Based on a true story
Chapter 2
The cries of a newborn filled the small room.
Lila lay on the thin mattress, drenched in sweat and trembling. She looked at the tiny baby placed on her chest, wrapped in an old cloth. The little one's cries softened, as if the warmth of her mother's skin were enough to make the world feel safe.
Her mother stood nearby, hands shaking as she wiped her eyes. "A girl… she's a girl."
Lila stared at the baby, tears blurring her vision. So small. So innocent. So unaware of the nightmare into which she had been born.
Her brothers crowded the doorway. One of them whispered, "She looks just like Lila did when she was a baby."
But the joy was brief. Outside those walls, whispers began to spread.
---
By the time Lila regained her strength, the neighbors had started to talk.
"Seventeen and already a mother?" one woman exclaimed loudly as Lila passed by with the baby in her arms. "Such a shame. And she was always at the top of her class."
Another scoffed, "Don't be fooled. Bright girls can be the worst. They hide things better."
Lila kept her head down. Each word was like a dagger. She wanted to scream, "You don't know what happened! You don't know the truth!"
But her lips remained sealed. Fear held her silent. Shame wrapped around her throat.
Her mother, once stern and proud, avoided the neighbors' eyes. She worked harder, sewing late into the night, as if the sound of the machine could drown out the gossip.
At home, her brothers tried to be supportive. One brought food, while another played with the baby so Lila could rest.
But even they couldn't protect her from the judgment of relatives.
At a family gathering, an aunt leaned close to Lila and sneered, "You've brought disgrace to this family. Who will marry you now? Who would want a girl who already has a child?"
Lila clutched her daughter tighter, fighting back tears. Her brothers quickly intervened.
"Enough," her eldest brother snapped. "She's been through enough."
The aunt scoffed and turned away. But her words lingered, poisoning Lila's heart.
---
Nights were the hardest.
Her baby cried often, hungry and restless. Lila would sit by the window, rocking her and whispering lullabies through her tears.
Sometimes, in the silence, her mind replayed everything: the locked door, the threats, the humiliation, and the cruelty from his family.
Her fists clenched until her nails dug into her palms.
"How do I raise you in this world?" she whispered to her baby. "How do I protect you when I couldn't even protect myself?"
The baby only whimpered softly, her eyes fluttering closed.
---
One afternoon, as she walked through the marketplace, two teenage girls from her school passed by.
"Isn't that Lila?" one whispered, loud enough for her to hear.
"She dropped out. Got herself pregnant. What a waste."
They laughed, their voices sharp and cruel.
Lila's face burned. She turned quickly, holding her daughter closer.
That night, she wept into her pillow, remembering her dreams—university, a career, a life beyond her neighborhood. Now, everything felt shattered.
Her mother heard her sobbing and entered quietly. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, in a trembling voice, she admitted, "I was hard on you. I thought strictness would keep you safe. But I was blind."
Lila turned, stunned. Her mother's eyes glistened.
"I failed you," she whispered. "But I won't fail her. We'll raise her together."
It was the first time Lila felt her mother's walls beginning to crumble.
---
Despite the support at home, the world outside never softened.
At church, women glanced at her with pity—or disgust. Some shifted their children away, as if she carried a disease.
"She's ruined," one whispered.
Those words stung worse than any wound.
Lila forced herself to keep going. She woke early to wash clothes, fetched water, and cared for her baby. Her brothers provided what they could, but money was tight.
Every time her baby cried from hunger, her heart cracked. She prayed for a miracle.
One evening, she stared at her daughter, fast asleep, and whispered, "I promise you… I won't let your life be like mine. I'll find a way."
But promises didn't change the empty purse, the judgmental eyes, or the fear that followed her everywhere.
---
Months later, news spread through the neighborhood like wildfire.
Her abuser had been caught.
Lila overheard two men at the marketplace whispering,
"They say he tried it again. This time, he was caught before he could do anything."
"Serves him right. He always thought he was clever, but look at him now—facing prison."
Lila's hands trembled as she clutched her basket. A thousand emotions crashed inside her: anger, relief, sorrow, and fear.
That night, she told her mother.
Her mother burst into tears. "Why didn't you tell me it was rape? I thought…" Her voice broke. "I thought you chose him. I thought you… loved him."
Lila shook her head violently, tears spilling. "I was scared, Mama. He said no one would believe me. And I thought… I thought you'd hate me."
Her mother pulled her into a trembling embrace. "Never. I should have seen. I should have listened. I should have protected you."
They wept together, united in their sorrow and newfound understanding.