Whilst growing up, a lot happened to Lydia that no one knows of. At the age of eight, Lydia was molested by a drunken old man, a friend of her dad.
This old man came to see Lydia's dad, he was not at home, they told him. He insisted on waiting for his arrival. Lydia's mom asked this drunken guy to come and wait in the porch. He sat on a bench, talking of how well he knows Lydia's dad. After a few minutes, he asked Lydia's mom to see her kids, she called them out,lined them out as usual, big to small. He asked that one of them come sit by him, they all ran into the house.
Lydia's mom asked him which one of the kids does he want, he said the adorable one with the long hair. When Lydia heard this she went into hiding, but her mom called her out.
Lydia had no choice but to do as she was told. She was an obedient child, listened to every word her parents would say to her. She was always that way, ever since I knew her. Listening to her parents and the elders is one of Lydia's attributes in life. She did almost everything her mom and dad ask her to.
Lydia came out to the porch, scared and not sure of why her mom wants her to sit by that stupid, drunk man.
"The man said to her mom, "Yes this is the one, look how pretty you are, come sit on my lap."
Lydia started to cry, her mom told her that the man won't eat her, all he wants is for her to sit by him for a while. As the man lifted her up to sit her on his lap, Lydia started crying even more, her mom started to get angry.
"If you don't stay quiet, you'll get a beating after, okay?" Yelled her mom.
He lifted her up with one hand in front of her chest, while the other was under her bum to place her seated, on his lap. He never removed his hand from beneath her, as he continued to speak with Lydia's mom, he was also keeping his hand busy. He was busy fondling underneath Lydia's skirt. Her mom didn't teach them to wear pants. There was an old saying, "Boys were meant to wear pants and girls were meant to wear dresses." Lydia's mom and dad lived by that saying.
Lydia was trying to call out to her mom, so that she can tell her what this man was doing to her, but her mom kept watching the road and yelling at Lydia to stop complaining. That old drunk had his hand under her skirt, trying to get his hand in the underwear. He put his mouth closer to her ear.
"Do not say a word or else." He whispered to her.
Lydia was so scared of both her mom and this drunken man.
Within a few seconds, Lydia felt a burning sensation in her private place, this dirty old man put his hand inside of her.
"Oh my God , mom help me, mom can't you see what he's doing to me? Mom please, he's hurting me." Lydia said in her mind, while watching her mom and crying.
He had his hand there for a while, he told Lydia's mom that he should go. He got up, lifted Lydia up with his hand still under her, bended down to allow her to stand. As he did, he gentle pulled his hand out, not putting any attention on himself. He did not let her go just yet, as he was saying his goodbyes, he bent down and kissed Lydia in the mouth in front of her mom.
"How could she allow this, she's suppose to protect me." Lydia thought.
Her mom just looked at her in disgust, told her to go and wash out her mouth.
"This wasn't my fault , I didn't cause this mom, why does it seems as though you're blaming me." Lydia thought while running to the bathroom.
Lydia was only eight years old, how could she have fought him off? When she thought her mom would protect her, she didn't. Lydia was not the same after, always afraid when people came around her, always hiding.
Lydia started having nightmares, she heard insects making loud noises, irritating and only at night time.
At age ten, Lydia got sick, fever, cold sweating , the normal everyday virus it seemed. Her mom paid no attention to her, she still went to school. Second day into the virus but she had to go to school. At first break, Lydia started feeling drowsy, she had to put her head down on the desk. When the teacher came in class, Lydia lift her head up and had to run out of the classroom with vomit in her hand. The teacher went after her and sent her to the sick bay. Lydia stayed there until school was over, a teacher came and woke her, asking her if she be okay.
"Yes I'll be okay, thank you," said Lydia.
Lydia felt very weak as she reached home, her mom wasn't at home, so she just rested her head on her bed, for a little while she said. If her mom caught her on the bed at that time of the day, she'll be scolded. Lydia's sister woke her and told her to go take a bath, she did. She kept feeling dizzy, her body felt loose, her mom told her to eat.
"I'm not hungry," Lydia said.
"You have to eat," yelled her mom.
Lydia took a small amount of food, trying to swallow a mouthful, she got up, took her plate in the kitchen, covered it and rested her head against the refrigerator. She closed her eyes for a second and that's all she remembered.
Approximately ten minutes later she was awake but floating.
"Someone was carrying me, I can't remember what happened," Lydia thought.
