I was around nine years old.
My siblings and I were living with my aunt because our parents lived abroad.
My aunt’s children were older than us.
There weren't any specific places for us to sleep in.

It all started when one of my male cousins would come sleep next to me.
I’d wake up startled to find someone touching me.
It started with the eldest one.
He was 13 years older than me.
He was disgusting and rude.
He’d be in the shower and call for me to get him a towel.
And he’d flash me with his male parts when I’d give it to him.
My aunt used to treat us like we were house servants.

One time, he aggressively molested me and it hurt.
I threatened to tell his mother.
He said if I did, he’d make her kick me and my siblings out of the house and onto the street.
I was a child back then, so I was terrified at the idea of being homeless.
I couldn’t do that to my siblings.

His brother also harassed me twice when I was asleep.
I didn’t tell my mother until after I got married and divorced.
Because I was afraid I had lost my virginity and my mother wouldn’t have believed what happened.
After I told her, she spent the night with my eldest cousin in hospital after he got surgery.
I can’t and I won’t ever get over this.