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I woke up in the middle of the night and heard madam and her
husband whispering in a hushed tone.
"Give it to me harder," madam whispered breathing heavily.
My heart skipped some beats as I thought madam was in distress
but I kept calm and listened further.
The squeaking sound of their bed increased and Madam's voice
filtered once again into my room.
"Ouusss...mmm...ahhh," she m0@n ed.
At that point, I knew what was happening.
Madam and her husband were at it again and another baby could
soon be on the way.
Some minutes later Madam's husband started groaning aloud and
Everywhere went quiet afterward.
"Darling you're so wonderful," my madam said.
"And you too my queen," the husband responded and let out a
short laugh.
I didn't know when I slept off and by the time I woke up it was
morning.
I got up immediately and went to do my morning function.
Within one hour I was through so I sat on the mortar in the
kitchen waiting for my madam to wake up.
part of the warning madam gave me was that for no reason
whatsoever was I to sit on the padded seats in the sitting room.
"If you feel like sitting down," she instructed. "Sit on top of the
mortar in the kitchen and never in the sitting room."
For no reason whatsoever was I to touch the remote controller in
the sitting room not to talk of putting on the television.
The dining room was also out of my bounds so I ate in the
kitchen and on top of my mortar.
Madam woke up very late that morning around 11 a.m. and cam£
and inspected everywhere but saw nothing to complain about yet
She wasn't satisfied.
"Who put on the toilet light?" She asked frowning her face.
"I don't know ma," I replied.
A very hard knock landed on my head and I shouted in pain and
ran towards the toilet to off the light.
Then she went back into her room.
"Darling I suggest you take it easy with that young girl," I
overheard my madam's husband admonishing her.
"That girl can be very annoying," my madam replied. "Can you
Imagine that she hasn't scrub-be-d the toilet up till now," she added
which was a very big lie.
"Just be patient with her," my madam's husband insisted. "I
believe she will learn," he added.
"I hope so," my madam responded.
I felt very bad.
The toilet my madam lied that I didn't scrub was the first
the thing I scrubbed that morning.
Why my madam was being so wicked to me was what I couldn't
explain. I was doing my best to please this madam of mine yet
it seemed like all my best wasn't good enough.
I swallowed hard and let the annoyance pass.
By noon, madam ordered me to prepare and esc-rt her to the
market.
Her husband stayed behind with the baby and waited for us to
come back.
We boarded a bus and madam sat down while I continued
standing.
A passenger alighted at the seventh bus stop and left a free seat
which out of exhaustion I decided to sit.
Madam's hard blow on me that's sent me to my feet in no time.
"Who gave you the permission to sit down?" She fumed ogling a
me. "Will your dead father pay for the seat or your wretched poor
mother in the village?" She asked still staring at me ferociously.
Her words hurt me as much as the B! ow on my thigh but I
endured.
"Madam please take it easy," one man sitting behind us pleaded.
"She will learn with time."
My madam kept mute and didn't utter any word in reply.
When we got to the market, Madam bought everything we went
to buy and I carried them on my head till we got to the house.
"Wash those vegetables and cut them," my madam instructed.
"Cos I'll cook soup this evening."
With tiredness and exhaustion, I set to work immediately.
Within 30 minutes I was through with the vegetables. Then I
proceeded to cut the okra as well.
When I finished, I was very tired so I went into my small room to
rest for a while...