I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with a throbbing pain in my head. I touched where my head had hit the table and felt a warm liquid. Great! Now I was bleeding. As I struggled to raise my body up, the incessant wails of Saba got my attention. I sprang up like lightening and quickly took in the situation before me.

Mama was throwing blows at Saba's frail body like she was a punching bag.

“Mama o! Mama o! Mama o!” Saba wailed.

“I will kill you! I will kill you today! I warned you not to have anything to do with my son. You dirty slut!” mama snarled like a vicious tigress as her fist connected with Saba's jaw. This drew blood from her lips and she began to bleed profusely.

“I will kill you! I will kill you!” mama snarled.

Not while am still alive, I thought to myself. I moved with full speed to them and tried to block the blows from reaching Saba. The stinging blows weakened my already weak body but I did not relent. Mama tried to push me away like she did earlier but I stood my ground. Saba quickly hid behind me.

“Oma! Get out of my way,” mama ordered.

I shook my head at her.

“I said get out of my way. I swear, Oma, you won't like what I'll do to you if you don't step out of my way right now,” she threatened.

“Am not moving aside,” I stated with finality. I held tight to Saba's hands as she shook with fright.

“Then I'll kill you first before I kill her,” mama sneered and lunged for me. I pushed Saba aside and prepared myself for the worst.
I'd rather die than let her harm another hair on Saba's body.

Mama seized my hair with such ferocity like she was a tigress ready to kill her prey that I thought my hair would pull out of their roots. I cried out in a shrill voice and clutched her hands to try and pull them away. Saba jumped on mama's back and bit into her skin. Mama screamed in pain and let go of my hair. She tried to get Saba off her back but she held tight and scratched mama's face with her finger nails. Mama succeeded in getting her off and flung her away like a sack of potatoes. Saba's back hit the antenna pole and she screamed in pain
She fell to the ground with a loud "Ooompf" and went silent.

I panicked and rushed to her.
“Saba! Saba! Saba! Wake up,” I shook her but she didn't budge. Saba is my little sister. Even if we are of different parents, she's my foster sister and I would protect her with my life. Thank Allah she was still breathing.

“I hope she is dead!” mama sneered, “Now you're next!”

I removed the rubber band from my wrist and tied my hair. I will fight mama. I don't care if am just a weak fifteen year old girl. I don't care! Mama has harmed us enough.

“Leave her alone, mama, haven't you done enough?” I demanded.

We prowled the backyard like two animals ready to attack. Mama snarled at me and rushed towards me with fury evident in her eyes. She gave me a back hand slap that sent me sprawling to the ground. Sand entered my mouth. I spat it out but I grew horrified when I saw blood.

“Good!” mama smirked, “That should teach you a lessen not to stand up to me again. You urchin! Your wings are growing and they need to be clipped.”

She glanced at Saba who had woken up. She immediately recoiled. She approached Saba and glared at her.

“And you! This is just the beginning. By the time am through with you, you will wish you were never born,” she hissed and went into the kitchen.

What will she do now? I watched the kitchen door with fear.
“Saba! Come over here,” I told her and she rushed towards me. I hugged her and gently patted her hair.
We were both crying when mama came out with her koboko. I looked at her with shock and fear.

“Mama please stop! Why are you doing this. Please have mercy on us,” I cried out.

I got my reply.
The koboko landed on my back with such force that I felt my skin tear. It was so stinging like I have never felt before. I felt hot in my back. My back was burning.
Mama must have rubbed pepper on the koboko. I looked at the koboko and saw how black it was.
Cameroun pepper!
The koboko kissed my back again and I cried out in pain.

“Aaarrrgh! Aaaarrgh! My back! Aaargh!” my hands tried to reach my back to soothe the pain but it was futile.
The koboko landed on my left hand this time. I screamed and fell to the ground.

She moved to Saba and began to thrash her mercilessly. She rolled on the ground and cried out in pain.

“Mama o! Wayo Allah! Wayo Allah!(Help Please!). Wayo! Wayo! Wayo!” Saba shouted.

“Mama! Mama stop!” I begged as hot tears of anguish rolled down my cheeks. I tried to get up but my legs failed me. I raised my hand up and saw the long mark of the koboko on my skin. It was red and bleeding.

By now our screams had gotten the attention of our neighbours.
They rushed into our compound.

“Wayo! Wayo! Wayo!” Saba shouted.

By now her body was a bloody mess. A man grabbed mama away from Saba while another collected the koboko from her. I crawled to Saba and held her to me. I placed her head in my bosom as she lay quiet, too weak to cry.
How can she be this cruel! So vile! So despicable! So nasty! So brutal!
All because of that her worthless and sorry excuse of a boy. That Tolaani who even tried to rape me.
How can she sleep at night.

“What is all this? Have you no heart, Fatoumata,” Mama Johnny, one of our neighbors, yelled at her.

“Look at her! Shameless woman! Look at their bodies. See how they are bleeding! Covered in blood!” Mama Emeka remarked.

“Ehhhhhhh! Chineke!(An Ibo word for God). This is wickedness of the highest order. No matter how heinous their crime is, they don't deserve this. Even an adult doesn't deserve this,” another neighbor reprimanded her.

“Let go of me!” mama snarled at the man holding her. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he was stronger than her.

“What do you think of yourself? Some sort of queen?” the man holding koboko asked her.

“Even queens don't treat their subjects like this,” Mama Johnny taunted.

“You're a beautiful lady but your heart is ugly and black like a charcoal,” Mama Emeka hissed.

“This is total rubbish!” the man uttered and threw the koboko on the ground.

“We need to take them to the chemist,” one woman commented.

Aunty Amina, a young woman in her early thirties, quickly stepped forward.
“Please, let me,” she spoke and carried Saba. Every one knew Aunty Amina had a soft spot for Saba. She had tried on several occasions to see Saba but mama always drove her away. Whenever she brought sweets for her, mama would throw them away in her presence.

“I will take care of this child. People are looking for children yet you're here trying to kill the ones Allah have given you. Saba will live with me from now on,” She spoke with finality.

“I won't let that happen!” mama shouted in anger.

“Don't you dare try anything funny. You know who my parents are. If you so much as lay a finger on Saba, Oma, Fahad, Usama or any other child again, I will ruin your husband and his business. Both of you will go to prison,” Aunty Amina threatened.

We slowly left the compound and headed for the chemist. It was night time when I returned with Mama Johnny and two other men. They threatened Papa and mama, telling them exactly what Aunty Amina told mama. Papa glared at me while mama ignored me. I was happy that Saba was safe and neither Usama, Fahad nor I would be getting beatings from them again.
If only I knew my joy was short lived and fate was planning on dealing a huge blow on me.
If only I knew...
If only...

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