RAPED

Signing out from work on a Monday 6 pm to be specific as I headed for a meet up with a friend at a popular local joint within the central business district to catch up. It was my usual hangout spot as I was familiar with the staff from the bouncers manning the entrance, the counter cashier who gave me regular discounts on drinks to my favorite waitress.

As I waited for him to arrive, he texted me 45 minutes after I had already ordered drinks as I waited for him that he will not make it for our meeting citing a family emergency, his mother had been admitted thus he had to abandon our scheduled meeting to be with his mother,a humanly act that anyone who acknowledges the role of family in society will understand without any feeling of feeling wasted or suspecting ill intentions.

Sipping up my drink as I waited for the traffic jam to reduce, two well dressed ladies joined me at my table. The club had a handful of revellers that day considering Tuesday was a working day. We exchanged pleasantries after which the manly instinct inside me offered to buy them drinks though I was on a financial off peak, contrary to my expectations, African women tradition or modern day urban slay queen practice they turned down my offer and instead bought me my favorite drink which I didn’t have the pleasure of consuming for a very long time.

Though I was resisting the offer with my mouth, deep inside me I was just waiting for them to open the lid kick starting our party. From our pleasantries they showed me their staff identity cards they worked for reputable institutions within the city and were on leave of absence that’s why they were there to clear their heads from the busy work schedule they had for the past few weeks. So expensive they appeared,expensive they were their conversations revolved high-end things be it shopping,hotels,vacations amongst other things I can’t remember well.

They had all the cards on the table hence I had no otherwise but to do the same starting by telling them my real name not the usual name I give to passersby I bump in these clubs regularly. I usually go by the names Tom of Fast Clean logistics but today I had to give out my real names and show my staff identity card. Cornered as I was I was left with no option furthermore,they were decent and employed ladies who had no ill intentions like the usual club hangers who are always praying to The Almighty that He may send you something that will force you to visit the gents for either a short call or a long call or any call as long as you leave them alone with your already open drink so that they slip ‘rice’ or anything that will knock you out for hours inside your drink rob you everything. Nevertheless, I had money in soft copy form in my ATM and mobile money the only cash I had was my weekly fare which was nothing compared to the drinks they had ordered on the table.

As we drank the night out I begged to leave at around 9 pm since tomorrow I was to report for work as usual plus I had to go prepare my supper considering I never ate anything meaningful for lunch. I tried using all excuses but they seem to be way ahead of me even when I told them I was rushing home to prepare supper and freshen up for tomorrow they ordered roasted meat and Ugali. After eating up I told them the public service vehicles operating our estate route cease operations at 11 pm they offered to Uber me home since they had a car so there I was out of excuses but we agreed I would leave at exactly 11pm. We talked about many things from likes,dislikes,peculiar habits to our work bosses everyone loves to hate.

One of them I won’t mention the name wasn’t drinking as the rest of us so I guessed she was the designated driver. True to their words at exactly 11 pm we left the club.,though I was wasted I told them to drive me home my senses were still there and I didn’t sleep all the way to their Lavington apartment. I sat at the back alongside the more friendly lady who seemed to have drunk more than her system could handle manifested by her uncontrolled vulgar talk. When I inquired why they didn’t take me to my place they said their car had less fuel plus they weren’t 100% sure about the layout of the route in and out of my estate thus couldn’t risk night driving in a strange place thus they were to call they taxi guy who will take me home.

I removed my shoes as I placed my self on the couch in their living room I overheard the other one who was more friendly talking to their taxi guy over the phone to come pick me up. That was the last thing I heard only to be waken up with my mobile phone alarm at 5 am to find myself naked sandwiched between two naked ladies in an unfamiliar territory.

My last recollection placed me on a couch in their sitting room waiting to be picked up with their ‘taxi guy’ to be taken home, how did I get to their bedroom in that state? what should I do next? If I shout for help the neighbors will definitely know am the aggressor they are the victims. I came out of the bed wore my clothes went back to the couch to call Ken my Human Resource department point man informing him to prepare me an early annual 30 day leave of absence that commences from that day since I won’t be able to make it to work due to ‘family emergencies’ that have just arisen. I also dropped my boss a text on the same as I lay on the couch waiting for daylight to escape captivity.

I was in shock as I called my pharmacist friend requesting for assistance in acquiring Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) drugs for a ‘female friend’ who had been raped and didn’t want to use the formal procedure involving the police and their P3 form after examination. Time seemed to be moving at a tortoise speed, eventually I left the apartment at 6 am straight to my pharmacist friend establishment to pick the PEP then off I went home with a disturbed mind waiting for the 3 month period to end before I can undertake another HIV/AIDS test to ascertain my status.

I followed up on the two ladies at their place of work though I never confronted them on the matter I only went there to confirm if indeed they work at the firm to my surprise they were senior staffers not ordinary middle level employees. Opening up hasn’t been easy I have never sought the advice of a counselor or even shared the experience with friends since we live in a society where sexual assault, rape in particular is a women issue not a community problem where women are the victims and men are the perpetrators. People aren’t bringing up the issue about male rape victims since men who have been raped can’t parade themselves in courts and police stations as they too embarrassed to come out and speak about their ordeals which is disheartening.Male rape victims are just as legitimate as female rape victims. 

Many times have tried talking about the ordeal in second person form to friends, as a friend’s experience not my personal experience but everyone I share with casually laughs it off claiming ‘My Friend’ enjoyed the moment.