After the episode with Bullet, I couldn't sleep. I felt pains all over my body especially on my vagina. I would like to see my mother, even if it's for five minutes and ask why she left me to suffer in this cruel world.

Tomi came to get me from the room I was in. Bullet had long left. She knocked before entering the room.

"Hey!" she greeted.

"Hi!" I rasped.

"Come with me, Madam wants to see you."

I followed her out of the room. The putrid smell of alcohol, vomit and urine all tangling together and hitting my nostrils made me nauseous. I stumbled back and held my nose. Titi chuckled and I glared at her.

"Am sorry," she began, "But you have to get used to it. The smell is even better today."

I nodded and tried to push the urge to vomit to the back of mind but I couldn't. I bent my head and wheezed. I retched and retched but nothing came out. My stomach churned and reacted to the pressure I was placing on it to bring something up. Anything! I didn't mind. I just wanted to get that sick feeling out of my body.

I hadn't eaten throughout yesterday and it was taking a toil on me.

"Calm down," Tomi consoled me as she rubbed my back.

I couldn't calm down. The smell was getting to me. I tried again but got my throat hurt instead.

"Stop hurting yourself!" Titi scolded me, "Madam won't be happy with you if you hurt yourself."

I mumbled a "sorry" and followed her quietly. She led me through the poorly lit corridors and into the large room from last night. Girls ranging from age fourteen to twenty were cleaning the room. Some stared at me, giving pity looks while others gave looks of indifference.

We left the room and entered another corridor before finally stopping at a door. Titi knocked gently.

"Come in," Madam boomed from inside.

We entered the room and I looked around it. It wasn't large. It contained a table, the chair madam was sitting on, two other chairs and a mattress resting on the wall at one corner of the room.
Madam cleared her throat and I turned to face her.

"Good morning, Madam," I greeted, trying my best to be respectful.

I didn't want another slap from her.

"Good morning, I trust you had a wonderful night?" she questioned.

I kept quiet as I didn't know what to say. A man I didn't know slept with me without my consent last night and roughly handled me. I almost died last night and she expected me to enjoy that? I felt like slapping the mischievous glint out of Madam's eyes. She was testing me and wanted a reaction from me so she could find and excuse to hit me. I wasn't going to give her any.

"Titi, take her to the bathroom to bathe. Then find her some clothes to put on."

"Yes, Madam."

"Where is your veil?" Madam taunted.

"I-I don't know! I can't find it," I muttered.

I couldn't find my veil. It must have fallen off somewhere last night. My hair was on full display and I was still wearing what Tomi gave me last night. Even though they were women, I felt naked. I needed to cover my body.

"Here!" Madam threw a black veil at me.

She must have collected it last night. The nerve of this woman.

"Don't make that face at me. Am just trying to be nice since you're still new to all these. Though, why you still need to be covered after last night amazes me. But know that you have to take it off anytime you are with a customer. Understood!"

There was silence.

"Understood?"

"Yes, Madam," I mumbled.

"I didn't hear you!" she snapped.

"Yes, Madam," I answered, my voice getting louder.

"What!"

"Yes, Madam!" I shouted.

"Good! Now, leave!" she commanded.

We left quickly. I broke down in tears when we were far from her office. Tomi hugged me and tried to console me.

"Everything will be alright, Oma. Don't cry anymore."

"Tomi, I can't stay here. I can't," I sobbed.

"Shhhh! Don't let Madam hear you. I am surprised that Madam gave you a veil to cover up after how she treated you last night," Tomi wondered.

"Yes, it's weird. But am happy she gave me. I am a Muslim and I won't let what has happened to me so far to stop me from using my veil. It won't stop me from covering my body," I cried.

"Oh, Oma! Oma, you're so strong."

"I am far from strong Tomi. I am weak. I am ruined. I am broken."

How can Tomi call me strong. I am far from strong. I am a broken girl trying to survive in this wicked world.

I let her take me to the bathroom. I was surprised to see the bathroom very clean. I wasn't expecting that after the ugly state of the building.

"Madam doesn't like our bathrooms and toilets to be dirty. We take turns cleaning them. She doesn't want us catching any toilet disease. Says it's bad for her business. She's more concerned about her business than us who work our butts just to get her money," Tomi hissed.

After my bath, Tomi handed me a blue gown that went way below my knees. I was greatful to her for this.

"Your hair's a mess. Can I brush it for you?" she asked. I

"Yes but only you. I don't like people touching my hair."

She gently brushed my hair with an hair brush and I almost fell asleep. With each stroke of the brush, I drew nearer to the gates of sleep.

"Can I braid your hair? Or do you want me to just put it into a ponytail?" Tomi asked, startling me.

"Um, you can braid it."

She made a few braids on my hair. When she was done, she gave me a hand mirror and I checked my hair in it.

"Thank you," I smiled at her.

"Don't mention," she smiled back.

Looking at her, I knew I had found a friend in this place.

"Tomi, please do you have any clean cloth or a mat? I would like to pray," I inquired as I wrapped my veil around my head.

"Oh! I think I have a mat. Wait here," she told me and dashed out of the room.

Few minutes later, she came back with a brown coloured mat.

"Thank you," I told her as I grabbed the mat from her.

I went into the bathroom and turned the tap on.

"How clean is this water, Tomi?" I called from the bathroom.

"It's clean. We drink the bathroom water sometimes."

I performed ablution and left the bathroom. Tomi was nowhere to be found so I spread the mat on the floor. I went to the window and looked up to the sky, looking for the direction of the sun. I would have prayed earlier but the meeting with Madam had taken long and I wanted to bathe properly.
Having being kidnapped and forced to be a prostitute wasn't going to stop me from worshipping Allah.

My fate in this place was not determined and am not going to stay here forever. I have to look for a way to escape. I believe everything happens for a reason. I might be broken beyond repair but I wasn't going to lose hope.

Hello. Broken is no longer on hold. I'll try to update more often as possible. I hope you like this chapter.