Talent on the Street - Episode 3

When The Road Got Tougher

See all episodes here »

 
Do you want to Study Abroad? Get all the necessary information here »

                When Sandra got to the bar, Harry has left with his friends. She entered her car and drove back home absentminded, she was thinking about Harry’s insult like a dream. She wept bitterly; she knew no man will have a genuine love for a pr*stitute like her except to be a nocturnal friend sharing same interest of s*x and money.

                She didn’t know when she got home, sorrow was all over her. She sat on a sofa sobbing, she was thinking about her life . God has not been fair to her.

                Sandra remembered how she grew up in a hamlet called Ayegbaju. The village lacked all social amenities available in the city; all members of the hamlet were peasant farmers. She remembered how she will leave her grandmother every morning to run to the express road to have a glimpse of a school bus conveying pupils to school.

                She was enjoying her routine exercise until a day Queen Prima textbook flew from the bus, she picked it up and went back home with the textbook. She was unable to read what was inside the book but she enjoyed printed pictures in the book

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

. She was on the same road the following day, she wanted to return the book, she was waving at the driver of the bus but he didn’t see her. The bus was approaching, she jumped to the road. The driver who was on high speed applied brake, the bus stopped in her front, pupils inside the bus yelled.

                The driver came down with the headmistress. They wanted to beat her black and white but she gave them the textbook. She told them about her regular routine to have a glimpse of the bus every morning and how she got the textbook.

The headmistress was moved by her courage. She followed her home to see her parents. She was moved to tears when she saw dilapidated mud house Sandra was living with her grandmother. The grandmother narrated Salamontu’s story to the headmistress, Mrs. Oguntoyinbo listened with rapt attention. 

Salamontu mother was impregnated by a youth corp member posted to the community; the corper has left before the pregnancy was discovered. Every effort to locate the man was abortive because no one knew his whereabouts.

It was a pregnancy of shame and reproach for salamontu’s mother. She was mocked by members of the village. It was a taboo in Ayegbaju village to have pregnant out of wedlock, illegitimate child is the tagged awaiting the baby. The child will be subject of scorn, mockery and stagnation. She regretted the day she met the corp member who deceived her and vanished into thin air when she needed him most. She gave up the ghost immediately she was delivered of Salamontu, from that day, responsibility over the child shifted to the old woman.  She relied on her peasant farming proceeds to take care of her grand-daughter.

Mrs. Oguntoyinbo promised to talk to the school management if Salamontu can be given scholarship from primary to secondary school. Her joy has no bound when the headmistress came the following day with a school uniform, sandal, school bag and books that she should wait at the main road for school bus the following day.

She enjoyed school life from primary to secondary school; she became head of Drama and Cultural group from SS 1. The day that ought to be the happiest day in her life when she collected her West Africa Examination Council result, she had five A’s, three B’s and one C, turned to the day she felt her life was crumbling without any hand to help her . Before she got home to share the good news with her old grandmother, Fulani herdsmen have invaded her village, the whole village was razed down, few youths managed to escape to the forest but her grandmother was sleeping during the attack, she was set ablaze with the house.

She felt her world has fallen apart; she has lost her strength, companion and mother. The remaining villagers were taken to the local government secretariat to sleep till the next morning; the state government sent a delegation led by the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs accompanied by the State Commissioner for Police.

The State Government promised to rebuild the village and resettle them to their ancestral abode. State Commissioner of Police read riot act to the perpetrators and promised to bring them to book. After staying at the local government secretariat for three months, food supply from government was in short supply, it became battle of the fittest in the camp. She left the camp one morning to Ibadan, she highlighted at Iwo-road, she trekked to Ekotedo, and it was there she met her benefactor, Madam Beauty, who has different girls selling carbonated drinks for her in the traffic. Madam Beauty gave her a shelter, she joined league of girls hawking for her. She woke up by 7:00am; she will be on the street to eke out living, the higher she sells, the higher her commission. Life was difficult in the slum but it was better than staying at the camp waiting for food supply at the mercy of State Government.

‘’I am closing down this place’’ Madam Beauty told all the girls one day after sales. They were all disturbed and confused; they saw an end to their source of live-hood.

‘’I will turn it to a beer parlour’’ she continued

They were all relived. Work started next day, repainting of the shop, arrival of new set of tables and chairs, freezer and erection of sign post that read MAMA BEAUTY COOL SPOT. Salamontu was thinking for how long her Madam has been thinking about the business.

Change of business changed her work schedule. She woke up around 10:00am and goes to bed by 2:00am when all customers have left. The slum became notorious by influx of s*x workers and hardens criminals using it as haven. Each day with report of police raid, looking for r*pists, criminals and marijuana dealers. She has become an oyster for men lusting after her accentuated br*ast and protruding buttock, men were all over her to eat from her honeycomb.

She decided to date Omoolope, a notorius marijuana seller in the slum. He is tall, dark with a baritone voice that made him command respect, he roared like a lion in the jungle. He has been arrested many times by anti- narcotic Agency based on tip offs but he has been evading prosecution.

‘’You are a big fool’’ Salamontu slapped a man

‘’Your grandmother can’t slap me’’ the man retorted

‘’If you try it again, I will slap you’’ she replied

Madam Beauty came out of the shop ‘’Sandra, what is it again?”

‘’This useless man touched my buttock” she said angrily

‘’Are you the only person here, don’t send my customer away” Madam Beauty hissed.

