Nigeria.
Ifes and her family prepared for her departure to the US. She had passed the scholarship exam and had her name on the merit list.
"Ifesinachi! Ifesinachi! Ifes!" Oluebube called out, peering into the room from the passage.
"Ma!" Ifesinachi's voice echoed from the living room.
"I am ready. Come out, let's go to the market."
Nodding her head, Ifes quickly stood and made for the door. "I am here, let's go."
They both stepped out, walking through the alleyway under the shadow of their compound trees as they reached for the gate.
"Where are your brothers?" Oluebube asked, her right hand on the gate's iron lock.
"They're preparing to go watch a match in one of the viewing centres." Ifes pointed over her shoulder to the house.
Oluebube let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, let's go."
Now I can finally spend time with my daughter alone as I had always wanted, she thought silently. Ebube knew how much her sons love watching football. She knew she was in for another banter between her boys and husband after the match, but what did it matter? God had spared her some time with her daughter and that was all that mattered to her.
Ifeanyi would always ask and discuss the match with his sons when he came back from work. They would talk about the Nigerian professional football league, the English Premier League, Spanish la Liga, Italian serie a a, French League 1, German Bundesliga, even the Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
Ebube was happy that she would finally have some nice discussion, especially that little women-secret-talk which her sons had denied her. Her brothers never failed to exploit any opportunity they had to spend time with Ifes.
There were two roads from their Street that led to the Eke Awka market, but Ebube chose to follow the long road to have more time with her daughter. Walking along their street's pedestrian, Ifes and her mom got talking.
Ifes said something and it made her mother laugh, but her laughter was abruptly cut short when she heard the last thing she desired to hear.
"No! We are following our mother and sister to the market."
Ifes and her mother turned sharply and saw Uchenna and Obinna coming behind them, after they said those words to the person who had asked them a question. Ifes and her mother had been so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't notice the duo coming behind them.
Her mother gave her the look that read, "You said they were going to the viewing centre?"
Reading her mother's expression, she replied with a confused gaze.
Her mother glared at the duo in frustration. "And where are you two going to?"
"We saw you two going to the market, so we decided to come along," Obinna said, pointing to himself and his twin brother, grinning.
"Are you all done with your house chores?" Ebube asked, arms on her hips, looking for an excuse to send them back.
"Yes, ma," Uche said.
"But I thought you guys usually went to the viewing centres during weekends?" Ebube asked.
"Mmm! Tomorrow is Sunday. We shall go after church."
Ebube wanted to ask another question when Obinna uttered the sentence that made her speechless.
"Hay! This sun is too much. Let's go to the market now ooo!"
Ebube wanted to cry out in frustration, but decided to let it be. She walked far ahead as her children followed behind her, talking and laughing excitedly oblivious to their mother's frustration.
They got to the market and entered the line where clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry were sold. They navigated some of the shops but finally settled in the one Uchenna suggested they enter. They entered, and like other customers, they walked around the clothing line, selecting clothes.
"Ifes, try this one out. I think it will fit you." Obinna handed the Jean skirts he had picked to her.
She liked the ones her brother chose for her, and tried it on as he said. Seeing that it fit snuggly, they decided to ask the shop attendant for the price since it had no price tag.
"The three of them cost 7,500 naira," the attendant said, looking up from his account book.
Their mother's face turned pale. "That is quite expensive!" she exclaimed.
"Madam, it's because I like your face oo, that's why I'm selling it to you at that price. If not, I sell each of them at N4000," the attendant lied through his teeth.
Knowing how business people lied, her mother insisted on getting the Jean skirts at a lower price. "I will buy each of them at the price of–"
"N2000," one of the twins cut in.
Their mother shot him a glare. "Keep quiet, Uchenna!"
"I am buying each of them at N1000," their mother spilled out to the attendant.
"Aah! Madam, that is too cruel of you." The attendant's facial expression was livid.
"That is what I have to pay for the skirts."
"But that's not true. Your son said you have two thousand."
