CHAPTER ONE

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In Ronke's small house in the village, Patience was sitting outside cooking with her chin resting on her right hand staring into the space she is so engrossed in her thoughts
Ronke : (calling from inside) patience patience (shows up outside) patience (pats her on her back)
Patience : oh my God mother you startled me
Ronke : what are you thinking about
Patience : JESUS the food (she quickly quenches the fire) mother I'm really sorry
Ronke : see yourself you can't even notice that the food is done, what are you thinking about?
Patience : I'm sorry MA
Ronke : sorry for yourself o ahah you know you are not getting younger anymore, you need to start learning how to do things right
Patience : mother how can I do things right when my mates are in school and here I am sitting at home doing nothing
Ronke : (signs) my daughter it's not really my fault that I couldn't pay up your school bills, you know how things are for us
Patience : it's not easy for me at all seeing my mates going to school in the morning I've been away from school for a month now (amidst tears)  I'm tired of being mocked by my mates every time they pass by
Ronke : but I've been trying my best since all this while now
Patience : I know mother
Ronke : God that has been helping me since all this while will continue to help me just be patient
Patience : I don't know why life is just so unfair to us, everything is just so hard for us, even some of my mates in school use to bully me especially Asake I almost got into a fight with her the other day
Ronke : my daughter in this life one needs to be patient I know that sooner life will put a smile on our faces, let's go inside
They went inside

*******
In the evening, at the stream
Ife : Tomi have you done your own assignments
Tomi : yes I have why do you ask (staring at her)
Ife : don't look at me like that o
Tomi : (laughs)  who is looking at you, how did you even see me
Ife : I know what you are thinking already, you think I wanted to copy your work right
Tomi : (raises her hands up) no o
Asake : Tomi that's what you are thinking, you don't need to deny it
Tomi : Ahah Asake can you read my mind? You better warn......
Patience arrives
Patience : good evening friends
Ife : oh my God my wonderful friend where have you been since all this while
Tomi : patience long time you've not been coming to school what happened?
Asake : (acts indifferent)
Patience : nothing happened it's just that....(pause) were you not in school when I was driven out of school for the school fees?
Ife : yes Tomi and I were absent from school
Tomi : that's true (stares at Asake) Asake you told us that patience travelled
Patience : what! she told you that
Ife : yes that was what she told us
Patience : so that was why you didn't even try to visit me
Tomi : yes now we can't visit you when we knew you are not around (turns to Asake) why did you lied to us
Patience : you should have told them what really happened
Asake : that you were driven out of school because you couldn't pay your school fees? What is my own business if you can't pay for your school fees? It's not my fault that you are poor
Ife : why are you so mean what is wrong with you
Tomi : your words are harsh you don't have to be hard on her we only asked you a simple question
Asake : is it not the truth? Please don't shut me up, it's really obvious that she's a poor girl maybe it's poverty that even killed her father
Ife/tomi : Asake
Patience : how dare you talk to me like that don't you ever say such things about my father again don't you dare
Asake : are you threatening me? What can you do (shouts)  what can you do? You this filthy poor girl
Patience : you know what thank your stats today that I'm in a good mood if not I would have beaten hell out of your skinny body
Tomi : please you girls should not fight
Asake (she adjusted her cloth) come and fight now I'm ready for you
Patience : I can't blame you like mother like daughter, that's how your mother always start a fight at the village square every day, I can see it really runs in your blood
Asake : patience did I hear you call my mother a fighter
Patience : you heard it right
Asake : how dare you (she pushed patience) how dare you
Patience : I'm warning you, you better be careful before I make a construction all over your face
Ife : girls don't fight Asake you should apologize for calling her a poor girl
Asake : will you shut up your mouth who is asking you to judge here bird of the same feather paupers
Ife : what! How dare you (slaps her)
Asake : oh my God you slapped me?
Ife : yes I did and I'll do it over and over again
(Asake pushes Ife into the stream, Ife manages to swim out of the water)
Ife : you are such a fool and I can't blame you because it is obvious that it runs in your blood, I can't blame patience for calling your mother a fighter
Patience : everything that happened here is your fault Asake when everything about you is violence
Patience : hey hey shut up we shouldn't have fought in the first place of you didn't call my mother a fighter
Ife : it's your fault because you can't keep your mouth shut you called us paupers and what if we are paupers? At least we are better off (stands akimbo) we don't have money but we have peace unlike your useless family the most violent family in this village (laughs) violent people
Tomi : let's go home
Asake : (crying)
Patience : mtchewwwww you got what you deserve
They all left except Asake who kept crying


























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