Look beyond your attacker, always.

SURVIVAL REQUIRES SHARP THINKING EVEN AT GUN POINT

 Deze was in her early teens. Her mother’s worry over the unwholesome manner in which the invaders took the girls, even under-aged ones, against their will, had reached its peak. She therefore re-tutored Deze on the need to remain indoors until dusk. Deze had complied until one warm day when she felt bored and tired of remaining in a dark warm room. She desired to take some fresh air. Right from inside the room, she had been listening to a discussion going on outside and was enjoying every bit of it.  She now wanted to be part of the discussion and enjoy it to the utmost. So she came close to the door. She peeped left and peeped right. No sign of danger. She stepped out and joined in the conversation. For a moment everybody forgot that Deze was not doing the right thing as she freely chatted in the open. Suddenly from nowhere, a black and sturdy soldier with ugly tribal marks walked to the spot without being noticed. Fear gripped everybody as he yelled at Deze.

“Hey! You! Ajuku tamato, follow me quick.” That was how the vandals referred to the girls who were pretty, fair and ripe as tomatoes. This soldier stank heavily of sweat, alcohol and tobacco, not ordinary cigarette but something that smelt like burnt dry grass. It must have been God Himself that gave Deze the strength, courage and wisdom to do what she did on the spot.

“Okay, make I bring my slippers,” she said, pretending to go and slip on her footwear as she had been on bare foot. She slipped back into the house and made straight for the small wooden window which was ajar. Pushing the window wide open, she climbed through it into the hind compound, from where she escaped into the surrounding yam and cassava farmland, with minimum difficulty. The same God must have struck Sergeant Sule with silence or he was simply daft. He watched Deze disappear into thin air. It could also be because he was alone and the evening was fast approaching and he was kind of nervous. On a good day, the soldier would have said, while grabbing the girl firmly by the wrist, something like:

“No worry, I go give you slippers when we reach camp.” This particular day, it was past 6.00 pm, not exactly dark, but late enough for a lone intruder not to make a fuss, even if armed as Sule was.

Culled from 5*- rated book entitled "The Forest Dames", a true life war experience (1967 - 1970) as told by the victim who is a Survivor.  Available at amazon.com/theforestdames.

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