DESIRES 🔞

(_2_)

                   ♪ Ira ♪

"Ugwu! Fresh ugwu leaf! Come and buy your fresh ugwu leaf!" I yelled, walking round the market under the scorching sun with the tray containing ugwu and water leaf balanced on my head.

I sighed internally, market was really really slow today and I knew if I didn't manage to sell up to 1k we probably wouldn't have dinner tonight.

I felt so tired, all my hands and legs were aching so bad from supporting the tray on my head from falling and walking around the market all day.

Sweat was dripping down my forehead and sliding in between my breasts and chest. Ugh. I wished so bad to just lie under a soft comfy bed, being blown by fan and eating nicely cooked jollof rice with turkey. *Sigh*

Where am I going to see such?  I wondered.

Oh well, I should strive to sell all these leafs on my head instead of daydreaming about what I'll never have.

I decided to walk round the market one more time before I'll rest, maybe this time I'll see good customers looking for leaf to buy.

With that thought, I began my way inside the market once again screaming;

"Fresh leaf! Come and buy fresh ugwu and water leaf!! Come oh, they are very freshhh!!"

         '|•'|•'|•'|•'|•'|•'|•'

       TWO HOURS LATER.

I sighed defeatedly, making my way to a small stone hedge where I sat down, removing the tray from my head and balancing it on my laps.

God. What a tiring day today has been. It was currently 6 in the evening and sellers had began packing and locking up for the day. I felt near to tears, I hadn't even managed to sell a single leaf except for the one a lady bought since in the morning.

"Ssss pure water!" I called out to a little boy of no more than 8 years of age, hawking chilled pure water on a tray.

Immediately, he rushed up to me.

"Aunty you wan buy water?"  He asked

"Yes oh, just gimme one" I said, watching him as he dipped his hand into the bucket filled with little chunks of melted ice block and the last pure water sachet which I was about to buy. He brought it out and handed it to me.

I brought it close to my mouth, tore off the tip of the sachet and took a large sip feeling refreshed as the chilled or slightly chilled water slid down my patched throat. 

Gulping the last of the water out of the sachet I squeezed it and flung it into the nearest gutter as I fished out a 20 naira note, handing it to the young boy.

"Thank you aunty" he said, walking away looking triumphant. We were all the same, poor eager kids looking for a better life, he was even better than me, at least he managed to sell out all his market.

And here I am, with not even a single kobo on me. I didn't even have the guts to go back to mamas stall where she was probably looking for me.

I hung my head low, lost in thoughts when suddenly three girls chatting and gisting loudly walked by. They looked my age, that I was sure of but the way they were dressed and how rich and expensive they looked baffled me.

They all looked beautiful but the one in the middle struck me more, she looked so gorgeous with fair skin putting on a pink crop top and black baggy trousers, designer bag hooked on her shoulder, lastest iphone tucked in her hand and sporting long beautiful goddess braids.

The other two were dressed similarly, and the way they were all gisting, so carefree and happy. I wanted that.

I stared enviously at them, the fair one caught my stare and stared back and soon the other two were also looking at me.

"Nawa oh, why fine girl like this go dey hawk for market?" The one on the left whispered as they walked past, probably not expecting me to hear it but I did.

They cackled loudly, throwing pitiful glances back at me as they walked away.

The tears that had been threatening to spill finally did, flowing like torrents. After about three minutes of crying, i wiped my tears and stood up to meet mum at her stall. Seeing the tied up bundles of leaf on my head, she looked so sad and disappointed.

I gave her the only hundred naira I had made that day and helped her lock up as we went home.

That night as we lay on the hard cold ground, sleeping on an empty belle in the dark empty room, I decided I had had enough.

I was going to do whatever it takes to leave this life of suffering.

       ♦♦.  ♦♦. ♦♦.   ♦♦.  ♦♦.  ♦♦

Skylar ™