Episode 4

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.

To be continued