Mr. Akpojotor carried me gently on his back as we walked through the quiet street. My body still trembled from fear, and my hands clutched his shirt tightly. The cold night breeze brushed against my skin, but I barely felt it.
My mind was still replaying what had almost happened at the bridge.
If that watchman hadn't appeared…
I quickly pushed the thought away and shut my eyes.
After a few minutes, we arrived at a small compound surrounded by a low fence. A dim light shone from inside the house.
"We're here," he said softly as he lowered me to the ground. My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand.
He knocked on the door. A woman opened it after a few seconds. She looked tired, and the expression on her face immediately changed when she saw me.
"Who is this?" she asked.
Mr. Akpojotor stepped inside while explaining everything.
"I found her near the bridge. Two men were trying to harm her. I couldn't just leave her there."
The woman folded her arms and looked at me carefully, as if trying to decide something. For a moment, the room was silent. Finally she sighed.
"Well… she can stay tonight," she said. "But only tonight. Tomorrow she must leave. "Her words stung slightly, but I understood. I was just a stranger.
"Thank you, ma," I whispered.
Soon four children appeared from the inner room. They stared at me with curious eyes.
"Daddy, who is she?" one of them asked.
"Her name is Hope," Mr. Akpojotor replied.
Hearing my name suddenly made my chest feel heavy.
"Hope" It felt like a cruel joke. The woman soon brought out a small plate of rice and stew.
"Eat," she said, placing it in front of me.
The smell alone made my stomach twist with hunger. I hadn't eaten anything proper since leaving my aunt's house.
I began eating slowly at first, but soon my hunger took over. I didn't even realize how fast I was eating until one of the children giggled.
"She's really hungry," the little boy said.
Embarrassed, I slowed down and wiped my mouth. "Sorry," I murmured. Mr. Akpojotor simply smiled kindly. "It's alright. Eat as much as you want."
After I finished, he spread a small mat for me in the corner of the living room.
"You can sleep here tonight," he said. "You're safe here."
"Thank you, sir," I said quietly.
One by one, the children disappeared into their rooms. Soon the house became quiet. I lay down on the mat, staring at the ceiling above me. After a day that seems to have no end, I was inside a home again.
But strangely…
My heart refused to relax. I remembered the way the woman had looked at me earlier. It wasn't kindness. It was something else.
Something cold. I turned slowly on the mat and closed my eyes. Maybe I was just overthinking.
After all, these people had given me food and a place to sleep. But deep inside my heart, a small voice whispered softly…
Hope, don't trust too easily.
Because somehow…
I felt that this house might not be as safe as it seemed.