I hear when my parents return, but I don’t go down to welcome them. An hour later, my mom comes up, without food. I know she wouldn’t defy my father.
She sits on the edge of my bed where I’m sleeping. I sit up.
“What happened?” she asks.
“I don’t know. I read. You know I did. I just… I guess I didn’t read enough.”
“You need prayers. You need God. He’s the only one who can help you, but you have to let him help you.”
“I’m not stopping him from helping me. Why doesn’t he want to help me?”
“He does, son. But you have to show that you really want his help.”
“How?”
“Do you have to question everything?”
“Mom, I understand having to tell you what I need. But he’s omnipresent. He already knows what I need. Why doesn’t he just do it for me? What have I done? Why did he make me dumb?”
I try hard to stop myself from getting overly emotional again.
“He didn’t make you dumb, dear. You only have to try harder. You’ll see. It’ll all be alright.”
Will it?
“Your father still insists you remain upstairs. Promise me you’ll pray before sleeping.” I nod. She leaves.
Mom wakes me up by four the next morning. She takes me to the kitchen and asks me to prepare yam porridge for the house and then she goes back to sleep. I’m still too sleepy to be surprised. I haven’t cooked anything since schools resumed.
It takes all of five minutes for sleep to leave me completely. And then I start to cook. I miss a few steps due to my short hiatus, but I get back on track eventually, I think. The food’s tasty enough. I then do my other chores.
We pray that morning, mom and I. She takes breakfast to my father. He refuses to eat. He doesn’t offer to take me to school that morning.
“He’ll come around,” she assures me. But it sounds like she’s really just assuring herself.
I get to school that morning and I pay attention to every teacher that comes in, especially Naomi. I’m going to do better. I’m not going to be a failure anymore.
I try Rich’s line when I get home that evening. It still doesn’t go through. My worry worsens.
The next morning, my first class is Naomi’s.
“Today’s topic is not on the curriculum. And I hate that it isn’t. This is an important topic that children, especially teenagers should be taught both in school and at home. And since this course… sorry, subject, is about teaching us to be civil individuals, I don’t see why this topic isn’t included.”
She goes to the whiteboard and scribbles ‘RAPE’ on it.
“Who can define this term?”
It takes a while before anybody attempts; Max. “Rape implies forcefully having sex with someone without their consent.”
“That definition lacks understanding. You’re wrong, Max.”
That’s a first.
Becca tries next. “Rape is when a guy–”
“Let me stop you right there.” The class chuckles at that. “Rape is not one-sided.”
Becca sits back down. She’s pissed about it.
At the front seat, James stands up. “Rape is the abduction of a woman, especially for sexual purposes. It is also the act of forcing sexual intercourse on another person.”
Naomi smiles, and then says, “Do you know what abduction means, James?”
“Taking away,” he answers.
“So we can only define an act as rape when the victim is taken away? I think not. And as for your second dictionary definition, you’re still wrong.”
“But ma–”
“If you had read your phone dictionary further, you’d have seen the abridged definition. And I might add… the correct definition of rape. Allow me enlighten you because that’s why I’m here.” She waits a while. “Rape is an act involving carrying out sexual activities with a person without their consent. Force is almost always involved. Now what do I mean by sexual activities?”
I raise my hand. I’ve never raised my hand in class before. I don’t answer a question even though I know the answer unless the teacher points to me. But for some reason, now I raise my hand, and then I stand up. “A sexual activity isn’t just sex. Kissing too and groping. If those things are done to a person without their verbal consent, it is rape.”
She smiles at me, and my inside warms up. “Now I like a word you used there, Daniel, a very important word; verbal consent. You see some people think they can read a person’s mind and body language. They feel they know when someone wants it, even if they don’t say so out loud. They feel it isn’t rape if the person wants it but doesn’t say so. But what isn’t put into consideration is the difference in individuals. Some persons can’t speak up when they’re scared. Some can’t say ‘no’. It sounds weird, but there are people like that. There are some whose body reacts in a way that makes you think they want it, but deep down they don’t want to carry out the act. Haven’t you heard of persons that orgasm during rape?”
There are murmurs in the class. I on the other hand, while she was explaining, was wondering how she knows my name.
Naomi shushes everyone. “This is what I’m talking about. If you were taught these things from home you wouldn’t be acting like children on hearing me say orgasm.” There’s no murmur this time. “During the days I’ll be taking this class, you’ll be hearing a lot of words. Ignore them. Just take the lesson I’m trying to pass to you guys.” She studies the whole class. “Take this for now. If the other person doesn’t give you a verbal or written consent to carry out sexual activities with them, don’t do it. No matter how much your hormones pressure you, don’t. You’ll be committing rape and it’s a very horrible thing to do to a person.”