Packaging Osas

🔺 Prologue 🔻

25 years ago

February 1995

"I no get food chop, Uyi, things hard for me." 29 years old Ese explain to her 24 years old sister who came all the way from Lagos to Benin in order to pay her a visit.

Uyi scoffed restraining herself from batting her eyes arrogantly at her sister, her complains were beginning to annoy her!

"Things hard naim you dey born children dey go. How many you get now? Three, only you one, you never fit feed Osas, na Edosa or Uwa you go fit feed. You still get another belle on top!" She snapped looking at her belly bump.

Ese cried, "No be my fault" "Couldn't you have made some concoction to stop you from giving birth? Where him dey now?" "I think say him go stay but as you see...." She shrugged.

"I no fit find person sef, no man go like cater for other people children."

"What about your occupation?" She asked, Ese was a traditional mid wife. "No be only when person wan born them go come? If I no get customer, I go con starve with my children?"

"What do you want from me now? How much do you think i earn in Lagos? How much do you think the adoption agency pay? I have tried and I'm only your little sister. Sister, you should be the one taking care of me"

"No use big English scatter my head, assuming Mama being move me go Lagos too, I for Sabi speak pass you. No make me feel useless pass as I feel"

Uyi suddenly felt guilty for her utterance" Have you asked Veronica and her husband in Abuja?" He asked about one their Aunt and Ese shook her head.

"I no ask for money again. I want your favor"

"What do you want?"

"I want sell my children, you fit help me?"

"Osalobua... (My God) Sister Ese! God forbid! E never reach that level now"

"E don reach. That una adoption agent" "Agency" "You fit give my children out, tell them say their Mama don die. Abeg help me give them to all these rich people wey dey find children before them die for my hand because of hunger. Na beg I dey beg you" She knelt down before her sister and Uyi cried looking away.

"Abeg"

May 1995

Edo state

Uyi arrived dressed in a cream colored guinea gown. Immediately the children noticed her they all to hug her. Ese got out flashing a smile at her.

She handed them chin chin and bread and they all went into the house leaving the both of them outside.

"I have good news on that issue we discussed about. I don't know if we can call it good news but it's a breakthrough"

"There are people that wants the children. Desperate parents; them ready to pay good money" she opened her bag revealing some money.

"Osalo....." She trailed off then she covered her mouth, "They are really rich and they are willing to pay handsomely" "That Kain money, so them give you money, na so them take trust you"

"They do."

"Dem never balance me, but I go give you your share for the money"

"Sure say no be ritualist them be?"

"No! It's something we call a closed adoption, you'll have no connection with them that's why they are willing to pay so much" she explained and Ese exhaled.