The Dark Side of Introversion and other stories.

SYLVIA'S DILEMMA

Sylvia fought hard and tried to push him away from her body, but she was just seventeen years old, and her tender muscles were no match for that of a thirty-eight year old man. She cried, and begged him to stop.

"I'm using my hard earned money to send you outside to study, so this is the least you can do to repay me"

He eventually subdued her, and ripped off the skirt she wore. There on the dining room floor, he had his way with her.

"Tell anyone about this, and your mom will never see you alive again", he threatened her when he was done.

Sylvia was shattered. She had seen this happen so many times in movies, but she never imagined it could happen in real life. For four hours, she lay on the floor, crying profusely. Then she ran to the bathroom and washed her body. After that, she ran to her bedroom and locked herself in.

That was the day Sylvia stopped smiling.

She desperately wanted to tell someone but lacked the courage to speak up, and went about her business like nothing happened, except for the fact that a hole had been created in her heart, and she would never be normal again. She kept herself distant from everyone around her, reducing her conversations to simple 'yes', 'no' or 'I don't know' replies. Everyday she spent in that house was agony, as she remembered the traumatic experience over and over, and every night she cried herself to sleep, wishing it never happened.

One week later, her travel documents were ready and Uncle Thomas returned home early from work to give them to her. Before he handed them over, he demanded to have her, and when she refused, he forced himself on her again.

Three days passed, and Sylvia was finally ready to leave the country. On this beautiful day, when she was supposed to be cheerful and bright about starting a new future abroad, Sylvia was a bag of gloom and despair. She ignored all farewells from her aunt and the children, and made her way absent-mindedly through the airport checkpoints, to the plane. For one thing, she was relieved to be free from the environment where she was emotionally damaged and she never wanted to see her uncle's face again.

That was 8 years ago.

Sylvia, now grown up, had received a phone call from her aunt two days ago, telling her about Uncle's business trip to America. She was asked to receive him at the airport and show him to her apartment where he could stay for the next few days until his trip was over.

Sylvia agreed, and she planned to give him a befitting welcome.

* * *

Throughout the years, Sylvia had tried to repair the psychological damage done to her by her uncle as best as she could. She attended multiple therapy sessions and joined a support group in her university for victims of rape. She tried as much as possible to not let her trauma interfere with her studies and successfully aced through her exams and graduated with honors.

But all that time, she was never able to make herself to socialize with anyone. Many fellow students had approached her for friendships, and she entertained them for a while, but whenever she remembered what her uncle did, she relapsed back into introversion, and cut them all off.

Years after graduating, Sylvia remained completely damaged, and still couldn't bring herself to heal. She visited multiple therapists, psychologists, doctors, and they all said the same thing; "Let the pain go", "Try to forget it", "Just be happy". But these were all empty words coming from people who had never gone through any real trauma all their lives. They had the book knowledge, but not personal experience. They couldn't feel what she was feeling inside her and she quickly lost faith in them.