"So?" Aunty asked adjusting her rear mirror so she could see mum.
"We search for that hotel" Mum answered nonchalantly.
Aunty Mma slowed to a stop before swerving off the road and into a street whose road was plastered with red mud. A line of old shops built with rusted zinc greeted us as we throttled on. Children were all and about the place, forcing aunty Mma to slow down since her horns wouldn't stop them from running past her moving vehicle.
An angry and persistent blast from her had heard the children skidding to a stop, with angry faces of their mothers walking out from the various shops to know who was apparently disturbing their peace.
Aunty put the car into motion, as we scurried past them and further down into the street. It took over a minute before we pulled up beside the first concrete miniature shop we'd ever seen.
Turning the ignition off, aunty tilted her body towards mum, her eyes clouded in thick sadness as she spoke "Are you sure about this Nekky? Is there any little chance that you'll change your mind?" Silently, mum shook her head.
"Alright then" Aunty muttered grabbing and pushing the door open. "Let me ask these men for directions on how we can find a hotel or whatever around here"
She stepped out to meet with three older men sitting on a long metal bench in front of the miniature shop. The small wooden signpost resting on a stick beside them read "POOL OFFICE" with chalk writings about apparent match fixes written below it. The old men may not have heard us pull to a stop as they were still engrossed in the draft board game resting comfortably on their laps.
I watched as aunty walked hurriedly towards them and the cheery conversation that occurred thereafter. A minute later, she was in the car with us.
"They said there's a guest house in the next street, that means we'll have to head back to the road or cut it off through this street" Aunty announced to no one in particular as she jerks the car back to life.
"Let's cut it off from here" Mum and I replied in unison. Aunty shrugs and the car pulled forward.
***
The guest house was nothing less than a guest house which suits the environs it found itself in. The bungalow was old and cracked and from a glance, appeared like an abandoned living house. When looked closely, one would notice it used to brag of a beautiful green paint.
The reception was behind the building in what appears to be a small store room whose original little window has been broken off and replaced with a very large one, from where the body of the supposed receptionist bulges from.
She was very robust, forcefully fair thanks to all the bleaching cream in the market with her green veins popping out with reckless abandon above her skin. Her nails were badly done showing lumps of caked nail polish forced on them. Her lips were coloured red with her brows completely shaved off and replaced with tiny slanted black lines, drawn using a weeping black eye pencil. She wore a discoloured white button down shirt with brown patches of sweat visible under her armpit. I couldn't make out what she was wearing below as they were hidden behind the large window.
The receptionist was a lot to take in and for a long moment, I lost myself while gaping at her.
"Uh uh" Mum nudged my shoulder while clearing her throat which brought me back to reality. I readjust, watching the scene unfold before me.
One obvious thing that this guest house doesn't lack is customers. For the past five minutes we've been standing here, there have been a huge flow of men and women, both old and young hurrying in and out of the building with ease.
Some would pick up a key after paying a token and in the next hour, would be out bidding a hearty farewell to the ever smiling woman.
Every customer who approached have a thing or two to say to her, each reiterating how important she is to them with many squeezing Naira notes into her palms as they make their way in.
Her lips haven't ever clasped shut since we arrived forcing me to wonder if she ever gets tired, or if they really hurt after such an obvious stressful day.
Her full smiles when we approached her "office" made me smile a little, especially as she adjusts and straightens her shirt as we walked up to her. I know she would be thrilled at the thought of a fresh set of new faces.
"Wetin I fit do for una (what can I do for you?)" She asked, parting her lips even wider that I worried they'd fall apart.
"We'd like a room" Mum said ignoring aunt Mma's countenance which have suddenly turned sour.
"Ah okay." She was still smiling. "Na how many hours abi una go sleep (is it for how many hours or are you planning to sleep over?)"
I was confused.
"We'll need the room for at least three days" Mum replied returning a smile.
The robust woman seemed elated as she scribbled on her torn long log book. "No worry ma. I go give una better room, but.... " She glances at all of us before continuing "I mean say the room wey we get no fit contain all of una (Don't worry ma, I'll give you a great room but there's a little problem. The room we have wouldn't accommodate all of you"
"Don't worry, it's just for the kids and I. My friend here won't be staying with us" Mum replied laughing. She laughed too and nodded.
