Chapter 5

“Do you think that this is a good idea?” Ashabi asked her sister as the bus finally leaves the village and her sister took a deep breathe and then held her hand.

“Yes, it is. We will be fine.” Shade said.

She closed her eyes deep in thought and remember how lives seem so perfect for them while growing up, they were four girls and she was the first, Ashabi was the second child, and then they have Tolu and Tope who are third and fourth respectively. Their parents were not the rich or the influential type but life seem so perfect for them, they were not born with a silver spoon but life seems no difference for them.

Their father who was a civil servant did all he wanted to give them a better life while their mother a private school teacher also did her best to support.

They attend the best school.

“Education is the best gift I can give you.” The father will says to them and urged them to take it seriously and they did take it seriously until that day when she finished her examination and was called into the principal office with her sister Ashabi who was in her first year in the senior secondary school.

“Why are we being called?” Ashabi asked her and she shook her head.

“I don’t know, perhaps Dad is here.” She said and led her sister to the principal office who was waiting for them with two men who the recognized as their mother immediate brother and her the other man as their father’s friend. The look on their faces were something they could not understand but they greeted them warmly.

“Uncle… why are you here?” Ashabi asked

“Sit, both of you.” They heard their principal said to them and they nodded, then sat and slowly the school principal broke the news to them.

“There was a fire outbreak in your house…” She started.

“Fire?” Folashade asked with surprise.

“Yes there was a fire out break and till now, no one knew what happened or how it started.” The woman explained faster and Folashade’s heart was beating faster as she waited patiently to hear the other news.

“What about Dad, mum, Tolu and Tope, I hope they are fine?” Ashabi asked her as she looked at her uncles faces one after the other and there was silence for a while.

“We lost all of them.” The principal explained.

“Lost them? Lost who?” Ashabi asked closed to tears.

“Yes, we lost them but just because we were waiting for you to finish your examination, we could not tell you.” The Uncle said to them.

“You mean they were all dead…” Folashade asked and that was when they both broke completely into tears.

The SSCE examination had just being concluded and Ashabi examination finished hers two days before and without further discussion, the children were allowed to leave the school with their relatives.

When they got to the burnt house, it was total burnt beyond repair and no items could be saved and the girls could not hold their tears.

While She Folashade had just turn eighteen, Ashabi was fifteen and they had never made any decision before in their lives and it was so difficult for them.

The only items they had on them was their belongings from school.

“How about you go meet grandma in the village?” Their maternal uncle asked as soon as their paternal Aunt who was the only existing sibling to their late father.

“She will be happy to see you and I think you will be safe there. As soon as we can get some things together, we will bring you back to Ibadan and you can continue with your school there.” Her father friend said and they believed them.

They left for the village four days later after their return from school. The next one week was the toughest time of their lives, there was not much to eat, their grandmother was in her eighties and she could barely feed herself, their father had always been her only support and the pain of losing her son was too much for her and she fell sick too.

“I think we have to look for a job.” Ashabi said to her one evening.

“Yes, I will go out and see if I can get one while you stay with grandma.” She replied and she did went out to get a job.

She got one two days later as a sales assistant in a local provision store, the salary was three thousand, five hundred naira.

“How about I sell purewater in the village park and those busy areas?” Ashabi asked her one day.

“Who will care for grandma?” She asked her sister.

“Grand ma is getting better … we need money and support.” Her sister told her.

“I want you to go to school… at least to complete your secondary school.” She said to her sister/

“I don’t think that is possible for now, we can barely feed, how then are we going to afford school fees, even you have to pay school fees at the community school.” Ashabi explained.

“I think we should just forget about school for now and look for ways of bringing food to the table.” Ashabi told her and that was when she realised that her sister had grown so much.

She sighed deeply at the thought as the bus joined the other cars on the express road and headed for Ibadan, even though they didn’t know what might happen to them over there, she know the best gift she can give her sister is a new life... She is still a teenager.

