“Purewater! Come now, don’t you want to sell me purewater, I want everything.” He said to her and she frowned before she walked slowly to his store, business was slow that day and she had not even sold much since morning and the cold sachet water was no longer cold.
“It is not cold ooo.” She said to him.
“No problem, take it inside.” The man said to her as usual and she rolled her eyes and went in, she packed the water into the bowl in his shop and stood up hurriedly, she was glad he didn’t made any attempt to touch her like he usually does each time she come to his store, he had been her regular customer for three weeks now and he like buying all sachet water, so most times, she intentionally pass through the store, so as to get her quick money.
“Fine girl, why are you going to accept what I am talking to you about?” He asked her as she made an attempt to leave.
“In your dreams.” She said to him.
“Just once and I will give you money to set you up.” He promised her.
“No.” she said and snatched her money from his hand and he laughed,
“I will give you hundred thousand.” He said to her and her heart missed a beat.
“Just once.” He said to her when he noticed the look on her face.
“I told you… I am Adigun the philanthropist.” He said to her and she shook her head to wade off the thoughts from her head,
Of course, she would be able to do so much for herself with that money but she can’t even thought of it.
“I am leaving.” She said and walked away from the store.
“Think about it… fine girl, I will be waiting for you.” He said after her and Ashabi works as fast as she could.
She staggered as she walked slowly home, she was so tired and all she wanted was to go to sleep, it is been five months after the death of their grandmother and it is like there is no one else that cares for them. She remember her Aunty promises how she would come to get them and continue to send them allowance but it is been five months and she had not visited or send a message. She was glad that she had her elder sister who had stepped in as a mother to her from the first day that they lost their parents.
She had watched over her and had immediately gotten a job to care for her despite being just two years older than her.
She entered the house, it was so quiet and she wondered where her sister could be, everywhere seem no dark.
“Anti mi…” she called out and that was when she notice a movement in the dark room and she strained her eyes and saw her sister on the floor, she ran out to the corridor to get the lantern and search around for matches after which she own the lantern and rushed to the bedroom to look at her sister and behold she saw her sister lying on the floor bleeding and unconscious.
“Anti mi…” she said dropping the lantern and moved closer to her, to check her, her body was still warm and she was confused on what to do, then a word came to her.
“Help.
And so she ran out of the house in search of one, she went to the house next to theirs and started banging on the door for help.
“What is it Ashabi?” a woman in her fifties came out looking worried and retying her wrapper.
“Anti mi is dying.” Ashabi said in tears and jumping up and down.
“Dying ke?” she asked her and the young girl nodded.
“She is bleeding.” She explained and the woman looked at her with surprise.
“Bleeding…? Where is she?” She said to her and ran toward the house. With Ashabi following closely, Shade was lying on the floor lifeless and there were so much blood on the floor.
“Why is there so much blood?” she asked.
“I don’t know ma.” She replied.
“Oya… hospital. Go and call Boda Segun, we will use his bike.” The woman said to Ashabi and she ran out again.
She returned with the Boda Segun and the man was shocked to see Shade lifeless.
“What happened?” Boda Segun asked
“Is she still breathing?” He asked and the woman nodded.
“You will take her on your bike, Ashabi will be at the back to support her, and I will join you shortly.” The woman explained and watched Ashabi was already in tears.
“Don’t worry, she is still breathing.” She said to her and the young girl nodded and they went straight to the hospital.
“Incomplete abortion?” Ashabi asked her and the doctor nodded.
“Do you have any elder one I can talk to, that brother that was here last night or that woman?” The doctor asked her and she shook her head and explain that she is the only one for her sister.
“They are just our neighbors. She was pregnant and now there is an incomplete abortion.” He explained and wondered if she understand what she is saying.
“Right now, call your uncles, aunts or anyone, we need money to take care of her, she is stabilized for now but it is just for a little while. We need money…” The doctor said and she nodded trying to understand what the man was saying, she had just turn anything.
