👑 HER LEGACY 👑
*Who’s K?*
Author~ REMIO Viola
EP1
✈ NIGERIA ✈
◌⑅⃝●♡⋆♡JENNIFER⋆♡●⑅◌
I walked home sluggishly from my unsuccessful job hunt. Life had been like this in Lagos. No job yet poverty won’t leave you. I sighed continually till I got home to the face-me-I-face-you ap@rtment I lived with my parents and two siblings. It is a self contain without a kitchen nor bathroom. Just one be-droom that we all shared, one public bathroom the entire neighborhood shared and one public kitchen.
you can’t pour water outside and have peace.
It was late when I got home and my family were asleep. All sprawled on the floor. No be-d. Just mats and wra-ppers.
I shook my head tearily and walked in. There was no lock on the door so we used a table to wedge the door. I weaved my way throu-gh the slee-ping figures to my own corner of the room where I spre-ad my worn out wra-pper.
There was no food on the table. Bet they sle-pt with hunger. Our meals were mostly what I got from the day work but today there was no work. Dad was a carpenter and brick layer and mum sold fruits. Doris and Daniel (my younger ones) long dropped out of school cause there was no money for books and uniforms to even go to government school so they help mum to hawk fruit.
I la-id on my wra-pper lying wi-de awake, talking to the ceiling as if it could relate. Tears kept tickling down my cheeks as I prayed that it wouldn’t rain cause the roof leaked from this corner of my room and I caught cold as a result of that. plus my stomach ulcer.
Stomach grumbles were heard in the room like stampeding horses. Even ten year old Daniel did not eat. I slowly shut my eyes and drifted to sleep.
Tomorrow will be better.
I hope.
NEXT MORNING
I woke up by 4:00 am and headed for the public bathroom before the entire neighborhood wakes up. I brush my teeth, shower, and dressed in the only clothes I have then I woke my family up.
“Daddy Good mourning mummy Good morning” I greeted my parents
“morning how was your night?”
“fine”
I walked to Doris and Daniel
“wake up”
“Eh” Doris said sleepily
“Oya wake up and go and bath”
It was alre-ady 4:35 am
“oh! lemme sleep small nah! ”
“Doris get up before others wakes up” Dad hurled then she got up and mumbled a greeting then walked out with the bucket.
“Daniel”
“Sister Good morning”
“Oya get up”
“Jennifer you c@m£ back late last night what happened” mum inquired
“I was searching for money I even went to boma’s shop to beg for bre-ad but she refused to give me, everyb©dy just s£nt me out” I was almost in tears
“It’s okay God is in control” dad said
“mummy am hungry”
“Daniel wait small lemme go and see if I’ll get work as a waiter in one h0tel I went to yesterday they told me to come back today”
“But my stomach is paining me”
“manage oh” I wiped my tears
“Jennifer don’t cry it will be well”
I left the house by 6:00 am and began my trek to h0tel Finesse. From my house to the place is two hundred naira with okada but I don’t have the money so I normally trek.
“Jennie” Zara called when I got to Finesse. Zara has been my childhood friend and she’s the one helping me with getting a job at Finesse where she works but when it comes to food she’s stingy.
“Zara Good morning”
“Jennie you’re early oh did you trek? ”
“yes”
“Chai! let’s go in the manager wants to see you”
Finesse is a t©p luxury h0tel in Lagos and it belongs to a white man. Foreigners usually lodge there and foreign dishes are served there. The price of one meal there can feed my family for one year.
I and Zara talked as we walked towards the elevator.
“Zara I’ve not entered an elevator before” I said frightfully
“let’s go it’s nothing” Zara chuckled then dragged me inside the elevator
She pressed 25 on a bu-tton and we started moving up. I held her hand ti-ght and she kept laughing. The door dinged open then she pu-ll-ed me out. We got to a door and she knocked softly followed by followed by a grumpy reply from within. She pushed the door open and we walked in.
A big, blond, rather clumsy-looking man was sitting behind a table with his eyes fixed on a book. There was a tablet on the table inscribe-d ‘Mr Geoffrey’ then signed un-der ‘Manager’.
“Good morning sir” I and Zara chorused
“Good morning” He replied then scanned me head to toe.
I looked down in embarras-sment. I know he won’t accept me because of the way am tattered. He’ll think that I’ll infect his customers.
