Story by Deborah Paul
mother why ?
episode 5
That night Amelia could not sleep, she went on her knees and prayed farvantly asking God to help her, she was so serious with her prayers that she didn’t know it was disturbing the whole house including their neighbors.
Mrs chioma tried to ignored the noise her daughter was making but she couldn’t, she got up and went to her daughters room.
MRS CHIOMA
come, Amelia what’s the meaning of this ru-bbish you are doing?
(she said slapping Amelia to norice her)
AMELIA
I’m praying ma
AMARA
mum as in eeh the matter tire me, this girl want to bring down this house ooh.
MRS CHIOMA
If you must pray, can you do it silently? must you shout and disturb the whole neighborhood?
AMELIA
I’m sorry mum, I didn’t know my voice was loud.
MRS CHIOMA
thun-der fire you there, didn’t that your Bible wark you about praying and screaming? he said you have no reward when you pray and shout.
Amelia smiled within her because she un-der perfectly now that saying that even the devil knows bible.
AMELIA
I will try to kept my voice down ma
AMARA
the one you have prayed is enough, is not only your problem God will listen to, give way for other people to make their own complain.
AMELIA
(she looked at her ignorant sister and shook her head)
I already said I will be quiet with my prayers.
MRS CHIOMA
if you let me come back here again, I will just forget you are my daughter and kill you.
(she said angrily)
Mrs chioma went back into her room, while Amara went into the living room as she could no longer sleep because of her sister’s loud prayer.
NEXT DAY
Mr Patrick sat on the dinning table with his wife having breakfast, his kids Vanessa and her elder brother Aaron had gone out early for jogging.
Mr Patrick suddenly remembered what happened at his office the previous day so he decided to share with his wife.
MR PATRICK
honey
MRS MELINDA
yes love, what is it?
(she said dropping her cu-p of tea)
MR PATRICK
nothing mum, just that I want to ask you a question.
MRS MELINDA
okay, hope no problem because your face doesn’t look okay to me.
MR PATRICK
of course I’m okay baby…. you know Martha my PA right?
MRS MELINDA
silly, who doesn’t know Martha, oh she was really a good PA.
MR PATRICK
Like seriously, I really miss her….. Martha was professional, she was diligent in her work.
MRS MELINDA
Yeah she was but baby, this one you brou-ght up her issue, what’s going on? thought you hire a new personal as-sistance?
MR PATRICK
Babe, I did but honestly I don’t un-derstand that girl.
MRS MELINDA
how do you mean? honey I know that you were so close with Martha and martha knows the job very well, but you should know that she was once a novice just like your new PA
(she concluded with Letting her husband finish what he had to say)
Mr Patrick decided to keep shut since his wife had already concluded that he was complaining about his new PA because he misses his old personal as-sistance.
He finish up his breakfast and ki-ssed his wife, she helped him with his briefcase and he left.
2:45pm
Amelia had walked the city of Abuja for the whole day, she was tired of walking, she say at a conner crying.
“God why are you doing this go me”? I have been faithful to you, I follow the ways of my father, why won’t you hear my prayer and answer me? look at my sister, even with her evil intention she still got a job that very day she went out for job hunting, why can’t I get a job? why?
(she lamented bitterly)
After crying for what seem like forever she decided to go home, she decided to go home and face her fate in her hands of her mother….. just as she got up from where she sat, she noticed a signboard accross the road, she wanted to go check it out but kick against it, she walked away, but her mind kept asking her to go back and check the signboard so she turned and went to the place.
She saw the gate man and greeted him politely but the gate man didn’t answer her greeting.
GATE MAN
yes madam, na who you dey find?
AMELIA
I no find anybody my brother, I just come because of this job vacancy.
GATE MAN
(He looked at her from head to toe)
you mean say you want work?
AMELIA
yes sir
GATE MAN
madam, please leave this place, this vacancy is not for someone like you.
