INVADED

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<b><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ojor
Nneka<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 36pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">INVADED</span></span><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 55px;"><u>1</u></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 55px;"><u>September 14th 2008</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Bridget removed her wedding ring and placed it on the
dressing table; she cleaned the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. No
matter the circumstance she wasn’t going to appear weak in front of her husband.
She knew Odiong’s stock in trade was to prey on the weak; she had seen him with
his employees. She heard the bathroom door open and observed her husband walk
in with his silk towel round his waist</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I thought you would be asleep by now’ Odiong said walking up
to his wife and putting his arms on her shoulder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘And I thought you would have moved to the guestroom by now
but once again Odiong we disappoint each other’ she said with a stainless smile
and walked away. Odiong sighed and raised his eyebrow up. not this night he
wasn’t ready to pick up an argument with his wife. But Bridget seemed offended
by her husband’s nonchalant attitude</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Any woman Odiong’ she started, raising her voice. ‘You
could have had any woman any; Mary, veronica, Monica, Alex name it in the whole
of Lagos but it just had to be Layomi didn’t it? Hmmm….it just had to be my
best friend”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Bridget please……..not tonight’ Odiong sighed. ‘You know how
Antonia gets when we fight and she’s just a wall away from us’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Two years you religiously cheated on me with her. Two
unending years. Do you even possess a conscience?’ she continued ignoring his
comments</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘It wasn’t planned Bridget it just happened’ Odiong said
rushing to her. Bridget let out a loud mocking laugh and sat down at the side
of the bed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘So…that’s your excuse; it just happened? You just happened
to have an affair with my closest friend Odiong!’ she yelled ‘That’s your
excuse!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I’m sorry’ Odiong whispered rushing to her and shushing her
‘I’m really sorry Bridget’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘No…the only thing you are sorry about is the fact that you
were caught if not you were ready to go on for as long as it can take and
heaven knows how long that is’ she said raising her hands to allow a respectful
distance. Odiong stepped back putting his hand on his forehead in confusion and
pacing left and right. Bridget finally calmed down and laid down on the bed
backing Odiong</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I know Bridget’ she heard him say softly his breath behind
her neck ‘I am wrong with everything and I blame it on my gullible nature to
want more than I have’ Bridget scoffed ‘ You are an amazing wife and you don’t
deserve this or any bad treatment’ he paused and sighed unsure of what to say
next. ‘Just tell me what you want me to do?’ she turned to him and looked at
him sharply</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘You can start by picking up your PJ and getting the hell
out of this room so I can sleep. I don’t want your adulterous body beside mine’
she said sternly and turned back. Odiong stood up and let out a sad smile</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Okay… I’ll stay in the guestroom this night’ he submitted.
Hearing that, I carefully shut the door and crept back to my room. Once I was
safely in it I bolted the door behind me and headed for my bed. Three nights in
a row; would my parents ever get tired of this? I cleaned away the tears that
were building up. I felt like that was the beginning of my sadness and truly it
was but it wasn’t based on the failure of my parents; it was based on my own
failures as a young adult with a brain and a choice or should I say on a simple
misfortune that landed on my shoulders. As I write this book today; September 23^rd
2013; I am reminded of how all this started that night five years nine
days ago when I laid down on my bed and brought out my Sony Erisson. I’m sure
you are wondering; what started? What misfortune? Rushing into conclusion won’t
tell you the whole story; it has to be written detail by detail. I am Antonia
Soni and this is my story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked up my Sony Erisson from my bed and dialed Muna’s
number. Muna was my best friend at that moment. She was the only one that
brought a little excitement and adventure to my life which was what I needed at
that moment</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘What’s up’ she said I smiled recognizing her tiny girly
voice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Mom and dad are at it again’ I sighed putting my hand on my
forehead. Muna sighed equally </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Sorry sis’ she said ‘three nights in a row now; that must
be some kind of record’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Yeah in the Soni history. This is getting serious and I’m
getting scared. Irene is coming back in the next one week she can’t meet mom and
dad like this. That girl is just thirteen’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘And you’re just sixteen’ Muna interrupted ‘I hate to break
it to you Soni but your long holiday sucks. My parents haven’t been in for at
least a week now and my bro is over at his friends place. I suggested you come
sleep over and maybe we could go to Slim’s house party this evening but you
insisted on staying with your mom. How’s that working for you now?’ Muna was
right; I was wallowing in sadness while I could have been at a house party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Come on Antonia it’s not too late to scale your window. The
party is just hitting up’ she begged. I sighed </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I can’t. I can’t just leave the house’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Folarin will be there’ she sang. I blushed and looked down
shyly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘How are you so sure?’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Because……….. I spoke to him yesterday’ she sounded sincere
enough ‘you deserve to have fun Tonia. You worked the whole semester and
brought home a spectacular result. I mean that thing’s good enough to be framed’
I laughed out ‘and how do Mr. and Mrs. Soni repay you? Well I’m not talking
again. Text me when you are in front of my house if you come. The estate is
safe enough for you to leg it; it’s just eight’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Okay…. Okay I’m coming’ I said trying to convince myself</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Good…..see ya’ and with that she ended the call. I sat up
from my laid down position and looked towards my scattered wardrobe. My blue
flare gown looked back at me. That looked good enough for a party at this time.
