200 Guineas - Chapter One

Dele shot Maggie a worried look. It was Sunday afternoon, so they were almost out of food until Professor gave out money again on Tuesday to Dele and her three step-mothers.

Maggie understood money was always tight.  Professor claimed he was very careful in allocating funds. Maybe it was because her father had fourteen children from four wives and only made a polytechnic instructor’s salary. On top of his familial obligations, Professor still entertained the boys, his large group of male friends each weekend.

Maggie had to figure out something because she was the older girl and therefore in charge of feeding her siblings. Professor would never give them any more money before Tuesday, especially since Dele had asked for his university tuition last week.

Getting food from Professor’s relatives was also forbidden by Professor because the Jimoh’s were not beggars. But Maggie’s mother had been an orphan and apart from two distant cousins in Epe, they had no family on her mother’s side to go to for help.

She gazed up at the sky as the bus travelled through the quiet Sunday streets. Maybe she could ask Mrs. Kevin. Maggie shuddered.  Mr. Kevin always found a reason to touch Maggie when she was around him. Mr. Kevin was one of her father‘s friends, one ofthe boys. For that reason, Dele and Remi loathed him like a diseased rat.

“What’s wrong?” Remi asked her.

“Food,” Maggie whispered.

“Don’t worry, we will find something,” Remi replied, smiling back.

Thirty minutes later, the four disembarked in Lagos Island and started the short walk home. She searched her little purse to see what money she had. All she found among her papers was two pence, which she would need to get to her job at Trinity School tomorrow. However, if she walked home, then she would only need one penny.

“How much to do you have?” Dele whispered.

“Three pence, but I only need two for tomorrow.” She forced a smile, knowing Dele would not take the penny from her if he knew she only had two.

Dele put his hands in his pockets and brought out another three pence. She knew it was all he had, so she took two. Maggie put the money in her purse and then strolled over to a road side stall where a little girl with messy hair sat frying yam slices. Maggie paid for three pence worth of yam. Without words, the little girl took out a sheet of old newspaper and started placing the yam slices on it. She sprinkled on some pepper sauce and wrapped up the small package. Maggie frowned. There was not a lot there, but if they all drank a lot of water they would be full tonight.

They got home and were ready to receive the wrath of their father, but luckily he had gone out unexpectedly.

* * *

“Thank you, Sister.” Ronke belched after the meal and stretched out across the floor of the tiny room the four shared.

Maggie and Remi were also sitting on the floor eating, while Dele sat on the bed reading an old engineering magazine.

“Thank Dele, he gave us the money.” Maggie pointed to him.

“Thank you, Brother.” Ronke jumped up and hugged him.

“Thank God, huh,” Dele replied quickly, returning to his reading.

Suddenly, they all heard someone banging on the door.

“Margaret! Margaret! Come here,” a woman yelled at the top of her voice.

 It was Mama Sunday, Professor’s first wife. Technically their mother was the first wife, but after she died, Mama Sunday started calling herself the first wife and Professor never challenged her about it.