take down ask anyone in my bus. Cle, tell them. Those people
are not just big; they are a lot of things’
We looked at Cle. A light skinned smart looking girl with an
afro hair cut who seemed to agree
‘So I’m sure it didn’t come that hard in your buses for any
of you as it did for we in mine and Pelumi I understand your anxiousness to
fight cause you know what we went through but I hope you are thinking too’
Pelumi looked away and sighed
‘Whatever, do what suits any of you’ Abigail hissed loudly
‘Don’t listen to her’ she said as she walked down to the
first aid box and sat on the ground to pull it out
‘We are going to try and get out if it kills us but it
won’t’ she said opening the box.
Just then, the padlock noise was heard and the cargo opened
with force almost immediately. Before they could stand up and think of lifting
a fist. They were shocked by what they saw immediately the doors opened. They
were three guys, each had a gun on them and two with whips. I knew they were
going to be ready for whatever we planned on doing, they had to be. Beside
nurse Vivian was a man in a khaki trouser and a black body hugging top. We all
rolled in with fear and those attempting to stand up gently sat down
‘Kayode check the girls on this row, Patrick, the ones on
the next row. Anyone with anything sharp or unfamiliar on them bring them out’
The Khaki dressed man ordered. My eyes went to where Abigail was. I watched her
as she quietly threw the things into the box and sat straight like nothing was
happening. No one could see her because she was at the corner. Kayode and
Patrick kept searching and bringing out the girls while the Khaki dressed man
observed us quietly.
‘look at you maggots; thinking you can just overtake the
ship. Where did you get that dumb idea from’ he said scornfully. Pelumi looked
towards Abigail but she looked away.
‘We have installed receivers incase we want to pass an
announcement or hear what you want. We can hear you girls clearly if not see.’
‘Sire we are sorry we’ he looked at Irete with a stern look
making her shut up
‘Somehow there is always a group of nuisance among you
girls’ she said. We were all frightened. No one wanted to be shot or flogged.
Nurse Vivian just walked in and sat down. It seemed she really didn’t have a
say in their judgments.
‘Sire’ kayode called him attracting his attention. He looked
towards him and at the eight girls who were crying and begging.
‘It was not our idea Sire. We are really sorry it was_:’
‘Be quiet!!’ he yelled making us all shake in fright. They
didn’t stop begging. I looked at Nurse Vivian to see if she was equally was begging
but she wasn’t
‘This is going to serve as a warning to all of you’ he said
as he signaled to the two guys beside the door.
They opened it widely and made us watch as they stripped
them, bounded our friends’ leg with heaven chains, flogged them to weakness and
pushed them into the sea to die. It was horrifying for all of us. for days we
wept, some of us refused food and as for me. I couldn’t stop dreaming about it
everytime I closed my eyes. Muna just kept mute most of the day thinking and
Abigail, Abigail was sure to have the whole Cargo against her. Somehow she was
lucky to have survived and it annoyed us all but there was nothing we could do
about it. Now we knew there was no limit to what this people could do and we
had to prepare our minds.
