THE LIE
****
"I woke up on the cold kitchen floor to the sound of my stepmother's stern command.
Her children, Dongila and Akachi, approached me with menacing grins.
stepmother and Johnson stood by the door, their faces twisted in anger.
Confused and still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sat up. Then, I heard my stepmother's chilling words:
'Hold her down and remove her blouse. Let Johnson...'
Realization dawned on me. Johnson's true intentions became clear.
Yesterday, while I was washing dishes, he had grabbed me from behind, his hands clasping my developing brēasts. I had fought back, slāpping him and smāshing a plate on his head.