It's Me Vs You

Chapter Two

         ~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
                   - Charles R. Swindoll

         ~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Once Again! Mr Lawal had made another wrong decision.

I grumbled and scratched my head.

What made him believe that sending a twenty-year-old girl all alone to a new city was a good idea? And besides, I'd been caged in my aunt's house for so long that I am not used to a chaotic life!

I threw my head back and groaned. The loud noise echoed in my shop and I stomped my feet. "I don't know how I got this broke. I mean, the money was there and now, it isn't. It all just happened so fast," I mumbled.

I couldn't even explain how five hundred thousand naira disappeared from my account. Things are so expensive in this my country, Nigeria.

I let out a dry cough and sighed. My throat was begging for water and I lacked it. I didn't even have a penny on me. I'm sure no trader will be willing to sell to me on credit. Life was hard during this first few months of my freedom.

I knew that I got to Lagos with my account fat. I lodged a cheap hotel and rented a shop for my tailoring business. I also bought groceries, materials and all equipment needed for my business. That was how my money had disappeared. The question was where could I get money? It's meant to be my business but I hardly had sales in a day.

Normally, I would have loved to add the sale of eatable goods to my business but I lacked capital. I was broke. My purse and pockets were as dry as my throat at that moment. My gaze swept around my room and I wondered, "Is my shop cursed?"

I sew clothes and I also sell beautiful fabrics. Why was I still not having sales? I guess that moment of my life was rough and jinxed.

My thought was interrupted when a young lady walked into my shop. She scanned the place and nodded.

"Good afternoon ma!" I exclaimed and rose to my feet. I placed a plastic chair closeby and she sat down.

"Good afternoon!" she replied in a honeyed voice.

"Welcome to my shop! I have beautiful ankara textile materials! I also sew too," I divulged.

"Oh!" she said. "That's nice!"

"What can I do for you, ma?" I asked and rubbed my sweaty palms together. I adjusted in my wooden chair and my forehead creased.
Why does my chair suddenly feel uncomfortable?

"Hmm...."

"Yeah?"

"First, call me by my name and not ma!" she reprimanded and waggled her index finger at me.

"Um...okayyyy...." I trailed off.

"Call me Rita!"

"Rita?"

"Yes! Rita!"

"Nice to meet you, Rita. I'm Ifunanya," I rose and extended my hand to her for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you too!" she replied and accepted my hand in hers.

I returned to my chair and began to tap my finger on the desk before me.

"Can you sew a dress for me?"

"Of course! Why not? I'm a tailor after all!"

"Yeah but..."