I’m one of those people who, today, still endure listening to the stories told by my parents about how everybody in the neighborhood knew everybody, and that the area was as safe and peaceful as can be. These stories seemed to always prove the essence of ‘ubuntu’, one principle my mother worked to instill in my sisters and I. It’s funny how I, in my growth, believed that just as much as my mother taught me about ubuntu, then so did everyone’s mother, something happened to me that woke me up for my oblivion.

On the 6^th August 2014, I was walking from campus to my house at around 20:30 pm. My ma offered to pick me up, so I suggested I’d walk down from campus territory and meet her along the way. While walking, some guy jumped out from nowhere and started walking towards me. I knew something was wrong when I tried to avoid him by crossing the street that he not only followed me, but also increased his pace. He was, eventually a few feet from me when he asked: “where are you going?” overcome by fear, I stopped and asked him why he was following me. He began to walk towards me slowly, his eyes darting from side to side, and then said that I should be quiet and follow him. His arm extended towards me and I heard a ‘click’ sound, I never looked down to see what it was, but whatever it was, it got my body filled with adrenaline, and I instantly got into flight mode. I started running backwards, trying to keep my eyes on him the whole time.

When I ran, he ran, still telling me to keep quiet. As he began gaining on me, I just started shouting, telling him to back off and asking him what he was trying to do. I shouted, while he was still going:”shh”. He eventually got startled and ran away. When he was eventually out of sight, I finally came back to my senses, and started looking around, then an even worse emotion than fear overcame me, desolation. No one and I mean no one came out of their house or even dared to peek through their windows their windows, to see what had happened or if I was okay. A few minutes later my mother appeared, and by then I was bawling my eyes out.

Some people I’ve shared this story with have said that at least nothing bad happened, I didn’t get mugged or even worse raped, but I partially agree, because something bad did happen to me, I lost all my hope in humanity, so much so that if anyone merely mentions the word ubuntu or even dared to imply it, I go into a state of rage. Every day, when I walk alone, or with anyone, I’m always vigilant, looking out for the next creep who’ll want to get one over me. I now wonder if the 300 girls in Chibok, after running as fast as they can, and screaming as loud as they could, that the villagers, never once went outside to see what the screaming was all about. And now the rest of the world has muffled their screams behind trendy momentary hash tags and self-serving “say no to violence” pictures.

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