Talent on the Street - Episode 2

 

      When she got home, the only thing she could do was to go inside her bedroom to sleep. She was happy for the cash reward but getting it was dangerous. Joke’s parlance that enu kiniun ni owo wa tele sugbon kinium ti gbe owo mi (money used to be in lion’s mouth but it has swallowed it now) came to her mind.

     Her head was aching from Campari of last night. It was Joke’s call that woke her up.

                ‘’where you dey? Joke asked

                ‘’I am at home’’ she replied

                ‘’How was last night” Joke laughs

                ‘’Stop kidding, it was hell but we have money now” she giggled.

                Joke told her not to work for the week again because she has gotten a big fish for her.

                “Bae, this is a big boy’’ Joke boosted

                ‘’How much is he paying?”

                “He promised to pay 50k” Joke replied

                Sandra was happy because she would realize one hundred and fifty thousand naira within a week . When she dropped the call, she told herself that she is making money from the business but the business is not good

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/talent-on-the-street

. She must sponsor herself to school and she can never engage in a menial job with little money.

                   *  * *

                She was eager to meet the big fish. She trusted Joke’s sense of judgment; she will never over hype any man. They agreed to meet at kakanfo Inn; meeting time was 10:00pm. She left her house by 9:00pm and was sure the road will be free of heavy traffic and by 9:50pm she was at the reception. Joke has told her to ask for Harry when she got to the hotel. The receptionist gave her Harry’s room number.

                She melted when she opened the door and saw Harry sitting on the bed, working on a laptop with a bottle of Carlo Rossi wine. Harry is tall, light in complexion with a very neat beard. He is very handsome.

                Harry admired her from head to toes with his lustful eyes on her curved hips and boobs.

                ‘’Sandra, picture can lie’’ he hugged her

                ‘’Really’’ she giggled

                ‘’You are more beautiful than the picture I saw’’ he added.

                He ordered for a plate of rice and chicken for her and both finished the wine. His phone rang with a contact picture showing Lovey as the contact name. She knew the contact will be his girlfriend; she was not perturbed because she was there for money but few minute they had stayed together have created a strong bond between them. She is very comfortable around him.

                He told the caller that he just entered his room at the hotel in Lagos and he bought the gold necklace from Dubai. He promised to be in Ibadan by 7:00am the following day.

                ‘’Is this your Lagos” she joked after he dropped his call

                ‘’That was my girlfriend asking me for a gold necklace I promised her and to know if I am safe’’

                ‘’Men and lies” she shook her head

                ‘’we do lie sometimes to give happiness and pleasure to other ladies’’ he laughed.

                She liked him. She wished she could be his Lovey; they went to take cold shower together.

                When she woke up in the morning, he has disappeared. She checked the bathroom, he was not there. Is he a Ghost? She discarded the thought because his girlfriend called him last night. She saw her money beside the bed. She was wearing her shoe when she saw a gold necklace on the floor; she picked it and thought of giving it to the receptionist. She changed her mind to go with it and give it to Joke who will locate him.

                *   *  *  *  *

                She was in deep sleep; she didn’t know the person knocking at her door. It was when asked again she knew it was Joke at her door. She rarely comes to visit her at home; they do talk on phone and meet on campus.

                She opened the door asking her what happen before greeting her good morning.

                ‘’Morning’’ Joke replied

                ‘’You are the least person I am expecting this morning’’ she said with concern all over her face

                ‘’I have been calling your number but it was switched off’’ Joke answered

                ‘’I turn it off to have a nice sleep after a pleasurable night’’ she laughed

                ‘’don’t tell me you are in love’’ Joke clapped

                ‘’I can’t say for now’’ she went inside to get her a drink.

                 She returned with a bottle of Smirnoff drink on a tray with a glass cup. Joke told her Harry called that he misplaced a gold necklace.

Read " Mothers' cry (1994 - 1998) " by the same author ( taiwo emmanuel )

. Sandra told her she is with it and brought it out from her bag. She promised to return it to him by herself.

                ‘’You know I don’t steal” she adjusted her sitting position

                ‘’I have told him that also’’ Joke dialed Harry’s phone number on her phone.

                She booked appointment for both of them to meet at Total Garden Hotel by 4:00pm. Sandra was happy to see him again; she was nervous because she didn’t know what to tell him but wanted to see him again.

                She rehearsed in her mind what she will tell him that ‘’I envy your girlfriend, I wish I am in her shoe to have a place in your heart.’’

                         * * * *

                She met him at the bar with his two friends over a bottle of Baron Romero wine. He stood up to hug her and introduced her to his friends as his girlfriend. Sandra was thrilled by the reception given to her, taking him to be a good man like Ebuka.

                They entered one of the hotel’s rooms. He kissed her and she responded to his kiss, she handed over the gold necklace over to him.

                ‘’I am sorry for saying bad things about you, I thought you won’t return it because it worth five thousand US dollars’’. He collected it from her and gave her thirty thousand naira which she rejected.

                “I am not here because of money but because I love’’

                ‘’I like every pretty lady” he giggled

                She thought that was the best time to present her recitation. ‘’I envy your girlfriend, I wish I am in her shoe to have a place in your heart’’. She was waiting for his response.

                ‘’You must be crazy, my heart is not for sl*t like you, all I do with ladies like you is to f*ck and never to see you again’’. He left the room and banged the door.

                Sandra was dumbfounded; she didn’t believe what he said. ‘’Is he crazy?”