I sit on the walk, troubled
like shards of glass, broken
footfalls from the forest, trampled
like pus from that leper, stinky.
the nursing breasts mother, heavy
with strife, which milk;
turned sour; ijebu-garri like
the tears come, bloody.
the price of the job, it’s value
my dignity;
told to sacrifice my eggs
not a chicken, goat rejected,
I have reached my teether
the end of my…
I woke up with a start the next morning in my clothes, in a strange bed. It took me some minutes to remember the events that had landed me there and I had to rush to brush my teeth and hurry to the kitchen in search of a broom. I found something I could use to sweep the glittering tiles and thankfully, I did not need to wake Madam up for that. I finished cleaning and she still had not come downstairs so I returned to my perch on the stool where I had fallen asleep the previous night and I finally allowed my mind to wander. I was lucky to have escaped those evil people and even more to be offered a ride by a kind Samaritan. But how was I sure that his wife was not crazy because she acted strange the night before?
That thought was bouncing around in my head when she came downstairs into the kitchen. She looked delicate and normal in a nightdress that did not cover much. I could see the outline of her body and I lowered my eyes because it was embarrassing.
“Good morning Madam”, I said.
“How are you, my dear?” she asked absent-mindedly. Her eyes were darting from one object to another as if she was searching for something.
I stood to one side watching. She touched one shiny equipment and before long, she put two steaming cups of coffee in a tray that looked like polished wood. I spoke up as she placed two tins of milk on the tray and a green and white tiny container. It looked like nothing I had seen before.
“Madam, what will I cook for you?” I asked.
“We usually eat a light breakfast but don’t worry; I’ll come down shortly to make Oats so that you can watch what I’m doing. I will take this upstairs so go and take your bath; I will call you when I’m ready.”
“Yes ma”, I said and curtsied. She went upstairs and I tried not to watch as she left since she was wearing almost nothing. I went to the bathroom but all the fittings looked strange. The bathroom I shared with my father and many other tenants did not have a tap much less a sink/ wash basin. One tap had a blue knob, the other was red. I did not understand what the fittings were all for especially the ones in the bath. The bath itself was like a glass enclosure with nozzles and knobs and all the fancy fittings but there was no bucket. That was strange. What bathroom had no bucket! Well I was used to fetching water from a public tap for everything except when it rained and the rainwater was clean.
I turned one on the taps and the water came out at a funny angle, like needles. It was unlike the showers I usually see in home videos. I took a small tablet of soap from my bag and put a small size of toothpaste on my toothbrush. I took my bath in a rush because I did not want her to come into the bathroom while I was inside. I was looking for something presentable to wear, still in my now damp wrapper when Madam bumped in and dumped some clothes on the bed.
“They should be your size. Get dressed and join me in the kitchen, the driver is taking us out.” She left me and I moved closer to inspect the clothes. The clothes looked like works of art, the craftsmanship was detailed and the clothes could be worn inside out since they looked so neat but for the labels. I wore the first one I picked and smoothed it down with both hands. It felt kind of good and it was my size. I felt… but then I had never worn anything new new except when I sewed clothes which was rare. Could she have know I was coming somehow? I worried.
She showed me how to soak the oats and cook it at the right consistency. She warmed some moin-moin in the microwave and I watched which knobs she pressed as the interior lighted up. The plate was turning and it fascinated me, she laughed.
“That is how it works young lady. When it is ready, it makes a noise so you will know when to remove it. Don’t forget to wear this”, she handed me a padded hand glove.
“Yes ma.”
She served Oga and me. I peeled some oranges for her and sliced the apples she gave me and arranged grapefruit on a plate for herself.
“When the driver comes back, he’s taking us to the hospital. Eat”, she carried the tray and refused to allow me take it.
“Sorry Madam.”
“We are going to the hospital to examine you.” She left me alone to think about what she had said.
I sat eating the Oats that was sticky like okro even after I had added milk. I swallowed each spoon without tasting it and worried that I was not sick so I wondered why she was accompanying me to the hospital. I finished eating and washed my plates and then I went back to my seat by the kitchen balcony where she found me.
“Let’s go”, she said as she dumped the plates and trays.
