Three years passed since Aisha was taken from her home. She was quite surprised that she hadn't been sold off to any foreign trader but she knew they would sell her soon. Life was really hard for her in the camp. One of the hardest things she ever did was staying sane even through all the horrible things she had seen and experienced in the camp. She was more grateful that she or any other teenage girls were never raped. Although more inhumane things had happened to them in the camp like starvation and labour. It was an unbearable experience.
One night as Aisha slept in her hammock inside of the tent. She heard a noise from outside that woke her up. She stretched her long legs and came down from her hammock. The sound outside sounded so strange to her she became curious to check it out. She traced where the sound came from, walking towards it slowly. The sound came from a bush nearby. It sounded like two animals were fighting or someone was struggling with a wild animal. When she got close to the bush, the sound stopped and everywhere was quiet again. She walked close to the bush and heard someone breathing heavily. She took a closer look and saw a girl around her age lying on the ground.
The girl looked half dead and her body was covered in blood and knife cuts. Her clothes were ripped and there were more blood stains around her thighs.
Aisha figured the girl was raped. Her heart raced and she breathed heavily. She turned around to run back to the camp but a strong hand grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. She cried when she fell on her back. She gasped for air and tried to get up on her feet and run.
The man who had raped the other girl grabbed Aisha and pressed her on the floor.
Aisha screamed for help but the man covered her mouth and pulled out a knife to use and tear Aisha's shirt.
Aisha struggled on the ground with all her strength and tried to free herself. When the man pressed his hand on her mouth. She bite off some of his fingers from his mouth like a mad dog and spat them out viciously.
The man shouted in pain and slapped Aisha on her cheeks very hard. He began tearing Aisha's shirt with his knife.
"No! No! No!" Aisha begged in fear. She stretched her hand and scooped a handful of sand and threw in the man's eyes. Before he could tear her denim shorts, she kicked the man from her body and quickly stood on her feet.
"You brat!" The man groaned.
Aisha began walking backwards but fear made her fall to the ground once more.
The man grinned maliciously at Aisha as she fell. He unzipped his trouser and walked slowly towards Aisha as he was about subdue her.
Aisha's heart was clouded with fear. She didn't know what to do. She never thought this day would come. Her blood spilled on the sand from the deep cut on her left forearm. She breathed heavily as she crawled slowly away from the man. She shaked her head strongly, begging for her life.
Suddenly as the man was about to throw himself on Aisha. A long blade pierced through the middle of his chest. He stopped and gasped in shock. He stared at Aisha then looked down at the long blade that came out through his chest.
Aisha looked at the man in horror. She had never seen someone being killed in person before. She became more frightened when the blade went upwards to the man's head and sliced his body in half.
The man's body fell on the floor like two big chunks of meat.
Aisha quickly stood on her feet and panted. She stared at the person who had just killed the man that tried to rape her. She recognized who he was. His name was Clinton as she remembered clearly. He was one of the kidnappers from the camp. He was young and kind unlike the other kidnappers who looked middle aged. And he hardly spoke to anyone in the camp.
Clinton ran to Aisha as she stood still staring at him. He handed her a bottle of water like he was her guardian or caretaker.
Aisha finished the water in the bottle in less than a minute. She glared at Clinton, wondering why he had helped her. "I want to go home" She mumbled, crying.
"This place is far from wherever your home is" Clinton replied as he returned his sword in it sheath.
"I don't care. I just want to go back home. I never asked for any of these. I-I almost got raped. I almost got raped" Aisha repeated.
Clinton lowered his head and stared at his boots as he thought of what to do. He also had plans of leaving the camp and leaving everything behind. He wanted to move to a new city and start a new life. "I'll take you home" He finally said.
Aisha looked at Clinton.
"You know where your home is, right?"
"Lagos"
Clinton took Aisha to a nearby site where the other kidnappers parked their rovers. Aisha had never been to before. He poured Alcohol on the cut on her forearm to stop the bleeding before leaving her to wash herself in an oasis nearby.
