"Oh Hossie, why na?" I grumbled, "why is there no food in this house?" I kept lamenting, "don't you know that I would eat food?" eh Hossie?" I rode on. "So........"(I would have continued if he didn't cut me off.
"Ohhh Pearl, please spare me this episode of your tantrums, must you eat sef?" he thundered.(this guy get mind ooo, him no sabi sey i be warri girl, I go just burst bottle for e head). "Your violent thought is not going to stop me from addressing this issue either" he said as if to read my thoughts.
"But am hungry na,since I left the other day I've not eaten"(bia, i don't want to hear pim,that Chidinma food that tasted like rat sauce...mtchewww)
"Really Pearl" he shot at me "I have told you there are alot of things you have to drop as regards getting serious with your life,it should be a deliberate acti".... he was still talking when I cut in shutting him up.
"Hossie please spare me all of those pep talks, I don't have strength for you today, am going home. Good night Hossie" I screamed banging the door behind me...
Janet seemed quite unlike her brother Archie,as well got talking she made me understand that Archie had told to her that he had a sick friend he wanted her to nurse in his absence. She talked like a good Christian girl but her stern look gave her away(so I ruled over it, as far as I was concerned,I couldn't trust her). I didn't even care, after all God had forgotten me and didn't care what I do(yes I was so sure of that)
She also asked why I had to stay with a man, and showed her disapproval towards it despite the fact that the man in question was her brother.(see this girl ooo, who does she think she is)
"it reduces our value dear"she said "cohabitation with a man who's not your husband is wrong before God and it doesn't tell well of you to a responsible person",she continued(you are still talking about responsibility? I thought).
Archie had lied to her but I couldn't bring myself to narrate my ordeal to her I felt so helpless and I burst out in tears. She felt so sad and broken when I started weeping, I saw the tears in her eyes(she sincerely was sorry for me or so I thought). From that moment, she promised to be my friend and help me when she could ('how can you even do that when you don't even know the truth?', I thought within me).
Two days later,Janet left as she told me. She had earlier stated that she stays with her friends.
When she left,my illicit life continued with her brother. I was now living with Archie as a 'wife'. I had to do all the house chores except cooking (cos he was way better than I was in that aspect). I performed my wifely duties very well especially in bed, I got used to giving him my body whenever he wanted it. My grades started dropping as I started losing concentration, depression set in,I wasn't comfortable, this wasn't the kind of life I wanted for myself but what can I do. I was helpless, I couldn't even bring myself to tell anyone. I wanted to scream, to let anyone know that I needed help ASAP, but there was no one.
Suddenly I remembered Janet and her promise to me. I decided to give her a try(not with much expectations too), after all I had absolutely nothing to lose even if she decided to treat me as trash, I was going to go back to eating the 'achie soup' I was rejecting right now by my act.
Picking up my phone, I dialed Janet's number.
"Hello Janet, good afternoon" I called out as the line went active on the other end.
"Hello, please who's on the line?" She replied
"Its Pearl, we met sometime ago at your brother's house" I explained
"Oh What's up" said almost immediately "how are you?, how's everything going on with you?, hope you're fine?...."she continued endlessly.
"Can I see you?" I asked cutting her short (if I leave her, she got talk like say the Airtime name free and I no dey like long talk).
"Ok" she sighed (as if she has been expecting it), "I'll text you the address right now "she said as she hung up(na wa ooo..na me call, na you dey help me end call).
I got to the house twenty minutes later. I met Janet and her friends, though I felt so uncomfortable but she said assured me it was okay to talk to them. Before I opened my mouth to speak, the tears were out already. Oh! how I couldn't hold it anymore, I poured out all the content of my heart and by the time i was done, I lifted my face and discovered that they were in tears also(I no understand ooo,they are helping me cry the cry that Is not their own).
They sat there as if they were glued to the seat, then finally Janet broke the silence...(she kukuma is a sanguine)
"Am so sorry Pearl" she mumbled in between tears "Am sorry"she continued.
"Do you still live with him" the chubby,dark girl asked(she suddenly found her voice)
"Yes ma" I answered
"Why?" The slim, tall dark girl shot.
"I have nowhere to go" I replied.
"Mm mm mm, I think we can fix that" The last girl added.
"How?" Janet inquired, wearing a confused look.
"She'll come live with us" the last girl spoke again.(I turned and stared at her with my mouth widely opened).
"What?" I exclaimed.
"Yes" the slim, tall and dark girl added.
"I'm in support" the other one said, "You just have to leave that house.
I couldn't believe my ears, I felt like I was dreaming.
"DOES IT MEAN THAT THERE'S STILL HOPE FOR ME?" I asked myself.('MAYBE GOD STILL CARED ABOUT ME' I thought).
When I got back home, Janet was back already, just as Chidinma predicted. She had traveled to go see her niece who was sick in the village
(Be shining your eye, I have nothing to tell you).
"Hi Janet, welcome darling" I greeted as I went straight to the room (I tried so well to hide my anger). "Pearl WhatsApp, I missed you, come and join me" she invited me (she was eating a plate of fufu and groundnut soup.
"Thanks am not hungry" I screamed banging the door.
Few minutes on, Janet came in with Chidinma, May and Goodness.
"Baby what's up, why are you crying?" May inquired placing my head on her shoulder(you needed to see Janet's face as May called me baby)
"Wait oh" Janet cut in, "how is she na the baby in the house?, I have not even died, she have taken my place" she asked feigning annoyance.
At the sound of this,I laughed as I remembered Chidinma's statement on Janet's return.
"I said it" Chidinma supported my thoughts.
This time, I laughed even harder..
"Trouble has come" was all Goodness could mutter.
The laughter couldn't be connected, we all began to laugh and forgot what we were talking about. This even made us laugh more as well all stood up to go to the kitchen and make dinner, TOGETHER AS SISTERS (yes, that's exactly who we are).
great article