STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
I TOO NEEDS TO BE HEAED
EPISODE 3
I quickly rushed to the cla-sses that were owing me money and collected my money, so I could rush back and meet up with him because it was obvious he was about to leave.
When I came back him was standing with the principal of the school and two other teachers … the way Mr ru-ben was smiling I was sure the young man had filled his Pocket with lots of money….. sir ru-ben doesn’t joke with money, and his the most Conny man I have ever met.
I knew there was no way Mr ru-ben was going to let me talk to the young man, so I went outside the gate to wait for him.
Soon the school flew open and he drove out, he wind down and tipped the gate man some money.
Before he could wind up I rushed to stand beside his car, I faced his so he knows I was there for him and not that I was admiring his car.
JOSHUA
yeah, can I help you?
I was about to say something when he wave his hand at my face and carried his wallet, he counted some money and gave to me…. I firstly collected the money before I told him why I was there.
SONIA
I’m sorry sir, I didn’t come to beg you for money…. I can based on the conversation you had earlier with someone on the phone.
JOSHUA
(He looked at me shocked)
if you didn’t come to beg why then did you accept the money?
SONIA
this is a gift, I didn’t beg for the money, you gave it to me as a gift so I had to accept it… beside this money would go a long way in my life for now, if eventually you refuse to offer me a job.
JOUSHA
did I tell you I was offering people jobs?
SONIA
I overheard you complaining earlier that your last worker was lazy and dirty, I’m very ha-rd working sir, I can Cook, I can clean, and I’m not dirty…. so please employ me sir.
I’m sure the young man would be wondering who the hell I am and what gave me so much boldness to stand before him to make demands…. he looked at me from my head down to my toes before he spoke.
JOUSHA
I don’t pick random people to come clean my house and cook my meals, for all I know you might be an a-ssa-ssin….. I have too many competitors and enemy who doesn’t like to see my progress.
SONIA
(I laughed)
and if I’m an a-ssa-ssin I will come to you looking like this? I am not an a-ssa-ssin sir, I sell snacks in this school… I should be the one scared that I’m begging a stranger to give me a job.
He looked at me like he should come down from his car and slap me…. was my word to harsh? I quickly fake a smile to calm him down.
He started his car and drove away, but he didn’t go far before he stopped the car and horrb at me to come closer.
I rushed to meet him, he gave me his complimentary card which had his phone number and house address on it.
JOUSHA
this is my card, come to this address by 7am tomorrow….. if you are one minute late don’t border knocking at my gate, because Bruno would chase you away.
before I could say jack, he drove away like a crazy handsome guy that he is.
where is home? home is where you have peace of mind, home is where you are accepted, welcomed and loved no matter what… home is where your love ones live, home is where people who care about you live….. for once I have never taken where I live to be my home…. I stay with mercy and her parents…. mercy she’s a friend I met a while ago….. she liked me at a go, maybe because I always make free hair for her… we are mates but she’s in the university and she would be rounding up very soon.
Now I explained what home is to you guys right….i don’t feel at home at mercy’s place…. the mother is only nice when I bring something to the table, any day I didn’t come home with money she would frown her face and talk to me like we had beef before.
As for her father that one has never allowed me to sleep in peace, every night he will come to the room mercy and I sleep and try to ra-pe me.
How I have managed to escape this man for close to a year now is a miracle to me.
I greeted Mercy’s parents and dropped the stuff I bought on my way coming back… as usual the mother was please with me….. she thanked me and collected the stuffs from me…. while her husband stare at me harshly and called me a dirty slut…. who cares? if everything goes well I will soon leave their house.
Mercy was staying in campus, she only visit home during weekend…. so we weren’t expecting her till weekend….I changed and went into the kitchen to a-ssist Mercy’s mother.
We were still in the kitchen when mercy came back from school, she gave some reasons why she came back… I wasn’t even interested in her reasons….I was just worried that Mr Joshua might not accept me.
after dinner that night I told mercy about Joshua and what he said….i even showed her the card he gave me…. she was happy for me, or so I thought.
mercy and her parents live in a three bedroom apartment, one room for mercy, the other is for her parents while the third one is their living room.
I was in the living room watching tv when I slept off…… only to wake up with an unusual touch, someone was dragging my skirt with me, I didn’t need to open my eyes to know it was Mercy’s father.
I jumped down from the couch and dragged my skirt back up.
MR NNAEMEKA
what is wrong with you sonia? why are you acting stubborn?
SONIA
sir what are you doing? you are my friend’s father.
MR NNAEMEKA
but I’m not your father, so what’s your problem? you live un-der my roof, you eat my cood….
SONIA
this days I buy most of the food we eat in this house sir….. this is so wrong and you should hide your face in shame.
I said and ran into Mercy’s room before he tries something funny again .
I woke up very early the next morning, as I was getting ready to go to keep up with time mercy too got up and started to get ready
SONIA
you have cla-ss this morning?
MERCY
no, I’m coming with you
SONIA
coming with me? to where?
MERCY
you are going to meet a total stranger, I can’t let you go alone, for all we know he might be a ritualist.
I laughed, it was funny because Joshua didn’t want me because he thought I might an a-ssa-ssin and here is my friend thinking bad of him too.
STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
MY DESIRE
EPISODE 4
I got ready and set out to go, mercy too came out to join me.