Aisha tightened her lips as Clinton dressed the cut on her forearm with a band aid.
"What happens now? Can you drive back to Lagos?" She asked.
Clinton sighed and took off his brown jacket and wore on Aisha's shoulder.
Aisha took a deep breath as she felt the warmth from the jacket. She followed Clinton to one of the rovers without saying a word and sat in the front sit with him. Aisha summoned courage to ask Clinton for the strange black object he wore around his neck. "Can I have that?" She asked softly.
Clinton stopped checking the engine of the Rover and stared at Aisha "What? This?" He touched the pendant as he asked.
"The thing around your neck" She affirmed.
Clinton didn't care to ask why she wanted it. He removed it and gave to her.
The headlights of the Rover came on and he began to drive with full speed, pressing the accelerator pad like he was being chased.
Clinton turned and faced Aisha as he put on his seat belt. He saw Aisha's face clearly for the first time because the sun was starting to rise. "I don't know your name" He said to her as he drove through the desert.
Aisha's arms were folded and her legs were leaned on the door. She was wearing Clinton's sunglasses so sand wouldn't get in her eyes.
"Huh?" Clinton said.
"You never asked"
"What's your name?"
"Aisha"
"I'm Clinton Alvarez"
Aisha looked at Clinton surprised to know that he was Brazilian.
Clinton smiled at Aisha when he saw the look of surprise on her face.
Aisha stared at the dressing on her wound. She unwrapped it a little and pressed her index finger inside the wound on the skin of her forearm. She dressed the wound properly then looked at Clinton and said to him. "I'm tired, Clint. Why must life be this hard?"
Clinton laughed inside and cried "Dear Aisha, life punches us in the face when we least expect it"
The duo spent hours on the road as they headed back to Lagos. Aisha didn't care which road Clinton used. She trusted him. Clinton drove into a small remote town in the middle of the desert. The people who lived in the town looked like Ghanaians.
"I'm hungry" Aisha said to herself. She stared at the small buildings and wooden shops by the side of the road. She took Clinton's red cap on the dash board to protect her face from the sun. It seemed the sunshade she wore wasn't enough for her.
"Did you say something?" Clinton asked as he kept his eyes on the road.
Aisha watched Clinton drive into a gas station. She leaned on the door of the car and groaned "I said I'm starving". She saw the mart the gas station had and asked Clinton if they could get something to eat.
"Five minutes and we're out of here" Clinton ordered.
Aisha nodded like a puppy. She wasn't going to waste any time shopping. She knew the kidnappers would be looking for her and Clinton. She opened her hand for Clinton to give her some change.
Clinton counted twenty dollars and gave to Aisha.
Aisha looked at the money strangely. "They don't use dollars here"
"That is enough to buy more than what you need" Clinton said in a cold voice. He got down from the rover at the same time with Aisha to fill the car with gas. He watched Aisha walk to the mart. "Five minutes!" He cried out to her as a reminder.
Aisha turned and looked at Clinton then entered the mart.
Clinton thought his jacket looked big on Aisha. His jacket covered her short jeans. Even the black boots she wore seemed heavy on her.
"Chocolates, cornflakes and pringles" Aisha said to the cashier inside the mart. She dropped the items she bought on the counter in front of her.
The cashier checked Aisha's items and packaged them in a plastic. She stared at her like she had seen her somewhere.
Aisha was staring at Clinton outside. He was done buying gas. She looked at the cashier but the cashier quickly looked down at the drawer, pretending like she was going to get Aisha's receipt. Aisha leaned forward and smiled. "Were you staring at me?" She asked in her tiny voice.
The cashier couldn't lie so she said. "You look familiar like I've seen you somewhere"
Aisha was surprised. She paid the cashier and told her to keep the change. She had wasted enough time so she turned to leave.
"Do you play the piano?" The cashier asked.