Their mother's face went hot. "So who is buying the clothes from you? Me?" Ebube pointed to herself. "Or my son?"
The attendant gazed in confusion. "But you came together."
"Okay, let my son buy the clothes and give you the money." Turning to her daughter she said, "Ifes, let's go."
Their mother started walking out of the shop, her children behind her when the attendant called them back.
"I will sell it to you for N1200. Nothing more, nothing less."
Their mother made to protest against the price, but was hushed by her children. She gave in to her children's persuasion. They stepped back inside selecting other clothes to the ones they picked earlier.
Ebube watched as the twins were selecting clothes, skirts, shoes, and other accessories, and was close to tears. She was appalled at the way the boys were selecting it like they had come to buy the whole shop. Uchenna and Obinna will not kill me!
Obinna scooped up an expensive handbag, and tossed it to his sister, grinning. Ebube felt like scooping him up, the way he did to the expensive handbag, and flinging him out the door of the shop.
Loving the handbag her brother gave to her, Ifes averted her gaze to her mother to share her excitement. Her mother forced a smile, but not before Ifes noticed the worried look on her face.
Ifes glanced down at the stuff her brothers had selected for her, then it dawned on her that they had selected too much and it might be out of her mother's budget. She had been so excited that she didn't notice how it bothered her mother. She glanced up to give her mother a reassuring smile but noticed that even the little smile her mother forced had evaporated.
Ifes shifted her gaze from her mother to her brothers, and saw the duo walking towards her with more items in hand. She quickly flashed the duo a grin. "I think I have more than enough."
They didn't relent till they tossed her their items. "We still think you should add these ones."
"But these are too much for me," Ifes said, not wanting to tell them that the main reason was because of money.
Although she didn't tell them, Ifes and her mother's facial expression gave them away.
Obinna put his arms around his sister's shoulder, and Uchenna did likewise to his mother.
"We are paying for those items," Uchenna said as Obinna beamed.
"W–what! What do you mean 'we'?" Ebube stammered.
"Obinna and I." Uche pointed to himself and his brother.
Their mother gave them the look that read, "What are you saying?"
Reading their mothers facial expression, they explained that they got the money from the menial jobs they did after school hours and during weekends.
Their mother stared at them, reminiscing how they went out after school hours. Trusting her children, she believed they went to one of their classmates' houses for school assignments, and weekends for the viewing centres.
God! What kind of children have you given me?, she pondered in her heart, staring into space. First, it was Ifes saving up some money, and now her sons. She wondered about the surprise that was waiting for her from her last daughter, Udochi.
"Don't cry. You are in a public place and people are watching." Uchenna wiped the tears that welled up in his mother's eyes.
"I wasn't crying," their mother laughed sheepishly.
Seeing how weird their mother looked, the trio couldn't help but laugh out loud. That drew the attention of other customers and all the attendants towards them.
"There are other things to buy. You children should go and pay up. Let's leave here." Ebube beamed, nudging her children to the counter. After the payment, they stepped out with their mother to get other groceries before leaving the market.
The next day, Sunday.
Ifes and her brothers dressed up and attended the first service to the fifth and last service. They were all in the choir unit, and served in different capacities. Ifes was one of the church choristers, Obinna was a keyboardist, while Uchenna was a lead guitarist, and he also knew how to play the bass guitar.
It was time to hear the sermon. The church connected to the headquarters in Port-harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria, to hear the word of God from the presiding pastor. Pastor David finished preaching and made an altar call for those who wanted to give their lives to Christ.
Ifes was elated to seeing the people she reached out to during one of her evangelism coming out for the altar call.
There is joy in heaven over a soul that repents!
"I would like you to repeat after me," Pastor David said.
"Lord Jesus. Come into my life. I believe that you died, and rose from the dead to save me. Now, with my mouth, I confess you Lord over my life. Thank you, Father, for saving me. In Jesus' name. Amen."