“you a Nigerian?” he asked in a foreign accent
“yes” I nodded then he shook his head in amazement
“you got the job”
“what? ” I couldn’t even believe my ears
“said you got the job” he repeated in his oyibo accent
“Thank you, thank you” I repeated as I went on my knees
“meet Mrs Dodd to give her the uniform”
“okay sir” Zara said and pu-ll-ed me out
“Zara I got the job” I squealed
“Mr Geoffrey is a good man”
“I didn’t know that oyibo people were good”
“you’ve known today” Zara laughed then we went to Mrs Dodd. She was also a white woman. Zara said all the managements were whites.
I wore the uniform. A blue straight mini Sk-irt and white t©p that I tucked in. The Sk-irt was too short, it showed how slim I was. Though I am beautiful with full br£@st and wi-de h!ps, poverty made me look like a stick.
8:30 am 🕒
“Table 14” the chef, Monsieur Piere instructed and I carried a tray of foreign dish to one oyibo couple that were sitting and talking. The guy was very handsome and the way he looked at me made me uncomfortable. I started dragging down my Sk-irt.
“Micheal am talking” the girl yelled and slammed her hand on the table to get his attention
“am listening”
“you’re not listening” she yelled and rolled her eyes at me. I bowed and served them the food. The guy was still looking at me
“you know what Micheal, am outta here” she seethed and got up
“Keith! wait! ” he got up too but she stormed out
I turned to go and he held me back
See why I hate guys
His girlfriend just left in anger oh
“Hello pretty”
“Good morning sir”
“Am Michael and… ”
“I have work to do” I caught in and turned to go
“just a minute” he prompted
“plea-se I…”
“I’ll call your manager”
“No”
“Then let me know your name”
“Jennifer”
“okay, nice name
this is my card give me a call” he proffered me with a card which I reluctantly accepted
“Keith!” he called and ran out
Guys! I chuckled then looked at the card and slid it into my shi-t pocket and walked back to the counter with the tray
“They left” I told Zara
“What table? ”
“table 14”
“It’s your luck, each time you serve customers and they don’t eat it’s yours you know oyibo people don’t like eating food they left”
“so I can take it?”
my mouth got watery
“yes
anytime am serving I normally pray they don’t eat it so I can take it”
“what are you saying” I laughed and carried the tray out then I packaged the food on a food flask.
At least my family has dinner.
7:00 pm 🕒
“finally my shift is over” I sighed and put on my rag cloths then kept the uniform in the changing room
“see you tomorrow” Zara waved then left
I carried the flask the left the h0tel. I turned down the street then started humming a song when I heard gunsh0ts. Suddenly the noise of people screaming and glas-s breaking filled the air.
I clutched the flask ti-ght then ran into a corner and hid behind a stall and started praying. People running helper shelter “police is fighting with cult boys oh” someone shouted. My heart started to beat fast and I got up to run when someone held me from behind and pointed a gun at my skull.
I tried to look up and his grip ti-ght£ñed
“Don’t move” he ordered
Father! LORD!
Brou-ghT TO YOU BY,
AUTHOR VIOLA’S HEART DAIRY
HER LEGACY
*Who Is K? ”
Author~ Remio Viola
EP2
◌●♡⋆♡JENNIFER♡⋆♡●⑅◌
*Don’t move”
He dragged me backwards into an uncompleted building then re-leased me and hastily re-moved something from his face. It was late and the street light wasn’t brightening the building so I couldn’t see his face nor what he re-moved but I knew it was a guy. Maybe a cultist.
I looked at his bleeding arm and got scared.
What if he dies and they say I killed him. I got up to run but he pu-ll-ed me back and pointed a gun at my head. He wasn’t saying anything so I seized the opportunity to look at his face if I could recognize him but the cap he wore did well to cover his face
“Mr… plea-se don’t kill me”
He placed his index f!nger across hisl-ips signifying me to shut up and I did– sharp sharp
He re-moved his f!nger and pointed at his bleeding arm.
Why isn’t he talking?
Is he dumb?
I pointed at the gun and he re-moved it from my head. Moving close to him, I to-re the p@rt of his clothes covering the wounded arm and I g@sped out on shock. immediately I g@sped, he pointed the gun to my head again and I maintained.
Am not even a nurse
He brou-ght out a small knife and gave it to me to tear the wound open and bring out the bullet.
I laughed inside me
I’ll use this guy and learn work today.
I was struggling with the knife and he chuckled then I looked at him and he frowned.
