The Thorny Path - Episode 1

 

Nnenna tucked her bag to her shoulder and waited at the security lodge for her mummy to arrive. She always drove into the school gate, in her red Toyota Corolla car and the security man loved to greet her non-stop whenever her car drove into the compound. Nnenna became close to the security man. After school, she would walk into his office and stayed there until her mother arrived. 

The boys' squatter was so little and the security man had his clothes hanging on the stained sofa and dirty equipment littered everywhere. Anytime Nnenna walked in and perceived the smell, she would cover her nose with her hand . On that day, the security man glanced at her. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I can't wait for my mummy to come back," Nnenna said.

The security man walked into a little bathroom and Nnenna sat on the sofa. She brought out her quantitative reasoning and began glancing through the pages. Soon, she felt settled and began to look around. She glanced at her wristwatch to check the time. School had ended by four P.M. It was twenty minutes past four, and her mother was yet to arrive at the school. She doesn't take time to arrive but she took long to come to get her. Nnenna was beginning to lose her patience

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. At eight, she knew about so many things. All her friends had gone home and she was left in the compound with the security man. She preferred to call him, 'Uncle'.

She began to feel sleepy and soon, she slept off. Her eyes opened when a drop of water touched her. She blinked and glanced around to see Uncle. He was standing naked in front of her. She felt goosebumps grow on her skin and she vibrated. "Is my mummy around?" she asked.

She blinked noticing how Uncle vibrated and jumped backward. He grabbed a towel hanging on a rope and covered his nakedness. "No, your mummy is not around," he replied.

Soon, a car honked and she glanced at Uncle. He opened his hand and instructed her to wait. He looked out through the window and it was her mummy. He ran out and opened the gate.

"Welcome, ma," Uncle said.

Nnenna walked out and stood at the door looking at her mother's car as it stopped at the school premises. Her mother walked out. "Hey, my baby. How are you? I am so sorry," she said, opening her hands for Nnenna to run to her. 

Nnenna dragged her foot and walked towards her. Her mother glanced at Uncle and glanced at Nnenna. "I hope all is well?"

"Yes, all is well, madam," Uncle said lifting his hands in the air.

They entered the car and mummy gave Uncle little money and called it a 'tip'. She drove Nnenna home and the car stopped repeatedly because of Lagos traffic. Her head vibrated. "I hope all is well, Nnenna," Mummy said.

"I am okay, mum."

"Do you want ice-cream?" she asked.

She nodded and mummy stopped to glance at the ice-cream vendor. "How much is this one and that one?" Mummy asked.

"This one is fifty naira. This one na hundred naira and you fit buy this one for two hundred naira. E dey inside plastic and na that one dey sweet pass," he said.

"Give me the one of hundred naira," she said and bought two. Mummy promised her that they will go to the Domino Pizza and Cold stone outlet during the weekend. She smiled excitedly. She took paracetamol and laid on the bed till the next day. Her headache stopped and she felt better.

She was always excited about seeing Tolani in school every day. Mummy dropped her in school and Tolani was the daughter of their Basic six teacher, so she came to school very early like the teachers. They were in Basic four. Anytime she came down from her mother's car, some of the teachers would be standing at the gate welcoming the students. Tolani loved it and would stay with her mummy some of the days. 

"Hey, Tolani," Nnenna said.

"Hi, Nnenna."

And they would walk into the classroom abandoning the teachers outside. It was some minutes after six A.M. Tolani loved talking too much and Nnenna nodded anytime she said something. Tolani stopped talking and jumped up trying to entertain Nnenna. 

"Can you stop Tolani. I want to tell you something?"

"What?" she stopped and made a cheeky face at her.

She stretched out her hand, instructing Tolani to move closer. Tolani rolled her eyes and asked, "Why?" 

"What will you do if you see a man that's naked?" she asked.

Before she could complete the sentence, she said, "I'll run away. That is scary.

Read " The Odds Are Against Me " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. And my mummy said I should not be with older men because they are dangerous," she said loudly and she kept jumping up and down.

Nnenna stopped talking and her face became calm. Tolani ran towards her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I am okay."

The students took a general studies subject for Basic four to six where they are taught on sx education but Nnenna's mother said her daughter would not be learning it because she is too small to know about it. The teachers consulted the consent of all parents who allowed their children to take the course. Nnenna was becoming withdrawn from her peers. She was eight but whenever she walked past older men, some of them whistled at her. She didn't want to be rude because their teacher taught them about being respectful to their elders on social studies.

Her teacher never failed to ask her, "are you okay?"

And she said, "yes, I am okay aunty."

She was the second-best student in class after Tega, a timid boy that wore thick-lense glasses. Tolani came third and won't stop gossiping about how Tega cheated to be at the top of the class. Her classmates said she should report him to the teacher if she caught him but she never did. They had never seen him cheat and her accusation was surprising. It still didn't stop her from peddling the lies.