Mrs. Agbor raised an eyebrow, curiosity evident in her expression. "You mentioned something about Mariam's lifestyle?"
Roslin sighed, recalling the memories. "Yes. Mariam was… promiscuous. Different men every night. I often wondered how she managed to keep up with it, one man today, another tomorrow. But I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to get on her bad side."
She paused, her gaze drifting as if lost in thought. "Then something bizarre happened. Her brother came over again one day, and this time he stayed longer. He kept trying to engage me in conversation, but I wasn't interested. Eventually, he gave up. I was left in the living room, and he went off to talk to Mariam. I got bored and decided to let Mariam know I was going for a walk. She could be paranoid sometimes, always worried about where I was going."
Roslin's voice dropped to a whisper, the weight of her words heavy in the air. "So, I walked to her room… and there they were. Mariam and her brother. Having sex."
Mrs. Agbor's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
Roslin took a deep breath, recalling the moment vividly. "I was in complete shock. So was Mariam when she saw me. Her brother left in a hurry, and Mariam, clearly rattled, tried to explain everything. She told me how they'd been inseparable as kids—they ate, played, and even bathed together. Then, when she was just seven, her brother started… experimenting with her, imitating things he saw on TV. By the time she was thirteen, he was already sleeping with her. Their parents found out and tried to separate them, but by then it was too late. She confessed that no one could satisfy her the way he did, and that she had never stopped sleeping with him. All the men she entertained were just her attempts to find someone who could compare. She said, 'his dick was the best thing on earth.' She told me that if I was going to judge her, I should leave, because nothing I had just witnessed was going to stop."
Mrs. Agbor looked horrified. "What did you do?"
Roslin's heart raced as she recalled the weight of her decision. "I told her I'd leave as soon as I could afford my own place. I was almost done with my savings for a self-con."
"And how did she take it?" Mrs. Agbor pressed.
"Surprisingly, she didn't protest. What disgusted me the most, though, was the fact that her brother was already married with two kids!"
"Christ! Life can be twisted. Did you eventually leave?" Mrs. Agbor asked, her voice filled with concern.
Roslin nodded, her expression somber. "Yes, I did. But not without Mariam making my life miserable first. I'd rather not get into the details. After I moved into my own place, things started looking up. Then, two years later, I got a call from an unknown number. It was Mariam. I had deleted her contact after leaving her house. She asked to meet, saying it had…" Roslin bit her bottom lip in pain as tears streaked down her cheeks.
"Mariam had asked to meet, saying it had been too long and that she wanted to make amends. I was hesitant at first, uncertain of how to face her after everything that had happened. But she insisted, telling me she was getting married and wanted me to be her maid of honor. Despite the tumultuous history between us, Mariam had once been like a sister to me, and I couldn't help but agree to meet her."
Roslin sighed, the memory still painful.
"When I saw her groom at the wedding, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was old enough to be my grandfather, yet still spry for his age. Mariam looked miserable throughout the ceremony, her expression darkening every time he spoke. She scowled at anyone who dared to engage her, snapping at them as if they were intruding on her misery. After the wedding, as I prepared to leave, Mariam offered to have her driver take me home. I felt a wave of relief wash over me; it meant I wouldn't have to pay for a taxi. But as we drove, I began to feel lightheaded, as if something was off with the air inside the car." Roslin sighed deeply, staring at nothing.
"Without warning, we stopped. Before I could make sense of what was happening, I was yanked out. The men surrounding me had guns, and though I couldn't see their faces clearly, their voices pierced through the fog of my confusion as I overheard their conversation…" Roslin sobs, remembering everything