Even though I wasn’t seeing his face I knew he frowned
I brou-ght out my torch but he smashed it on the wall
“I want to see the wound”
He placed his index f!nger on hisl-ips again and I shut up
I used my f!ngersto trace the wound on his arm then I found the bullet. Immediately I t©uçhed the bullet, he shut his eyes and looked up
Is it painful?
I pierced the knife into his arm and cut out the bullet then he m0@n ed in pain
“sorry”
I dropped the knife and to-re out fabric from the hem of my Sk-irt and tied up the wound.
This Sk-irt that is my best cloth.
He looked at me and tried picking the gun again but I was fast to pick it first. I pointed the gun at him and started moving back. He chuckled de-eply then I looked at my hand– I was holding the gun upside down. I tried holding it properly but he got up and snatched it from me
“Go” He sneered
I nodded and ran out then I went back to the back of the stall I had hid earlier and collected my food flask.
I ran back to the building to give it to him.
When I got there, a torch was on and he was arranging his bag.
Immediately he saw me, he switched of the torch.
“what are you doing here? ” he asked in rage and pinned me to the wall with his gun pointed to my head
“I– I– ” I stuttered in fear pointing at the food flask
we heard footsteps followed by voices “let’s search here”
“cops! shut!” he cussed and hid at a corner while I walked out to meet the police officers
“miss what are you doing out here?”
“hiding”
“sure? ” they looked at me suspiciously and I nodded, putting up an innocent face
“alone?”
“yes”
They flashed their torch around and saw the bag he was searching but they didn’t see him
“what’s in there?”
“my stuffs” I lied
“can we search?”
“That would be intruding a woman’s privacy” I protested
“sorry miss we’re just doing our job”
“Does your job have anything to do with br@s and p@n-ties and… ”
“sorry miss” They cut in and I smiled inwardly
“you have to leave here it’s not safe”
“it’s not safe in the streets either” I said
“we’ll esc-rt you home”
“I’d rather wait till the noise dies down”
“okay be careful” they said and left
I heaved a de-ep sigh when they left and turned around but I couldn’t find him again.
I don’t even know his name.
I searched around but I couldn’t find him then I kept the flask and left
LATER….
“jennifer are you alright?” mum asked when I got home
“Am fine”
“sister you’re bleeding” Daniel said then I looked down to my t©p that had blood stains
“what happened to you? Did you get hurt during the chaos? ” dad asked worriedly
“No– zobo poured me at work” I lied and they all stared at me with raised brows
of course they knew I was lying
“okay” mum said with a shrug
Dad and Daniel excused the room and I changed my clothes
“sister let me wash your clothes while… ”
“no” I cut in sharply
“what’s wrong with it?” mum asked suspiciously
“uhm… I want to wash it in the bathroom”
“What’s wrong with Doris washing it for you?”
“The thing is– I don’t want to wash it the zobo was very sweet”
“will you be drinking it from the t©p? you know this is the best t©p you have”
“I know but I really don’t want to wash it” I insisted and threw the clothes inside my basket, that was when I noticed the packed bags
“who’s traveling?”
“we’re all going back to the village” mum replied me
“why? I just got a good job”
“Things are too ha-rd here and the crisis is leading to many deaths. we can’t continue to pay rent with the little money we have while we can’t feed”
I sighed and sat down on a small stool
“I can’t quit this Gods£nt job”
“You can stay while we go” Doris said and tears slid down my cheeks
“it’s okay Jennifer God is in control”
That night as I l@yon my wra-pper, many things went throu-gh my head.
First, the poverty we were living in.
Then the crisis
Then my family moving down to the village while I stayed at Lagos.
And lastly, the stranger.
For some reasons I don’t know I couldn’t wash out his blood stains from my t©p–silly me
Zobo
I smiled
I thought of other things then said my prayers and sle-pt off.
NEXT MORNING
“Take care of yourself” Mum said as she hvgged me then Doris and Daniel did the same before entering the keke that would take them back to the village
“Bye” I waved as they drove off but I couldn’t control my tears.
I watched the keke drive out of sight then I turned to go inside.
“Beautiful Jennie Jennie” Bobby, our landlord’s son sang
I just hate this boy
So useless but he won’t let me that wants to be useful to rest
“Bobby what’s it this morning?”
