Broken ✔

Chapter Twenty-Six

Song: Adiepena - KiDi

*Unedited* (Because Spotify isn't available in my country yet😡)

The rain had stopped sometime during the night. I was shivering. It was cold. Too cold. I never knew the nights got so cold. That was because I'd never slept outside before. It made me wonder about the homeless people. How did they go through each day, not knowing whether they'd get a safe, warm place to sleep at night?

The thought alone seemed so horrible. There were people in that mansion, and not one of them wondered what it would be like to sleep in the cold. I couldn't blame them though. I was them before that night. Now, I couldn't imagine how I'd spent every night comfortable in my own bed when there were people who scarcely had any clothes on their backs. People who didn't have any homes.

The sun began to rise as morning came by. The security guards were coming out. I didn't want them to see me stark naked, yet I didn't know where I could hide myself from them. I rushed to the small rose garden, feeling rose thorns ruthlessly prick me.

I was comfortable there for a while – though slightly bleeding from the thorns in my flesh – when I saw the gardener come out of his shed, ready to tend to his garden. I tensed, wrapping my arms around my body.

He was getting nearer by the second. I felt my heart jump into my mouth. I rushed out of the garden without thinking, seeing the gardener's eyes bulge as he took in my naked form. I ran past the guards who looked equally shocked on seeing me, and jumped into the pool with a loud splash. The pool was cold and dirty, seeing that it had been rained in the previous night.

I was still shivering, but it was worth it, seeing that the men couldn't see my naked form. I noticed one or two guards shoot me a smirk, but I ignored them. My pride was in shambles and I honestly couldn't care less if they saw anything. I just didn't want to be raped, which was why I was hiding myself from them.

The day pressed on, and in true Ghanaian fashion, the atmosphere became hot. Too hot. The sun was shining with all its might focused on me. Every other person had taken refuge under some shade, but I couldn't. If I came out of the pool, they'd see me naked.

The sun was more ruthless than I imagined. I submerged myself under the pool, almost sighing with relief when I felt my skin sizzle under the coolness of the pool. I was sure that it was my imagination, but I saw vapour rise from my body.

I came out when I needed to breathe, but soon, the heat had me submerging myself once more. The rest of the day was pure torture. I was hungry by the time the sun had set. Hungry and exhausted from submerging and emerging from the dirty pool.

When it was dark, Kofi came out. His eyes strode over to the pool, but I doubted if he'd even seen me. He went to speak to some of the guards, and the way they glanced at me, I knew he was talking about me. When he was done, he went to speak with the gardener, whose garden was a distance away from the pool and the front door. Maybe, if I made a run for it, I could get inside and grab some clothes before he inevitably kicked me out again.

Getting out of the pool wasn't as easy as I thought, and I made too much noise. There were eyes on me before I even made it out. I began to run, ignoring the shouts and footsteps behind me as the guards chased after me.

I was nearly at the door, when he appeared in front of me.

He couldn't have gotten there that fast.

My heart was racing with fear and shock just at the sight of him. The guards stopped, waiting, and watching to see what would happen next.

"How was your night?" Kofi asked, with no emotion on display.