“How much sir?” She asked the doctor with her heart beating faster,
“For now, you need to deposit at least thirty five thousand to commence treatment.” The doctor explained to her, he wish he could help her for the young girl look helpless and he doubt if she will get the money.
“I will get the money sir… “ she said with conviction.
“Okay, go source for the money now…” the doctor said to her and she nodded.
She walked slowly out of the hospital dry eyed wondering what to do and how she would be able to get the money, she still didn’t know how she came about the pregnancy, her sister was just twenty and she had never seen her with any man, how come she got pregnant?
Was she raped?
Oh God… she sighed still looking clueless as she walked down the lone road that led to the path to the road,
Where will I see the money?
She asked herself as she walked slowly, no help had come since their grandmother passed away and she didn’t even know who to turn to, everyone rarely have any interaction with them and some people see them as bad luck, what young girls would lose their parents and siblings all at once and had to rely on their old grandmother … who is now dead.
Most people try to stay away from them except when necessary just like she had rushed to call on Mama kekere that night to help her sister and boda Segun who lend them his motorcycle.
She sighed deeply and walked close to the bush as she walk half consciously.
“Pure water… she heard a familiar voice and she turned to the side and saw a car parked beside her and the driver was smiling at her, it was Chief Adigun, her customer …
“Where are you going to? Come inside let me drop you.” The Man said and winked at her, she sighed, she seem to be use to his flirts.
“Come in now…” He said again and she walked slowly to the car and entered.
“Where are you going?” He asked
“Or where are you coming from? Are you not going to sell pure water today?” He asked her.
“ My sister is sick and we need money.” She said to him and he looked at her, she was closed to tears.
“Sick ke? How much do you need? Where are your parents?” he asked
“They are late… the doctor said we need a deposit of thirty thousand …” she said to him and wondered if telling him was a good idea… but she was clueless. But she know she could not tell him the main cause of her sister sickness. She still can’t get her head over how she got pregnant.
“oh, that is sad. How much is the whole money for her treatment?” He asked her.
“The doctor told me about the deposit, that is all.” She said and he nodded.
“,Okay, I can give you a hundred thousand, that should sort this out right?” He asked and her heart missed a beat, it was as if she was dreaming.
How could he just give all the money like that?” she asked herself with surprise.
“I told you I am a philanthropist.” He said to her and she sighed.
Could she be dreaming?”
“You cannot just give me the whole money, can you?” she said to him and he laughed.
“You are smart … do you remember what we discuss about?” He asked her and she looked at him with questions in her face.
“What are you talking about?” She asked him.
“You know what I am talking about now… I want to sleep with you … just once and I will give you the money for your sister.” He said to her and she swallowed.
How could she not have known?
“Just once…” He said to her and he leaked his lips over and over.
“I am only eighteen…” she said to him
“That makes it more sweeter, you are already an adult.” He said and made an attempt to touch her and she hit his hand before he do so and he laughed.
“I didn’t expect anything less from you… you have always been a stubborn … I love stubborn girls.” He said and winked at her.
“Just once, think of what you will do with that money…” He said to her.
“What job can you do that will save your sister…” he said to her.
“And you will enjoy it believe me, you will want to come back for more.” He added.
“My sister is sick, can you give me the money first … then I can come back …” He said to her and she shook his head.
“No, it is not done that way… and you know you can’t get the money cheaply like this…” He said to her and she swallowed hard
“We can just get a nearby hotel now… just within one hour.” He said to her and she sighed the more, her heart was beating faster. She know she can’t get the money anywhere.
“What if … I get pregnant…” she asked him
“I have never done it before.” She said to him and her mind went to her sister in a subconscious state.
“There is always a first time… “ He said to her and she sighed as tears stood in her eyes.
“Now, what do you say…” he asked her and she nodded as tears fell down her eyes
'There is always a first time and it not like I am going to kill you … it is more like you using what you have to get what you want.” He said and extended his hand to touch her.
“Are not going to work today?” She asked him
“Work? When you are here…”He said to her and
“And don’t worry about you getting pregnant or anything of sort… we will use protection …, I always walk with one .” He said to her and she nodded.
