Caught In the Storm – Chapter Seven

5th April, 2005

Springfield Ohio, U.S.A

9:00pm

Rain poured heavily that fateful night, battering the rooftops like a spray of bullets. Raindrops hurled themselves violently against the glassy window just inches above Sonia’s head. She sat there, back against the wall and her feet outstretched on her bed, utterly lost in a sea of depressed thoughts.

Ashley’s parents had wanted blood for what she had done to their daughter, and so did the other parents involved. How Aunt Helen had managed to convince them to drop charges, she didn’t know. What she did know, was that it must have cost her a lot of money, money that Helen didn’t have. The principal had issued her a suspension letter only because she was a first-offender, letting her know that she had no more strikes. If she as much as stepped on anyone’s toes, she was out. That would be extremely detrimental to her chances of getting into a good college, seeing she was in her final year.

Her head rested lazily against the wall, her mind swirling with thoughts of her sad life. Nothing ever seemed to go her way. Why couldn’t they just let her be? Why did they have to pick on her? Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? Enveloped by deep chagrin, she fell unto her bed, pulling her teddy bear close to her chest.

Suddenly, the sound of an object crashing down made her spring up. Ears perked, she heard the shrilling cry of her Aunt and dashed out the door, hurriedly making her way down the stairs. Reaching the last steps, she turned towards the living room and covered her mouth in shock.

Helen was on the carpeted floor of the room, inching backwards from her husband while holding her face with trembling hands.

“How dare you use my money for that cursed child?! Huh?!” Steven Henderson’s voice boomed. His hunched muscular frame exuded so much animosity it made Sonia’s joints grow stiff.

“Steven… please… she’s our daughter…” Helen begged, completely shaken by fright.

“I’ve told you! Don’t call her that! She’s not my child!” Steven bellowed as he lifted the glass lamp by a sofa, smashing it on the ground.

Helen shielded her eyes in fear as the pieces of glass shards scattered frantically across the living room. Adrenaline flooded her system, forcing her heart to crash against her chest like it wanted to escape. She curled up like a ball, preparing for the set of blows that often followed.

“Dad! Please! Just leave her alone!” Jonathan screamed, his voice strained by anger and pain. He stood at the corner of the room, his fists half-clenched, torn between the helpless urge to stop his father and his fear of getting hurt.

Steven faced him abruptly, shooting him a murderous glare that made Jonathan flinch. “If you don’t want another broken arm, I suggest you stay out of this…” He growled.

Facing the object of his aggression, he moved towards his wife with murderous intent. Dragging her up to her feet by the hair, he roughly held her face close to his.

“Listen, you twat! I’m not gonna ask again! Who told you… to take my money?!” He bellowed, his eyes glazed with hellish fury.

Helen’s eyes began to water, her body now frozen in his grip. Her lips quivered in a bit to speak, but fear held her words captive.

Enraged by her failure to respond, he pushed his wife and swung at her. His hand cracked hard across her face, snapping it back with the force of his blow, causing her head to reel as she fell limp on the sofa behind her, completely knocked out.

Sonia’s eyes grew wide in horror, her body paralysed by the sound of the blow. Strength began to leave her legs as she slumped unto the stair rails for support.

“Mum!” Jonathan screamed as his vision blurred with tears, feeling his heart rip in two. His face began to quiver with rage as he glared at his Father, who was still towering over his mother’s helpless frame. With an incensed cry, he charged at his father with blind rage. But Steven turned abruptly and accosted his son with a spinning elbow to the jaw, causing Jonathan to tumble unto the ground, holding the area in pain.

Anger suddenly surged through Sonia’s veins, melting away some of the fear that held her limbs bound. She charged swiftly, getting infront of Jonathan and obstructing Steven from getting any closer.

“Stay away from him, you rat bastard!” Sonia screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. She spread her arms wide, attempting to protect Jonathan from him.

“You…” Steven snarled darkly, clenching his fists. “You’re the cause of all this!”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself? That I’m making you do all this? Is that what you’ve been telling yourself… for the past eight years?!” She screamed, the anger taking over her faculties. Her furious gaze shot murderous daggers at his devilish stare.

Steven’s body began to vibrate, his fist itching to connect to her face. He seethed, his blazing eyes daring her to say another word.

“You… are a beast, and you are unfit to live. All you do… is hurt people… because that’s all you know how to do. You’re just an animal…and you deserve the worst part of hell!” Sonia seethed, her dark tone trembling with emotion.

Steven screamed in indignation, letting his huge palm crash against her face so hard that she spun. Black dots instantly began to cover her vision as her body grew limp. She dropped to her knees, the metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth.