My heart pounded at the thought. I was just sixteen while Fola and Slim were
both nineteen. My mind told me it was wrong for me to go out and I was beginning
to agree with it but then I heard my parents’ door slam</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Is that what you want Bridget? Huh! Good lord you’re
crying. I am no saint I’m trying to make everything better and you keep
treating me like a virus’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Oh shut up Odiong!’ my mom interrupted rudely. I don’t give
a rat ass how I treat you; you earned it’ she yelled back</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no thinking about it; that was it. I walked up to
my wardrobe and picked up my blue gown along with my flats. I couldn’t stay in
the hellhole my parents had turned my house into. Picking up my schoolbag, I placed
my things inside and headed for the window. To me I was stepping out of the
fire my parent’s created. But at times wisdom teaches you to stay in the fire
whose degree of hotness you are aware of but I wasn’t wise enough; I was just a
kid who wanted an easy way out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I dialed Muna’s number my heart beating faster and faster
by every minute. I looked round for any familiar face. I didn’t want to be
caught by anybody. Everyone knew my parents and how they were strict with my
movements and seeing me out by this time would be odd</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Yes’ she said</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I’m outside your house; hurry!’ I rushed out and ended the
call.&nbsp; I paced left and right several
times then finally sat down on the pavement. The gate opened after a few
minutes and Muna walked up to me with a warm smile</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Halleluiah; she didn’t die’ she joked pecking me playfully.
I giggled and pushed her away jokingly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Yeah yeah whatever. Lets just get inside’ I said working
ahead and leaving her behind</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘What cloth did you bring’ I brought out the gown from my
bag and tossed it to her</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘if there is anything I successfully taught you; it’s how to
choose the right cloth for the right occasion’ I rolled my eyes and unlocked
her front door</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘You didn’t teach me that’ I said entering the house and
sitting down on the sofa at the visitor’s sitting room</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I was talking to Queen yesterday and guess what’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘what’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘She’s in Lag and she is coming over!’ Muna squealed. I rolled
my eyes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘What….. I thought you loved Queen’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘We had a little fight on the last day at school. Something about
me being nosy about her and Chidi’s relationship’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Wow…. How come I didn’t know about that’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘It was a really embarrassing fight. Chidi dumped her
because of it.’ Muna’s eyebrows shut up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘What was it about?’ she rushed out anxiously sitting beside
me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I promised to keep it between us. something’s are censored
to your ears Muna’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Why?’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Cause you can’t keep a secret’ she sighed and shut me a surprising
look</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘That is not true. Whatever I am going to get dressed. Slim
and Fola are on their way as I speak.’ She said standing up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘I’ll go get you a shoe horn so you can squeeze those boobs into
your dress.’ She joked from a distance. I laughed out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘That’s crazy talk Muna’ I shouted. I started removing my shorts
ready to wear my gown. Something still felt wrong as if something was going to
happen. But I reminded myself that it was just my silly conscience and nothing
was wrong. This was better than listening to Mr and Mrs. Soni argue endlessly. Whatever
it was something killed the little voice of conscience that kept singing to me.
It just clocked nine and I had no idea what the rest of the night held for me
or Muna...........................................TO BE CONTINUED</span></div>