HEAVEN TO YOU |A Nigerian Romance|

Chapter 1.

UWA

"Aunty Uwa, Madam say make I call you (Madam said I should call you)." Bimbo, the youngest staff and cleaner says to me after I finish with the pedicure treatment for the last client for the day.

"Thank you, Bimbo." I smile to her in gratitude. I wash my hands and wipe them on my work apron before heading to my boss's office, AKA Madam Cash. Her actual name is Mrs. Ihuoma Nwafor but you see, she was give that nickname because of how much she loves and does not joke with her money.

I knock on her door and go in when I hear her voice permitting me to enter the office. Behind her brown wooden mahogany desk, she sat down smilling at me. Madam Cash is actually a very nice woman even with her love for her money and also does a program that is focused at empowering the girl child.

"Uwa, sit. I have something to tell you." She says.

"Yes, Madam." I take my seat, nervously wiping the sweat off my palms. She rarely summons you to her office except in very severe situations. Hope I did not offend anybody? Hmmm. Osalobua (God)!

"I will be travelling to Abuja tomorrow for an emergency meeting with some of my sponsors for my NGO." She informs and I nod my head in response.

"In that light, I will be leaving everything in your care since Remi decided to resign without notice." She hisses as she called her name. Remi was the manager till she left two weeks ago without calling or tendering a formal letter of resignation. All efforts to reach her have proven abortive as she has not picked any of our calls since. Only God knows why she left.

"Did you hear what I said?" She asks, snapping her fingers across my face to get my attention.

"Yes, ma." I say, continuously nodding my head. Relief washes through me for I am glad that I am not in any form of trouble.

"That is all. You may leave." She dismisses me with a wave of her fingers as her iPhone starts ringing signalling an incoming call.

"Okay, ma. Thank you, ma." I stand up and curtesy as a sign of respect before leaving her office, gently closing the door.

"John, I dey go house (I am going home), till tomorrow." I say to the nail technician, one of the best I have seen so far.

"Me sef, you know say this lagos traffic no be here. Before motor start to dey gather for road, make me sef comot (Me too, you know this Lagos traffic is something else, before vehicles become much, let me also leave)." He replies back in pidgin.

I exit the beauty palace I worked at; 'Ihe's place' to take a commercial bus going my way. The place is located in Lekki and according to Madam, it serves as a relaxation and relief spot for the big girls and boys of Lagos who get some pampering on their body. It is a spa and beauty parlour. I work in the spa section but sometimes fill in for pedicure when we have alot of customers.

"Wole pelu change eh o (go in with your change)." The conductor kept repeating as I hop into the bus. It might seem like a funny thing but in this Lagos, if they say that and you don't have change, please don't board the bus because you will be forced to hear things you are not prepared for. So to avoid disrespect, just listen and adhere to the instructions.

I reach into my bag and bring out the gala sausage roll and La Casera drink I had purchased during break in preparation for this trip I am going to embark on just to get home. Considering the fact that I was going to the mainland from Lekki which is located at the Island part of Lagos, I knew I had a long journey because this Lagos traffic must surely catch up with me.

After more than 1 hour, I arrive at my area in Ikeja, just close to the Military Cantonment. The time is already 7pm but since there is a cantonment around here, it is still a little safe for one to walk here at this time.

I don't walk, though. I take a bike instead just to be on the safe side.

Now, a little about me. My name is Abieyuwa Gift Omozuwa and I am from Benin City, Edo State. I was born and lived a greater part of my life there. My father was a civil servant, working as a principal in one of the government schools back there but when he died when I was 10, things went sour for my mom, my siblings and I. I had to stop schooling for some time to go to farm with my mom.

I am 25 years old and have both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Engineering from University of Lagos and University of Kentucky respectively.

Back then in Secondary school, I graduated as the best student in my set so I was given a scholarship to study at the University of Lagos and I graduated with a first class. My mother was so excited and the icing of the cake was when I finished my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and applied for the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) scholarship and got it. It was do unbelievable for me and my family.

With an all expense paid tuition and upkeep program, I travelled to Kentucky and did my MSc. and returned to Nigeria after my program, hoping to get a job to provide for my family.

You see those moments when they tell you that if you have a first class and further have a master's degree from a school in Yankee that means getting a job is certain for you in this country, hmmm, it is a lie o. Most of them get the jobs through 'connections' or doing something else.

I have applied for several jobs but when asked who I know or have connections with and I say nobody, I get immediately declined or made an offer to sleep with the boss for a job. That is why as a graduate of Engineering, I am working at a beauty palace, something not in any way related to my course of study. A girl has to survive.

I am pulled off my train of thoughts when the bike stops in front of my house. I pay the bike man his fare and walk towards the door, sliding in my key to gain access into my apartment.

"Uwa, you are back." I hear my best friend and roomate, Nimi, call from the kitchen.

"Yes, I am back. How was work?" I ask her.

"Fine. Except for the fact that Sandra, that office gossip wanted to spoil my day, it was okay." Sandra is her arch nemesis. Nimi works as a personal assistant at a Law firm here in Ikeja, so navigating through home and work is quite easy for her.

"You and that Sandra." I laugh, shaking my head. She leaves the kitchen and walks to the sitting room, plopping down on one of the sofas we owned.

"That one is her business, I will just jejely stay in my lane. I can't afford to lose this job because of getting into a fight with her." She shrugs.

"I smell something nice. What are you cooking?" I ask grinning from ear to ear. She rolls her eyes and tosses one of the throw pillows to me.

"See your mouth like what are you cooking. It's sha jollof rice." She says.

"Hope you did not sha pack plenty pepper inside." This my friend here is the definition of a Yoruba girl, pepper and her are best friends. I wonder how the taste of the food still comes out amazing even with the amount of pepper she uses.

"Before nko? I put pepper or do you want me to vomit ni?" She asks.

"Hah! Nimi, you will not kill me. One day you will succeed in destroying my taste buds." I say.

"Shut up, you will drink water." She laughs and goes back to the kitchen to continue cooking while I go into the room to drop my bag and freshen up.

Thank God I have a roomate who understands my work schedule. Well, that is why we are bestfriends. I love her, though but I don't tell her everytime before her head starts swelling.