Throughout the remainder of the day, Osaro couldn't be herself as she thought about Amina's ordeal.
Amina's words kept replaying in her mind. No matter what Osaro tried to do, she could not stop thinking about everything the woman had told her that morning.
"If the story she told me is a fragment of her ordeal, I wonder what the full story will be like. She really suffered," Osaro said as she lay on the mat she had placed outside.
She stared into the distance for a while, watching the movement of people around the compound. Everything looked normal, but Osaro no longer saw the house the same way she had when she first arrived.
There were stories hidden behind the faces of the women in the compound.
There were pains that nobody talked about.
There were dreams that had probably been forgotten.
And now, she was beginning to understand that her own suffering was not an isolated experience.
She wiped her face and sighed.
"My name will speak for me," Osaro said as she quickly wiped her tears and pretended to have fallen asleep.
She closed her eyes and remained still on the mat.
"Osaro! Osaro!! Osaro!!! I know you're not sleeping," said Oge as she tapped her on the back.
Osaro remained still.
Oge tapped her again.
"I know you're pretending. You can't fool me."
But as the adage goes, "You can't really wake someone who is pretending to be asleep."
Seeing that Osaro had refused to wake up, Oge decided to play a trick on her.
"My brother asked me to get you, but since you have refused to wake up, I will go and tell him."
Osaro immediately opened her eyes.
"I'm just seventeen. I have not even spent a year here, and my life is already at the point of ending," Osaro said as she quickly stood up.
Oge could not help but smile.
"I thought you were asleep," said Oge as she explained the reason why she was truly there.
Osaro looked at her suspiciously.
"What is it?"
Oge took a moment before speaking.
"Osaro, I have been wanting to say some things to you, but I haven't really gotten the chance to."
Osaro's expression changed.
"What is it, and I hope I'm safe?" said Osaro, who at this time was already feeling prepared for whatever Oge was going to say.
Oge looked around before speaking.
"I am sorry for not saying this to you earlier, but the other day, a girl was here to see you. She was sent back by my brother, who had told her that nobody should see his wife without prior notice."
Osaro's eyes widened.
"A girl?"
"Yes. The girl waited for hours, and my brother ordered that no one relay the girl's presence to you. But I could not watch her go like that."
Oge paused.
"So I invited her to the house today since it's market day, and my brother is always at the palm wine joint in the market."
Osaro's heart began beating faster.
There was only one person she could think of.
"It must be Omege," said Osaro as she rushed toward the mango tree, as Oge directed.
She hurried through the compound, almost forgetting the fear that had occupied her mind throughout the day.
Then she saw her.
"Oh my God!"
"It is really you!" said Osaro and Omege almost at the same time, as though they were in sync.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
They simply looked at each other.
Then Omege rushed toward Osaro and embraced her.
"I have missed you so much," said Omege as she hugged her dear friend tightly.
Osaro held her just as tightly.
She had missed having someone who knew her before all this happened.
"You look so good," Osaro said to Omege as she looked at herself.
Omege smiled.
"Don't worry, you're going to be fine, my friend. And also, Mummy sent her regards, and so did your mum."
Osaro's expression immediately changed.
"My mum?"
"Yes. She sent a letter and some small items for you. She also asked me to tell you sorry for not coming to visit. She is stuck at home because your father has banned any form of assistance and visitation from any of the family."
Osaro's eyes became filled with tears.
"He really does not like me. He hates me so much that he has to do all these things to me."
Her voice shook.
"I am only but a child who has just been forced into marriage, and to add to it, he is banning a mother from seeing her child?"
Osaro could no longer control herself.
"I hate him so much. I hate that man," Osaro said as she cried.
Omege immediately moved closer to her.
"It is well, my friend."
She held Osaro's hand.
"I know yours is not going to be like any of the ones he has married. You have dreams, and I am very sure you will fulfill them all. You're determined, Osaro."
Osaro looked at her through her tears.
"Have you forgotten the time when we were stuck on a particular assignment for days? I told us to give up, but you told me to give you time. Finally, on the last day, boom!"
Omege laughed softly.
"You were there standing with the best solution anyone has ever given me. You didn't just solve the math equation, but you created a formula, and that has been helping me."
Osaro smiled faintly.
"I know, my friend, but this place is a dream killer."
She looked around the compound.
"I spoke with one of the wives who had so many dreams, but today she is the mother of two, with no achievement other than being…"
"Mr. Okhizu's wife, right?" Omege asked.
Osaro nodded.
Omege immediately reassured her.
"Your case will be different."
