UNGUIDED

Chapter Two

Sarah quickly grabbed her basket as soon as she gained her balance from the push. She observed and noticed the sudden change in the strange man's behaviour.

"Excuse me, maybe I should come back later" the customer said, staring at Sarah strangely.

"No no no no, what do you need?" The shop owner asked.

"S...ir, about the oranges, are you still buying all of them?" Sarah interrupted their transactions.

"What? Can't you see that I'm busy right now? Wait or get out!" The man shouted.

"Sir, you promised to buy everything now you're asking me to get out, you didn't even buy anyone after spending time here" Sarah said wailing.

"I said go and come back tomorrow, I'm busy now" the shop owner yelled.

"Young girl, give me #200 oranges" the customer told Sarah calmly with a smile.

"Okay sir, thank you"

She said wiping her face with the back of her palm and counted some oranges for the customer. Sarah handed him the packed oranges and he gave her #500 note.

"Sir, I don't have this change" she said handing him the money.

"Don't worry about it, keep the change" he said smiling and waving for her to leave.

"Thank you sir" she said and carried her remaining oranges out of the shop. Sarah headed home straight.

  " " "

"Oh boy...  Why did you do that na?" The shop owner asked the customer.

"Do what exactly?"
He enquired.

"Give that girl the whole #500 just like that, and you spoiled my show too" the man complained.

"See my guy, that girl is just a child, innocent and naive. Why would you want to take advantage of her? Hum? If you want to succeed in life, stay clean, especially from harming defenceless people like her. Besides, there are lots of girls out there looking for guys like you"
The customer advised the man and shrugged his shoulders.

"Shun that believe man, you may think she's innocent, wait until you try her and see how exposed and experienced she is" the man said smiling and tapping the customer.

"It's just an advise anyway, you can do whatever you want with your life" do you have bathroom slippers?
The customer asked arms akimbo.

"Yes I do, what size? The man answered bringing the basket containing it.

"Size 11, plain and how much?"
He asked.

"#500 only" the man said handing it over to the customer.

"Okay, thanks man" the customer said pulling out the note from his wallet.

"Here, alright take care" he paid for the slippers and collected it.

The two men shook hands and waved good byes.

       * * *

Sarah got home and found her mom preparing dinner in the uncompleted kitchen. Her siblings were playing football in the compound. She stared at the ball made from rags and wished they had real ball to play with. Despite their rudeness to her, she loves them dearly.

Sarah walked into the kitchen, greeted her mom and narrated everything that happened to her with the strange man.

Her mother counted the money from Sarah's sale and sighed.

She cupped her hands on her cheeks and and hissed. Mummy, it's all that man's fault. If he hadn't fooled me, I would have sold more than that.

Her mom didn't seem to pay attention to Sarah's excuses. She kept going to and fro for her food items as she prepare the food ignoring Sarah's complains.

She finally sat to arrange the money and said,
" you will have to stop school for now. If you hawk from morning you would have made more sales. I can't afford your fee and your siblings'"

Sarah wished she could change situations in their family right now. She remembered one of their teachers saying that,
"everyone needs basic education at least, so as to do things right and not to be cheated in this world"

The teacher always gives example with a story of a man who could not read a sign that says 'DANGER' and he walked right into the danger zone. "Education is the key" one of the signs in her school walls, she couldn't get her mind off quitting school.

Soon dinner was ready. They all ate and went to bed.

Their room, a single room with one bed. The children usually sleep on the mat while their parents lay on the bed with a curtain to get some privacy from the kids.

Laying on the mat, Sarah imagined a different world and slept off.

Sarah woke up with an argument from her parents. Her mom looks so angry. She is aware that her mom is very grumpy and sometimes transferred all her pains and suffering to her but deep down she is a good and enduring woman.

She wondered why no one ever visited them from her mother's family. Her dad's family are embarrassed because of his lifestyle.

Mrs James has just one friend Aunty Jane. Jane is a young widow and a single mother. She relocated to another state to start a new life with her son. Jane comes whenever she is on leave to check on her friend. But it's been awhile since they saw her.

Sarah was brought back to present with a bang on the door. Their father walked out of the room and she saw her mom wailing.

She didn't know what to do, she managed to hugged her mom who held her tightly like a child and let out a loud cry waking the boys up.

"Mummy why are you crying" they kids asked crying too.

"It's nothing guys just that mummy is..." Sarah tried to say something.

"Sick! Mummy is sick but I will be fine now" her mom interrupted pulling away from Sarah before she will say the truth.

"Sarah prepared them for school so they won't be late" her mom said getting up to do some chores too.

" Okay ma" Sarah said with tears flooding her eyes. But she quickly wiped her face with her t-shirt.

She prepared the children and warm the leftover rice from last night meal. The boys ate and were set for school. Sarah took them to school, she stopped at a stall to buy them snacks as directed by their mom.

     * * *

Mrs James sat and thought about her life. Did she make the right choice agreeing to marry James. But it was the pride of every girl to be married then in her village. Her parents are very old, they depends on her for support. She has an elder brother who is managing his live in the village as a farmer with his family.

Mrs James practically had no one to help her. Her marriage was only good the first year, after the birth of Sarah things changed.

Her husband never stayed home again. He comes back late and goes out very early. She can not remember getting any money from him for almost five years now. What she gets from her trade is little because she is a  petty trader.

She recalled their argument this morning and sobbed. All she did wrong was asked him to support the kids fee payment. And he got upset and told her that she was bad lack to him.

Mrs James thought about her friend's advise of  going back to school or learning a skill. Maybe that will help her change situations.

"I have to think about this carefully, my children, my life, oh my God!"

She shouted and cupped her hands on her cheeks as she scan the kitchen.

Her eyes caught that of Sarah by the entrance of the kitchen.

Sarah knew that she dare not ask her mom anything. Even though she was dying to ask her how she was doing.

She watched her mom broken down for the first time. She has been the strongest woman she had ever seen. Never ill nor tired from working hard for them.  Sarah promised herself to become successful and take care of her family.

She did all the chores and sales for her mom that day.

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Thanks guys for reading.

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