She inhaled the air as they got down from the bus. Nothing seems to have changed so much, it is been three and half years of their leaving the city ..

“Where should we go first?” Ashabi asked her sister as they stood helplessly with their bags in the middle of the park.

“We need to rest for today, let us look for a cheap hotel.” Shade said to her sister and they stopped a taxi.

They got a room in a motel and they rested for the night, the second day, they went out in charge of an apartment and they paid for the first one they got. It was not easy getting an apartment considering their age.

“Where are your parents, who is going to live with you?” the landlord asked

“We are going to live together sir.” Shade said to the man and realised that it would not be easy getting an apartment after all.

“You look young?” The man said out his concern.

“And you can’t get an apartment in this area, we don’t give underage children apartments anymore, some of them do a lot of bad things and we are tired of the police coming to Raid our houses.” The man explained.

“We are not bad children.” Shade said.

“We lost our parents few years ago and lost our grandmother that we stayed with recently and we need to get an apartment. “ Ashabi explained to the man.

“We promise to be good sir, we just need a bedroom self contained apartment and we like the room.” Shade said and her sister nodded.

“and we are not children sir, we are adults, I am almost nineteen and my sister is twenty two.” Ashabi said

“You are still children ooo, how did you intend to pay for the rent, what work do you do?” The man asked them.

“We have the house rents presently sir.” Shade replied.

“And next year house rent?” The man asked her.

“We can pay for three years sir, if that is okay by you... The power supply bill and even water bill.” Shade quickly said and the man looked at them with surprise.

“Where did you get the money from?” The man asked.

“We were working when we stay with Grandma.” Shade said

“I will prefer you pay for the year Utility bills and pay for two years house rent.”. The man said and excused himself to get a calculator.

“The house rent is sixty thousand per anum, and that is one twenty for two years and the Power supply bill is one – two monthly and year is one two times twelve... “ He said as he pressed the calculator

“So on total, you will pay one fifty... Do you have that money with you?” the man said with doubt and they nodded repeatedly.

Shade opened her bag and brought out the money to the man surprise, she counted the money and gave the man the money before returning the remaining of the cash into her bag.

“Oh, this good then.”

“Can we park in today?” Shade asked the man and he nodded .

“Yes, you can, you will need to clean the apartment sha... The last tenant left the room four months before. And this house is the best on this street, we have so many students in this compound.” He said with pride as he led them back to the room.

It was a medium sized room, with terrazo flooring, a small kitchenette with a small cabinet was adjourned to the room and was separated by a door to the room and there was a toilet adjourned. And in the room, there was wardrobe.

“Here is the key.” The man said and thrust the key to Shade and she nodded and they watched him left.

“This place is lovely, it remind me of our room at home.” Ashabi said to her sister who nodded repeatedly, she know they might not have been able to get such an apartment if not for Ashabi’s money and her heart sank for the price her sister had to pay to get them a comfortable apartment.

“Now we need to clean this room. The paint is okay.” She said to her , the door was still opened and a young man passed through the apartment , and then turned back to greet them .

“Are you the new tenant?” He asked and they nodded.

“My name is Ismail and I am your next door neighbour.” He introduced and they both nodded.

“If you need any help, I can ... I am free.” He said to them and they exchanged some glances.

“We need buckets and broom... Sir.” Ashabi asked him and he nodded.

“Okay, did you need other things, water runs in the apartment.” He said and they shook their head.

He returned with the buckets and brooms and then rolled up his shirt sleeve to help.

“Noooo, you don’t have to do that please, we can manage.” Shade said shaking her head.

“You can’t do all these yourself.” He said to them.

“I can help clear all the cup webs at the kitchen, we will be done in no time ins sha Allah. That is one essence of being a neighbour.” He said to them.

“We will be glad to have you help us.” Ashabi said smiling at him and he nodded.

