She took the almost empty bucket in her hand, there were few sachet in it , she has barely sold one bag that day and she was getting tired, it was the first time she would come out to sell, her sister insisted she stayed in the house to clear her head and each time she want to leave in the morning to sell, she made sure she locked the door so that she would not be able to go out …
And funny enough, she accepted the punishment in good faith.
She sighed at the thought and walked dejectedly away from Adigun's shop and turned dead ears to him calling … she even ignored the calling from the other men… and for the first time since she started offering herself to men… she felt ashamed …
“Purewater… she heard a familiar voice and turned towards it and saw him walking towards her.
“How many sachet did you want?” she asked him sadly.
“My name is not Pure water. I am Ashabi …” She said to him sadly and he nodded …
“Oh … I am sorry, I didn’t know your name.” He said.
“How many pure water did you have left?” He asked looking at her almost empty bucket.
“I need one bag and half.” He said to her
“Can you help me get it …my car is parked over there.” He said to her and pointed to his Honda parked under the tree close to Adigun's store..
“Cold one ..” He said and she nodded.
“I will pay as if I am buying in retail… that is one fifty abi…” He asked and she nodded.
“I will give you five hundred for your trouble “ He said to her and she nodded.
“But you will have to take your car away from there, I will bring the water here in fifteen minutes.” She said to him and he nodded .
“No problem.” He said and told her she would just go and perform his Salah and meet her after it.
“OK.” She said to him without further questions , she left .
They met twenty minutes later and she deliver them to him. She helped him get them in the car and he paid her the money just like he promised.
“Are you still selling today?” he asked her.
“I can take you home if you are not…” He said
“No, thanks , I can find my way home.” She said to him.
“In case you need more sachet water anytime…” She said to him
‘Ins Sha Allah.” He said to her.
“My name is Adnan… I do come to the village twice a month to see my grandparents.” He said and she nodded.
“Oh, ….” Now she understand why she do see him once in a while.
“Is you name truly Ashabi?” he asked her
“I always thought you are a Muslim.” He said to her.
“Why did you think so…” She asked , sometimes she use head scarf and sometimes she does not … they didn’t grow up in a proper home… they were not exposed to hijab from childhood and it was just like that for herself and her sister.
“I just know.” He said to her.
“Are you?” he asked her as he relaxed properly on his car.
“Yes.” She replied .
“What is that your Islamic name?” He asked
“Yasmina….” She said to him and that was the first time she would say it to someone in a long time. The name is only on her school admission form and identity card and she seized using it the day she left school.
“Ma Sha Allah… I think I will like to call you that… the name is beautiful… Yasmina… a beautiful flower … “ he said .
“Now stop that….that is how it start…” she said to him waving her hand to stop him and he wonder what she meant …
“What do you mean? What is starting…” he asked her and she didn’t want to tell him that is how men start talking sweetly to her and in the end they would want to sleep with her.
“I will be on my way… “ She said to him and turn to go…
“You don’t need a ride?” He asked her
“I can take you home?” He asked
“So that you would know my house abi… no.” she said to him and walked slowly away while he kept looking at her .
He got to his car and drove towards his grand parents house.
As soon as he got there he parked securely in the compound and helped and went inside the house.
Adnan… is that you?” His grandmother said and he nodded..
“Yes Grandma… “ He said and walked into the sitting room where she was sitting with two other old women.
“As salamualykum wa rahamatullah wa barakatuh.” He greeted and the women responded to the teslim in chorus.
“I thought you won’t be here until Friday as usual.” She said to him.
“I miss you … and decided to come here earlier… abi don’t you miss me ? I have not been here in three months!” He said to her and the woman smiled at her grandson.
“I miss you … this house has been so quiet without you.” She said to him and he smiled the more.
“Where is grand pa?”
“He went for a walk... He should be back soon, ins sha Allah.” She said to him and he nodded
“I can’t wait for you to get married ... “ His grandmother said and he laughed
“Grand ma... don’t worry, when the time comes.” He said and leave the room before the other women start their usual lecture about marriage.
He went outside to call his cousins to help bring him all that was in his car.
.
She walked slowly along the part that led to the house ...
“Ashabi... The one and only...” she heard someone call from behind and she turned to see who it was and saw him coming towards her.
“Ashabi ... How are you?” The man greeted and she wondered if she had seen the man before.
“Sorry, do I know you?” she asked
“We haven’t met but I have heard a lot about you...” he said and made an attempt to held her by the waist but she pushed him back as soon as she knew what he wants do.
“What is that? Please step away from me.” She said pushing the man away.
“What is this now? I just need a taste of you... I have heard a lot about you... And I just want to taste it...” He said to her and she frowned.
“Taste what? Go away , I don’t know what you are talking about.” She said to him.
“I know you know... You are thinking that I would not pay abi?” He asked her .
“I will give you fifty thousand if you just agree to go out with me.” She heard him say and her heart missed a beat.
“I am not from this village, don’t worry.” He said to her and she swallowed hard.
“I still don’t know what you are talking about.” She said to him and resume walking.
“You don’t know what?... You are joking abi... “ He said and started walking beside her.
“Please I don’t know what you are talking about ... Just leave me alone.” She said walking faster.
