Ngozi; The Hero Within

10

"So what influenced your decision?" Mrs Folarin asks and I shrug "It doesn't matter or does it?" I ask and she shakes her head "Not really, I was just curious." She says and I sigh.

"She wanted me to dropout of school and go into prostitution." I finally say and she almost chokes on her drink "You're joking right?" She asks and I shake my head "Maybe not prostitution, but she asked Mama Jeff to find me a job, the kind of job that lady finds for people are prostitution, drug mules, trafficking or baby factories." I say still finding it hard to believe that my aunt was okay with me doing any of those.

"That's serious and no one has reported her yet?" She asks and I shrug "No one is willing to risk their life, plus others are enjoying the money that they get monthly from the relatives that work under her." I say and she sighs, "We should get going now, to see your aunt that is." She says and I nod as she pays for the drinks.

"So where am I parking this time?" She asks as she drives "Mama Sonya restaurant, it'll be safe there." I say and she laughs "Let me guess, someone there fears Aliyu?" She asks and I shake my head "Someone there fears me." I say and she nods.

"Do you think you can help Aliyu with his school fees?" I ask and she nods "If he'll accept the help, I don't see why not." She says and I smile "Thanks."

"You're prettier when you smile." She says and I shrug "Here one doesn't exactly have a lot of reasons to smile." I say and continuing directing her.

After leaving the car in the able hands of China, who's a seventeen year old guy who's name is actually Tolani and has a bark that is sharper than his bite, we start walking into the busy street of Obadipe Yewande street that's mainly called "The Town of Trouble."

"Hold your bag tightly and put any valuable thing that you have in your pocket into your bag, do the same for your rings and wristwatch." I say and she quickly does so as I bump into a man and keep walking.

"You just stole his wallet didn't you?" She asks and I shrug "Everyone here is working." I say just as a scream pierces the air and I roll my eye "What's going on?" She asks stopping and I drag her along, "Her husband beats her when he's drunk, he's drunk right now." I say as we continue walking.

"Òlé! My wallet don go ooo!" a man shouts and Mrs Folarin throws me a panicked look which I shrug off "Won't you throw his wallet away?" She asks softly and I shake my head as a boy runs past us with a crowd chasing him screaming "Thief! Thief!".

"Don't worry they won't kill him, just beat him small." I say noticing the worried look on her face.

We go through another gate that's less busy and continue walking "Where are we?" She asks looking around "No man's land." I say and she frowns "I'm serious, all the streets that leads to thus point are named after various people. So was this till the street name sign fell off and got swept away now no one can remember it and now its known as no man's land." I explain as I wave to someone.

"You know him?" She asks staring at the scarred faced man I waved to "Ehn, that's Monday." I say taking a turn that leads downhill.

"You know a lot of people." She says and I nod "Safety Net's." I say and she turns to look at me. "They protect me in case my Aunt is being mean or something goes wrong when I'm working, I can always run to them." I explain and she gives me a small "Oh" as we continue walking till we finally reach the compound.

"We're here." I say and she stares at the crumbling building "You live here?" She asks and I nod "Yep, since I've been eight." I say walking inside. "A building like this shouldn't still be standing." She says staring at the second floor building stairway without railings.

"I don't live there, I live in the newer side of the building." I say as we turn towards my house "Really?" she asks and I nod "I heard it was built twenty years ago." I say and she scoffs as we reach my house.

"This is the newer side?" She asks taking in the crumbling balcony, cracked pillars and walls and the broken ceilings "This house shouldn't be standing." She says and I scoff.

"Oh please, like you don't know the country we live in, even if they do destroy the building where will the fifty something plus families that live here go? Don't tell me you believe the government will rebuild it or relocate us somewhere else, or do you?" I ask and she sighs "I understand." She says as I open the door and we go in.

"Aunty?" I call out when I don't see Aunt Ifeka in the sitting room. "What is it?" She yells from her room "Someone is here to see you oooo!" I reply "If its Evans tell him that I don't want to see him." She says talking about her twenty one year old boyfriend. "Its not Evans." I say and there's silence for sometime.

"If its Tayo, let him know that I'm not interested." She says and I roll my eyes. "Its not Tayo either." I say "So who is it naa?" She asks and I sigh.

"Good evening ma'am!" Mrs Folarin shouts and we hear footsteps rushing out.

"Ngozi I told you that one day this your criminal acts will put you in trouble, look now you've also put me in trouble too!!" She yells eyeing me "I didn't come to talk about that ma'am." Mrs Folarin says and my aunt frowns, "So what are you here to talk about?" She asks.

After Mrs Folarin had explained why she came my Aunt nods slowly.

"I understand, but Ngozi here is my late sister's only child and I promised that I'll take care of her on her deathbed and I've done that to the best of my abilities.." She begins.

"I've fed her, clothed her, catered to her educational needs and loved her." She continues and at that statement I begin to cough but keep quiet the moment Aunt Ifeka glares at me.

"I regret that due to financial constraints I can't continue to cater for her education and provide her with the things she needs, so I give you the right to do so but I can't let her live with you, I hope you understand?" She says softly.

"Aunty.." I begin but she cuts me off "I promised your mother." She says.

"That's alright, but I hope you'll let her spend weekends and some afternoon's with me?" Mrs Folarin says and Aunty Ifeka nods "Yes that's acceptable." She says and they continue making arrangements till Mrs Folarin is ready to go and I see her off.

"See you tomorrow." Mrs Folarin says and I nod waving as she drives off.

"Aunty Ifeka why don't you go into the movie industry, you'll be a great actress." I say as I walk past her and quickly go into my room leaving her spewing curses at me.

I think about all that has happened and sigh, maybe things will finally become better...I muse.

A/N
Sooooo its the end of book 1 and things finally seem to be going well for Ngozi, hope it stays the same in book two ehn?
💞 Gary and Izzie