"Abeg give me my favourite, but na one 1.3 I go stay!" A thick bass announced from behind, forcing all of us to instinctively turn to whoever it came from. He was robust, dark and bald with untrimmed moustache round his lips. His eyes were red with his bald head glistening below the sun. He fixed his gaze on us, his face crumpled as he scrutinized us.
"Na wetin? Why you dey shout like that Oga Dele? Abi no be people dey your front wey I dey attend? (What is it? Why screaming Oga Dele? Ain't there people before you who I'm attending to?)" The receptionist barked, her face depicting a false anger.
"No vex too much fine woman, na sharp sharp nah, I wan commot (Don't be cross with me beautiful woman. I just want it very fast cos I'll be leaving pretty soon)" He replied, his lips forming a smile.
"Take jare" She replied pushing a single key strapped in a medium sized rope into his open palm. He grabbed it and turned to leave but the thunderous shout of the receptionist, forced him to a halt. "Wey your money nah?(Won't you pay for that?)" She screamed, her eyes furrowing in anger.
"Ah! No vex I forget! (Don't be offended, I forgot)" He replied turning and making his way towards her while his fingers fumbled with his trouser pocket. After some seconds, he slid out a dirty five hundred note and handed it to the woman who takes it with a smile.
"Nothing for me today? Ah Oga Dele na me oo (Won't you spare any token for me today? Boss Dele, it's me oo)" She said slowly shaking her upper body so her chest could sway sideways. She laughed intermittently while rubbing her almost protruding breast. The bald man shook his head and forced a laughter.
"When you dey here dey para for me, you no remember say I be your personal person abi? E Don reach money matter, you don dey shake body eh Ngozi? (When you were screaming at me, you never saw me as a friend, now it's gotten to money, and you're being overly dramatic) " He sounded not too happy.
I could see aunty Mma shake her head in anger, her foot stamping annoyingly on the bare ground. I couldn't tell why she was angry as I was really enjoying the scene before me, but I was certain mum wasn't since she has moved away from the reception a bit so the bald man can take her place. Zara unlike her was calm, crunching unto my clothe as though her life depended on it.
The receptionist said some cajoling words to the bald man which made him smile, and in a twinkle of an eye he was handing her a rumpled two hundred Naira note.
Immediately he stepped out of the way, he motioned at someone whom I couldn't make out, and from a corner a fair young lady who wouldn't be above twenty three joined him. Her lips moved with reckless abandon as she chewed on her gum.
She wore a white net tank top which ended just above her bellybutton, with a tiny piece of fabric covering her breast area even though her cleavage was still absolutely obvious. Her faded black denim was radically torn into designs, with the many tears exposing her very fair legs. As I turned to have a good view of her from behind, my eyes fell on another tear right below her buttocks which she still took time to sway not minding who stares at her. She never spared us a glance as she walked past us, past the bald man and into the building. She must really know her way around here.
"No worry aunty, I go give you room for my living quarters you hear? For that place you no go see all these nonsense but the koko be say, e dey expensive (Don't worry aunty, I'll give you a room at the quarters. That place is more secured and you wouldn't see all these okay? But the problem is it's more expensive."
"Please that will be better. How much?" Aunty Mma jumped in before mum could say a word.
"That one na three thousand five hundred Naira. But for the ones here, we have the one of two thousand and two thousand five hundred. Na your choice. (That one is three thousand five hundred Naira but for the rooms here, we have the ones of two thousand and two thousand five hundred Naira. It's your call)" She replied.
"Eh.. "
"We'll take that one please. But I hope it has its own convenience right?" Aunty asked again, cutting off mum who'd wanted to speak.
"Ehe nah. Everything here na self contain. (Yes. Every room here is a self contain)." She replied flashing her set of almost brown teeth. "How many days una wan stay? (How many days are you paying for?)" She asked still writing on her torn log book.
"Just three" Mum answered quickly before aunty Mma could.
"Can we see it first?" Aunty chipped in.
The woman glanced up at her and I could see a glint of anger flash through her eyes. They disappeared as soon as they appeared and she cheered up again.
"Follow me" She said disappearing through the door behind her. Seconds later, she pushed a door in the bungalow open and stepped out, a bunch of key dangling below her finger where she'd hooked it as she gestured for us to follow behind.