“No one, and I mean no one, talks to me like that…” Steven scowled, his tone as dark as the night. He roughly picked her up, swinging her over his shoulder.

Jonathan watched in horror as his father took her in the direction of the basement. Still in pain, he turned to see his mum still out cold on the sofa. Summoning strength, he grunted as he pushed himself up with one hand while holding his throbbing jaw with the other, and followed them through the hallway.

“Dad, please! Just let her go, please…you don’t have to do this…” He pleaded softly, his voice trailing off as he slumped against the wall. Tears blurred his vision as he watched her struggling frame, her hands stretched out to him, her strained voice calling out to him for help. He lowered his head while gritting his teeth in anger. He slumped to the ground as he ran his hands ferociously through his hair in angry frustration, condemning himself for not being strong enough to stop this.

Steven kicked the basement door wide open and slammed her body maliciously against the wooden steps. She choked on a silent cry, her mouth wide open, yet producing no sound. Gasping for air, she slowly tried to get up. Pain tore at every muscle in her body.

Angered by her relentlessness, he kicked her hard in the face, sending her tumbling further down the stairs unto the hard ground.

“Today, I’m gonna teach you some manners. I’m going to show you what happens when you disrespect me,” he said coldly, his dark voice echoing across the basement. He slammed the door behind him, bolting it forcefully. Slowly rolling up his sleeves, he marched down the stairs, each wooden step cracking under his feet. The sound of Jonathan’s fists frantically pounding against the door was drowned by the raging storm outside.

“Please…just let me go…I’m sorry…” she had managed to gasp, slowly inching away from him.

“By the time I’m done with you, you’re going to be.”

He picked her up by the neck, her feet dangling a few centimetres above the floor, and slammed her against the wall, unleashing hell on her body. He picked her up again and held her to the wall. Sonia’s body jarred with each blow, her screams muffled by his hand over her mouth. His muscular arm recoiled severally, returning often with a force so vicious it nearly sent her crumbling down, gasping for air.

He threw her on the ground, breathing heavily as he watched her cry in pain. An evil grin crawled up his face as a sinister thought crossed his mind.

“Don’t you dare pass out now. I’m not done with you just yet.” He spat sinisterly. Lowering his gaze, he slowly began to unbuckle his belt as he walked slowly yet maliciously towards her.

Her head drummed, now filled with the screeching sound of static. A trail of blood crawled down from her lower lip to her neck. The contact between his hands and her skin had left her cheeks sore and inflamed. Struggling to remain conscious, her curled frame peeked up at him, watching him as he worked on his belt. A wave of realisation hit her, causing fear to twist her insides like a gut-wrench. Her eyes widened, just like the time she saw the huge trailer approach the car when she was seven. Dread held her limbs akimbo, her widened eyes forced to take in more light.

Pulling off his trousers, he slowly approached her, dangerously savouring the moment like a tiger before the kill.

Her mind willed her body to run, but the pains in her body kept it from responding, locking her down on that spot. Her throat closed tightly, her chest heaving as breathing became difficult. She didn’t know when the tears spilled and chased after each other.

Steven lowered himself to her battered body. His hands took a hold her trouser. When she attempted to struggle, a hot slap across her face set her in place. He pushed her down with excess force, slamming her body yet again to the ground until he watched the fight leave her. Strength oozed out of her already weak body, her eyes closing in a pain unspoken. With a quick drag, he ripped off the unnecessary clothing, throwing it to the side as he watched her silently whimper.

Climbing unto her, he grabbed a fist full of hair, bringing her head close to his face. “Look at me, you wretched piece of shit!” he spat at her, shaking her head countless times until she opened her watery eyes. “I want you to see the penalty of your actions.”

His eyes burned with ill intent. He spread her hands out, pinning her to the ground, leaving no room for her to struggle. Then he lowered his mouth to the side of her face, her body shaking underneath him. “This is on you. All of this…is on you.” He whispered, his warm breath seeping through his wicked grin.

Her blood curdling screams pierced the night as he violated her, that it anxiously made Jonathan to bang harder on the basement door. Jonathan took several steps back, ramming into the door in a frantic effort to bash it open. Her screams tore at his heart, accusing him of letting this happen.

“Sonia!” Jonathan cried, pressing himself against the door. The fight slowly left him, a fresh batch of tears forming in his eyes.

---

Present day…

David tapped the buttons on the wireless console of the PS4 repeatedly, his eyes focused on the large screen in his living room. He had been working tirelessly, trying to debug a program he had earlier developed for the projects he was given. Frustrated, he decided to play a few games to take his mind off it.