I had to speak up. “Madam, I am not sick.”
“Who said you were sick, let’s go jare!”
“Then let me wash the plates before we go ma.” I needed any excuse so that I could have a little more time. Maybe she would shelf it or forget it.
“You can wash it when we return.”
She led the outside where the driver was waiting. I murmured my greetings and sat in the front with the driver. We got to the hospital and she went in with me to the doctor’s office. She was all smiles as we sat. She did the introductions.
“This is Doctor Oludare”, she told me. “Doctor, this is my cousin’s step-daughter, her name is Tokunbo. She will be staying with us for now.”
“How are you Tokunbo? Its good to meet you.”
“Fine, sir.”
Turning to madam, the doctor asked, “So what brings you here?”
“She needs an examination. I promised my cousin that I would look after her. So I want to make sure she is healthy.” She did not even give me time to be shocked since we were not related in any way. I wondered if my drunkard father or my estranged mother, the one I had not even met was her cousin.
“Alright madam, you can wait for us n the waiting room”, he said as he gestured to the door. She stood up and he led me to the examining table that was in the corner, I moved to it with shaky legs and he held me up as I collapsed against it. “Easy”, he said with a smile. The table was cold as I gripped the sides and even his warm smile did nothing for the cold I suddenly felt.
“All I’m going to do is a routine examination, no fuss”, he explained. I just wanted it to be over and I was gripping the sides of the table for dear life. When he was through, he sent me to the laboratory and someone took my blood sample and I was asked to urinate in a bottle. I was relieved when it was time to go.
Madam took me shopping for more clothes and then we went out to eat. I wanted to ask her why she told the doctor we were related but I lacked the courage. She ordered a pack for the driver and we went to the supermarket afterwards. It was huge, the largest one I had ever been to. All the ones beside my house were small and most doubled as chemists. We filled two trolleys and we pushed them to the checkout counter. She was still yet to tell me why she had me examined and she only made small talk while we were shopping. We headed straight to the kitchen as we got back. She showed me how to skin chicken.
“Would you really still like to find your mother?”
Even though she could reject me yet again. “Yes, Madam.”
“In that case, we will do all we can to help you. If you have more information it would help. And stop addressing me as ‘Madam’.”
“Yes, Madam”, I replied.
She laughed. “Aunty sounds better”, she said. She didn’t look like anyone’s aunty. She looked like someone who was often in charge, I wondered if she had children.
“I don’t have any children”, she said as if reading my mind. She was telling me things about herself even though we were not close. It was either she was free or she was starved of company. I couldn’t tell which it was. Dinner was the same as the previous night and I cleaned up. She showed me how to lock the doors and I went into my room to check the things she bought me. I was so tired that I did not bother; I just left all the bags there on the floor. I lay on the bed after a quick shower and I was just dozing off when I heard the door open even though I had not heard Madam’s footsteps. She stood by the door for a second and shut it behind her. Only it was not madam and she had not left.
I felt the bed sink as he sat. He touched my back and I froze. “Are you asleep?”
I was afraid to breathe and he felt it. “You’re not asleep, I can feel it. But I don’t blame you, you set out for something different and you find yourself here with total strangers. But I’d tell you a little story, one that… Anyway, for the past sixteen years, we have been married but we don’t have any children. My wife and I desperately want children yet each time we think she is pregnant; it turns out to be false. She was pregnant only once and miscarried. She has fibroid and the doctor has told us that she cannot get pregnant at this stage. There is simply no excuse to be made for this but all I can say is that I am prepared to offer you whatever you want within reason. You know what we are asking… There is nothing else left to say. Good night.” He stood up and left.
I couldn’t not think about what he said even though I tried hard not to. I lay awake for most of the night.
I turned the card in my hand repeatedly looking at the name and all the phone numbers on it. I only wish I could read something on it other than what was printed on it. Unfortunately, the e-mail addresses and phone numbers said nothing to me. The driver finally handed me his phone and he still did not say anything to me. He was mute as a statue and I wished he would at least hum a tune so that I would… I did not know what I would do. I dialled the first number on the card and a woman picked it up sounding very polite as she transferred my call to his office.