“Okay, .” She nodded and he smiled with satisfaction as he kicked started the car and started driving …
“Where are we going to do it? I don’t want people … to see us…” She said to him sadly and he nodded.
“I understand, we will go to the hotel at the outskirts of the town… I will come drop you here as soon as we are done.” He said to her and she nodded at let him concentrate on his driving, she closed her eyes.
Deep in thoughts a lot of things were running through her mind….
She just want her sister to be fine, she was not going to continue with this … it will just be once, it is going to be just once…
Being a young girl who lost her mother as a teenager, she know little about sex education and the only thing she knows that with sex one can get pregnant and the last thing was to have a child out of wedlock!
There are so many of single mothers in the village who are single mothers and some are dropped out of school because they were pregnant and she blamed a lot of them for mis using the opportunity they had to go to school, she has always wanted to be lawyer but she know that is a dream she would always have that cannot come true.
Do dreams come true these days?”
There seems to be so much trouble in this world.
“We are here, are you sleeping?” she heard his voice and realized that he was parked in front of a small hotel,
“Can we go now?” he asked looking at her and she nodded. She got down from the passenger seat and followed him sheepishly trying so hard to keep herself away from the shame that she was feeling inside …
Shame she will always live with…
Shame of coming to the hotel with someone …
She sighed deeply as Adigun collected the key to the room and try to avoid the gaze of the hotel receptionist whose eyes was fixed on her.
“Uncle … Uncle… “ she said to Adigun with smiles as they both walked to the room he chose.
“Do you know her?” she asked and wonder if she is also one of the girls he sleep with.
“Oh yes, she is my niece…” He said to her and thrust the key into the key hole and the door got opened and they entered the semi size room. He locked the door behind him and sat down on the bed.
“Do you want anything?” he asked her and shook her head.
“Okay, so let us do it quickly …so that I can take you to the hospital …” he said to her smiling. Extended his hands towards her and pulled her closer and she was feeling so uncomfortable..
“Oya now… shall we… remove your dress or should I help you…” He said to her and she nodded and before she even started to act, he was already helping her to unbutton the dress and she was so weak to stop him.
“Don’t worry , I will take it easy with you… you are my special girl.” He said to her as soon as her dress left her body and she used her hands to cover her breast…
“You don’t have to do that…I want to see a complete view…” He said to her.
He removed his garment hurriedly too and he had just a boxer on and pulled her closer.
“How about we do this often?” he asked as soon as they got back to the car… and she could not fight back her tears.
“You don’t have to sweat to buy pure water, I will give you twenty thousand any time you come to me.” He said and she shook her head and saw him lick his lips.
“You are sweet … I don’t regret calling you my special girl …” He said
“Can you take me to the hospital now … please…” she said touching her pocket where the money was and he nodded.
“But dry your face… it is not like I rape you ooo, it is just within two consented adults.” He said to her and she nodded.
“I am just helping.” He said to her and she nodded again and made an attempt to clean off her face and that was when he started the car and there was silence between them as he drove them to the hospital .
“You know the way to my shop …anytime…”He said and winked at her and gave her a flirty look as she got down from his car and walked towards the hospital building , she was feeling a lot of pains in between her thigh and she know she might have to go home to get another round of birth, she did that at the hotel twice and she still feel dirty…
And she was told all ritual bath are the same, their mother taught them when Shade started her Menstrual period some years ago, she was just ten while her sister was twelve and they all do have the bath after their menstrual periods, she did it at the hotel… and she was wondering if she would have to do it again.
She went to the nurse,
“You are late, we have been waiting for you…” the nurse said to her and her heart missed a beat…
“How is my sis? Is she okay?” she asked the nurse …
“Calm down, she is fine … she just woke up and was asking after you… “ the nurse said and she eave a sigh of relief…
“I have the money now …” she said and brought the whole money out…
“That is good then, now come with me.” The nurse said and led her to the cashier…