As she lay on the bed, a few seconds later she started to twist and turn, then her body started to cramp in different angles. Lydia was having an epilepsy attack, which no one knew at the time. Her dad was scared and her mom got garlic and rubbed it all over Lydia's body. What her mom didn't know, Lydia was sensitive to garlic. It blistered her body. Everyone got scared , Lydia looked terrible, her mouth was pushed out, her fingers came to meet each other and her toes came to meet her heels. It was strange and scary.
It was late so her mom decided to not take her to the emergency immediately, she said she'll carry her in the morning. Fifteen minutes later Lydia looked normal, to them. They all relaxed and went off to bed hours later.
The next morning Lydia's mom thought it wasn't necessary to take Lydia to the emergency, she seemed fine and doing well. Everything wasn't well with Lydia, every day that goes by had a different feel to it. some days were good while some were very torturous.
Lydia, sometimes couldn't walk because of pinch nerves to her hips,her mom and dad use to make fun of her,
Saying to her, "Come old lady, try to walk, I'll make a walking stick for you."
Lydia felt helpless and scared, she didn't know what was happening to her. When the nerve pinched she had to stop where she were, couldn't move until it eased up. She almost fell at the surprise of the pinch nerve. But she lived on, as though that was part of her life. She never gave up, she was very strong willed. Everything and everyone went back to the normality of their everyday lives.
Lydia's childhood wasn't always sad, she loved her family, her other brothers and sisters also had their share of problems. What they lack was confiding in each other. They grew up close to one another but even though they were so close they were also yet so far away from each other.
Even though after all this, she would put everything behind her.
She had two reasons for putting everything aside, everything that was bad that is. The greatest reason of all Jesus, second was a smile in her heart. Jesus was her life saver as still is, the smile in her heart was put there by her childhood friend Bob Lovelace.
He was a few years older than Lydia, friendly always making her smile, most of all he was always there. Even if he comes for just one minute, that would have made her day.
Bob had black hair, shoulder length,thin, tall, dark and handsome. Whenever he got spare time, he would pass by their home.
"Just to chat," he would say.
Lydia saw that he made sure to call her out before he left, if only to see her.
I guess he was afraid of Lydia's dad somehow. Lydia's dad watched him funny he said. Lydia's dad was grumpy, he used to drink a lot back then. As time went by and Lydia grew older, Bob came by more often and stayed longer on his visits. When they changed residence, he went along with them. Their move did not stop him from visiting. They never gaved him the impression that they didn't want him to come around, so it seemed okay to him. He wasn't rude, neither did he misbehave with their kids. He was a very respectable young man who meant well.
Everyone in their neighborhood knew that these two was close, Bob and Lydia. While walking you would hear wild gossips like,
"Lydia and Bob is a match made in heaven."
Everyone used to tease and talk, say good things about them. He was the perfect gentleman, he never laid a hand on Lydia,up until today.
As time passed, Lydia could tell when he's coming or not. She would be anxiously awaiting his arrival, next few minutes he's here. No phone calls or anything to give a hint that he was coming , it was just instincts.
One Sunday she had a gut feeling that he was coming, a few hours later he's running coming through a back road in the back of the house.
"Why did you pass there?" Lydia asked Bob.
"I told my dad that I was going to lime by some friends in that trace, but I decided to come here instead,"Bob said.
Bob's mother adored Lydia, his dad didn't speak much, he was a very hard working man, respected in the community as well.
God knows what he's doing, Lydia's instincts were right once more. She was over whelmed with happiness, she didn't need to dress-up or put make-up on for him to like her, he liked her just the way she was.
He stayed until dark, he had a late lunch and dinner with them. After dinner he sat in the kitchen, on the floor, making stupid jokes and they laughed and laughed, until their stomach hurt. In between their dad had to stop them and tell them to be a bit more quiet for he was watching television.
Most of Lydia's fun days were spent there in the kitchen on the floor.
Bob was about to leave, before he got up, he turned to Lydia and told her to keep this until he return. Lydia was speechless, but she opened her hands for whatever he was about to give her. It was his ring and chain, he don't ever take those off. Tears were building up behind her eyes, happy tears they were. Lydia didn't spill those tears though, she held it back, her heat was pounding.
Lydia kept those jewelry around her neck at all times, hidden from curious eyes.
This was special to her , he was special to her. Their friendship went on for years with no hurdle and no one to bother them, until.