AMELIA
(Surprised)
how do you mean sir, I’m qualify for this job, I can teach very well….. I’m a graduate.
GATE MAN
How can you be looking like this and you say you are looking for a job? look here madam, this school belong to a very rich man and the kids that goes here are from very wealthy home too….if they see you I’m sure they will arrest you for trying to inflict their kids with unknown disease.
Amelia was shocked at what the gate man was saying, she looked herself from her head down to her feet to be sure the gate man wasn’t mistaken about her.
AMELIA
oga I no get any sickness, na work I dey find.
GATE MAN
I see, I don know una type, shey na una be those people wey dey kidnap people children abi? God don catch you today.
Amelia was surprised at the turn of events, she thought the gate man was joking, not until he started to slap and grabbed her that she knew she was in for a real trouble… The gate man pull her into the school compound and lock the gate, he went into his office and took his telephone and called the police telling them he had catch a kidnapper and a thief, Amelia was made to sat on the floor untill the police arrive.
Amelia begged and begged, explaining to them that she’s nothing close to what they have tagged her, that she had only come to seek for a job but no one would believe her.
The officers werewere about throwing her into their van when the owner of the school drove in, because of the drama going on in front of his school gate, the young man had no choice but to park outside his school gate
MICHAEL
excuse me officers, what’s happening here?
GATE MAN
good afternoon sir.
MICHAEL
James can you tell me what’s going on here? don’t you know where this place is? why causing so much trouble?
JAMES
I’m sorry sir, I just caught a kidnapper sir
MICHAEL
what?
(he scream in shock)
MICHAEL
how come? where is the kidnapper?
JAMES
she’s the one sir
(he said pointing to Amelia)
Amelia quickly pushed one of the officers aside and ran to knee in front of Michael, she hoped and pray he would listen to her own side of the story.
Story by Deborah Paul
mother why?
episode 6
Amelia quickly went on her knees to explain herself to Mr Michael.
AMELIA
I swear sir I’m innocent of this accusations
(she begged with tears in her eyes)
JAMES
shut up, how can you say you are innocent when you are caught red handed?
MICHAEL
Did you see her kidnapping any child?
(Michael asked shocking his gateman)
JAMES
Eeh, is not like I saw her pickint any child, but sir can’t you see she look suspicious?
AMELIA
I’m innocent sir, please believe me, I only came here because of this vacancy signboard…… I don’t know what his talking about.
Michael looked at her from her head down to her feet, as if making sure he wasn’t doing a big mistake.
MICHAEL
officers you can go, it’s nothing that can’t be handled…. sorry for the inconveniences.
The officer even if angry couldn’t express it because Michael is not just any kind of guy, but a billionaire, so they dare not talk to him rudely or stand a chance of losing their job….. They entered their van and zoom off.
immediately the police officers left, Amelia got up and thanked Michael, she turned her back and started walking away but Michael called her back.
MICHAEL
excuse me miss
He said and Amelia walked back to where he stood beside his car and his gate man.
AMELIA
please I do not want anymore trouble, I only came here because of how bad I
nee-ded a job, oy to be humiliated and leballed a kidnapper.
MICHAEL
I’m sorry about what happened here today, please, would you follow me to my office so we can talk?
AMELIA
sir?
(she asked surprised that Michael was inviting her to his office)
MICHAEL
please
AMELIA
okay sir.
Michael entered his car, and opened the other side door for amelia to enter too, he gave his gate man a deadly stare that made James to shiver.
JAMES
Which kind of trouble is this one now? if you are good with your job it’s a problem, if you are not good another problem, I just caught a kidnapper and instead of oga to priase me his staring at me angrily.
MICHAEL
(he wind down his car window)
will you open the gate for me? or you will just stand their and increase your punishment?
James quickly ran back into the compound and opened the gate for his boss.
LATER THAT EVENING
Ameila return home feel grateful, she thanked God she was finally saved by Michael, she knelt in front of her bed and thanked God for saving her.
