THE UNPLANNED ESCAPE
I ran to my room and was shaking so badly. I had never been so terrified in my life, even when I lost my dad I was not this visibly shaken.
I changed out from my bloodied gown into a jean short and a grey polo with mickey mouse printed on it and strapped on my sandal. I went to my tiny bathroom, tied up my hair, washed my face and my hands. I did this so fast and ran out of the gate before the gate keeper could start asking me any question that might delay me.
I had already used my only handkerchief to tie the cut on my arm but the blood was sipping out and was already making little stains on the arm of my shirt. I began to run as fast as my untrained legs could carry me. I ran and ran and even when my ankle began to ache I did not stop.
I had run through three streets already when in the next street, I saw two men leaning on an old lorry. They didn't seem to pay any attention to me and I heard one of the men telling the other to make sure he comes visit him sometime at Cradon. I had heard of Cradon and I knew it was several miles away from Taobi.
I ran to the back of the lorry and hopped on the back before the men were done with saying their goodbyes. There was a mesh like kind of iron that was at the back of the lorry that protected the greasy kegs of engine oil from rolling down when in motion. While trying to get in, I scraped the side of my left leg on it but I didn't mind till I sat in the middle of the kegs and was sure that I was well covered by the kegs.
I saw blood trickling down and wiped it with my hand. I then looked at where I sat down and how greasy it was but I didn't mind it still. How could I?
As soon as the vehicle was in motion, I drew my knees to myself and placed my jaw atop my knees and began to think of all that just happened. I tried to bite my lower lip hard enough to draw blood and push the tears in my eyes back, but they came pouring.
After some time, I rested my head on my drawn knees and was soon asleep due to fatigue. I woke up to the whooshing of breeze in my ears. I opened my eyes, stretched my tired hands and was taken aback by the bright lights coming from stalls by the side of the road, displaying their various wares. It was evening already and I wondered for how long I had slept.
I adjusted to the edge of the vehicle to see children playing happily in the port holes by the side of the road, older children who looked like they were just coming from school, most likely an extra lesson as the vehicle soon drove past them. I longed for that radiant happiness that I saw the children exuding and wondered if anyone had been able to come to Dr Matthew's aid on time.
I decided to not allow that bother me and Istarted having various thoughts on the turn my life would take from hereon if I am not found. I also wondered what the driver would do on discovering me at the back of his lorry.
My thoughts came to a halt when the vehicle came to a halt. My brain began to work in over drive and I decided to jump out from the back of the lorry. As my right leg was over the mesh like iron, ready to make a jump, the driver was suddenly at my front and gasped on seeing me. I was dumb founded and didn't know what to say. He must have heard my movements and come to take a look. He sure was a very attentive and observatory man.
On closer look, I guessed that he was in his 50's. His hair was sticking out from the base ball cap he wore and a huge jacket that I was sure would drown me if I attempted to put it on, covered most of his build. I wondered what a man his age was doing driving such long distance when he barked at me, asking me who I was.
I withdrew my leg into the lorry and he asked again who I was. When I said nothing, he threatened that he was going to drag me down and leave me right there along the road. I definitely didn't want to be dropped in a place I knew nothing of but I was skeptical on telling him who I was or my name because I was sure that my name and picture was circulating round the country for what I had done already.
In the last novel I read, Rogue's Honour, I loved the name Martha and thought it was a pretty name so I told him my name was Martha. He interrogated me further by asking what I was doing at the back of his vehicle and I half lied and half said the truth by telling him that I was being chased by a rapist.
He stared long and hard at me and I was expecting him to drag me out when he said the kindest words I had heard in a long time. He asked if I would love to ride with him. My countenance brightened and I affirmed his question and he watched me as I hopped off the vehicle. While taking the side to the shot gun seat, I silently prayed he was not a pervert or a rapist or a trafficker or worse, a serial killer. But I was in this lonely road with nowhere to go or no one to direct me other than this old man. I could only hope he was nothing like any of the aforementioned.