The Secret Behind My Friend’s Father’s Scar

There’s a scar situated right above the right brow of my friend's father. I am the one who left that scar on him. My friend was not aware of it until I told her recently. She was astonished and said, "So my mother was right after all. She had an intuition that the accident my father spoke about was not quite as it appeared."

Let me clarify the situation. My friend is Julianna. We went to the same Senior High School (SHS) and became best friends. During midterms, she would either travel with me to Takoradi or I would stay at her house in Accra. We were family to each other  her family was mine and vice versa.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO GET EVERY STORY IN YOUR INBOX

After SHS, I was very disappointed with my results and decided to live with her while retaking the exams I had failed. Julianna also had to do some retakes, and we found a nearby remedial class where we attended together. At a certain point, her father started paying special attention to me. He would inquire about my day and would even offer me a lift if I was going alone in the direction of the town.

I took him for a caring father till I spotted his eyes on me whenever I was at their place. I thought perhaps it was because of my dressing, and so I changed my wardrobe. I started wearing long clothes and even would wrap myself in a thick blanket at night when watching TV with him. But, even under the blanket, his eyes still found me.

Initially he was the one to remark upon my clothing. "Why are you in a blanket? Are you expecting?" were some of his inquiries. He got into needless talk to attract my attention. My gut feeling said he was up to something but at the same time I was not fully convinced that it was just my imagination. He was already in the late fifties; why would he want the company of a twenty-year-old girl like me?

Julianna was going to a church convention one day. She asked me if I wanted to go with her, to which I replied that I would rather stay home and study because I didn’t see how a church event could be fun. She departed on a Friday afternoon. When her father came home and saw that she was not there, he asked me, “Don’t you fear the lonely night? I could come and stay with you if that would help.”

I simply laughed and told him that I could sleep like a baby because that room was not scary at all. It was around midnight when I was still awake and scrolling through my phone when a shadow suddenly came over me. Fear quickly filled me, but I could not say who it was. Our bedroom was in a separate house, which was only a bit away from the main house. So I put down my phone and started looking around.

Before long I heard the sound of someone walking. I quietly turned off the light of my phone and just watched. I could not see anybody. Then there was a tap. I did not reply. A sound that was hardly above a whisper said, "Open the door. It is me, Julie's dad." I acted as though I was asleep. The tap was soft but persistent, followed by whispers of my name. It was getting more and more creepy, so I asked what he wanted. He said, "Just open the door. I have something to tell you."

The moment I opened the door, he quickly took me in his arms, saying in a soft voice, “That’s all I want from you.” I tried to remove his hands, but he did not let go. I found myself lying on the bed, and he was there getting rougher with me. I yelled, “Don’t make me scream! What is the point of all this? Would you do that to Julianna?”

He kept on with his actions. There was no other way but to resist him. I just had my phone to defend myself. I took it and hit out at him without looking. He yelled, “Egyei! You have made me blind!” He released his hold to feel his face, and that was the moment I noticed blood. I thought I had made him blind. I was shaking. He was in pain and still whispered, “Ekum. Egyei, you have blinded my eyes.”

He went out slowly and into his room, and I was still full of fear, particularly seeing the blood on his face. I was the first to wake up in the morning. The house was scarily quiet. I was in the corridor when I heard them coming back his voice and Julianna’s. I had no idea they had taken a trip to the hospital that morning. “We’re sorry we didn’t inform you,” said Julianna’s mom. “Your dad unintentionally bumped his face against the door and got a cut. I had to take him to the hospital.”

I said, “I’m sorry, Dad. That must have been terrible.” Without taking a look at me, he hurriedly went inside. From that day on, he would scowl at me every time he spotted me in the house. I distanced myself from him, especially during the night. I fabricated a story of exams coming up and me cramming. A month later, I sat for the exam and left. I held on to this secret until after our national service when Julianna had me over to her place.

Finally, I unveiled the truth. She made a shocked noise, "So Mom was right. She had a feeling something was wrong with the accident. She even told me it was too quick for a door." I answered, "It was me. That's why I haven't returned since that time."

She was sorry but also disheartened because it took me so long to open up. She said, "You are not the first. He did likewise to a young maid years ago, and my mother caught him. We thought he had reformed. It's not your fault. Now I am even more terrified that he might do it to me." I screamed, "Not ever!" She replied, "I can't depend on him that much."

I begged her not to share it with her mother, and I would like to think she didn't. We are still pals. Ever since we have gotten over it and are working, we are allowed to come and go and stay as long as we want without any fear.

—Gladys

This story was shared with us by someone like you. If you have a story too, send it via email: editorial@etechx.co.ke.

Thanks for reading! If you have enjoyed this post, hit the share button and help others read it. You can also visit our Facebook page and stay updated when we publish new posts.