Perpetua

Once upon a time, I had a very close friend, Perpetua

Perpetua and I had become friends during one of my internships. She was absolutely gorgeous and a little older than me, but we loved the same things.

Well, most of the same things. She was the wild child in our relationship, and I was the pastor’s kid, living with my aunt.

I could tell you all about it, but that is not the main topic.

One day, I was on my way home from work, but I had to pick up something (I don’t remember what) from somewhere in the opposite direction of where I was going.

Just as I am figuring out the logistics, Perpetua says that she can drop me there. She tells me that a friend is offering to be her driver for the day, and I don’t for a second doubt that.

You see, Perpetua has so many friends.

I just conclude that it is one of the guys trying to woo her.

There was a second guy in the car. Maybe I should have been worried, but stupid me just thought okay! and started having a conversation with them.

So they drive me to where I wanted to go, then where she was supposed to go. Just as I think we are heading to my place, the guy in the passenger seat pulls out two bottles of Vodka from God knows where.

They both start drinking out of one and offer the second bottle to us, and my heart starts beating faster. My eyes keep flashing red, and alarms go off in my head.

DANGER, DANGER, DANGER

I look to Perpetua, thinking, what have you gotten us into.

She looks as surprised as I am, so I’m thinking, calm down, calm down.

We refuse under the excuse that we don’t drink. They keep drinking and driving, and all the while, I’m thinking

‘Please God, if you get me home successfully, I will never follow strange men. I will never even go out again.’

Even the police stops did not deter them from having fun while I was freaking out in the back. I kept thinking, how will I tell my father I got arrested with some guys drinking vodka.

My life was so over.

I relieve myself by sending accusatory glares to Perpetua and counting down to when I get home.

When the driver stopped for a minute, I was so relieved until he went into a nearby kiosk and came out with several packs of cigarettes.

I’m thinking, can this get any worse?

Ah! I jinxed myself

The driver said he had to stop home to pick something up before dropping us at home.

Sometimes my mind is my worst enemy.

All the horrible scenes from criminal minds seem to be replaying in my head. This is like the first scene before things go horribly wrong. I could be raped, kidnapped, murdered, or drugged and sold for sex trafficking. Even worse, I could be used for money rituals.

Maybe I was wrong, maybe he genuinely wanted to pick up something but, I didn’t want to find out.

My first instinct was self-preservation. To just get down from the car. I could do that, but I had a feeling that they may not be as willing to let Perpetua go.

So, I was thinking that it was better not to antagonize them. They invite us to some sort of gazebo, and I can see the driver all over Perpetua.

He looks like he was mentally tearing off her clothes and going in for the kill while the other guy sits somewhere smiling coy.

Perpetua looks uncomfortable while I just stand with my hands akimbo like I’m trying to protect my chastity.

As soon as the guy says

‘I just want to hump you.’

I knew we were in trouble, so I formulate a plan in my head and suddenly break out into tears.

Not silent tears, loud sobs like my life depends on it. Everyone stops and looks at me, confused.

So I include a tantrum

“Perpetua, you said you would take me home. “

She walks up to me confused, and I whisper to her to go along with it.

“what’s wrong,” she said

“You know I have to be home before 6.30 or aunty will start looking for me,” I replied, still crying

“Why don’t you call her.”

“You know I don’t have a phone. She will kill me. I’m dead. Can’t you see it’s almost 6.30”

I keep crying loudly.

The guys look very upset, but I just keep crying. One of them said

‘What’s wrong with this your aunty? Are you not a big girl’

I put up my innocent babyface.

‘Don’t blame her. She’s just worried about me. Please can you guys take me home’

Perpetua said she wants to drop me off but will come back tomorrow to continue where they left off. I guess that promise was enough to get us out of there.

We drop off somewhere close to Perpetua’s house, and I begin my interrogation. It turns out she doesn’t really know them, but she didn’t want to turn down a free ride. We ended up acknowledging how scary it was, laughing about it, to never speaking about it again.

Till now.