Goldfish Bowl

Chapter 12

Nehemiah drove the bus into the rowdy market, parking roughly besides a truck full of vegetables. He ignored the glares he got from the passersby whom he almost ran the bus into. No doubt, he was a bad driver, not terrible, but it seemed like he didn't understand over speeding was bad and the other simple rules of driving.

Alisha wondered who had taught him how to drive, or if he was never even taught to drive formally.

"You're a horrible driver." Godwin said slamming the door behind him, Alisha watched him look distastefully around the market, flinching as he stepped foot into mud.

Alisha supposed he was fairly sheltered, they all lived in one of the most decent parts of Lagos state in Willard Estate, it cost a lot to live in Willard and most of the estate occupants ranged from wealthy families (like Alisha's) to well to do middle class families. It was like a world within another living in Willard, they never really suffered from the problems that the average Lagosian suffered from like the bad roads or poor electricity supply.

They got steady water supply, decent electricity and a task force that came in weekly to sweep the roads and take out the trash, to top it all, the estate had several schools, other social amenities and a private university within it, it was easy to get lost in the world of Willard and forget that there were people out there that weren't so lucky.

"Instead of whining about my driving, how bout we catch a thief instead," Nehemiah suggested seriously, then turning to Rhoda. "Hey, you've got your phone ready to record?"

Rhoda nodded and he seemed satisfied, when he began to walk away from the bus, they followed his lead, trusting that he knew which part of the market cook was in.

Alisha lagged behind so she could walk step in step with August who was looking at everything wide eyed and averting his gaze when a market woman called out to them to buy her wares. She knew he hadn't been out of the walls of the detention center for the better part of a year, hence his strange looks.

"You're sure you don't want to wait in the bus?" She asked him above the ruckus and noise in the market.

August eyes snapped to hers, anger making his vivid green a deep one.

"So this plan of yours, I was never needed?" He said in hushed tones that Alisha would have barely heard if she didn't know how to read lips.

She once had a friend who was deaf, Lyric had taught her both sign language and lip reading. Although she had her family had moved to America a year ago, sometimes they spoke to each other on social media but it had been a long time since they last spoke.

"I just wanted to get you out of that cage, it's depressing for you in there." She argued. "I don't understand why you won't let anyone help you, is it so hard to understand that prison isn't the end?"

August looked away from her. When he spoke, his voice was tethering on exploding with anger. Elisabeth was sneaking looks at them, along with several other passersby.

"Have you ever considered that the cage isn't that place or anywhere else in this world, have you ever considered that the cage is in me?" He scoffed. "Or that the cage is me, that I feel so suffocated in my own body."

Alisha didn't know what to say in response to his words, she only felt a strange weight settle on her shoulders with the distinct feeling of foreboding.

"Stop trying to fix me to make yourself feel better."

They walked in silence, only stopping when Nehemiah stopped, pointing at the stall across them. There was Cook haggling with a middle aged man and occasionally pointing at the cartons of provisions sitting on a table in the stall.