Chapter 5 The Journey

SADE

I felt bad that I had no taken Toyin's phone from the hotel room that day. I returned the next day but they told me they didn't find any phone in the room. The receptionist told me since that day many other people have used the room and no one reported finding a phone. It would have been much easier to find this Chief's number and just meet up with him. But since that wasn't possible I had to try another way. After some finding I found out Toyin's madam a plump fair woman who helped young girl's get little money for sleeping with men and she got the lion's share. Toyin was one of her special girl who brought customers to her and she didn't even care to come for her burial. I wasn't concerned with her though, I was only chief.

*

"Ore, you're doing a lot in the house. Please let me assist you in any way." I told Toyin one night.

She was in front of a mirror cleaning her face, then she turned back to look at me. "Assist me, in what way?"

"Mi o mo ore. I don't know, let me just do something, anything. Okay what do you do?"

She stared at me with her mouth open for a while then she turned to the mirror to inspect her face

"Toyin," I called her, "what are you doing? Let me join you." Not like I hadn't suspected what she was doing or didn't know.

She sighed then walked away from the mirror and sat next to me. "Sade, I cannot lie to you, I'm not proud of what I'm doing you see," then she looked me in the eyes, "unlike you, I'm not saying you didn't have a tough time too but, I was an outcome of-of unwanted pregnancy. My mom had sex with a useless man who didn't care for her. So she was chased out of her parent's house. Luckily some guy who liked her took her in and she started staying with him in a poor neighborhood, things for me were never easy. You know the rest from there."

I took a long deep breath in then out. I looked to my thighs remembering our situation as women of circumstance.

"I'm a prostitute you see." She confessed that night which made me look up and stare at her. "Yes, I sleep with men to get all this money I'm using to sustain myself; I hope it doesn't make you look at me any less." She said.

"No," I said with a smile, "never sis."

She smiled at my warm response, and hugged me. "I know you want to help more in the house and you are. That job in the mart is okay for you and trust me I feel its impact in the small changes you make in the room and sometimes you just do surprise with one nice meal."

As if she knew I was about to protest that the money comes per month and was so little I still wouldn't mind doing something extra, she continued.

"Sade. I never want you to become a prostitute for anything, anything at all. You've gone through a lot already hmm fine girl." She gave me a peck on my cheek.

"Okay, I won't." I said after clearing my throat.

"Oya let us sleep hmm. Tomorrow is going to be a busy Saturday for us, oya come to bed." She stands and drags me along with her to the bed.

*

"I'm sorry my friend but-I have to break that promise." I said standing in front of the mirror putting on lipstick. "I love you."

.

.

.

I finally began sleeping with men as a means of livelihood and I couldn't believe it but I loved it. The way they controlled and moved on the bed, the whole pleasure I felt knowing this time everything was intentional, the money I got in return after I personally enjoyed myself too. It was a fast means to having money, unlike the month end paid job I was doing in the mini mart.

Can you imagine? I'd work my ass out for a whole month and all I got at the end was ten thousand naira. What could that do? Anyway that chapter of my life was over. I had begun a new one. Just like Toyin, I had a regular customer but he wasn't an old man, no no no; a young handsome dark complexioned Igbo man with plenty of money. His name is Bright Ndidi.

BRIGHT

"Giwa, I'm telling you I have tried everything I can to please that woman. She's never willing to believe me." I said to my friend and office colleague, Giwa. We were in a bar talking about various things before I brought up my wife again just like other days we visit the bar. I'm sure even Giwa is tired of my complaints.

"My guy you just gats try harder." He said dropping his phone on the table. He seemed to have finished texted whoever he was texting and was willing to have my time.

"Try harder!" I said almost shouting.

"Ahan, yes Bright, try harder to please her. You know all these women or you can divorce her. I mean look at me, I've been so happy since I divorced my wife."

I took a sip from my star bottle. "Giwa, unlike you, I have a child. I can't just divorce her so easily." I said then sighed.

"I don't know what to say bro," he said to me after licking off the foam on his mustache after drinking beer from his cup, "it's never easy when there are kids." He said.

"She wasn't like this before we even got married. She just-changed, all of a sudden. I don't understand anymore, I swear." I rested my back on the chair. "I better get going." I grabbed my bottle and drank all the content in it then I stood up, shook him with money in my hand.

"Bright man, money man." He started to tease.

"Baba shut up, it's for the drinks." I said and rushed out before he'd continue whining.

I could never stay out too late just so I could avoid my wife from complaining and assuming I was cheating.

