The Shugar Mummy

Chapter 4

For a week I didn't spend the money, neither did I call or text her. I was scared and assumed probably the money was hexed, maybe she wanted to use me for rituals.
The following week she called me but I didn't pick her calls.
Three days straight she kept calling but I was just too scared to pick up. To make  matters worse, I was becoming broke, all I had on me was one thousand naira.
Our hostel had gotten almost full as more crazy people moved in, both male and females.
It was becoming more lively by each day and we had cleared all the bush on the  path that leads to the house.
On a Saturday myself , Paul and Dare sat in my room really hungry. There was no foodstuff anymore and we had no cash. My dad had told me to survive on my own and that he wouldn't be able to send me anything till two weeks time.
We were gisting and talking about different stuffs, when Paul chipped in,
"guys, I'm hungry o", I looked at them both and reiterated the same thing.
"I swear, I am too, but what would we do as there is no money or foodstuff bayi?" Dare added.
I took a pause, sighed and proceeded to talk.
"humm, guys, okay, I need to ask you something and I would appreciate your advice..".
They listened with rapt attention.
"okay, remember Mrs Aremu? the woman who drove us home a week ago. Well I met her two weeks ago when I went to buy my bed in Ado. In fact, I dropped my ID card in her car when she dropped me off at the market and she came to return it to me that day."
"shebi you said it was the Dean that gave you  the card?" Dare asked.
"yes he did, but she was the one who brought it back all the way from Ado" I replied. He motioned for me to continue.
"well, to cut long story short, here's the thing, she's a widowed banker and I think she's into me, like she likes me. Well, that's what she said though but I've not been able to decipher what kind of likeness".
I looked at their blank faces expecting to get a response. but they both  gave me a deadpan look. Paul could sense the awkwardness, He was smart but he could be a fool at times.
"I still dont see the problem here or the question or even how this all pertains to our voracious hunger" he posited, feeling like he made a good point.
Well he did, and I had to  give him a response to make it look like I outsmarted him.
"she gave me an envelope full of money that day, thirty thousand naira. She just gave it to me and drove off without a word".
And with that reply, both of them jumped up and hugged themselves in gracious jubilee.
I was looking at them like idiots and when they finished, Paul calmed down and spoke.
"ehn, wait o, that was two weeks ago, how much remains out of the money?" I smiled and replied.
"I haven't touched a dime out of it, its still with me".
"alaye, bring money make we go chop jare, so we've been starving ourselves all these while and you had money with you?"  Dare inquired with excitement.
But Paul still proving smart  calmed him down.
"wait, let me get, you've had this money with you for two weeks and you didn't spend it, why?" he asked.
"good question" I responded.
"what if the money was hexed? with a charm or something?".
"well, true. Have you called her to say thank you though or to get more information as to why she  gave you?" he asked again.
"actually, no. I haven't called her but she's been calling me for weeks now and I don't pick her calls, I'm scared guys".
Both of them burst into laughter as if that would allay my fears.
"dude, tak five thousand out of the money, let's go and get something to eat. In fact, let's use the money to buy some foodstuff, shey we would all eat it together abi?" Paul said as he  paced around the room.
"..so if nothing happens to us till tomorrow morning, I think she just dashed us the money, sorry I mean dashed you and then you're safe, she's harmless" he continued as he gave a smile in an askew manner.
"and after then you have to call her back and thank her" Dare added as he emphasized on the "thank".
I took a deep sigh and I realised they were probably right. I told them to look away as I opened my box with the security combination code and removed five thousand out of the envelope.
"who wants to have a proper breakfast?" I said with a huge grin.
With that, we set out to go to Mama Tawa's shop for a proper nourishing local meal that we had been missing for days.