A knock on the door caused him to pause the game. Straightening his slightly rumpled shirt, he made his way to the front door.

Monique who wrapped her arms around herself, wore a smile when David opened the door. He couldn’t help but smile, feeling happy to see her. Over the weeks they had grown to become very good friends, talking and even goofing off like kids. They had bonded due to his frequent visits to Sonia’s house, even to the point of giving each other nicknames. Monique had eased up with the shots, accepting the fact that they were better off as friends.

“Hey, big man.” She greeted weakly.

“Mickey!” He said happily, shutting the door as she walked in.

“Well, someone looks happy to see me…” She said with a faint laugh, watching him walk over to one of his sofas.

“Actually, I am. I’ve been stuck with work and all.” He replied, picking up the console. “Do you play?”

“Um…actually, I came here to talk…” She said grimly, nestling onto a couch.

Noticing her gloomy countenance, he dropped the console and gave her full attention.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his tone revealing concern.

Pushing a stray strand of her braided hair behind an ear, she lowered her head, trying to arrange her thoughts. Her eyes were fixed on the ground and the sides of her lips twitched, suddenly finding it hard to speak.

“Are you okay?” David asked, suddenly feeling worried.

Lifting her head slowly, she stared at him, revealing her already glistening eyes.

“C’mon… say something.” David said, inching out of his seat.

Sniffing softly, she wiped her eyes with the long sleeves of her woollen shirt, clearing her throat.

“I…umm…. I got a call from home. My dad is…uh…my dad is sick and he’s asked to see me. My siblings say… that he may not make it out of this.” She stuttered, trying to gain composure.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry…” David gasped.

“That’s not… that’s not really why I came here.” She interjected. Lowering her head again, she wiped another tear that rolled down her cheek.

“Remember when I told you that… I’m not exactly on the best terms with my parents?” She asked, sniffing softly as her lips quivered.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember.” He replied.

Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and leaned against the couch. “When I was seventeen, I got pressured into hooking up with this boy…back in the private university I attended. I didn’t want to do it…but my friends kept pushing the idea…”

She paused, turning to look at him. Her eyes searched his for any sign of judgement, but there was nothing but care and deep empathy. Shifting her gaze, she bent forward and continued.

“Some weeks after we hooked up, I found out that I was pregnant. I was scared, so scared. I confided in my friends and they told me to get an abortion. I fought the idea, but… I couldn’t bare the shame being pregnant would bring. So I did it, I killed…my child. But days after I got the abortion, I got summoned to the vice chancellor’s office and got handed an expulsion letter…” she said, her teary eyes fixed on her twiddling her thumbs.

“What? How?” David asked, severely perplexed.

“Apparently, the guy I hooked up with had a girlfriend…and she found out that I was pregnant. So, in a bid to take her pound of flesh, she decided to rat me out to the school authorities…” she explained.

“Jesus, that’s terrible…”

“Well, the school management called my parents and they were very livid. And that’s where everything went down hill…”

She swallowed with difficulty, feeling the muscles of her throat constrict. Her eyes glistened more, feeling the emotions tighten her chest. Her lips began to quiver, a pained expression climbing unto her face.

“My parents chased me out of the house… they said I had brought shame to the family and I was no longer welcome in their home…” She cried, her voice breaking off. Fresh surges of sorrow flooded her heart as she remembered the night she was thrown out. Grief tugged at her facial muscles, revealing the deep-seated pain she had carried for years.

David rushed over to her side, pulling her in for a hug. She obliged, burying her face into his broad chest, softly holding on to his arms.

“All my relatives didn’t agree to take me in, all except one of my uncles. I had to stay with him to complete school but he didn’t have much… I had to sell all kinds of things just so I could eat…” she sobbed, her body quaking with each sentence. The tears poured effortlessly as the pain oozed out of her broken heart, flooding her heaving chest.

“It’s alright…” David whispered, pulling her closer to himself.

“I begged… countless times for them to take me back… but they never did. They never did! I was abandoned by my own parents!” She wailed, anger hidden in her tone.

David shut his eyes, hearing the pain notched in her voice. He held her close, softly muttering prayers over her underneath his breath.

“And now… he wants to see me?! When he’s dying? After all these years, he just expects me to run home?! After everything I’ve been through?!” she continued, anger churning in her gut.

She sobbed for a few more minutes and then the tears slowly stopped flowing. David had handed her a tissue, waiting for her to calm down.