"I'm sorry" Aisha said. She turned like a vacuum cleaner because of the items she held. They were weighing her down. "I'm not into music"
"Okay" The cashier said. She thought Aisha was the girl she saw playing the piano in a charity event she watched on international television. When Aisha left, she brought a magazine from a newspaper rack and opened the back page. She remembered the girl was featured on the magazine with other kids who performed in the charity event which held in the states. She looked at the picture of the girl then looked at Aisha who was walking towards the rover outside. She looked at the girl again. The resemblance was uncanny. The girl had a pretty smile on her face but her hair was short and curled but Aisha's hair was long. They could be sisters. She thought. She came out of the counter to show Aisha the girl's picture in the magazine but it was too late. She saw Aisha leave the gas station in the rover with Clinton.
Aisha slept halfway through the entire journey. She woke up when Clinton sped past a speed bump on the road. She removed her glasses and stared at Clinton because he was still speeding. She faced forward and stared at the road. They were on a highway bridge. "Where are we? She asked curiously, looking around.
"Look around" Clinton replied.
Aisha stuck her head outside the window and stared at the big overhead road sign that read 'WELCOME TO LAGOS'. She sat back on her seat properly and smiled joyfully. She felt nostalgic and stared at the other cars on the road. "I'm home" She whispered happily with a smile. She looked at Clinton and asked. "Are you not excited?"
Clinton darted a short look at Aisha and looked forward again. "Not really. It's your home. Not mine" He replied.
Aisha took a deep breath through her mouth. "It not just my home, it's everybody's home" She said proudly. "Welcome to Lagos, Clinton. The city where everything happens. Some say it the city that never sleeps"
Clinton chuckled. He slowed down as he arrived at a traffic light and in that moment. He stared at Aisha's face while she wasn't looking. Admiring how beautiful she was even though her skin looked rough and black. He stared at her once in a while as he drove. He wondered the type of girl Aisha was; her blue eyes, the enthusiasm in her voice when she spoke and the way she laughed made him think Aisha wasn't from Nigeria.
"There!" Aisha shouted, pointing at the road that led to Ma Kesem's restaurant. She hugged Clinton warmly inside the rover after he stopped on the side of the road opposite Ma Kesem's restaurant.
"Thanks Clint!" Aisha said in a mild tone as she stepped out of the rover.
Clinton started the engine of the rover as he was ready to go.
"Will I see you again? Aisha asked.
Clinton turned and looked at Aisha.
"Maybe"
"Where are you heading to from here?
"I want to start a new life. There's not enough green paper in this illegal business"
Aisha smirked like she didn't understand what Clinton was saying. She drew her right ear and went close to Clinton's car window to warn him. "Don't do any illegal business, Clint. Don't go out at night to steal people's kids, money or girlfriends. Remember, Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes"
Clinton laughed.
She exchanged one last goodbye with him before he drove off and left.
Ma Kesem's restaurant hadn't change much since Aisha left.
The bell by the door rang when Aisha walked into the restaurant. There were so many customers in the restaurant and afro-music played in the stereo. Aisha was glad Ma Kesem had decided to spice up the place.
Ma Kesem didn't see Aisha walk to the counter as she was too busy taking a customer order on a notepad. Her hair was packed inside her torque.
Aisha stood beside the customer who was standing in front of Ma Kesem. She thought Ma Kesem was sad because her face looked dull and unhappy. She hardly saw Ma Kesem with a sad face. She was either angry most of the time or annoyed or both. She guessed Ma Kesem's mood had gone down the drain over the years because she had gone. "Mom!" She said happily. "Ma Kesem" She cried loudly.
Ma Kesem glanced at Aisha when she heard her voice. She didn't recognize Aisha at first and returned her attention back to the customer. She stopped writing and slowly raised her head and stared at Aisha. Her face lit up brightly as she couldn't believe Aisha was standing right in front of her. She dried her hands on her apron and came out from the counter. She hugged Aisha tightly for nearly a minute, relieved that her daughter has returned home.
Aisha felt her bones squeeze in her body as Ma Kesem's bear hug was getting tight on her. "I can't breathe" She groaned under her breath.
