Chapter 2

When it's not farming season, her mother would borrow money and get fruits that she sell in front of their house.

She had given up on searching around for a job when she couldn't find any then she got introduced to picking pockets on the day hers was stolen.

Her kid sister who was now 8 hadn't gone to any school and could barely speak English. 

She has been saving for her school and now she could register her in the school near their house with the money she had gathered from picking pockets.

She knew it was a bad thing to steal people's money but she doesn't care. No one deserves mercy. 

Those people killed her father and made them feed from hand to mouth, Those people refused to give her a job to help feed her family so she would never think twice before stealing their things.

"Mum, I'm taking Maya for registration today" Aurora said to her mother as they ate breakfast. Her mother's spoon dropped and she stare at her eldest daughter open-mouthed. 

She doesn't understand what Aurora was talking about and as far as she knows, they could barely afford two square meals and Aurora doesn't do anything for a living except go out every morning and evening and return with food.

"What are you talking about Rora," she asked her daughter who was busy chewing on her food. 

"I said I'll be taking Maya for registration today, she's 8 and has never been to school, I know we don't have money and you're about to ask me where I got money from but Mama I do little errands that fetch me little money and I've been able to save for Maya's school," she said and her mother started crying.

Maya has already ran out of their small sitting room into the room she shared with their mother to get ready for school when she heard her big sister talk about registering her in school. 

She has always wanted to go to school with her fellow kids but her mother and sister have no money to register her in one so she kept quiet not wanting to disturb them about it.

Every morning, she'll sit at the shade where her mother sold her fruit to watch her fellow kids who are going to school.

Aurora had caught her several times wiping off her tears and when she asked why she was crying, Maya would tell her something flew into her eyes but Aurora wasn't a fool to believe that so she made sure she picked more pockets and saved more money to enable her to go to school.

"You are such a blessing to me Aurora, I wonder what I would have done without you in my life. I would probably be dead from hunger" Her mother said sniffing her tears back.

"It's okay Mama don't cry, I will do my best to make sure we feed and cloth in this house, we will never die of hunger as long as we are still alive and has hands" Aurora consoled then stood up to go prepare and take her sister to school.

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"Rora!!" A young boy of the same age as Aurora was seen calling out to her and running towards her from the other side of the road.

She raised her head and looked forward to seeing her best friend Craig calling her name and running towards her from a distance.

She was returning from registering her sister in school and was about to cross the road when she heard Craig's voice so she decided to wait for him to get to her.

"Hey buddy" Craig smiled finally reaching her, breathing heavily. "Do you have to run all the way to here and how did you even see me from afar?" Rora asked giving him a one-sided hug.

"Even though there are 10,000 people gathered here, I will still pick you out in a split of an eye" he muttered breathing hard and she rolled her eyes at his words.

"By the way, where are you going to this early morning or are you coming back?" Craig asked staring at her.

"I went to register Maya in school," she said and his eyes shoot out in happiness. "Really? My Maya has started school? I'm so happy" he muttered excitedly and Rora smiled.

"Aren't you going to work today?" she asked and they both started walking in her direction. "I will go but in the afternoon," he said and Aurora nodded.

Craig work part-time in a coffee shop down the street and he had tried severally to help secure a job for her but nothing seemed to work out.

"There's this new bar that was opened down the street, just come to the coffee shop later in the evening and we would go check if they are taking in people," he said and she hissed not wanting to hear about work again.

"Tsk, tsk" she clicked her tongue and threw away her face. She doesn't want to talk about anything related to work or looking for work because she knew finding work in this part of the world can be very difficult for the poor.

The rich keep getting all the co-operate work and even ordinary sales work can't be gotten without having a connection.

She has been going from one company to another despite her having a first-class degree certificate, she couldn't secure an office job and not even a sales job in any shop could she get.

She has become tired of going from one shop to the other in search of a job and she had given up eventually.

"Forget it, Craig, it would still be the old story they always say, I'm not interested in it" she muttered and Craig frowned hitting her on the arm slightly.

"Okay fine just come to my workplace in the evening pretty please" he begged and she sighed. She planned on resting today though so she'll just go to his workplace and who knows if she'll pick some wallets there.