The Thorny Path - Episode 5

 

At home, Nnenna had a friend, Zainab. She was just a year older than her and her mummy allowed them to play together in the big spacious compound. Sometimes, they went outside the compound and walked around the estate. Zainab always came out to play with her holding two clean one thousand naira notes. They played with Nnenna's toy before they walked out of the compound with Chinenye.
Chinenye lived next door and liked Zainab because she took them out and they walked into a big supermarket in the estate, to buy ice-cream and snacks. Zainab said it was her mother who gave her the money but Nnenna was suspicious of it . She thought her mother would not be giving her the amount of money except she was stealing it. But during her birthday, Zainab's mother bought a big cake for her and gave it to her mummy. She said it was a gift from Zainab to her.

"Are you sure it is your mummy that is giving you the money?" Nnenna asked.

Chinenye answered. "What is your business? You are just jealous your mummy does not give you money."

Nnenna laughed and ignored her. She did not like Chinenye, especially how she chewed the snacks like a goat and licked the ice-cream. She spilled it on the ground while using a spoon

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-thorny-path

. Zainab shouted. Chinenye was twelve but she was the same height as they were. She lived in a small house down the street with her mother. Her mother comes to Zainab's house to help them with the chore and she gets paid for helping them. They went to the big supermarket and bought snacks and ice-cream.

When Nnenna saw Zainab's mummy, she thanked her for what Zainab would always buy for them. Zainab's mummy smiled. "Zainab is such a nice girl and she gets things for her friend."

Nnenna smiled. She was happy to hear that it was Zainab's mummy that gives her the money. Her teacher taught them to always know where the money any of their friends were spending came from. One of her classmates, Tomisin, used to steal her mummy's money when she was in Basic three. She brought the money to school to spend with her friends. They bought different biscuits and drinks. Few other classmates begged from them.

Tomisin's mummy came to school to cause trouble when she learnt about it. And she insulted their teacher and asked for Tomisin's friend's parents. The teacher's called for a parent's meeting and they came. One of Tomisin's friends' mummy slapped Tomisin's mummy and said she was stupid. She said her time was wasted. "What is my own with your spoilt child. How will my child know that your foolish child steals your money? I am the one to tell my daughter to stop walking with your stupid daughter," the woman said.

They began to fight. They punched and scratched each other repeatedly before the security man came to separate the fight. Ms. Aliyu, the basic four teacher, came to the assembly ground the following day. She began to teach them about knowing where their friend's money came from and also told them to stop begging from everyone.

In school, Nnenna stopped talking to the security man. She stopped greeting him but he would not stop whispering her name anytime she walked past him. One day, she went to buy snacks and ice-cream with Zainab and Chinenye. A man started to yell Chinenye's name. Chinenye turned and hissed.

"Why did you hiss? He is an adult and you are supposed to respect him," Zainab said.

"I know. But he will not leave me alone. My mummy has warned him to leave me alone," she said.

"What did he do?" Nnenna asked shyly. She hardly spoke when Chinenye was around them but this time, she did.

Chinenye looked at her twice and smiled. "He was kissing me and touching my body and I said he should stop."

"Eww. Disgusting," Zainab said. "What did you do?"

"I was hitting him before my mummy caught him. He started insulting my mummy."
Nnenna smiled and removed her face.

"From that day, my mummy said I should stop talking to these older uncles," she said.

Nnenna also stopped talking to the security man. She still did not talk to him when they see each other. When her mummy drove in and picked, she waved at the security man. The security man waved at her but she looked away. "Why are you not talking to him again. I noticed you don't stay with him again. Why?"

"Nothing, mum," she looked away.

Her mummy ignored her till they reached the house. She drove in and parked her car. They walked into the house and she locked the door and dragged Nnenna close to herself. "Now talk to me. You are always rude to everyone. You ignore any adult that greets you in church or those around here. Am I not teaching you well? Why do you want to be embarrassing me everywhere?" she asked.

"You are treating me well, mum," she said and began crying.

"What? Who beat you? I have not beaten you and you are already crying.

Read " A Tale of Five Bandits " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. What if I do, what will happen?' she said.

Nnenna began to nod while trying to control her tears.

"Will you stop crying and talking to me," she said.
"He kissed me... You hate me, mum. You don't always believe me."

Her mother stopped and removed her hand from her body. "Why are you lying?" she said.

Nnenna moved back and vibrated. "I am not lying and he did that to me. You don't like me, mum," she cried more and ran into the room.

Her mother stopped talking and Nnenna laid on the bed and slept till it was morning. Her mother got her dressed and drove her to school. She watched her mummy shouting in the compound while she slapped and hit the security man. The security man did not deny doing it to her. Nnenna was embarrassed and anytime she walked past her school mates, they stared at her and whispered to themselves. She will run away to hide where she would start crying without anyone seeing her.