Vagrants

Chapter 62

I started working as an intern in the agency and I was working with the Economist there so he guided me on how things were done.

My first day here, he said. "We give most interns a lot of work to do while we get rest but due to your condition, I'd have to do the work this year."

"I'm sorry."

"You're just a weird human being. Most people would have seen this as an opportunity to laze away and they'd even thank me but here you are apologizing." He shook his head.

"The thing is that I love the job. Anything relating to Economics got my heart sir." I smiled.

"Stop calling me sir. I'm just few years older." He sighed. "I am Michael."

"Yes sir."

"You this woman!" He shook his head.

We were busy working on a particular file with his laptop open on his desk. We were analyzing data and conducting a research as to the things that were trending here and abroad.

"What do you think of this?" He showed me something after a short while.

I looked up. "This is what's trending abroad. Do you think this agency would be able to..."

"Models wear anything. Some even pose naked. It doesn't matter to them so far they're making money."

"So you're saying we should add this?" I asked.

He nodded. "Our job is to analyze this and see what's trending. If they check it and are not fine with it, they'd discard it."

"Okay." I nodded.

Things went on like that for weeks. Mrs. Bakare or sometimes, Seyi drove me to work. I return home quite tired and a little energized because the doctor had told me to exercise my body by doing certain things to move them which I did at work. Moving from office to office. Getting signatures and approval on our drafted works, using the stairs instead of the elevator was enough of exercise to me.

Even still, Seyi still wanted me to go to the hospital for exercise classes and lectures on how to take care of myself and the babies. I found them boring and tiring but Seyi was always there to make me feel better. He would sometimes tell jokes or say something funny about the nurse who was taking the class and then I'd laugh aloud and get scolded for disturbing he class.

*

In my second week of working for the agency, something terrible happened. It had to do with the protests and I was terribly shocked by what had happened. Many protesters were killed in Lekki and it turns out that the government had invited the army to the protests grounds.

I saw images of so many bodies lying out on the streets, videos of people being shot, blood spurting from innocent people, lives taken. I wondered what the cause of this genocide was.

Was it because they were protesting? Because they were asking for their lives to be spared? Because they were standing against the police?

I knew I was an emotional person and that I was bound to cry, which I did. I didn't care who saw me and who didn't.

Bimbo also cried, Her mother did too. But her Father just got angry.

Then a curfew was ordered throughout Lagos state and I was thankful for being in Ikorodu at the time or I'd have lost my life and that of my baby.

*

No one went out of the house for few days because of the curfew. We were constantly watching the news or getting news online. We were sad because things got even worse in other areas of Lagos state aside Ikorodu but we tried to keep calm and pray. Even Seyi called from time to time to make sure I was okay.

"The news of the Lekki massacre has been a sad one to all Nigerians...." The news caster said.

"It is not sad for you and the stupid government!" Mr. Bakare yelled. He was the most annoyed.

"...Many lives were lost in this unfortunate incident as you can see in the images being displayed and the federal government..."

We all kept listening and looking at the images. Then I saw somebody that I knew very well.

"Wait!" I yelled. "Please rewind."

"Why?" Mrs. Bakare asked.

I got up. "I saw somebody."

Mrs. Bakare pressed the rewind button and my heart was beating fast. God please don't let it be her.

"Stop." I sighed. "Fast forward it a little."

"Is it okay?"

"Yes. Pause." I stared at the screen and swallowed hard. I walked towards the screen and touched it. "Abisola."

I staggered backwards and Bimbo came to support me. "Th-That's Abisola's body."

"Your twin?" Bimbo asked and I nodded.

Mrs. Bakare got up and stared at the T.V screen then she bit her forefinger in regret. "She's the one."

"Ahhhhhh!" I screamed. "You cannot take my sister away from me like this."

"No way! I'm not allowing this." Then, something occurred to me. "This is Lekki, now?"

"Yes." Bimbo sniffed. She'd also been crying.

"Then, it's not Abisola." I wiped my tears. "Abisola is in Ikeja."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I sighed. "Thank you, God! Abisola is still alive."

*

I decided to give Aunty Kemi a call in the evening. I had changed my number but I still had hers in case of any emergency.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Who is this?"

"It's Adeola." My lips felt heavy because I'd been crying and I felt sore.

"Adeola. How are you?" Even Aunty Kemi's voice sounded different. She must have been hurt by what's going on.

"I'm thankful to God." That's all I could say because I wasn't fine. "How is everybody?"

"Everybody is fine thank you."

"Abisola nko? Is she in school or at home?" I asked.

"I...I don't know." Aunty Kemi's voice shook.

My heart started beating fast. "What do you mean by you don't know?"

"She said she was going to a friend's house..."

I sighed. "And you said you don't..."

"In Lekki."

"What?!"

"Yes. And Abisola has been missing." Aunty Kemi burst into tears.

"Ahhh! Missing biti bawo?" Missing as how? I yelled. "Abisola ti ku! Eti pa ibeji mi!" Abisola is dead! You've killed my twin.

"How did you know she's dead?" She asked.

"I saw her body on T.V!" I hissed. "It's your fault!"

"What did I do wrong?" She asked in Yoruba.

"You knew how things were and you let her go out to see a friend! I yelled.

"Adeola! How will I tell your mother?"

"Ahh! Aunty Kemi! I don't care." I hung up and cried.