*

There was one Saturday she was doing the laundry and found a lady's G-string in my pocket. She rushed into the sitting room with it in her hand and started yelling.

"Bright! Whose pant is this?" She yelled at me.

"Pant?" I said as I looked up from the newspaper I was reading.

"Yes, Bright, I said pant. When did you start seeing other women and collecting their pants ehn?" She said while she began to cry.

"My God-Mary. What is the meaning of this?"

"What is the meaning of what? Ehn! The fact that I have finally caught you?"

I stood up from the Sofa staring at her. "Look at what you're showing me, isn't it yours?" I said as I came closer, "look at it! You put it in my pocket yesterday on my way to work ehn."

She looked at it surprised. "Oh," her tears immediately seized and she smiled, "baby, I'm sorry. I didn't remember, I'm so sorry baby."

*

When I got home from the bar that day, to my surprise she wasn't already waiting for me in the sitting room as she usually does.

"Honey, Honey!" I shouted while checking the rooms down stairs.

"What is it?" She said when she came out of the kitchen frowning. I knew she was going to start trouble with that expression on her face.

"What's for dinner?" I asked, ignoring the frown on her face, but she didn't give up easily as I had thought she would.

"Bright, I'm tired of you just coming in everyday and asking me what's for dinner, don't you know I'm also tired. I have---"

Really these days, nothing from her was a surprise anymore. She could switch up at anytime and that evening, I wasn't even in the mood.

"Okay," I said, interrupting her speech, "sorry for disturbing you."

I picked my car key from the table and drove to a nearby eatery where I had my evening meal.

The next day at work, I told Giwa everything that happened and like always his reply was the same. "My brother if it's not working, end it." I couldn't just end it even if I wanted to; She was still the mother of my child and for that, I could never leave her, I promised myself I was never going to let my child when I got one to suffer what I did.

One Thursday, I decided to follow Giwa to a club he and I used to go to before my marriage with Mary. I decided I needed some sort of fun at least for the first time, I wouldn't be accused falsely.

"Wow! Everything has changed in this club." I was astonished at the changes in lights, bar, floor tiles, etc.

Giwa laughed at the way I kept looking around. "That's what I'm telling you this man. Everything has changed, especially the ladies."

Indeed everything was different especially the ladies.

*

Four years ago, I met Mary in this same club. Our being together at first was just for the sex, I had no intentions of getting married to her but when one gets careless mistakes are bound to happen. She soon called to inform me that she was pregnant and I begged her to do an abortion but she refused. When I told her I wasn't going to be responsible for the child, somehow she got to know my home, she told my mother about everything. My mom who was a single mother pleaded with me to marry her or else she wasn't going to forgive me because there was no difference between my dad and me. I didn't like my dad very much for leaving us so such words always got to me.

I eventually married her, and when she gave birth I promised not to ever make my child experience separated parenting or single parenting.

*

"Enjoy yourself Bright. You see that babe over there?" He asked me pointing to a light skinned chubby lady, "I'm going to meet her, don't stand around all alone." He left me standing alone.

"Giwa." I said but she didn't answer me so I made my way to sit at the bar. Then I saw a girl, dark, with smooth skin. She was slender and had quite the breasts size I love. Without hesitation, I moved close to her by leaving chair I sat to another.

"Hey." I said.

She looked at me from head to toe, then to my head again before she responded. "Hey."

I wasn't surprised at her attitude; pretty girls like her were allowed to be rude in my book. "Hope you don't mind me sitting next to you?" I asked.

"No, I don't," she said, not even looking at me, "we're in a public place; you can have your seat anywhere."

Wow! Such arrogance, I love it. "Okay," I said, taking a seat, "bar man please, give me a shot of your bullet." I said then looked at her. She was more beautiful looking at her up front, and she had a blonde wig on.

"I'm B-" I was about to say but she interrupted me.

"Do you have money?" She asked.

"I beg your pardon." I said.

She rolled her chair to face me. Her top were quite transparent, so I could see the bra she wore through her top. My Lord what is this? I thought.

"You can have a night with me if you have money." The perfume she wore was so nice.

"I'm coming." I said then I left to look for Giwa who was with another lady when I found him. I told him I was already leaving the club, he was fine with it.

I drove her down to a hotel, where she and I had sex. For the first time since I got married, it felt like I was having real and passionate sex with someone. It was just as though we had this kind of connection, I had to see her again. So I begged her for her number.

I wanted something with her, something more than sex too.