Branded a Beast: The Widow’s Curse
Chapter 11: Social Media Firestorm
“But one day, my pikin come dey cry, say her down below dey pain her. She talk say… the shop owner carry her go backyard, comot her pant, come beat and kick her.”
People dey gasp for comment. Some dey say, "How person fit do this kind thing?" My name don spoil everywhere.
Here, the woman slap herself two times. “I suppose die! I no be better mother! I no protect my pikin!”
She fall for ground, dey roll, dey shout, "I no protect my pikin! God, punish me!" People dey cry for her comment section, dey curse me.
She even post CCTV from police station online.
She record her phone for TV, dey show the small girl face. Even police logo dey show for background. My shop dey visible for the clip.
The original video show her pikin play for my shop small, then waka go.
She cut am, show only where the girl enter my shop, then jump go black screen. People wey no sabi full story go think say I dey hide something.
But the woman edit the video, only show where her pikin dey my shop, then claim say, “The main CCTV don already delete by that animal. I report police many times, dem dey delay, say evidence no dey!”
She add sad music, her face dey cry, voice dey break. "This country no get justice!"
She cry with her face twist, “Abeg, make una help us! I no get anywhere to go. The man wey hurt my pikin too powerful—I no fit fight am.”
She hold her pikin, raise hand for sky, dey beg people online. People dey drop account number for her, dey offer prayers, some dey say make police sack everybody for our station.
Inside her tears, she talk, “Doctor talk say my pikin get bad infection for down there, say she even wound because of molestation. I just wan die.”
She wave medical paper for camera, say "Na doctor talk am! I fit show una!" My mind dey scatter, because this kind accusation dey hard to wash off for Naija.
“Now my pikin get serious body and mind wahala. If anybody touch her, she go cry, dey shout.”
People dey comment, "Na trauma, na curse. Wetin go heal this pikin again?" Some dey call my name, dey wish me bad things.
