Must Read: *FATE_OR_MISTAKES*

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: *FATE_OR_MISTAKES*

“Hey! Gala” I shouted at a hawker. He was probably the only one around that still sells.


Most of the hawkers had retired to their various houses cause of the rain and they couldn’t carry their goods under the cold weather. Stalls and also kiosks around has also closed for the day.


“How many?” He asked as he brought down the carton containing varieties of sausage rolls. “Give me two”. I opened my purse and brought out a thousand Naira from the money Rachael gave me. Hmmm! What would I have done without the money?


“Madam, I no get change oh” the tall, skinny but masculine hawker said on seeing the money I wanted to pay. I bet he got his muscles from toiling endlessly under the scorching sun.


I was so famished. No change keh. “Ngwa go find change na, abi u no won sell market?”
“U no won buy any oda tin?” He asked “ok. Bring the money cos na only five hundred naira change dey my hand, take am go buy maybe pure water from that aboki do that im go give u change”. He added when I didn’t reply. I s really tired, hungry, cold and frustrated. I dragged the money from him and headed for the nearby kiosk. “U dey carry market wen u no get change mtcheeeew” I complained.
I bought a small sized balm to rub on my, to reduce the cold, from the Hausa man who owns the kiosk.


“God of mercy!” I exclaimed. Where is the hawker?
Where is my bag? Where is the sausage? Where is the five hundred Naira note?


No! It can’t be. I felt very light, I wanted to faint. I sat carelessly on the muddy floor, placing my two hands on my head as hot tears flowed freely down my cheeks. This hustler played a fast one on me. Why was I do careless to leave my bash with him and even left my purse in the bag. Where will I start from, how will I survive with just four hundred and fifty Naira and a balm.


God have mercy on me.


I stood up when I noticed some awkward stares from passersby. I was not ready to be labeled a mad girl and bundled to the psychiatric home even though I was really going mad.


I trekked for thirty minutes without checking if I would merry the hawker but I know in my heart that he was gone for good. They said their is no harm in trying after all. I was so hungry, my waist was hurting and my feet were week and tired threatening to leave me if I move an inch. I stopped right in front of a woman who sells roasted corn and pear under an umbrella. Holy Joseph! I was salivating already. “Nne, hope this corn is fresh”
“It is oh, my daughter I just brought it from the farm this morning. I would have sold everything if not for the rain” she replied trying to convince me.


I get choice, weather it is fresh or not all that matters is that I have something to feed the hungry worms that were already singing acapella in my stomach.

I sat down
I sat down on the bench while she wrapped two cobs of corn and enough pear.


“Egone?” (How much) I asked trying to make sure I don’t exhaust my little change.
“Má yei maka nwa ibu na fo” (am giving you because of your pregnancy)
“Daula nne”(thank you ma) I said almost kneeling down in appreciation.
I spent time with the good Samaritan who I later got to find out she was the mother of Amarachi, which automatically made her name “Nne Amara”. I munched my roasted maize forgetting all my sorrows. Nne Amara was a professional gossip. She talked non-stop I was like “she no dey swallow spit”
“That carpenter” she said pointing to a skinny fair man across the road who was busy hitting hammer on the nail. “Oga Felix is married to a very fat woman with six children and he still womanizes. Sleeping with young girls”
She talked about virtually everybody that passes her stall, ranging from Aunty Onome that molests young boys to Ebuka the thief and even Ezinne the chronic debtor.


“Nne check the corn, I think it’s burning” I would say just to divert her attention to her business and so she can stop talking especially when I can comprehend no more. “Uzo is a dancer, they said the dance is in his lineage but e bi like say his grandpa, aunty pikin no sabi dance” those kind of rubbish, that you just keep wandering where she is driving at.


It was getting really late and mummy Amarachi was beginning to close for the day. My sorrows began to flood my memory once again. “Where would I spend the night?” Nevertheless I told her I was about to go, promising to visit her stall some other time and left.


I strolled through the streets till midnight and went back to the market area with severe back ache and heavy eyes. I s really scared. I got to a shop that was a little bit distance from the residential area. I placed cartons together to make a heap I can use as pillow and la!d on the ground at the back of the shop.


Few hours into my sleep, I heard a gunshot. I stood up immediately but every where was still calm. I sat up still contemplating if I should ignore wat I thought I heard and go back to my slumber or I just find out wat made that sound. I felt a strong hand covering my mouth