Vagrants

Chapter 47

The holiday had begun so I had a little bit of freedom to myself. I resumed the make-up and gele (head gear) business I had started in school. I didn't really get more people to do gele for but I had customers for the make-up. Most ladies love to have their faces made up and since I was living in an open residence, I easily got customers.

The residence was a wide one with the rooms arranged, facing eachother. I'd come out of my room with my instruments and make girls up with my instruments arranged on a table in the balcony.

I charged the girls 5, 000 naira or more for the service depending on the kind of make-up they want. But these girls made things hard for me as they would sometimes bargain all the way to 1,500 naira and there was nothing I could do because I do the make-up before they pay me.

The girls would say: "Owo ti wa lowo mi." The money is already with me. They would show me their hands with money in it so I would believe they're going to pay me properly.

Only girls that had boyfriends or fiancés with them paid me well and sometimes their guys pay me extra.

One day, I was making a girl up the same way I did with other girls, I knew something was wrong with the way she behaved but I ignored it since I just wanted to make money and nothing else.

"Aunty, I heard you make girls up beautifully." The girl said.

"Is that the feedback you've been hearing?" I asked.

"Yes. Please do my own fine oh. My boyfriend is coming to visit me."

"Okay. Money nko?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I have the money." She smiled. "Abi you want to check ni?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry."

"Okay, thank you." She said, fumbling with her hands.

I ignored it because I knew she must be very impatient and anxious to meet her boyfriend.

"Is it a long-distance relationship?" I asked.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"It's obvious from the way you're playing with your hands."

"Oh, sorry."

I continued with my work and ignored every discreet movement of hers. She kept humming, playing with her hands and moving her feet in an irritating manner but I ignored.

After a long time, I finished her make-up so she got up and stared at herself in the mirror.

"Is this it?"

"Yes." I nodded, admiring her beauty.

"How much?"

"7,000 naira." I had done a special kind of makeup since she had her boyfriend coming over.

"For this nonsense." She hissed.

I was shocked by this. I stood for a long time and ignored my backache and the numbness of my feet, just to hear her say that?

"How much will you pay?" I asked.

"2,500 naira."

"Ehn? Aunty, all the way from 7, 000." I shook my head. "Pay 6,500 naira."

"2,500."

"No oh! Look at your beautiful face now, it's not easy. See my condition and I still did something beautiful that you're yet to appreciate."

"Did I send you to open your legs ni? What nonsense? It is 2,500 oh." She spoke in yoruba.

"No. If you can't pay 7, 000 naira. Pay 6, 500." I tried to reason with her.