Ifes and her family went home to make her final preparation to leave for Lagos the next day. They all retired to their rooms, but Ifes couldn't sleep, her family couldn't sleep because of the glee they felt. They wanted to give their gratitude to God in praise and worship.
Ifes thought of her life from childhood to her teenage years and concluded that it had been by the grace of God. Just then, Solomon Lange's song titled 'Grace' poured into her heart. She raised up her hands to the heavens and started singing, swaying in rhythm to the melody of her heart.
Amazing Grace is the sweetest sound that saved my life.
"You know you are definitely not singing that song without me."
Ifes dropped her hands to her side, whirled around and saw Uchenna standing at the door post. She bowed her head, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry, sir. Where is your guitar?" She raised her head to look at her brother.
"Over here." He revealed the guitar that hung on his back. "So, shall we?"
"Not yet, not without me."
Uchenna frowned slightly seeing Obinna coming to their sisters' room with his keyboard in hand. "Why do you always interrupt my sister and I every time?"
"And why do you always disturb them with every opportunity you have?" Obinna replied.
Ifes and Udochi laughed.
"Because they are my sisters." Uchenna pointed to himself.
"They are also my sisters." Obinna did likewise.
"Enough!" Ifes stood between her brothers, placing her hands on their chest. "I think with the addition of the keyboard and guitar, we will make more melodies, or what do you think?" Her gaze flickered from Obinna to Uchenna.
"You are right!" Udochi chimed in, turning her siblings' attention to her. "Since this is Uchenna's favorite song, I think he should lead as he plays the guitar. Ifes and I will do the backup, while Obinna will play the keyboard."
"Perfect!" Ifes and her brothers said simultaneously. As they sang, they felt the glory of God encompassing them.
Morning came so fast. Ifes, her father and brother took off to the nearest bus station. As she was about to enter the bus that would convey her to Lagos, one of her twin brothers, Obinna held her by the hand from behind. "Wait, we have something for you."
Ifes tilted her head to look at her brother.
"Please manage this. This is what our money could afford." Obinna stretched a box-shaped parcel towards his sister.
Amused, dumbfounded, perplexed, bewildered: these were the words that could best describe the expression on Ifesinachi's face when she saw the Nokia C5 her brother handed over to her. She embraced her brothers, buried her face in their shoulders and wept.
"We love you; you know we love you, right?" Uche said.
"Yes, and I'll miss you two so much!" Ifes looked into their eyes while their father watched in amusement.
She gave her brothers another hug, then pushed past them all to her father and did likewise before entering the eighteen-seater bus.
As the bus pulled out from the station, the twins and their father felt their hearts tearing apart. They stood and watched till the bus was out of sight.
Ifes was going to Lagos for the first time in her life. She couldn't sleep when other passengers slept. She decided to witness everything that she was told about Lagos, and the journey, with her very own eyes. She saw the River Niger in Onitsha that demarcated Anambra and Delta state. Still moving, they entered Edo state from Delta. They finally got to Ore where the driver stopped for the passengers to eat before continuing.
The place was noisy and crowded just as she had been told. She couldn't eat the food from the restaurant as she wasn't used to eating in a public place, so she bought herself a bottle of Pepsi and meat pie.
Before the bus took off again, she walked to a less noisy environment and called her family to inform them of her progress. She ended the call and used her white handkerchief to dab the perspiration on her face. It sure was hot.
Ifes and other passengers who were done eating their food or didn't eat started entering the bus to escape the heat of the scorching sun.
"Driver, wait! A passenger is not here," one of the passengers called out to the driver as he was about to take off.
Another passenger said something funny about the missing passenger, and everyone laughed. The missing passenger came back and saw everyone laughing. He quickly noticed that it was related to him from the way they all diverted their gaze to him. Ignoring them, he entered the bus without uttering a word.
The driver slid his key into the ignition and drove off. The driver didn't stop again till they got to the Lagos-Ibadan Express road.
She watched, fascinated as she saw a big sign board that read, "This is Lagos. Shine your eyes." Then, she smiled happily.