“And if you don’t , I will scream.” She said to him and this scare the man off.. and she walked away from him.
Several thoughts came to her as she walked as fast as she could ..
If only she had not started it with Adigun, she realized the first time, it was painful and she felt bad, but she was glad she got the money to pay for her hospital bill, she know she could not never have gotten so much money for the bill if she were to sell sachet water all day...
Two weeks later, she got a request again form Adigun...
“How about we do it again, I will give twenty thousand.” He said to her and even though she didn’t want to do but the money was all she wanted and so she did and got the money, and she keep going... He was the only for two months until when she met another , she was on her way home from her sister at the hospital and the nurse and told her to go home to rest too... and that was what was on her mind until she met him and he promised her some money if she accept and of course she did and she got the money ... And she they keep coming and by the time her sister got better, she has many clients and she realized how low the money she realized from sachet water is ....
But after watching her sister talked about some women looking for her and plead and told her a little about the pregnancy , she just wanted to stop, she wanted to... and she hope things would be easy for her at least ..
She just what to be left alone .
She sat down in the corner of the room with her head bent and her sister was surprised to see her that way.
“Ashabi, what is the problem?” She asked as she moved closer to her sister and touched her head.
“Are you sick?” her sister asked her.
“I am tired.” She said to her sister with tears in her eyes as she raised her head up.
“What happened ? Did something happened?” Her sister asked her as she sat down on the floor with her and put her arms around her.
“Tell me.” She asked her.
“I made just six hundred naira today... I am tired of it ... They keep calling me ... Promising.” She said
“They said they want me not the pure water “ Ashabi said to her sister who sighed and wondered how many of men her sister must have slept with in the village.
“Should we leave here and go back to Ibadan?” She asked her...
“There is no where to stay there.” Ashabi said.
“To put this behind you, I think we just have to leave ... Let us leave... Do you have any money with you?” Shade asked her and she nodded.
“You said we aren’t going to use it.” She said to her sister .
“Yes, I did, but right now, let us get out of here... This place is bad for you, let us put this behind us... “Her sister said to her.
“We leave here next week. To start a new life. You need one.” Her sister with a promise.
She know that they might be the best for her younger sister.
“I want you to move away from all of this, I am sorry, I could not give you all the love you deserve.” Her sister said to her.
“Nothing is your fault sis… I was just stupid.” Ashabi said to her sister as tears fell down her eyes.
“If Dad and mum had not left us…” She said and tears fell down the more.
“We will be fine, I know we will.” She said to her younger sis and put her arms around her.
“Let’s go back to Ibadan… “her sister said and she nodded.
“Perhaps things would be better for us.” Her sister said.
That night. The two sisters brought out their savings. Shade only had three thousand naira.
“This should take us out of the village.” She said to her sister who brought her bag and opened her bag slowly and brought out some few clothes that was folded neatly in her bag and there she brought some money and her sister could not help but open her eyes and mouth with surprise.
“How much is this? Where did you see all these money?” She could not help asking.
“I didn’t steal it anti mi, they just gave me.” She said to her sister in defense.
“Okay, how much is it?” Her sister asked her again.
“I don’t know, I just keep them.” She said and her sister moved closer to her and counted all the money in her bag.
“This is so much.” Shade said and she wished she could ask her how many men she slept with to have gotten so much money.
“In total, this is two hundred and twenty two thousand.” She said and she broke into tears, thinking of how many men her sister might have slept with. She wish she could ask her for how long she had been doing that and how much each one of them pay her but she could so she just cried the more.
“We should be able to get an apartment with this right?” She asked her sister and there was silence from her sister
“This should be enough to get an apartment?” She asked her elder sister who nodded repeatedly.
“More than enough.” She said
“And a little business?” Ashabi asked further.
“No, we would not use it for business.” Her sister replied her..
“But why?” She asked her sister the more.
“Is it because I earn it from prostitution ?” She asked her sister.
“No, Ashabi, don’t call yourself that, you are not … “ her sister said to her.
“I sleep with them to get it .” She said to her sister.
“Can we not discuss this please? I don’t want us to ever talk about it again.” Her sister said to her.
“We will get an apartment with this …and if we need to, we can pay for more than a year but we would not use it for business .” she said with an air of finality and her sister could say no more.
“What if Aunty come looking for us?” Ashabi asked her after a while
“It is been almost a year that she made a promise to come over but she didn’t , I don’t think she had anything for us… I think we should just leave, we will tell Mama kekere and give her the key and that is all. If she we are destined to meet again, we will surely do so.” Her sister said to her.
“hmmm, empty promises , do you remember how Dad’s friends made promises too then?”Ashabi asked with disdain.
“Hummm, and they didn’t even ask after us since we got to the village.” She added
“Ashabi, do you remember what Dad use to tell us? He said we should not expect anything from anyone .” she said to her sister.
“And that we should know that everyone has personal issues that they are dealing with.” Ashabi said absent minded and tears fell down her eyes.
“You see why we need to take care of ourselves and stick together through it all?” Her sister asked her and she nodded
“Now that is my girl. We will be fine …we surely be.” She said with conviction and her sister nodded.
Even though they don’t know how, they know they just have to leave and that was what they did .