” if you didn’t save me, maybe I would have been dead by now, lord, I have only been an ungrateful child to you, I lamented, I complained about her my life hasn’t been going well, I forgot that I’m not paying you a dime for your love and protection…. I learnt my lesson today lord, I did…. thank you for proving yourself to me once again”.
After saying her prayers, she opened her eyes and notice her mother and sister standing beside her.
MRS CHIOMA
tell me you came back with bad news today again.
AMARA
What else are you expecting from someone who is already curse? she can’t bring anything good to the table.
(she insulted)
AMELIA
Amara the way you talk to me, sometimes I wonder if you still remember I’m your elder sister.
MRS CHIOMA
elder sister? do you act like one? yes you are the eldest but Amara here is more intelligent and smarter than you.
AMELIA
mama!!!
MRS CHIOMA
don’t mama me, it’s been a week since you started job hunting, up till this very moment you have brou-ght nothing to the table, not even a job as a cleaner…. Kai Amalia you should hide your head in shame.
AMELIA
mum it might look late in your guy’s eyes, but with my God his time is perfect….. well, it may interest you both to know that I finally got a job.
immediately she said that they both turn to look at themselves in shock, Mrs chioma didn’t want to seem defeated so she went further to Mick her child.
MRS CHIOMA
So Which company did they employ you as a cleaner?
AMELIA
I’m not a cleaner mum….. I now work as a secretary in a very big school.
AMARA
You? big school? who will employ someone like you?
AMELIA
a proghet is not appropriated in his own home town.
(she said and left them in her room)
Amelia went into the bathroom, she turn on the shower and cried….. her mind went back to what happened earlier, she cried even more knowing that she could have been dead by now if not for the help of God and Michael…. she remembered Michael asking her what exactly she came to do in his school before she got caught by his gate man, she remembered showing him, her certificate and Michael was blown out, he couldn’t resist employing her…. she was still in de-ep thought when she suddenly remembered the money Michael gave her as she was about leaving to get herself treated because of the beating she received from his gate man, and get herself some new clothes for her new job.
immediately she tie her towel and ran out, but her fear was correct, Amara saw the money when she was searching throu-ghher sister’s bag to see if she would find anything that would confirm what Amelia has told them…. but she found money instead.
AMARA
mum look what I found.
MRS CHIOMA
(Shocked)
where did she get this kind of money from?
AMARA
shh shhh mum since she didn’t tell us about any money, let’s just take it and pretend like we didn’t see anything
MRS CHIOMA
you are very correct my daughter.
They took the money and returned back to the living room, Amelia came out from the bathroom and quickly ran to her bag to search for her money but her bag was empty, there was no money in it.
“I’m sure I kept the hundred thousand naira Michael gave me in my bag, I’m very sure I brou-ght it home, could it be that mum has taken my money”?
she went to the living room with her towel still tie around her wai-st, Amara and Mrs chioma knowing what they have done ignored her
AMELIA
mum, Amara please did you guys happen to see any money in my bag?
MRS CHIOMA
excuse you…. what do you mean by that nonsense question you just asked?
AMARA
when did you start having money? have you ever worked for a kobo in your entire life? eeh tell me.
AMELIA
I know it’s one of you that took my money, please return it… that money was given go me by my new boss to buy new clothes for my new job.
that moment Mrs chioma and Amara knew Amelia was serious about getting a job, that moment they concluded that the owner of the school must be a very wealthy person to rele-ase hundred thousand just like that, they imagined how much her salary would be.
AMARA
So, you are really serious about having a job?
AMELIA
I would never tell a lie because of I’m afriad….. please whoever that took my money should return it now.
(she said and walked back into her room)
Mrs chioma was surprised, so money can make someone very pompous? because just yesterday Amelia was staying out because she was scared she would heat her for not having a job, but look at how bold money has made her.
………….to be continued