“Great, ... “ He said and without further word from him, he got to work and he started clearing the ceiling while Shade went into the kitchenette to clear all the cabinets, she still hope they would be able to pay the rent after two years .

While Ashabi clean the toilet, she felt happy she would be able to use a water closet again.

The cleaning was faster than they thought and in three hours, they apartment was sparkling. Ismail provided them with some snacks and drinks from his room and left them to perform Salah.

After which they returned to the motel, got their bags and check out , they returned with their bags and then they went out to get a mattress, it was a middle size form and they could both sleep on, they got two bed cover , two curtains to cover up the windows and a standing fan ...

“You want to spend all the money completely.” Ashabi asked and her sister nodded without a word.

They got some plates, cutleries, pots, stove , some kerosene and buckets and at the end , they had no money left from Ashabi money and Shade was glad.

They were so tired that evening that they took bread with Akara and slept off immediately and for the first time since their parents death, they slept differently .

Peacefully.

The following morning, Shade went out to get some little food supplies that they could afford and they had food.

“I think we need to start looking for work.” Ashabi said to her and she nodded.

“Don’t even think I will not look for one too...” She quickly added.

“Or do you want to lock me here again?” she asked further.

“No, I wont but you just need to be careful , no hawking this time, perhaps a sales attendant, but don’t worry, we will be fine... “ Shade explained calmly.

“You know all what I am doing is for your own good.” She said to her sister and she nodded , then looked away.

Suddenly they heard a knock,

“Who is that ?” Shade asked.

“Ismail..” The voice said.

“The boy who helped yesterday ... “ Ashabi said to her sister who hushed her.

“He is not boy...(she whispers) come in ...” Shade said and he entered the room and he was surprise at the changes in the room. He was holding a small shopping bag in his hand.

“Ma sha Allah, I can’t even recognize the room anymore.” He said looking around, he didn’t return to their room when he left for Zuhr.

“Oh... This is beautiful...” he said and sat down on the floor and placed the bag beside him

“i am sorry, I could not join you back when I returned from Zuhr.” He said to them and they nodded.

“We appreciate all what you did for us yesterday.” Shade said.

“Alihamdulilah, it was the least I can do. I had to rush to school after Zuhr to study, I heard of a test that we didn’t even prepare for scheduled for this morning and I had to go write the paper, I return back home only this morning and I just had sleep for a while.” He explained to them and they nodded.

“And how was the test?” Shade asked him and he shrugged

“I have done the little I can do... and you what department are you?” he asked them looking from one lady to the other.

“No department, we are not in school and we owe no one an explanation.” Ashabi replied bluntly and he looked disappointed and embarrassed

“I am sorry ... I didn’t mean to pry...most of the tenants here are students so I just aassume, I am sorry .” He said again and pushed the bag in his hand forward.

“I brought this as a welcome gift ...” He said looking at Shade whose face look friendlier than her younger sister.

“Oh.. thank...”Shade tried to say but her sister cut in.

“Do you give everyone a welcome gift?” Ashabi asked bluntly.

“Will you stop that this minute... “ Shade cautioned and watched Ismail raised to his feet ready to leave.

“I have to take my leave now... Incase if you need anything...my room is just next door.” Ismail said and left.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you being rude to him.” She asked her sister who frowned.

“You said no being friends with boys.” Ashabi said and her sister glared at her.

“Yes, I said that but I didn’t say be rude to them... Beside he is just want to be nice.” Her sister said to her

“He asks too much question.” She said to her.

“Ashabi, try and be reasonable , you are being difficult day by day.. we should not just say because life seems so difficult to us and makes us bad humans? Don’t be that person please. Don’t be bitter.” Her sister said shaking her head and tears stood in her eyes.

“I am sorry...” She said to her sister who pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

“We can take a stroll round the area today to check if we can get some vacancies from stores… who knows we might be lucky. This is a student area and I am sure there will be a lot of stores here who might need some sales assistants.” Shade explained and her sister nodded.