Her living quarters was a stretch of L-shaped building which serves as the staff area. It was located at the other side of the compound, like forty five seconds walk away from the guest house with a dwarf fence of not more than three blocks separating it from the main building.
The quarters expands as we approach it which truly surprised me. At first glance, it wasn't too bad, though on a good note I wouldn't dare step a foot here.
I glanced at aunty Mma but her face was blank. Whatever she was thinking, she's made a good deal if hiding it beneath. Mum was neutral, her eyes glancing around, taking mental note of all that surrounded us.
"Na here e be (This is it)" She announced smiling. "Come make I show you where I talk say I want give you (Come this way, so you can see the room)" She said moving away from the first door and towards the end.
Two doors before the last, she stopped; fumbling through the bunch of keys and finally selecting a key. She inserted it into the key hole, twisted it and unlocked the door. Grabbing the knob, she gave the door a mild push which flung it open.
The room was a bit spacious graced with a medium sized bed. The bedspread was surprisingly new and the floor tiled white, though they're gradually discoloring with the edges turning a bit brown.
She stepped in and pushed open the small space that served as both the convenience and bath room. The toilet seat wasn't new though you could tell they've tried to keep it clean. The blue flowered tiles on the wall ended half way with the rest of the wall painted blue. The floor tiled white just like the one in the room though this seemed a bit newer. The entire place wasn't spectacular but could serve for what mum want.
"My Oga renovated the bathrooms here but come sack many staff. So these rooms here we dey rent am to people wey we like (My boss renovated the bathrooms but laid off many staff, so we rent these spaces to people we like) " She explained as though she read through my thoughts.
"It's manageable" Aunty breathed out. "So what do you think Nneka?"
"It's good but a bit..... "
"Expensive?" Aunty Mma finished up for her. "How many places in town would you find this decent room for three thousand five hundred?"
"We're not in town Mma and that's why I chose to relocate to any rural area so I and these kids can afford life" Mum said.
"I'm paying right? Have I complained?"
"But I don't need your handout!" Mum snapped.
My face fell. I know mum was going through a lot but I don't appreciate the way she's been snapping at aunty Mma recently, even though aunty was always quick to laugh about it. The receptionist was taken aback, her eyes glancing from mum to her friend as they banter endlessly.
"It's Okay Nekky, I understand but everything will be fine. You just need to calm down okay?" Aunty said rubbing mum's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Mma. I can't just explain how I feel.... "
"Una dey take am abi una want fight for room wey una never pay for? (Are you renting it or do you both want to fight in a room you are yet to pay for?)" It was obvious she was growing impatient.
Aunty Mma smiled as she lifted up her purse. We all watched as she zipped it open, sliding and counting out eleven pieces of one thousand naira note. Recounting it to be sure, she handed it over to the lady.
Her eyes glistened as she saw the money extend to her. She quickly grabbed it, spitting into her thumb and index finger and happily counted the money again. Satisfied, she glanced up at my aunt. "Make we go reception make I find you change (Let's head back to the reception so I can balance you up)" She announced, slipping out a note from the money she'd just received before slipping the rest Into her trouser pocket.
"It's okay, you can keep the change but just make sure you look out for them" Aunty said to her. Her eyes became even brighter.
"You sure? Ah! You Don turn my friend, In fact all of una.(Are you sure? Ah! You're now my friend, in fact all of you)" She laughed slipping the single note into her pocket.
"Now I go fit pay that stupid boy's school fees. Useless son wey say Na me born am! Na so so expenses em dey put for my head, yet e no go fit do anything to help me, just like em papa. (Now I can pay for my silly son's school fees. Useless son of mine. The only thing I get from him is constant expenses yet he can't help me out in anything, just like his father)" She sighed "Like father, like son" She muttered.
And we glanced at each other.
********
Hello people
So we've weaved through to this point where everything changes for Nneka and her girls.
How are they going to survive?
Will they even survive?
Is it easy to adapt from a life of affluence to a life of crying daily for bread?
Don't you feel for Adaoma and Zara? Cos I really feel for them.
You see, I've tasted pain and poverty at so many points in my life that I can't begin to count, but I'm most thankful that those years are behind me.
If you've never felt pain nor poverty at any point in your life, please be happy and celebrate it. It isn't a journey one would wish even to an enemy.
The story has changed. Let's see what happens! But always remember, no condition is permanent!
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Till Friday people