The Snip

Photo by Anton Kudryashov on Pexels

By Ruth Ajawu

Today, I am finally going to become a woman!

Making Itoro A Woman

Photo by hansen acosta on Unsplash

Ekong Itoro clenched her hands in anticipation of the pain that would jolt through her in a few minutes. She breathed in quickly…and then slowly, making sure to count to five before letting each breath out. Her back was already drenched in sweat from lying on the pile of clothes in the very hot and fetid room. She could taste the blood at the back of her throat from pressing down on her teeth to keep them from clattering. She could also feel the warmth dripping from between her thighs; thighs she held together tightly as a final act of defiance before she was forced to spread them wide open.