STRUGGLES FOR SURVIVAL

Chapter four

    (Uche)

    "Maybe you shouldn't have gone to see her." Amina said as she tried to clean the bruises on my face to the best of her ability.

    "I know that now." I said.

    Yesterday, I had slept in front of the store I work as a sales girl during the weekends. I didn't want to sleep in the place I usually sleep with Amina and Ruky because I didn't want to wake up naked next to a naked boy with no idea of how we ended up like that. It has happened to me several times and I am sick of it. Though not going there was a huge mistake because as I was about to sleep yesterday night, three men came out of nowhere, grabbed me and beat the hell out of me. After they were satisfied, they warned me that if I ever go to tell anybody about my sister again, they would kill me.

    "How did they even know you had gone to see that woman. There was no way they could have been at the school was there?" Ruky asked.

    "It's possible. My mother said they were everywhere. They might have been watching me." I said.

    "So what are you going to do. Are you still going to see that woman today?" Ruky asked.

    I snorted.
    "Do you want me to die? The woman didn't look like she wanted to help me anyway. I think she only asked me to go to her office becoming she wanted to get rid of me. Anyway you guys should go ahead and start hawking."

    "What about you?"

     "No one will buy anything from me as I'm looking like this. Don't worry I'll be alright."

    They nodded and packed their things to start hawking for the day.

(Rachael Okeke)

    I packed the car and hurriedly entered the building. I was almost late for work today. It had been more stressful getting the children ready for school this morning. Ada had spent a ridiculously long amount of time in the bathroom, giving Amaka and Kamsi even less time to get ready. Ike had just gotten ready as usual, eaten and left for work. Getting the children ready for school was my problem not his.

    Dorothy was already there when I got to my desk. She looked up when I sat down.

    "Hmm Rachael, this one you are late today what happened?"

    "It's the children o, it took them a long time to get ready today."

    Dorothy laughed.
    "I know what you mean. I know how hard it was to get Samuel ready for school in the mornings and he is only one person."

    Samuel is Dorothy's only child. He was already in the university so Dorothy didn't have to wake him up for school in the morning.

    "Anyway before I forget, do you remember that girl you were telling me about yesterday?"

    "Yes, what about her?"

    "What did you say her name was?"

    "They say her name was Osas."

    "Osas? Hmm, so who is lying?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Can you imagine what happened yesterday when I went to pick the kids from school?" I went ahead to tell Dorothy what happened between me and the girl that calls herself Uche. Dorothy was silent for a few minutes after I finished talking.

    "So she's saying that the dead girl is not Osas but her sister, Amara?"

    I nodded.

    "The names are not even from the same tribe. Do you really believe she's saying the truth?"