Silence hung over them like a cloud, often interrupted by her sniffs. David sat by her, praying in his heart for the words to say, and even more, that she would receive the words he would say.

“Monique… I’m really sorry all this happened to you. It must have been really hard to go through all that…” He said softly.

She remained quiet, fumbling with the tissue wrap in her hands.

“What’re you going to do?” David asked, his eyes fixed on her.

Letting out a soft sigh, she shook her head. “I don’t know… I honestly don’t think I have it in me to look at them.”

“Oh c’mon, Mickey. Don’t be like that…” he said, hoping she didn’t mean it.

“Be like what, David? Didn’t you hear all I just said? They kicked me out! They didn’t care if I was fed or if I was hungry. For God’s sake, I didn’t even get a single phone call from them for years! Do you know how bad my life has been?” She fumed, slightly annoyed by his statement.

Understanding her resentment, he placed his hand on hers, sneaking it into her soft palm.

“I do not claim to understand the pain you feel right now, but I do know for sure… that you’ll feel a lot worse if he dies before you get to see him again…” he said softly.

The truth in his words cooled off her steaming nerves, softly beckoning on the tide of emotions she had just managed to push down. She looked away, shutting her eyes in pain.

“You’re right… but I still don’t think I can bring myself to go home. It’s hard to forgive all they’ve done.”

“I never said it wouldn’t be hard, but with God—”

“—Oh, please!” She hissed sharply, removing her hand from his and placing it on her forehead. “Don’t even bring God into this.”

Surprised by her outburst, he raised a curious eyebrow. “Why not?”

“If He wasn’t there when I needed Him the most, what’s He coming to do now?” She said, her tone slightly malicious.

David paused, praying for the wisdom of God to guide him. “Do you blame Him for what’s happened?”

She turned to face him, frowning at the stupid question. “Well, duh?! Where was He when my parents threw me out? Or when I had to fend for myself all through the years? He didn’t care then and He doesn’t care now.” She finished, her tone revealing deep-seated conviction.

David lowered his head, sighing softly. “Mickey… I’d like to explain something to you…just hear me out for a sec. People were given freewill by God, Monique. Men can act independent of God’s influence if they want to. And that’s what your parents did.”

“But they were executives in church. They hear from Him, or so they said. He just watched them throw me out and did nothing,” she snapped defensively.

“I’m not sure that’s the case, Mickey. God spoke to them to take you back… but their hearts were hardened. And once a man’s heart is hardened, God will not force him to do anything. So God did the next best thing, He reached out to anyone to take you in. And your uncle responded to His call.” David explained confidently, hoping she would understand.

Her brows narrowed, pondering on his perspective. It felt true, but she didn’t want to believe it.

“Well… how are you so sure that’s what He did?” She asked.

“Because God does not change. If we can view Him from His nature of love, it becomes easy to see that He would do the things a loving person would.”

She turned away again, battling the truth he spoke, trying to raise more defenses against it.

Seeing her struggle, he softly held her hand again. “Monique, you’ve got to understand that bad things happen because of the evil in men’s hearts. God only does good, He only knows how to act good. God, as powerful as he is, is often limited to the number of people that allow Him work his intentions through them on earth, and your uncle was the only one that yielded to God’s pleas. It’s just like electricity; without a conduit, we can’t reap the benefits of it. It’s a man’s world, Mickey. And the state of the world, is a testament of the heart of man, not a reflection of the presence of God. God’s interference in this dark world, can only be seen when men yield.”

Monique’s heart burned as the word pierced through like a flaming sword, tearing down the defensive thoughts that opposed it. Taking a tensed pause, she found herself slowly falling into acceptance.

“That’s why God told man to feed the poor, to heal the sick, to take care of the earth. Because it’s a man’s world, and if man doesn’t let God live through him, the world won’t see His nature. It is man that rules this place. If any entity finds expression on the earth, it’s because they have gone through man. That’s why the only way God could express Himself fully on earth, was in form of a man…the man Jesus.” David concluded.

Monique’s countenance softened, feeling her anger sizzle down. Gazing into space, her mind wandered back to her early childhood.

“You know, I used to be close to God, back in secondary school…” she said, sounding a lot more calm.

“Really? How so?” David asked.

“Yeah, I even had this diary where I scribbled down my letters to God. I always felt at peace after venting in those letters. Sometimes, when I felt sad, I’d just lay down and imagine Him sitting next to me, telling me that everything was going to be okay.” She said, laughing at herself.

“That’s beautiful…and it wasn’t your imagination.” David said, a smile tugging at the side of his lips.

