Awakening

I had to believe we'd been in the dungeon for a week before being brought outside. It was the day we would be transported to a different geographical area for sale. We were each given a bottle of water to quench our thirst before being forced into the load space of the large truck that would transport us. The two hefty men who work for Mr. Jerry had been feeding us noodles and pap all day while we were held captive.

While in the load space of the large truck with the other teenage girls, my mind began to flash back to the beginning of my journey at the girls' boarding high school. Previously, I didn't care what my parents or Auntie Rita thought of me while I was living the bad girl life at school, but now the situation has changed, and I'm left alone to wonder what they'd think or say about my disgusting habits. How would they react if they found out I was missing? What about Auntie Rita? What would she say if the school informed her about my absence from school? What about the school administration, given that we were left in their care? Will they be held accountable for our misfortunes and disappearance from school? All of these questions raced through my mind as I sat in the dirty load space of the large truck. Chioma's head rested on my lap, having fallen asleep for the second time since we left for the unknown destination.

We had been on our way for quite some time. I had to think about how to get out of the big truck's load space. I noticed a red Peugeot following us while maintaining its distance from the small hole on the back door of the lorry. I could not see who was driving the car. I thought about how to break down the lorry's back door but couldn't find anything suitable. I cried bitterly. We couldn't hear any other moving vehicles except the one we were in and the one behind us. I knew I was doomed from the start of this journey. It was extremely hot in the truck's load space, and we were not getting enough air. We'd become thirsty, and our water bottles were empty.

"Oh, death, is that you?" I inquired rhetorically.

I didn't want to lose hope of survival. I was willing to go to any length to find a way out of the danger I had put myself in. The girls were making no progress at all. I spent a long time thinking about what to do before I came up with an idea. My gaze was drawn to the broken metal object lying beside an empty wooden box. I quickly grabbed a large piece of it and hid it in my dress pocket. I wouldn't mind using justifiable self-defence to protect myself. At that time, I wasn't concerned about the other girls' safety, including Chioma. Everyone would be left to save themselves if they had to. 

The large truck abruptly came to a halt, and we all stood up on our feet in fear. I slowly looked through the small hole in the back door of the truck, and I noticed that the red Peugeot had also stopped behind us. I watched as the passengers exited the car. It was Mr. Jerry and his two large security personnel. They had been the unknown people following us all along.

With a worried expression on his face, the driver approached them. They spoke for a few minutes, and then I overheard the driver on the phone with someone, complaining about the empty gas tank in the truck we were in. My heart jumped a little for joy. I believed it was time to plan my escape. I was expecting one of them to open the truck's back door, allowing me to jump out and flee. However, I heard a heavy sound as another moving vehicle approached the truck. I couldn't see who was entering with the vehicle. The back door of the lorry opened, and we were abruptly ordered to get down and proceed directly to the new vehicle that had arrived that minute. We all started screaming loudly. The long trees in the area reflected the hot, scorching sun that shone brightly as we all stepped off the truck. The exact location where the lorry had broken down was unfamiliar to me.

"Start walking to the vehicle now!" The driver, who had arrived with the large vehicle, yelled at us.

I looked around the unfamiliar area, calculating my next steps. There was no motor vehicle in sight because the route was surrounded by bushes on all sides. My heart was racing, but this was my last chance of survival. We all began walking tirelessly towards the large vehicle. The other girls and Chioma were ahead of me, while I was pretentiously lagging behind. I was gathering up the energy I would need for my escape. The second driver noticed my mischievous move and yelled at me, so I quickly ran back in the opposite direction and into the nearest bush. He quickly began running after me, attempting to catch up.

Along the way, a familiar voice screamed my name, and I looked back to see Chioma following us as well. But then, in the blink of an eye, I heard a loud gunshot, and Chioma collapsed on the ground. One of the two hefty men shot her on the leg. I never realized they were armed with pistols all along. I couldn't help but continue running for my life as the second driver pursued me. Unfortunately for me, the second driver caught up to me, grabbed my dress, and we both fell to the bushy ground. I managed to pull put the large, sharp piece of broken metal I had taken earlier and then stabbed him in the thigh before fleeing.

I was already exhausted and weak from the long run through the bush. I slowed down and began pacing with the little energy I had left. It appears that we had been driving through one of the unusual routes in Anambra state while in the large truck, as the area began to look familiar to me. I'd traveled a long distance and was tired,my eyes were turning, and I needed to rest.While pacing toward the clearer path through the bush, I began to hear people's voices and the sounds of moving vehicles. I made it through the end of the bush and was surprised to see the busy road. I attempted to call for assistance, but then fainted and collapsed by the side of the road. 

"Thank God, she's awake!" A familiar female voice beside me exclaimed cheerfully.

I opened my eyes to find the ceiling staring back at me. I tried to sit up from where I was lying, but I was too weak. I rubbed my eyes to clear them, then looked up and around, realizing I was in a hospital bed with a drip inserted into my right hand. My parents and Auntie Rita were all staring at me, amazed.I didn't know when they arrived or how I got in there. My eyes welled up with tears. I had no idea what to say or where to start. I'd been through the most dangerous journey and experience of my life. Neither my parents nor Auntie could speak to me. My mouth opened, but no words came out. My guilty conscience compelled me to tell them the truth, but my mother intervened and embraced me.

"I understand there's a lot to explain. Welcome back to life!" 

They all seemed to know some of what had happened. After everything I'd done, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. I needed them to hear my story, knowing fully well that I did not deserve their forgiveness. Auntie Rita went on to tell me how they found out about our disappearance.

Two days after we escaped the school grounds, we were declared missing by both the school and the public. Our parents and guardians were informed of our disappearance. They were furious at the crazy news and blamed the school administration for what we had gotten ourselves into. The school gatekeeper was later dismissed for being negligent while on security duty that night. After there was no sign of us anywhere near the school, the school management filed a missing person report with the police, who acted quickly. Our major offense would have ruined the school's reputation if they hadn't discovered me lying helplessly on the side of the road. So that was how I ended up in the hospital bed.

After Auntie Rita finished explaining everything to me, I noticed the school principal walking into the hospital ward where I had been admitted. My heart skips a beat. I had tarnished her school's reputation and caused her great distress. I knew I was done for.

"Am I going on another suspension again?" I questioned the school principal.

"You will have to decide for yourself. I believe you've seen what your dream lifestyle looks like." The principal spoke to me.

They all broke out laughing. 

However, my story would be incomplete without my best friend, Chioma. When the police officers discovered me by the side of the road, they knew there had to be a remarkable story behind my escape. One of them took me to the hospital, while the others returned to the long bush route from which I had escaped in search of the other missing people. Fortunately for them, they discovered Chioma lying helplessly on the ground. Mr. Jerry and his men had abandoned her and rode off with the other girls because she couldn't continue the journey with them in her condition. She had lost so much blood and was still breathing slowly. They quickly transported her to the hospital, where I was also admitted for immediate medical treatment.

The lesson from our mistakes is always, "Had I known."