Ìrètí [Completed]

4| HAWKING

"Mama" Itunu says as she walks towards me with a see-through plastic container on her head.

"Grandma" I say as I sit up on the plastic chair I'm sitting on.

Itunu gently takes the container on her head and drops it on the floor beside the small show-glass in front of me.

"You sold well today. All the puff-puff and doughnuts finished and there are just few buns left." Itunu says as she sits on my laps.

"Stand up jor. Do you want to break my legs? Carry your body away abeg." I say as I try to push her off my laps.

"You don't have any strength at all. Lazy human being" Itunu says as she stands up.

"It's you that know o" I say as I pat my laps.

I glance at the container on the floor beside the show-glass. Mrs. Oyedele gave mother the show-glass as she thinks it would display the snacks easily for sales. Mother had hesitantly but gratefully collected it.

"You've also sold more than half of the fufu in your rubber already." I say. "So fast"

"I went to Mama Bola's buka early today. Around 4:30 sha. Then I went deep into our area to sell today." Itunu says as she stands, watching the vehicles and bikes moving on the road. "The people living in that side seem to like fufu a lot or maybe they don't want to cook. I sold really well there. They bought all the twenty naira fufu. I just have some fifty naira ones to sell. I hope to finish selling everything. Mama Bola will be so pleased. She might even add more money to my pay today."

"That's good" I say.

"I like this song ehn" Itunu says as nodding her head to the loud beat of the song playing from the filling station along the main road beside our street junction.

I glance at her and hiss. Itunu likes all these hip hop songs and she doesn't believe they are bad no matter what she hears in church but I don't like them. I'm not a music fan.

Itunu looks at me and also hisses then she starts humming the song.

"Ireti, se you no wan go house ni? You wan sleep here?" One of the okada men says from where he sits on his bike, diverting my attention. (Translation- "Ireti, won't you go to your house? Do you want to sleep here?")

I look at him and nod.

"I'll soon leave" I reply and he nods and look away.

"Chai, this okada men are just too noisy" Itunu says as she looks at the okadas space with a frown on her face, still nodding her head to the rhythm of the song playing.

"I'm used to it" I say.

The guys there can be disturbing sometimes but most times they leave me to myself since I don't really relate with them.

"I might get home around six today. Be fast and go home to help Mummy." Itunu says. "It's almost five now and I don't think you can sell today again."

"I'll soon go" I reply as I look to the other side of the street, my eyes darting around.

"Look at the expectant look in your eyes." Itunu says in a mocking way. "Don't tell me you're hoping to see him today?"

"Who?" I say, pretending not to understand her.

"Stop pretending. You think I don't know you're waiting for that boy, that boy that you like." Itunu says, suddenly becoming serious.

"Admire" I say. "I admire him"