The other day, a girl in my village, was found hanging lifeless on a tree branch.

Her swollen eyes displayed the pain she had gone through before deciding to take her life.

Like an angry swarm of bees my village people protested with disgust,

Weighing clubs and stones in their hands as they awaited to administer their final verdict.

Echoes of angry words bounced back and forth about the shameful act of one taking their own life.

They had to rid their land from such an unfortunate curse.

In the gaze of anger, a letter dropped from the pockets of the lifeless corpse.

In red ink, it read:

I suppose if you are reading this right now, I am about to receive my final verdict, or probably already have.

I am being accused of bringing a curse to our society for taking my life.

But what would you have done if you were in my shoes?

I believe the village priest did not even bother gathering here with you all.

He has been adamant about righteousness in his preaching, although he dismissed my woes, when I explained the pain my mothers’ brother had subjected to my innocent soul.

“Forgive him child, to error is human” he consistently said.

although he dismissed my woes, when I explained the pain my mothers’ brother had subjected to my innocent soul.

“Forgive him child, to error is human” he consistently said.

But every other night I was subjected to unconsented conjugal duties

My mother made an alarm and turned a deaf ear when I disclosed her brothers’ acts.

To her I was delusional.

The medical doctor denied me a chance to get rid of the undesired fetus growing in my womb,

And society’s rigid rules did not provide for acceptance had I chosen to stay alive!

So, I took my life, either way I had already been subjected to eternal damnation.

So, before you cast that stone weighing in your hands, tell me, what would you have done?

Mine were the hands that took my life, but believe me you, you all had a part to play in this.

Silence followed as one by one, the village people left the crime scene, I guess, they somehow realized they were not innocent Afterall.

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