EFE (Book 1 in The N. A Series)

Chapter X: After Sale

Chapter X: After Sale.

2013, two months after Efe and David were sold.

"Is this the child?" Agu Nwandike, pulled off her sunglasses, watching a child cloaked in the darkness of the small room she was kept in.

"Na she. Na she be the witch!" The master of the witch spat on the floor where the child curled. Her patched hair was unruly and untidy, the night dress, more like rag, she wore had holes all around and the shackles on her feet and wrists, dug deeply into her skin. Agu concluded the child had been bound for a long time because of the dried blood around her hands. The child glared at the adults at the door of the stuffy room, then took a concerned gaze at the little movements of the smaller child at the other corner of the room, Agu's eyes followed. She stepped into the poorly ventilated room, it reeked. Taking steps towards the smaller unchained child, when she was close, she heard something like low growl. She turned to the witch. The intensity in her gaze multiplied, now her pupils glowed red. Warning the adult to watch herself. Agu smirked then went on to turn the boy, she noticed, over. He was fast asleep, small with a big head and an even bigger stomach, his cheek bones stuck out slightly and his eyes had sunk in.

"What do you feed them?" Agu questioned.

"Na garri and salt oh! Two times a day then small small bread here and there." The thick short man stroked his beard with his chewing stick.

"Why does the boy look like e dey chop pass the girl?" Agu watched the dusty boy wearing only an oversized brown pant acknowledge the warmth of her hands. He was no older than nine.

"The girl always dey give the brother her food" He smacked his lips. Agu turned to watch the girl who still watched her with hateful eyes. "Why?" She asked the girl.

No response.

"Are you not hungry?" She tried again. Her pure white shirt, blue skirt and Gucci boots didn't fit in the old room at all. The girl tilted her head to the side, almost in an animal-like way. When Agu got no response, she pulled her warm fingers from the boy. He curled up once more.
"How much?" She dusted her hands.

"Come make we discuss price outside" He opened the door wider.

"Speak joor. I no get time to dey waka up and down"

"Dem expensive oh! You want make them hear the price we dey sell them?"

"There's nothing they can do about it anyway" Agu eyed the children.

"If… you don't want me…" The girl spoke surprising the adults by the clearness and strength in her voice. Other people had refused to buy them because of the threats she made but now David was sick and there was nothing she could do about it. "Take him and take care of him." She moved her gaze back to the adults.

"What is your name, child?" Agu walked to where she sat.

"His name is David. He is eight years old" Tears slipped down her face.

"Your name. Girl!"

The witch studied the woman. "Efe!" She said "Efemena Oluchi Richards. I'm thirteen."

******

"Is this your house?" Efe looked through the backseat window, asking the strange woman who bought her.

"No but this is where you will be staying. You and your brother" Efe rubbed David's back. His big eyes peered through the window too.

"I hope we stay in the same room" Efe mumbled but Agu caught it.

"I can arrange that. Meanwhile I want something in return"

"I don't have anything to give to you! And if you are going to treat us anyhow like them, then just kill us. David is sick sef" Efe checked David's temperature.