"no judgement; just comfort"

Adunni sat by the roadside, shivering from the harsh harmattan cold. She didn't know what the time was but judging from how dull the day was, she guessed it would be almost 6am, she hugged her knees, hurting and prayed a bus would come along soon. Her entire body hurt and her vision blurred in and out of focus, her prayer was soon answered as the dim headlight of a commercial bus shone from afar. She stood and started to wave frantically praying it wasn't already full. The bus shuddered to a stop in front of her, and the driver stuck his head out "Aunty where you dey go?" She limped closer and replied to him, her throat hurting and her words hoarse. The bus had no door and was majorly filled with women on their way to the market, baskets on their knees and their purses clamped under their armpits.

As the bus started to move, she couldn't help wincing in pain, the road was bad and the driver was impatient, her body protested as each bump sent a jolt of pain through her body. Occasionally, against her will, low moans of pain escaped her lips making the woman that sat beside her shift uncomfortably. The ride was silent but the silence spoke loud and Adunni heard. She heard the fear in the driver's eyes as he glanced back, his eyes said "don't die in my bus please", she heard the numerous judgment in the silence of the women around her "where is she coming from by this time", "all these youth and their wayward lifestyles". She heard a million and one things in their eye rolls and occasional hisses and knew they would discuss her as soon as she got down at her stop, they would speculate about where she was coming from and  what she was doing there. With their mouths, they would be judge, jury and executioner, they would cut her knee length gown short with their tongues to support their claims and one or two might even swear she reeked of alcohol and/or weed. They would forget her as soon as they got to the market and remember again when they needed a gossip topic or wanted to admonish their daughters.

"Junction wa oo" she called out weakly and the driver quickly swerved to the side of the road, his eyes silently thanking God, she paid and got down, bending double to recover a little from the painful drive. "O n bole oo"- I'm getting down- she heard a woman say and her heart sank, she had hoped to make her way home without eyes on her. The woman got down and the bus sped off, 'please go, please walk away now', Adunni begged in her mind, she stiffened and she felt a hand on her back. "Iyako mi, what's your name?" She straightened and looked into the woman's eyes, the words there were different from what the other women said on the bus. Her eyes didn't say "I hope my daughter doesn't turn out like you", they said "I have a daughter at home, this could be her in your position" ,she told the woman her name, almost breaking down in tears as she gripped Adunni's shoulders firmly but gently making the young lady lean against her for support. "Don't worry, nothing will happen to you. Tell me the way and let me help you to your house" she said gently enveloping Adunni in a warm side hug. For everything she had braved, it was this singular act of kindness that broke her, she sobbed as the strange woman held her, no judgment; just comfort. 
By Aishat Bello 
Image credit: Vecteezy

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