Ngozi; The Hero Within

9

      "Well I can give you the money needed for your school fees but I won't." Mrs Folarin says and I look up from my plate.

    "What do you mean by that?" I ask frowning and she shrugs "Let's say I give you the money you need what will you do? Pay for your school fees and continue stealing?" She asks and I fold my arms "I steal because I have to, not because I want to." I say angrily and she shrugs.
      
     "No matter how you justify it stealing is stealing and you're a thief." She says and I get up "Keep your money. I'll figure something out myself, I'm done here." I say getting up and grabbing my basket from under the table.
 
      "Sit back down Ngozi, its not acceptable to walk away from polite conversation, especially one with your elders." She says and I turn around "The fact that you're older than me doesn't mean that I have to sit down and let you insult me to your heart's content." I say and she folds her arms "Sit down now." She says with an edge to her voice and I find myself sitting, abii this woman put something for mouth? hope say she no use jazz on me?
    

      "No I didn't use any form of jazz on you." She says laughing and I mentally face palm myself, twice in just one evening I've spoken my thoughts out loud; could this be a sign?
   
        "I never said I wasn't going to help you, I said I won't give you the money for your school fees." She begins and I raise a brow "What's the difference?" I asked and she smiles.
 
      "When most people do this some of them do it as a one time thing or just educational aspect, I want to go beyond that." She says and I turn to look at Aliyu who's busy with his phone and I turn back to her "I don't understand." I begin "Are you going to help me or not?" I ask "She will, but I think she also wants to train you too." Aliyu says and I turn to her for confirmation and she nods.
     
     "You want to train me. Why?" I ask and she smiles "Like I told you before, I don't have any children and for some reason I'm drawn to you. Why? I don't know, maybe it's because you remind me of my younger self. Sassy,witty,bold, smart. You can achieve a lot of things if you have the means and someone guiding you, I want to be that someone." She says and I scratch the back of my head.
   
    "This whole training me thing, how does it work?" I ask and she gives another smile "I'll be responsible for the rest of your upbringing, education, morale and all others." She says and I nod "Will I have to live with you?" I ask and she shrugs "That will be determined by your guardian who I presume is your Aunt Ifeka,  if she refuses we can make something work." She says and I nod.
       
     "Ngozi." She calls and I hum a reply my mind thousand of miles away  "Even if you don't want me to train you I'll still pay your school fees." She says and I nod.

      "I'll need to think about it." I say and Aliyu sits up "You say?" He asks and I sigh "I'll need to think about it before I decide." I say and he frowns "What's there to think about?" He asks and I shrug saying nothing "Its alright, she can go and think and then get back to me with her answer." She says moving to the makeshift counter.
 
        "Ngozi...." Aliyu begins but I cut him off "Aliyu let's discuss this matter somewhere else abeg." I say and he goes back to using his phone.

      "Here." Mrs Folarin says handing us two nylon bags "Dinner." She says when we throw her questioning looks and Aliyu turns to state at me as if to say you see?

        "I've got to go and so do you guys, its getting late, and Ngozi let me know I'll accept it." She says and I nod as we all get up and I grab my basket.
    "Wait, I haven't paid for the oranges." She says handing me a thousand naira note "Keep the change." "Thanks for the meal Ma." Aliyu says and I do the same as we leave the canteen.

          "Oya." Aliyu says as we walk home and I look at him "Oya what?" I ask and he frowns. "Oya let's talk about why you didn't accept her offer, this kin offer naa once in a lifetime person dey get am ooo!" he says and I frown.

     "How I go accept the offer? Person wey I rob last week, e make sense to you?" I ask and he shrugs "She be nice person, better use your brain and think well well ooo." He says and we continue walking in silence.

        " I dey go Mama Ejiro side, enter house make I see." He says and I walk into my compound and wave him bye as I turn towards the dude leading to the house I stay in.

      "Ngozi is that you?" My Aunt calls as I walk in and I shout my reply quickly hiding the nylon bag containing my meal behind the coolers. "Come we need to talk." She says in a soft tone and I grow anxious; Aunty Ifeka never spoke to me in that tone except something was up and I move to the sitting room.

       "Sit down." She says and I quickly do so, "You know my shops haven't been doing well for sometime now and I've been managing money abii?" She asks and I nod "I've been checking my accounts and we can barely survive on what I have, let alone send you to school so I've decided that you'll have to dropout of school and work till I can get back on my feet." She says and I get up angrily.

     " Aunty it's not possible ooo,me dropout? No way." I say and she scoffs "Oh really abii? Let me tell you something, I've already asked Mama Jeff to find you an employer and she'll be here tomorrow, better go and start packing. Rubbish." She says and I shake my head "Its not me that you'll sell." I say leaving the sitting room but she pulls me back.

         "Who do you think you're walking out on?" She asks angrily and I pull myself from her grasp "Are you nod through with telling me that you you've put me up for sell? Abii your want to tell me that its prostitution you think will be best for me?" I ask and then I feel it.

          The palm of her hands connecting with my face "You're such an ingrate!!" She shouts and I scoff "I've fed you, clothed you, paid for your education but when I can't do that just once you see it as an avenue to insult me abii?" She says and I snort.
    
        "Really, you've done all that ehn?" I ask "Look at me and look at yourself, you're dressed in new clothes that you u change every three months, and me? I'm left with the worst of your old clothes that you hand me down when you feel generous, is that what you call clothing me?" I ask and I receive another slap.

        "You're not going to sell me Aunty." I say stalking to the kitchen and she follows me angrily watching me as I wear my slippers "Where do you think you're going ehn?" She asks angrily as I open the door "Out" I say stepping out.

      "Just know that as you leave you shouldn't expect any sort of dinner from me." She says but I ignore her and start running.

         "Ahn ahn Zi, wetin?" Aliyu asks when I bump into him and I shake my head, "Abeg call Mrs Folarin and tell her that I agree." I say and he smiles.

A/N
This is the longest chapter so far, hope you enjoy reading it like I did.
💞Gary and Izzie