MERCY
you look beautiful in this dress ooh
SONIA
(I laughed)
are you trying to mock me or what?
MERCY
Nigerians would never take a compliment….. just say thank you, it won’t kill you.
SONIA
okay madam, thank you…. shall we?
MERCY
mum and dad are still sleeping, I need to go inform them that we are going out.
SONIA
please be fast about it, he gave me time to be at his place.
Before I could finish talking, she was already running inside to tell her parents we we’re going out
Soon she came back and we left the house.
We arrived at the address Joshua gave me, we took a taxi so it would be fast for us . on a normal day I won’t spend my money like that .
I checked the time, lucky me I still had about ten minutes before the time he gave me.
Mercy knocked at the gate after confirming we were at the right address.
A very hu-ge and bearded young man came to open the door, who I was guessing is the security.
MAN
yes, how may I help you?
His voice was ti-ght, his eyes very red, it was obvious our knock woke him up from his beauty sleep
SONIA
I’m here to see Joshua Jason
MAN
and who are you?
I showed him the card Joshua gave me so he would know I’m not crazy to come to someone’s door as early as it is to beg for aims.
SONIA
I’m Sonia, he gave me this card to come see him today … please can you inform him I’m here? he earned that I shouldn’t be one minute late.
He looked at me from my head down to my toes, then he looked at mercy…. my dressing wasn’t something to right home about, I was sure of it…. but mercy dressed very well….
MAN
wait here while I go inside to tell him you are here
(I thanked him)
few minutes later he came back and opened the gate, I expected him to ask us to come inside but he gave me a bite and went back inside.
Before I could even ask him what his boss said and what was inside the note, he had already locked the gate.
Mercy collected the note from me, she was even more in a hurry to see what was inside than me who has the note.
I opened her to open the note, read it first before I collected it to read too.
“you can start working tomorrow, when you come we will talk about your salary and how many days you will work in a week….. and please don’t bring any anything, whatever you need will be made available here” JJ.
I read the note and smiled happily, but why did he allow me to come if he wasn’t going to see me and talk to me face to face?
As if mercy could read my thoughts, she said
MERCY
babe, are you sure this man is not a ritualist? he didn’t come outside probably because his security told him you came with someone…. if I were you I won’t come back here ooh
SONIA
what worse can he do to me? babe you worry too much, he can’t do me anything… just he happy for me that I got the job.
MERCY
okay ooh, I’m happy for you…. just he careful….
SONIA
I’m going to be okay…. let’s go home, so I can go and sell at the school.
MERCY
you already have a job, why do you still want to school to sell?
SONIA
see this girl oh, why won’t I go to school? it’s not even 8am yet? why won’t I go and sell? what will I be doing at home till tomorrow?
MERCY
you rest, you pack your stuffs and get ready
SONIA
but you saw in the note, he said I shouldn’t come with anything….so i can’t stay at home… common let’s go girl.
I pulled her by the hand and we started to walk to where we will get a bus….. I wasn’t ready to spend my money paying for another taxi.
FAST FORWARD TO THE NEXT DAY
I work up around 7am, I did a little morning chores, before going to take my bathe…. for some reason I just felt I should go a little late since he didn’t tell me when to resume.
after I finished bathing and dressing up, mercy woke up and pleaded to go with me… she said it was the only way she could have peace of mind that I will be okay in Joshua’s house.
I told her to quickly dress up…. she ran into the bathe and took her bathe…. minutes later we were already out of the house.
We got to Joshua’s place, as usual mercy was the first to knock at the gate.
It was not the guy from yesterday that opened up, it was someone else….. I introduce myself to him and he opened the gate.
MAN
his being expecting you miss
I wanted to enter but mercy was fas-ter so she pushed her way throu-gh… I follow from behind.
As the man led us to the big building we met Joshua coming out with two men and one lady…. the other lady had files in her hand, while one of the men had a briefcase in his left hand.
SONIA
good morning sir
(I greeted immediately I moved closer)
JOSHUA
I’m already running late, make yourself comfortable…. we will talk when I come back.
SONIA
okay sir.
I didn’t even know what to say or the next thing to ask him so I just moved from the way so they could pa-ss
JOSHUA
Bobo make sure you show her around
He told the young man that opened the gate for us.
WW.usu
We waited aside while Bobo went to open the gate for him to drive out…… he locked the gate after joshua had left.
BOBO
shall we?
MERCY
after you please.
He led the way to the living room, I couldn’t believe my eyes, everywhere was so messed up, clothes were littered everywhere, empty bottles of alcoholic drinks….. the room was totally a mess.
He looked handsome yet very dirty or so I thought.
Bobo showed us Around, when he was done he turn to look at us
BOBO
Did JJ employ the both of you? or what?
SONIA
oh that, I’m the one who is going to be working here…my friend is just here know the place I’m working…. you know how the country is, one can’t be too careful you know.
BOBO
I un-derstand…. I’m going to my post, make yourself comfortable.
SONIA
thank you
MERCY
thank you
He nodded his head and walked outside…. mercy immediately jumped on the couch excitedly
MERCY
oh wow, this is so soft… babe I swear the guy is not just rich, his fuc-king handsome…. I drippled
SONIA
mercy come back to your senses, that man is not your type oKay? don’t cross your boundaries ooh .
I saw how she immediately frowned her face, she might feel insulted but I didn’t care, I was there to work not to admire handsome man.
story continues
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