“Jennie Jennie your boy is loyal like loyal milk oh, see I like you a lot you’re just too beautiful…”
“Bobby thank you” I cut in and walked inside in a haste
◌●♡⋆♡TYSON♡⋆♡●⑅◌
I walked out of the shower with a towel wra-pped around my w@!st. My arm still hurts a little. I sat on an armchair and crossed my legs on a stool.
I was dripping we-t but I love it
I brushed my hair back and poured myself a glas-s of wine.
Last night I was in so much pain that I couldn’t get a call girl.
What a boring night
I got a video call from the guys and connected it to the TV
“Hey! man! you look h0t” Alex joked– his way
“How’s Nigeria?” James asked
“Boring I miss Canada”
“And the girls” James added
“A lot”
“Is that a wound on your arm?” Joanna asked
“yeah got sh0t last night”
“sorry ’bout that”
“It’s nothing”
“You treated yourself?” Joanna wanted to know
“That isn’t relevant” I replied
I didn’t want them to know that someone saw me as TY and I didn’t kill the person.
What would they think?
“Yeah Tyson and secrets” Alex laughed
“How was your mission?” James asked
“successful”
“No one was killed? ”
“No one” I chuckled
“so when will you be returning?”
“Today or tomorrow I got something to do?”
“What’s that?” Joanna asked
“That isn’t relevant” I replied and her face turned pale
“see ya later” I added and ended the call
Joanna, Alex, and James has been my friends from childhood and accomplice in crime.
After my parents were killed, James’ dad adopted me and trained me with his son, James to be as-sas-sins.
We get paid, we kill.
At first I wanted to kill my parents murderer but on a second thought, I decided to let him kill himself.
Lugard Stein, my parents’ murderer would do anything for his only child Keith Stein and getting her to fall in love with me was an easy task.
Lugard is gonna sign everything he took from my parents back to me and when am done with him, I’ll kill him and his daughter. Killing him now would be a total disaster cause I won’t get the company but marrying his daughter who’s the heir would be a perfect plan.
No one knows Tyson Knowles is still alive else he would had come for my life.
To the world I am Regan Cruse a t©p model but when I put on the mask it’s TY 💀
h0tEL FINESSE 🏨
◌⑅⃝●♡⋆♡JENNIFER♡⋆♡●⑅◌
“Keith just arrived “Zara told me in a whisper and we turned to the door. keith walked in majestically with to the VIP section and took a seat
“What’s she doing in Nigeria?” I asked Zara
“I don’t know”
“I hate foreigners they disgust me”
Zara smiled “You look like one”
“I really hate them”
“Enough of the gossips go serve table 14” Monsieur Piere, the number one chef at the breakfast hour chirpped in
“Go serve the princess” I whispered to Zara and we bur-st into laughter
“Go now Jennifer” Monsieur Pierre seethed
“me? I… am serving table 26”
“Zara serve table 26 Jennifer to table 14”
I made faces at him and he turned “she wants coffee”
I breathed out
For a minute, I thought he caught me.
Zara sm-irked at me and walked off with a tray to serve table 26
I plugged in the coffee percolator and waited patiently then took the cu-p when it was full. I placed it on a tray and hummed across the tables to table 14. When I was close, Keith looked up from her phone then back to her phone with a sm-irk.
Ignorant of her plan, I got to her table and she immediately got up and bu-mped into me ma-king the h0t coffee to pour on her b©dy.
My eyes wi-de-ned
◌⑅⃝●♡⋆♡KEITH♡⋆♡●⑅◌
I watched her as she danced to my table
stupid bit-ch!
I just hate poverty and she’s too beautiful.
I can’t believe Michael I noticed her while he was with me
Immediately she got to my table, I got up and bu-mped into her intentionally ma-king the h0t coffee pour on my b©dy
Gosh!
It hurts
“How could you be so careless?” I yelled and everyone turned to us
“Am sorry”
“You’re such a careless imbecile” I yelled and sl@pped her on her cheek
Serves her right
“who’s the manager here?”
“Miss” Mr Geoffrey ran to us
“Is this how the service here is?”
“No miss Stein it was an accident”
“oh really? Maybe I’ll accidentally sue this h0tel”
“you don’t have to” The chef pleaded
“Then fire her
waiters like her will cost you important customers like me and she can also cause infections she moves about with lice” I seethed and walked out
I could hear Jennifer pleading with the manager.
The guards held the door open and I got in while placing a call to my dad
“Hello dad… I can’t take it again… Am not returning till you do it… kill her… Clifford Jennifer ”
TBC