Valerie's Contractor ||Completed||

En route

I woke up from my very brief sleep. Can you imagine that before I dozed off, it was about 4:00 AM or thereabouts? Hmmm, I told you he was trouble, didn't I?

I lifted myself up from the comfy enticing bed. Then I got on my knees, and said my morning prayers. After saying my prayers, I did 20 wall pushups and 30 squats. Thereafter, I had a warm bath. Then picked up a pair of fitted blue jeans and a white Anna Taylor designer top. After dressing up, I stood in front of the big mirror and admired my beautiful image. "Well, hello gorgeous?" I said. But wait... there was something missing. Aha! My tiny red rose flowered scarf. I quickly located it, then wrapped it around my hair. "Perfecto!" I said. Then blew myself a kiss. I had always been my greatest fan since time immemorial.

A steaming hot cup of coffee would have been excellent to start up yet another busy day. While in the USA, I always started my day with a cup of my favorite Starbucks coffee. Right now, any brand of coffee would really make me delighted.

I went into the kitchen, picked a glass from the kitchen cabinet, then washed it in the sink. After washing it, I poured some water into the clean antiquated drinking tumbler. Once I gripped the glass in an attempt to take a sip from it, I heard a little cracking sound emanate from the glass, and in a split second, the glass shattered to slivers. "You must be kidding me!" I shrieked. I have had it up to my throat. I knew I wasn't gonna stay for long in this mansion but at least for the time being, I had the right to enjoy my last days in this house.

Nothing was gonna stop me from going to the mall to get some groceries today. I couldn't keep on staying in a house that lacked the basic amenities I needed for survival. Hence, I decided to head out to the mall at Ikoyi to do some shopping.

My white Range Rover sport's engine roared as I zoomed out of the compound. I left the house with the illusion, that I was gonna enjoy a smooth ride to and fro from the mall. Little did I know, that the stress-free life I had gotten used to in the USA, was very far from the life here in Nigeria... Or maybe I just forgot what it felt like to be in a place like Eko.

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Pim piiiimmmm!!! Horns were blaring left, right, and center. Young boys and girls hawking assorted goods were running from one car window to another, some were advertising what they sell, while others were attending to their customers. The typical hustle and bustle atmosphere of Lagos.

My head was spinning, the hunger I felt was ripping me apart. I had been sitting in my jeep for close to two hours now. The last time I had something decent to eat was yesterday afternoon at Danny's diner. Right now I was so famished! This traffic was adding to my frustration.

I sighted a young girl approaching my vehicle. She was hawking the legendary Bole and groundnut. Immediately, I sat up and honked to signal her that I was interested in what she was selling. If I missed this golden opportunity to save myself from this lethal hunger, then my ancestors could confidently prepare a spot for me to come join them.

I honked again, then lowered the windows. "Bole!" I shouted. When the girl sighted me, she ran with reckless abandon towards my vehicle. When she got to the window, she was panting profusely. "Madam... you wan buy? I get hundred naira own, one fifty own, even two hundred naira own dey sef. Which one you want?" She asked.

"Em. Is it fresh?" I asked as if I really had a choice now. "And how much are your groundnuts?"

"Madam, fifty naira own and hundred naira own dey. The bole na just now now I comot am from fire and the groundnut na very very fresh groundnut. Madam abeg follow me buy." The young girl with two tribal marks on either side of her cheek strategically marketed her goods.

"Give me the hottest one out of those ones you sell for two hundred naira, with hundred naira groundnut." I said. Handing over a thousand naira note to her.