“Good afternoon sir”, I said.
“Yes?”
“It’s me Tokunbo.”
“Yes, go on”, he sounded distracted.
“I’d take the job sir.”
“Oh yes, the job. I knew you would make a wise decision. Alright dear, give the phone to the driver”, he said. This man must be very forgetful I thought as I handed the phone to its owner, pointing to indicate the boss was still on the line. He answered in monosyllables and finally dropped the call. Then he spoke to me for the first time since I entered the car.
“Let’s go”, he said shortly and stepped out of the car.
“Thank you for letting me use your phone but where are we going?”, I asked without standing. I didn’t grow up without Lagos sense in my head! He just stood watching me till I finally stood up from the car.
“Canteen”, he answered finally with a look of impatience. I closed the car door and I didn’t see him press a remote but I only heard a ‘click’ sound. This was the first time in my life that I stepped into a private car. All my life I had hopped buses but it didn’t bother me.
“Oga won’t you lock the doors?” I asked as I trailed behind him.
He did not reply as he walked in front of me unhurriedly. Alright, I told myself, I would ask no further questions. He did not appear hostile nor did he appear friendly and I could not place him. He also did not talk a lot maybe just when necessary. We got to the canteen and he picked a table at the farthest corner. As soon as I sat he stood up to get food and I tapped my foot under the table praying that he would not order beans as part of my food. Thankfully he got me rice and plantain with beef and I said a silent prayer in my head. We ate in silence and returned to the car to wait for the boss.
The kind old Samaritan strolled to the car and I had the opportunity to observe his features. He had a pot belly that made his buba and sokoto fit. I sat in front on the drive to my new house abi oga’s house praying that I was safe. The driver clipped my seat belt which was foreign to me and I held on to it tightly for fear that it would choke me. I saw him smile from the corner of my eyes for the first time and I turned my head to look outside the window till we got to the house. I waited outside while the boss went in and he sent for me shortly after.
“Good afternoon Madam”, I greeted with a curtsey. She looked at me from head to toe before responding.
“Afternoon dear. How are you?” she asked. She was well dressed in light pink lace and her dress was shining with studs. Her perfume was sweet too and I smiled as she gave me the once over.
“Fine ma.”
“Go and drop your bag in the first room by your left just down that hall. I’m waiting for you here”, she pointed and I left them alone.
I was wondering what to make of her. She looked distant and yet I was not so sure. I knew she was going to interview me.
“What is your name?” she asked when I had returned.
“Tokunbo Toromagbe ma.” For sure her husband must have told her but I did not turn to see the expression on his face as he sat watching quietly.
“How old are you? Have you done this kind of work before?” she asked before I could answer.
“I’m twenty-two. I have not ma but I can work.”
“What kind of work did you do before now?”
I hung my head because I did not want to see the expressions on their face. “I sold ewa agonyi in my area.”
She was quiet and when she did not ask any other questions, I raised my head and found them staring at each other. “Come closer”, she finally said.
I moved close to her and my palms where sweaty where they were folded behind my back. I was confused when she stood up. She turned on the light on her phone although the lights in the parlour were all on.
“Open your mouth”, she said.
I stood watching her. “Are you deaf?” I opened my mouth and she examined my teeth, I wondered what she was looking for. Was she a doctor? Was she normal? I thought. When she was through inspecting my teeth, she looked at my face closely without comment while her husband still watched.
“Follow me”, she said when she had finished her inspection. She re-tied her wrapper as she went down the hall. She opened the room where I had dropped my bag and I closed the door behind me, standing close to it. She sat on the bed and I watched her movements wondering what she was going to do.
“Do you have any tattoos?”
“No ma”. This would count as a weird interview because I thought she was going to check my bag. I could leave the next morning since it was evening already, that is if I did not like it.
“Remove your scarf”, she instructed. I pulled it off and she just stared at me.
I wonder what she saw and then she stood up from where she sat on the bed and walked toward me. I thought she was going to touch my hair but she stretched a little above my shoulder to turn on the fan and sat back on the bed.
“Now I want you to remove your clothes”, she said so softly that I almost did not hear her. I shook my head. I must have walked into a horror movie…
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