Ma Kesem withdrew herself from Aisha and smiled at her. She covered her mouth as she was close to breaking down in tears. She had so many questions to ask Aisha and some scolding to give her at the end of the day. She laughed as she was surprised to see how big Aisha had grown.
Aisha smiled shyly.
"Look how tall you've grown!" Ma Kesem cried joyfully. She was about to say another word then Aisha's stomach grumbled loudly.
Aisha smiled awkwardly.
"Beanscakes?" Ma Kesem asked.
"Definitely" Aisha said with a wink.
Ma Kesem pushed a bowl of beans cakes on the counter to Aisha.
"Delicious! Finally, some good African food" Aisha said. She looked at the beans cakes with joy in her eyes like they were golden eggs laid by a special duck from Heaven. She had yearned for beans cakes while she was away in the desert. She took a big bite from the beans cake and smiled. "I love what you did to the place" Aisha said. She snapped her fingers and glared at Ma Kesem. "Mom, where's Fatima?" She asked sounding worried.
Ma Kesem's smile faded from her face instantly like Aisha had prompted something inside her. She tilted her head to the left and frowned.
Aisha grew worried and her palms became cold. She hoped Ma Kesem wasn't going to say what she was thinking.
"Where's Fatima, Mom?" Aisha asked in a shrill voice.
Ma Kesem shrugged and sighed. "Ever since you left. Fatima. Fatima hasn't been the same anymore. She's become so quiet and alone. She hardly leaves the house" She patted Aisha's shoulder and said. "Your sister misses you. You were her best friend. You were all she had and you left"
"But I didn't leave" Aisha whispered sadly. She felt ashamed and more concerned as she worried what Fatima would think when she sees her.
"She isn't happy with you" Ma Kesem muttered and returned to the counter, leaving Aisha alone.
Later that night, after Aisha had tidied herself at home. She didn't see or hear from Fatima, even after dinner.
Ma Kesem said Fatima didn't like leaving her room. Sometimes she would stay in her room all day without coming out to eat.
Ma Kesem had knocked on Fatima's room door several times and shouted at her to come out and see Aisha but Fatima gave the usual reply. "I'm coming" But she never came.
"Welcome to my world" Ma Kesem sang to Aisha before she retired to her bedroom.
Aisha felt bad because Fatima didn't come out of her room to see her. She's supposed to be happy hearing my voice in the house. She thought.
During the late night hours, she walked with her pillow to Fatima's bedroom door. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door lightly so Fatima would know it was her and not Ma Kesem who usually knocked heavily. She heard the springs under Fatima's bed make a creaking sound as she stood from her bed but she still didn't go to open the door. "Fatima, it's me. Aisha" She said confidently. "I know you're angry at me for leaving. I'm sorry. Can I just see you?" She paused and pressed her forehead on the door. "I miss you too"
Nothing but silence came from Fatima's room.
Aisha knew Fatima was awake and must have heard everything she said. She tugged her pillow under her left arm and smirked. She raised her hand to knock again but changed her mind a second later and decided to return to her room. Her footsteps sound heavy with each step she took on the wooden floor in the hallway that led to her room. She stopped as she heard Fatima open her room door behind her.
Fatima must have rushed to open the door when she heard Aisha going back to her room.
Aisha turned and looked Fatima.
"Come in" Fatima whispered loudly and gestured at Aisha to hurry.
Aisha smiled like a puppy and walked to Fatima's room.
Fatima looked at her, surprised to see how much she had changed. Her hair had grown quite longer. "Did you get the beanscakes?" She joked. Her voiced still hadn't changed. She threw herself on Aisha and hugged her.
"I didn't leave on purpose. I was kidnapped" Aisha blurted out, feeling guilty.
Fatima didn't care, she was just glad her big sister was back "Who cares? I'm just glad you're back"
Aisha smiled.
"So tell me about your adventure" Fatima requested.
Aisha grabbed Fatima's blanket and covered herself and Fatima with it. She placed her right leg in between Fatima's legs so they would be closer to each other. She started by telling Fatima how she was kidnapped. She talked until Fatima fell asleep.