“Yeah, until everything spiralled out of control. After I got kicked out, I eventually stopped praying, even stopped going to church. I felt God wouldn’t even look at me because of the abortion. I felt like it was the reason He let those things happen to me. Months later, I started smoking, drinking a lot, sleeping around just to numb the pain, to fill the void inside. I got addicted and, no matter how hard I tried to come clean, it just didn’t work.” She began, feeling the urge to be open with him.

“I’m sorry these happened to you…” David whispered.

“You know I even changed my name?” She said with a soft laugh, slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t want anything to do with my family so I changed my name to Monique.”

“That’s…quite deep.” David chuckled.

“Yup. My full name… is Ayomide Funmilayo Fakunle. Remembering all this now, it just feels kinda silly.” She snickered, feeling really at ease.

“I understand. But God isn’t angry with you. I need you to know that God’s love isn’t dependent on your actions or mistakes, but on His nature. Nothing can separate us from His love. It is reckless, almost makes no sense to the common man.” David explained, his eyes glistening with joy as he spoke.

Monique’s heart fluttered with hope, feeling a huge burden lift off her shoulders. She felt God speaking to her through David, beckoning on her to come home.

“You can get clean, Monique. It’s not a hard thing for God. Just trust Him, okay?” He said with a warm smile.

She nodded with a smile, feeling reassured.

“Can you…pray for me?” She asked softly.

“Sure. Why not?” David said, trying so hard to contain his joy.

He held her hands in prayer, speaking heavy words over her. Monique felt God envelope her where she sat, ministering to her broken heart. Images of her early times with Him flooded her mind, the letters and prayers they once shared. Tears welled up in her eyes, dropping down as she released all her anger towards God.

Ending the prayers, David released her hands and smiled. “Feel better?”

She smiled smugly, wiping her tears. “I feel so light right now, I can’t even explain it. It’s like I never left Him.”

“That’s how He is, always forgiving, never condemning.” David said as he got up.

She watched him move back to his seat, thanking God in her heart for such a man like him.

“But I still have so many questions, David.”

“Don’t worry, in due time, they will be answered.” He reassured her.

“I guess I’ll have to leave for Kaduna tomorrow.” She announced, taking a deep sigh.

“Hey, it won’t be easy… but God will be with you. Forgiveness sometimes happens over time. You just have to be willing to forgive.” David replied.

“I guess…”

“And for the record, I believe God that your Father’s life will be preserved. Please make sure you fill me in when you get there.” He requested.

Monique smiled warmly. “You’re a good friend, David.”

“Oh, stop it…” He chuckled, feigning a blush.

“Look at this old man. Please, you and Sonia should not kill yourselves while I’m gone o!” She said jovially, slipping back to her usual self.

“Oh please, we’ll be fine. Besides, I think she’s starting to warm up to me.” He replied, wiggling his brows jokingly.

“Yeah, she actually talked about you without throwing a fit. But I don’t think you should push your luck though, Sonia has her moods.” Monique warned.

“Oh, and speaking of Sonia, please… pray for her. Ever since she got back from that dinner you guys had, she’s been really moody and depressed, at least more than usual. She hasn’t been sleeping…”

David furrowed his brows, slightly confused. “Really? How come?”

“Apparently, Dayo really did a number on her. I just really hate that guy, with his face like one bad artwork.” She hissed, slightly irritated by the memory of the tale.

“Ah, Monique!” David exclaimed, putting his hands on his head while laughing.

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t call people names. I’m sorry. It’s just really annoying.” She said. Getting up, she walked towards the playstation and picked up the second console.

“Since I’m leaving tomorrow, let me trash you in FIFA small, you know, something to remember me by.” She said sardonically.

“Look at this one, I will spell that your long yoruba name and add the ‘Oluwa‘ that is missing.” David laughed, adjusting for her to sit.

While they played, David’s heart kept wandering towards Sonia. Indeed, there was work to be done.

TO BE CONTINUED…

This was the hardest chapter for me to write😪. It saddens me that such things still happen around us today. We, the penthouse, may not be able to fathom the pain any victim of these inhuman acts may be experiencing, but we offer you our arms in comfort❤. If you ever want to confide in us, we are here for you❤. We want to show you how much God loves you. We know that you may have questions, but even more so, that you need the comfort of an understanding heart. Reach any of the authors via that contact menu. We await your messages. We love you.❤

The next chapter will be put up in shorter time than the last. Thank you for your patience. Please, tell us what you feel about this chapter in the comment section below👇🏾👇🏾. We appreciate everyone that’s taken out time to give us feedback. God bless you🙏🏽