Stormy Bell

2 : Lady carrie

I had specifically chosen to learn and explore, been immersed in books like a reader who is emotionally bonded with the characters feeling their each and every sentiment while reading a book.

Albeit I read them secretly, quietly tucking the books in my dress and I burn the candle every night

I should've been socializing with friends, friends that I didn't have but I was a loner, I did have acquittance but that was all I had

No lover
No close friends
No one I could deeply trust

It had been like this from the day I had grown into the society.

I Never ran away from my problems , I face them everyday with my head high but here I am fleeing

I duck behind a mud house, took a slippery path where there was few people oblivious to my presence. None seem to spare me a glance

I ran, clutching my canvas bag in my hand. I had plans for myself and never have I thought of marriage.

When I was twelve, mother had took me to the outskirt of the village to stay with one of my aunty.

She was a rich woman who sold buba and tie and dye attire for the village women. Mother has left me there and I began to help my aunty in her business.... well like I was told to do, she practically turned me into her servant.

She had a daughter kemi, oh how I had envied her. she was a couple of years older than me, my aunty had wanted kemi to learn something from the British handbook she had purchased.

My aunty had said if her daughter could learn a thing or two from it, the suitors will be impressed and she might eventually caught the eye of a rich suitor.

Of course kemi hated the idea, fortunately I was around whenever the tutor came. My job was to fan them and stand beside kemi ready to hand to her whatever she needs.

There I had gotten a peak of the borrowed language. Kemi wasn't interested but I paid attention to all the tutor said. I had pretended that I wasn't listening because I might land myself in trouble.

After one year of training and kemi still didn't know how to recite the alphabet the Tutor complained.

He shouted at my aunty telling her that females were not born to read as our brain won't pick the teaching. He went ahead making kemi a perfect example.

I had wanted to shout back to boast to him what I had learnt but I had stay mute

I managed to steal three of his books for myself. I was just thirteen.

The sun was already shining and the slippery road glittered, my head throbbed and my leg ache from all the running.

Suddenly the air smelt fresh and I knew immediately that I was near the ocean.

A tall building hidden behind the bush came to view. It was the white man Church, the building alone was the most beautiful structure in the village. It was constructed with shiny stone and bricks.

This wasn't the only church in the community, despite there were other traditional religion practiced some believed in the teaching of the missionaries but funny enough their religion had been accepted by the villagers still refuse to associate with the white people.

You see the king do tell the stories other villages suffered in the hands of the white people but our village was different.

The king claims it was the gods that were on our side, he refused the white men religion and served the stone god Ogun.

Bringing myself out of my slumber, I ventured into the church, no one would find me here.

When the sun set, I would continue my journey.