Isadora’s side of the story continues
‘’fine I will take my chances. I will leave your house
right now’’ I confidently breathed, surprising Obiora
with my decision. He scratched his head as he stared at
me with disbelief.
‘’you want to sleep outside?, I guess you don’t know the
kind of danger lurking outside. This isn’t your village’’
he persisted while I shrugged.
‘’yes I have no choice. Sleeping with you is as good as
getting raped. Thanks for the things you have done for
me already’’ I muttered, went for my old bag, grabbed
it and headed back to the door.
‘’wait’’ he softly said, stopping me.
‘’you can sleep here tonight. Just forget about what I
asked for. Early tomorrow you can leave and go where
ever you want. But I can assure you that you will never
meet anyone kinder than me, or anyone willing to help
you like I did. The country is hard’’ he muttered in
resignation, fell back on his bed, backed me and faced
the wall not caring if I stayed or not.
I stared at him for a while as my heart pounded
furiously. Yes I was relived and happy that he changed
his mind but I equally was scared he could change his
mind again much later in the night and come for me.
After standing and staring at him for few minutes, I
nervously dropped my bag on the floor, laid down and
waited for morning. I eventually slept but it was far
from a normal good night rest.
————————
As early as 5am the next morning, I picked up my
things ready to leave.
‘’come on don’t be such in a hurry. I’m not going to
hurt you. Wait till at least 6am before leaving’’ I heard
Obiora say softly. I turned to face him, surprised that
he was very much awake.
‘’good morning sir’’ I stammered.
‘’you can even go take your bath’’ he suggested with a
smile while I gave him a very suspicious look.
‘’don’t worry thank you’’ I stammered.
‘’you are definitely going to regret not accepting my
proposal. I offered you a very sincere relationship plus
a roof over your head but you chose pursing shadows.
The city is full of evil people. Don’t allow yourself to be
used for money rituals’’ he added with a mockery smile
while I bit my lips in anger. It just appeared as if he
was enjoying my plight.
‘’thank you. I’m leaving’’ I managed to breathe, turned
and headed out of the house with great fear and
expectation.
—————————————————–
Seriously I didn’t know where I was heading to as I left
his house early that morning. I didn’t know the city or
the direction to turn to. My greatest joy was that I was
able to resist his advances even though I gave him
credit for not being too rough or hard on me.
I made up my mind as I left his house that morning not
to seek assistance from a man anymore. I decided there
and then to seek assistance only from ladies but
unfortunately I walked round the city till 1pm without
any woman accepting to help me. None of the ladies I
talked to were willing to help until I made this well
dressed woman trying to leave a supermarket.
Without hesitation I ran to her, shocking her with my
swift appearance. She instantly looked around with
fear, thinking that I was probably with other people.
‘’young girl you just scared me’’ she breathed as she
opened the driver’s side of her car.
‘’please madam I need help. I’m starving. I’m homeless.
Please I can work for you as cleaner, house girl,
servant, salesgirl, anything. I’m good at menial jobs’’ I
begged desperately while she stared at me suspiciously.
‘’I’m from Nsukka ma. Please help me’’ I begged as
tears easily flowed down my eyes.
‘’alright fine, take this one thousand Naira and buy
yourself anything’’ she muttered and reached for her
handbag.
‘’no mummy, that’s not what I want. I need a job. I
need a place to stay. Please help me’’ I begged, taking
her aback with my demands.
‘’oh Christ, alright get into my car let’s talk’’ she
breathed.
——————-
‘’hmmmm your story is really a long and pathetic one’’
she breathed after listening to my long story. I never
knew she was going to have such patience with me and
it kind of gave me hope.
‘’there is something about you I don’t understand that
makes me want to help you. But you see having a young
beautiful girl like you in my family is what I can’t risk.
Now you look like an angel but my sons or husband could
easily pick interest in you, causing problem in my
marriage. You are just like an ant infested wood, I
don’t really think any woman will easily accept taking
you in unless…’’ she stopped as she noticed more tears
running down my eyes.
‘’ But I have a friend that can take you in. her
husband is late and her son is engaged to my daughter.
You won’t have any problem there unless you are the
lazy type’’ she suddenly added with a smile while I
heaved a sigh of relief.
‘’thank you ma’’ I breathed with all my heart.
‘’let me call her and see if she would want me to bring
you over now’’ she added with a smile, reaching for her
phone.
———————–
Val’s side of the story continues
My mum, Jane and I were busy with lunch at the dining
table when my mum’s phone rang.
‘’hmmm Jane dear your mum is calling’’ my mother said
to Jane with a smile before answering her call.
‘’she’s coming over with a new house girl. It’s about
time, the chores in this house is not what Martha can
handle alone’’ she said to us after speaking with her
friend (Jane’s mother). I smiled and faced my meal,
saying nothing because the issue wasn’t my business.
However Jane’s mother showed up exactly fifteen
minutes later with the biggest surprise of my life.
Standing right beside her, grabbing an old bag was the
village girl I traveled right back to Nsukka the previous
day in search of.
I was so shocked, so speechless, so breathless
‘’her name is Isadora and she’s here to serve’’ Jane’s
mother breathed with a smile as Jane, my mum and I
left our eyes on the young girl
