HOW I BECAME A DANGEROUS FEMINIST

It all started on a fateful day, i can't even remember the position of the sun again, but i could still recall that i was playing a "multi-player football" with my friend Wisdom outside the lodge. My phone rang, it was an unknown caller, so i busied it to avoid disruption.

Immediately, it rang again and i picked it up. It was a lady's voice; "Hi, Emeka" she called out, but i couldn't recognise the voice. Before i could even speak, she spoke again; " Thank you for yesterday. But, i really wish to tell you that i am not interested in the friendship. I just want to be plain with you, i hate to abuse people's emotion. I'm sorry, i hope you would understand me"

"Me? Which yesterday? Which friendship?" I tried effortfully within to have even the slightest clue of what she was talking about. But none was forthcoming, I didn't even know her!
Trust me, i decided to play along. I am good at answering unknown calls even if it's from the gods.

" You see, I am more marvelled at your courage and sincerity. not many girls could do this. Certainly, it would be foolhardy for me not to respect your decision. But i will tell you this, any day that our paths cross, do not hestitate to give me that beautiful smile of yours. God will bless us" i responded.

She must obviously be shocked at my response that she ended the call without even saying anything further.
My friend Wisdom did not believe that she was an unkwnown caller. He was even unhappy that i never told her about the girl. "Which girl? I dont know her! no be me and you dey here through out yesterday? and you even heard her thanked me for yesterday. It must be a wrong number" i yelled out.

"A wrong number, but she called your name" wisdom said unconvincingly.
"It could be a coincidence! You dey talk as if you don't know me. Okkk, i know her, case closed!" I stood up and left in annoyance. I hate it when someone doesn't believe me.

Few hours later, My phone rang again, it was an easy guess.
May be she has found out that i impersonated, i thought within my mind.
E no concern me shaa. I picked the call.

For few seconds, we were in a breathing competition, nobody wanted to speak first. She broke the silence; "what explaination do you have, who are you by the way?"
My brain was in a lockdown and so i didn't know what to answer.
To buy more time, i faked that the network was disturbing, and so she had to repeat the same question again.

I opened my mouth, and all i could say was "I am sorry. Sorry, you hear?" It was very foolish of me. But what could i have said.
"Are you a student in UNIZIK?" She asked.
"Yea"
"Please i would like us to meet at Garuba square by 4pm today" she said in a beautful voice that sounded like mine.

To be brief, that was how our friendship started. It's funny right? A friendship closed at the other end, and a new one opened at garuba square. Girls sef, nothing concern me shaa.
Her name was Clara and she grew up in Abuja. Our friendship grew to that of "Besties" is that not what you guys call it?

People did not even think that she was my girlfriend nor my bestie, they quickly concluded that she was my fiancee.
I even heard some rumours that i had even gone to the village to pay her dowry, while some said that i was the only son of my parents and so i was pressured into that relationship.

The rumours were because of the level of our intimacy. She slept over some days, we played together, solved puzzles and sorts of that, but no additional strings attarched as people thought. We only understood each other perfectly.

The fun continued untill the dark day approached. I was excorting her to her lodge one night, it was a scarcely inhabitated area. I had often teased her that only people that study Zoology or microbiology should leave in such environment and not her type.
Everywhere was bush. In a twinkle of an eye, three guys blocked us. One was dragging her into the bush already, while the others asked me to disappear from the scene. Clara was crying and calling me to save her, thank God she had always called me a coward.
I am in Unizik and not in Defense academy, so i have never been a man of war.

I had two options; put my life in the line and save her, or save myself and put hers' in the line. Our closeness honestly demanded for the former option, but what the headline would become was what i feared. Unizik Fm might say "cultists clashed in UNIZIK, one died, as they fight over a lady" or " A UNIZIK student killed himself as a girl refused his advances" what would my parents do or say if they see such news?
I am sorry, i disappeared. That was how Clara was raped. Too bad.
I honestly wished i did something. Dont blame me nah, i couldn't have fought three guys when I was not Merlin, and if i had reported to anticults, they wouldn't still find clara because she was dragged towards another direction.

Sorry, she died in the hospital! After that night, her death was the only thing i heard of her because it went very viral. If i had known that she was in the hospital, i would have gone to see her and apologize. Her death had a serious toll on me. I was guilty that perhaps i offered a hand in her death when i couldn't save her. I started suffering hallucination, i saw her ghosts constantly, and i vowed to atone for her death. Overnight, i turned into a dangerous feminist.

I was not a violent person by nature, but i became one after clara's death. I started looking for organisations that promote "feminism" to become a member. It was such that I had even at one time attacked "Chimamanda Adichie" on the ground that she wasn't a feminist enough.

Tell a girl to shut up in my presence and you would have me to contend with. I fought for the opposite gender every moment without care whether the school will expel me. Tell a girl to walk out of the class, and i would join her. I started fighting against domestic abuse of women, gender inequality and women right.

As for rape, i didn't only fight against it, i was ready to kill for it. "Hit, kill and burn" was my mantra as punishment for Rape.

It happened on a certain day, i was coming back from the church, and i heard people shouting; Rape rape rape!

I tossed my Bible by the side immediately, picked a long stick and dashed towards the scene. I paused for a moment; "this stick no fit kill person one touch nah" I returned and entered a friend's lodge. I collected his cutlass and matches. He was still asking me what I wanted to do with those things, I left immediately because if I wasted time, that rapist could die in a way I wouldn't like. Remember my mantra " hit, kill and burn". I rushed immediately.

The chant was very much alive "rape rape o" I gate-crashed the scene with an already stained white and body oozing with sweat. The noise died down immediately I entered. They thought I was mad. "Where is the rapist ?" I asked furiously. I looked at the TV screen, it was a UCL match, Bayern had scored 5 against Chelsea already. It was a rape indeed, and shouldn't be condoned. In a flash, I swinged the Cutlass on the flat-screen tv.

This people beat me like say I was the rapist. I was moved from the hospital after my treatment to the mental rehabilitation center. That is where I am writing from now.