Omoolope who was across the street was looking at them. He thought Madam Beauty will take side with his girlfriend; he was disappointed by Madam Beauty’s reaction. He crossed to the bar and whispered to the man’s ear that “any day you touch that poor girl again, I will break bottle on your head and stab you to death’’. Everybody was shivering, the man was lucky, he would have killed him. She became scare goat in the slum.

“Sandra, you must go back to school’’, she thought she was dreaming. Omoolope puffed out a perfect smoke ring from his marijuana. She came to tell him that Madam Beauty wanted to close down the bar because her husband is sick in Ghana and she will be relocating next week.

‘’I am here to tell…”

‘’Your madam is relocating next week’’ Omoolope cut in. ‘’I have been thinking about you when your Madam told me yesterday, you can’t stay with me here, Police can raid and arrest you, if not because of drug, it could be because of illegal arm supply.

They agreed she will write next University Matriculation Examination, she enrolled for a tutorial; her dream of becoming a renowned female Actor is coming to pass. He organized a small party for her when she gained admission to University of Ibadan to study Theatre Art.

She was in her second year when she came to visit her boyfriend to spend weekend with him. They were awake with sporadic gun shots, she was fidgeting. ‘’You need to escape, they are here for me’’ she was crying ‘’why are they here for you”.

‘’Sandra, no time to answer questions, wear your cloth and escape’’ he shouted. He has never shouted at her before despite his wicked attitude, she is apple of his eyes. ‘’I am very sorry for shouting at you’’. He kissed her ‘’I supplied arms to some guys to rob, they killed a police officer during the operation, they were arrested and they mentioned my name, if they come in, both of us will be arrested  and be jailed’’.

‘’I am ready to go to jail with you’’ she begged

‘’You can’t, think about your school, think about your future, I must attack them before they come closer, I will lead you to the main road, you must run with all your strength’’. They kissed. He took his revolver to check if it has enough bullets.

They passed through shortcut to the main road, a police officer shouted ‘’stop!’’. Omoolope fired a shot at the officer, the officer was hit at his shoulder, and he fell. Other police officers fired shots back at them, he responded with another shot back. He told Sandra to run faster but she refused to leave his hand. They shot at them; he was hit at his shoulder. She left his hand to run. He was hit by another bullet at his stomach, blood gored out, he fell on his kneel. Police officers moved closer to him, he was lifeless in his own pool of blood.

Sandra trekked from Ekotedo to Sango where she saw a bike that took her home. She entered her room crying, thinking about event of few hours ago. She was inside for days, her benefactor is dead. Her world is coming to an abrupt end once again.

Joke noticed that she was pale and unkempt when she resumed school.

‘’Sandra, why were you not in school last week?’’. ‘’Nothing’’ was her response. Joke didn’t take that for an answer, she was inquisitive to know what was wrong with her.

They moved under a shed where she told her everything that happened to her. Joke promised to  assist her.

 

‘’I am a fighter and a hustler’’ she told Joke as they were eating inside school cafeteria one day. ‘’I like making my money not to be begging for money, how are you making money?’’

Joke was not ready to give her any answer. ‘’I am talking to you for God’s sake’’ she continued

‘’I am an agent’’ Joke responded

‘’What are you selling?’’ Sandra asked

‘’We will talk about it when we get home’’ Joke carried her bag and she followed her

Joke told her she arranges ladies for men that want satisfaction and she survives on commission. Sandra begged her to arrange her for men, Joke was reluctant but she later agreed to bring her on board in the business.

It was in the course of her new found business she met Ebuka. He was a kind and caring man she ever met in her life. He was an internet fraudster. He was moved when he woke up in the night seeing her reading.

‘’What  are you doing?’’ he collected the book from her to check it title, Use of English by Kehinde Popoola.

‘’I have test this morning’’ she responded

‘’Are you a student?’’ he asked

‘’Three hundred level student, theatre art University of Ibadan’’ she smiles

Ebuka was impressed. He took her to his house at Felele from the hotel.

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

. He begged her to date him and to stop being a s*x worker. She became his business partner to deceive his gullible clients.

She was woke by sound of I taste money by Psquare. She went to the sitting him to see her boyfriend drinking. ‘’Baby, maga don pay’’ he shouted. She knew he will give her a gift in addition to Camry car he bought for her two months ago.

Her joy over Ebuka came to an end when he called her three months later that she should disappear because police has surrounded his house through tip off from the FBI. He destroyed his SIM card and that was the last time he heard from him. She didn’t know if he is alive or dead.

This made her to go back to her old way after staying idle for three months, with bills on her neck to settle. The need for survival made her to inform Joke to look for another man for her.

It was a SMS notification sound on her phone that brought her attention back to the room. She has been thinking for almost four hours. She made up her mind to quit the job. She decided to give her talent a trial if it will bring food on her table.

Wants to study in Canada? Checkout this ongoing scholarships in Canada

Do you want to Study Abroad? Get all the necessary information here »

Ebonystory.com
  • Views (7664)
  • Likes (2)
  • Comments (1)
  • Rating (4)
Comments motivate writers to write more. Please kindly drop one

Latest Story Episodes ↓

0 Ebonites currently online

African Story Community

EbonyStory.com is the best place to read and share fresh interesting African stories online. Starting from Romance stories, Adventure stories, Action stories, Spiritual stories, Horror stories and many more. All our stories are free and no signup required to start reading. We have wonderful writers that are ever ready to give you the latest interesting stories with moral lessons to keep you smiling all day.

The quality of our stories together with the simplicity of our platform makes us one of the best in Africa. Our stories are written inform of Story Book ( Novels ), Short Story and Poem

You can subscribe for our story update via: Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram

If you have any complain email [email protected] or call +2349021037057