Chapter 2 Why do you make me wait

Morning, the next day...

My cell door opened the officer on duty, a man in his late thirties appeared at the entrance, he greeted me.

"Good morning madam"

I just muttered a response weakly, my mouth sour filled with spit. His presence was what woke me up from a short nap, I had woken up this morning hours ago.

"How are you?" He asked, he looked at me, his eyes filled with great concern and sympathy. I just nodded affirmative, and forced a smile, he smiled back.

Holding my hands, he led me out of the apartment-like cell.

I was moved out of the last cell with other inmates last week. The constant bullying attracted the concerns of the prison management. I got moved out of cells weekly due to the molestation from women stronger than I am.

The incidence last week made the management move me to a private cell room, like a small apartment. This was also possible, thanks to complaints by my lawyer who came visiting weekly, she saw my condition, the bruises and swollen nymphs.

I was beaten mercilessly by bullies, this time by one of the big names, Tonia, the 'Lord of the bars' as she was called by other inmates. Rumors had it that she had killed inmates like herself due to her brutal treatment. She used her physical strength to exert authority over weaker women.

She's been here for quite some time, almost ten years now.

She has a manly built physique, many said it was all thanks to her workout sections, every morning, although she wasn't this masculine before.

'Lord of the bars', her story earned her that name, she was a wanted notorious assassin, the operation to kill the ex president on his seventieth birthday was when she was caught by security and she got locked up here after trial in court of which she was charged guilty. She succeed in killing the invincible President then, like how she had succeeded in her other infamous escapades.

She became an orpahn at a very young age, lived in the slumps with her nine brothers. Started pushing drugs at an early age of eight. Her oldest brother was the mafai lord, a street lord. He handled each and everyone of he's sibling with an iron fist, according to stories, he bullied his only sister and molested her, having his way with her at will. Tonia led a very hard life, she became a hardened criminal at an early. She knew nothing about compassion, that's why she was always furious and aggressive.

At eighteen, she broke out of the family cartel and got a job with some other high ranked gang. An infamous gang in the country, she worked as an assassin, was sent on extremely dangerous missions. As a kid, I was told stories about her, her success in every mission, the thing with her was that she never got caught.

When I was brought into the same cell room with her, there was about eight other women/girls in there. The ritual in the room was that every morning, we all had to take turns in bathing her, as a new joiner I was given my date. On that cold morning, coupled with the morning sickness every woman in my condition experience and injuries from previous beatings, I was stormed out of my little cell bed by Rachel, a skinny girl of twenty one.

"Hey! Missy!" She spat on my face, eyeing me.

I opened my eyes in shock, "good morning" I greeted terrified. "Keep that to your pitiful self, it's time for her highness (that was how the Lord of the bars was addressed) to have her bath, it's your turn today, remember???"

She walked away annoyed by reasons best known to her.

Too weak to sit up, I laid for sometime, my head pounding, body aching all over. I tried sitting up but was restrained by the sharp pains in my abdomen.

I sensed a presence in the room, before I could raise my eyes to see who it was standing there a hand landed on my delicate face.

"Why do you make me wait? Huh?"

The owner of the voice used her manly hands to drag me out of the bed, before I could comprehend what was going on, my face was in the toilet. The hands pulled my face in the messy toilet, forcefully making me inhale the rubbish, swallow the dirty water in it, dragging my long hair, kicking me all over. It all happened in seconds, the noise from my helpless cries was what drew the attention of the officers on duty. Before any one could come to my rescue, I'd already fainted in the pool of my blood. How I survived? A mystery. How the human inside of me survived? Another mystery. All I remember was waking up in a new cell room, clean unlike the others, a private one. I had drip fixed and a nurse tending my injured body. She smiled pitifully at me, the look I hate but had to get used to.

This private cell room was meant for only delegates, like for the rich who undergo trail, they receive treatment unlike us who are second class citizens, they were given well cooked food, allowed to take calls, they enjoyed certain privileges, even had clean baths with warm water. I've been here for three days now.

This is the city's central cell, how I got here is...

The officer led me through the hall way, down to the room where my visitor was. He didn't tell me who it was, my instinct suggested my Lawyer, from her frequent visits these days, I'm certain she's the one.

The officer, Manseh opened the door to the well lit room, it made a creaking sound alerting those inside of our arrival.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, shocked to see my mom, she stood up immediately from her seat and rushed to hug me. She held me tight, tears flowing freely from her eyes sad.

My mom has been busy with work, she told me over the phone once on a Saturday, she's been out of the state but had promised to come see me as soon as she got back. My lawyer sat across us. She smiled at me.

"I had to take the next flight when I was told of your condition" my mum said amidst tears, the officer had for long left us alone.

She lessened her grip, held my hands, led me to sit and sat next to me.

"How are you?" She said, looking me over, touching my bandages.

I nodded.

"It's all about timing, you'll be out of here soon" she added not waiting for my response, she turned to look at my lawyer who nodded in affirmative.

"Most certainly" Karlyn chipped in, most confident.

"Don't worry, I'm really sorry it's taking too long, we are on the case, Karlyn will take care of your case. She'll get you out of here, just have hope and keep praying" my mum's face was already red with tears.

She held my face, "ma" I muttered.

"Hmm"

"How's everything?" I managed to ask.

"Fine, we're very fine, your Dad sends he's regards, you know he's refused to come see you, he warned you…" she stopped talking, swallowed hard, assessing me like some project.

"It's ok" my mom smiled, hugged me again.

"The system is rotten, how will they treat a woman in your condition this way?? Leaving you with those hardened criminals? The system is fucked up!" My lawyer exhaled. The twenty-eight year old who is a human activist hated the condition here at the central prison.

"I'll make sure you get compensated for the things you suffered during your stay here" she assured me.