Endless : The Diary Of A Nigerian Orphan - Episode 12

 

My box of clothes and my school bag had been stolen. Save for my diary , pen ,wrapper and a dress on me. I lost my slippers in the small lake that I had to cross to the other side of Ojuelegba. No one, ever told me that the smelly lake is deep, or that I ought to have pulled my slippers. Well, almost all is gone from me. But one thing that I haven’t lose since I left, is my energetic friend. 
I am a wanderer , barefooted and in a tattered dress . Who will send a message to dear grandma and aunt Sally, that I no longer live with Mrs Ojo and her boys? Its been two weeks that I have left the Ojos. My abode  is a ramshackle tent at the far end of Miles street, down town; where the roof is made from old twigs and dry palm fronds. I am quite fortunate that it has not rain in days, if it had, then my story would have been the most sorry tale.
Here, that I am is the market place of Ojuelegba. I got to know from the inscription planted by the roadside. The road to the market is broad and tarred, busy and lousy. Everyone is focused and in haste. Every step that I take, draws me closer to the interior of the market , from a vantage point,my eyes dart around and I see buyers haggling prices of goods with sellers, while the sellers can’t wait to settle for a pleasing bargain.
“carry yourself comot, jare. If you buy am #300, how much I kan take buy am, thief”, a man jibed at a young woman, who is becoming fast with her long strides , amidst the crowd.
I wondered about the price the young woman who is now walking away had settled with

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/endless-the-diary-of-a-nigerian-orphan

. She never glance back, nor did she return his annoying talks. She is very smart, way smarter than the man, because few people around that point,had began to turn their heads, looking out for

 who the man was referring to. But since they couldn’t point a finger, some hissed at him and some shrugged that he is stupid  
Two weeks! I counted fourteen days with my fingers. 
Weeks of heightened fear. I have never known life to be this harsh, especially the way I have been living from others, so secluded and strange. I do not know whom to be close to, I do not know where to go, I do not know what to pick up from the earth, brush away the dirt and throw into my mouth quickly. How would I know when a passer by and a trader had joked about odorless feaces desecrating the streets and major places, sticking to the soles of people’s footwear like a smear. They laughed about how they have been helpless victim of it. I had started to walk farther from them, when the trader heaved and said, she pitied the mad people who go about picking up stuffs to eat, majority would have eaten feaces and they would never know.
“God!”, I had exclaimed. There and then, I had made up my mind never to eat things that I pick. 
“hey, come here! You no get mama for here?”, a boy asked me, he had suddenly dashed past. But he stopped, and walked back to meet me.
“I don’t have a mother here”, I returned as his stares burned into me.
“ehen. So you dey go school? Omo ile iwe tie ni o?”
“se omo yoruba ni e ni?”
“I don’t understand sir”
“okay, omo ina ti e ni e. come to my house , e dey down down market, I go be your papa, I go be your mama”
Good. I need a friend, a possible human like me. For the first time, in several days, someone is talking to me. I have talked to few people and they had unfairly rebuffed me.
“take me there”, I said.
 That’s never alright. Reject it,this is because, I love you. You know what? We are not done yet!
“good! You are a smart girl. Follow me but you go pretend it, because of people”, he beckoned on me as he goes.
“pretend what?”, I stopped in confusion, at the same time I wondered if it was the effect of his bad English construction or he rather meant it. One who is ready to help, would never do such in a snaky manner, except if need be. And if at all,would it have to be snaky? I doubt it!
“hello girl, you no dey come again, I dey wait you now”, a mischievous smile cringed from his lips, as he bellowed . He stopped beside an empty stall and beckoned at me. Passers -by would never intrude, because who cares?
Deesay, going with him is never safe. Turn as quick as possible and go to your abode.
“I need to eat. I haven’t eaten, and this is past dusk”, I whimpered, as strong pangs of hunger whipped within me. 
Don’t care about that!