Osaro looked at her friend.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know you. You are not someone who gives up easily. You have always fought for what you wanted, even when things became difficult."
Osaro smiled.
"Thanks, Omege. You have always been a good and supportive friend," said Osaro as she dropped the peeled orange on the plate.
"I know that," said Omege as they both laughed.
For a few moments, Osaro forgot where she was.
She forgot about Mr. Okhizu.
She forgot about the compound.
She forgot about the fear that had followed her since she arrived.
For those few minutes, she was simply Osaro again, sitting with her childhood friend and laughing like they used to.
But the happiness did not last.
"Osaro! Osaro!! Osaro!!! My brother is back!" said Oge, looking scared.
The smile immediately disappeared from Osaro's face.
"Oh my God!"
She stood up quickly.
"I thought he normally comes in the night. Why did he come early today?"
Her breathing became faster.
"What do I do now? What if he sees Omege? What should I tell him? What shall…"
"Calm down, Osaro. Your husband is a human, not a beast," said Omege, not minding what might happen if Mr. Okhizu heard.
Osaro looked at her.
She knew Omege was trying to make her feel better, but she was still terrified.
"Okay, what if I distract him while you sneak Omege out of here?" said Oge.
Before anyone could respond, a voice came from behind them.
"Who is sneaking who?"
Everyone became silent.
Mr. Okhizu stood there.
"And who are you?" he asked.
He looked at Omege carefully.
"Oh, wait. You are that girl."
His expression changed.
"Ohh, young girls are just too disobedient."
He then looked at Osaro.
"And you, didn't I make myself clear? I told you no visitors, and here you are, sitting, gossiping, and eating my oranges."
Osaro immediately lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, my husband…"
"Sorry? Say that to yourself because today you're going to learn obedience."
"I'm sorry, sir," said Omege as she looked at her friend.
Mr. Okhizu turned toward Oge.
"Oge, take this bird of a feather out of here before I descend on you both."
"Ok...a...y," stammered Oge.
Oge moved toward Omege.
"Please, let's go," she whispered.
Omege looked at Osaro.
"Please, let go, Omege. Don't make things worse for your friend," Oge said quietly.
Omege reluctantly followed Oge.
She kept looking back at Osaro as they walked away.
Osaro stood there, frightened.
She knew what Mr. Okhizu's anger could lead to.
Omege and Oge were still on their way when they heard a very loud clash, as though a tree branch had fallen off.
Omege stopped.
Her heart sank.
"Osaro," she whispered.
Oge immediately grabbed her arm.
"Keep going."
"But…"
"Please, Omege. If you go back, you will only make things worse."
They continued walking, but Omege could not stop thinking about her friend.
Back in the compound, Mr. Okhizu's voice could be heard.
"You must obey me. I'm your husband. Your father sold you to me. You are my property. I own you."
His words echoed through the compound.
Osaro knew there was no point arguing with him.
She had already learned that her words rarely mattered to him.
The punishment that followed left Osaro overwhelmed with pain and fear. She was unable to fight back, and eventually, she could no longer find the strength to scream or cry.
"I'm tired. I'm tired."
Those were the only words Osaro had left.
"If you're tired, die," Mr. Okhizu said as he finally stopped.
He dropped the whip and left, sweating and looking exhausted, as though he had encountered a soldier from the World Wars.
Osaro remained where she was for a moment.
She was weak, but somewhere inside her, there was still a small voice refusing to give up.
"I won't die," Osaro said as she fell to the ground.
She looked at the whip in frustration.
She hated what it represented.
She hated the man who had used it against her.
She hated the fact that her father had given her to a man who believed he owned her.
Most of all, she hated that she had been made to feel as though her life no longer belonged to her.
But she refused to believe that this was where her story would end.
"I won't die," she repeated quietly.
"He is coming," said Oge as she returned to the compound.
Omege had finally zoomed off, unhappy and sad for her friend. She had wanted to stay, but she knew that remaining there would only put both herself and Osaro in greater danger.
As soon as Mr. Okhizu had left the place, Oge quickly went to assist Osaro.
She approached her carefully.
"Osaro," she called softly.
Osaro did not respond immediately.
Oge knelt beside her.
"Come, let me help you."
Osaro slowly reached out her hand.
Oge held it firmly.
As Oge helped her up, Osaro looked toward the direction in which Omege had disappeared.
Her friend's visit had been short, but it had reminded her of something she had almost forgotten.
She still had dreams.
She still had people who cared about her.
And despite everything Mr. Okhizu had said, Osaro was beginning to believe that her life still belonged to her.