The next day, Anna woke up to find herself alone in bed---he was gone!. She tried to lift her body up but her head ached so bad, it was already day time but she couldn't tell what time it was since she had no cell phone or any watch to check time on.
She made the effort to go switch on the TV and check the time on the decoder but her fatigued body couldn't let her.
" Ouch" Her flesh and bones hurt from last night's trekking exercise; but...was it only trekking exercise? She didn't think so. The way she had opened her legs so wide left her hip joint hurting like heck.
Now that she was rationally stable, she started replying everything that had happened yesternight afresh. Her gone wallet, her saviour, her lost virginity...! ' Lost virginity!'
Anna closed her eyes at the mention of it. The way she had begged to be bedded killed her insides, who does that? Huh? A maiden she had always been for the last twenty four years had been tarnished in an instance.
'Why am l cursed to fall for married men? My first kiss was taken by a married man and now my virginity? Why me always?' She asked herself
Anna hugged her pillow, however much she had sometimes thought of pouncing on random guys for sexual pleasure , that was only when she was horny but generally, she had always dreamt of losing her innocence on her wedding night. But now, she had ended up sharing a man with another woman!
'Whoever bewitched me haven't showered yet' She thought.
Anna remembered the words her mama had told her about the city's most men having HIV/AIDS.
' What if Liam has HIV as well, I'm I already infected? Am in good die? What if I'm pregnant now?' She covered her head upon thinking about having conceived. First, she wasn't ready to give birth. Second, she wouldn't want to try abortion because she had seen how Nancy had almost died in the process.
The man who had robbed her innocence were nowhere to be seen. ' He's probably with his wife now busy lying her how much he loves when he had fucked someone else.'
Even though she was mad at herself for letting herself control and dignity lose, she still wanted to be with him, to be touched by him. She missed him already. Her mama had told them never to get involved with married men. Her mama had said that God is always fair when judging that He make's you pay for the tears that man's wife cries on you as a life time burden. She's still young and beautiful for God's sake to carry Lexie's tears, she thought in her head.
Anna held her pounding head to ease the pain but the noise outside couldn't let her. Women outside yelling to their kids and gossiping as they laughed and cooed hurt Anna's head badly. One was even washing dishes on Anna's front room veranda.
Anna was still covering her head under two pillows to hide from all that noise when she heard the ladies outside talking about her.
Since Anna's room was well locked, the ladies had no idea that she was actually inside.
One woman started, "Mama Josh! Did you see miss world's sugar daddy yesterday?"
" No, I didn't. She has also started bringing them home?" Mama Josh answered.
" Yes"
" Did you see him?" Another woman asked
" No, i tried to peek through the window to see them but they had gotten in the house already. All I saw was that his car is white in colour" The gist bearer answered.
" From young men to married men and now to old men? That good for nothing whore." The fourth woman said as if sympathetic.
" Fiona" One of the ladies called, " Come and hear what you're idol did."
Anna shook her head, ' I really wonder how people could have that much hatred on another.
" What is it?" Anna heard the supposed Fiona asking, also joining their group. Anna recognised every woman's voice as she had seen them for a year and months she had been residing in these residentials.
" Didn't you hear the car entering in here?" The woman who had called Fiona asked in full enthusiasm.
Fiona nodded, " I saw it"
" Good that you did! Now defend her one more time as a good fan would, go ahead"
" What did she do?" Fiona asked,
" She brought an old man in her house"
Fiona frowned, "Who gave you such information?"
" See, she doesn't want to admit to the fact that Anna is a professional prostitute. Even my husband confirmed that she saw her one day in a brothel" Mama Josh said in the matter-of-fact tone.
" What was your husband doing in a brothel?" Fiona asked and the ladies laughed at their flabbergasted friend. Even Anna who was sad on hearing their accusations chuckled at Fiona's comeback.
'So brutal!' Anna thought while shaking her head, 'I like you already'
" She's defending her because she likes her" The pissed lady remarked.
" Oh yes I like her so much but that's not the reason, even the blind can see that you resent her because she's more prettier, educated and classy than all of you here." Fiona remarked,
All ladies rolled their eyes at their young friend. " We would rather stay poorer and uglier than opening our legs for money"
" But let's be honest, do you think Anna can leave all rich handsome men in town pestering her for you're lower class men?" Fiona asked but no one answered.
"...who cares anyway if she's a prostitute, as long as she pays her rent and takes a good care of herself, I will always be behind her." Fiona shrugged, " I adore that girl greatly for her rarely kind heart, she knows how much you hate her but still love your kids and greet y'all everyday? Who does that?
" How did she know?" All four women asked in unison, " did you tell her?"
" No. How would I tell her when we don't talk in the first place? Only your glares show the dislike. You mean y'all can't tell the person who resents you?" Fiona asked.
Anna felt a pang in her heart, why hadn't she noticed this girl's love for her already? She had always seen her staring at her but always considered her the same way as the rest.
Fiona continued, "Let me tell you a short story about a certain family that had a dog called Simba. This couple loved Simba like their biological child. They treated Simba so good that even the dog loved them so much and protected them and their properties. One day, the lady left her newborn baby sleeping and went to the market trusting Simba to protect the baby as he always did. But when she came back from the market, she didn't find the baby on the bed where she had left it. The woman cried loudly and grabbed a panga and went to look for Simba in the woods.
She knew Simba hadn't taken his meal yet so he was hungry thus he ate the baby. The woman found Simba in the woods with blood on his mouth and confirmed her guess. In too much rage the woman stabbed the dog several times until she made sure that the dog was indeed dead. But when she went back in her house, she found her sleeping baby under the bed with a dead lion cub, meaning that Simba had killed the lion to save the baby's life."
A tear rolled down Anna's temple as the story had touched her heart. She was feeling so sad for Simba's injustice. "Poor dog! I will one day buy a dog and name him Simba"
" Guilty and regret haunted the lady for years because of her poor judgement." Fiona said, "So, always be careful with judging people negatively because you don't know what you're hate can do to that person. And you never know what tomorrow brings, any of you can need her help someday. If some of you who are married still cheat on your spouses, how about we who are still single and searching?"
" Wow!" Anna exclaimed under her breath, " You're so intelligent, baby girl. I will make sure I add you on my friends list."
No woman dared utter another word again.
After some time of resting her blasting head, Anna woke up and cleaned the blood and love juice stained bed and went to shower.
As she was deathly starving, she prepared herself to go look for something to eat when blood started dripping on her blouse.
She was nosebleeding! Again!