MY UNCLE AND I ๐
EPISODE 10
We came back to Lagos that evening without locating Mrs Ajoke. I saved her number on my Nokia phone after the Gate man helped us with it. Hence, I wasn’t happy. My instinct told me Mrs Ajoke could be my last hope. We returned back to the streets of Lagos to continue our usual nasty way of life; snatching purses, bags and valuables to survive. It is just what one must do or else you starve to de@th.
I and Katie were at our casual place of fun when we noticed 2 men and a woman approaching us. The next thing I heard from the woman was ” officer, these are the Ladies that snatched my purse”. I was shocked and scared. My heart nearly jumped into my Stomach. Could it be another problem for me again? I was thinking in my mind. Of a truth, we weren’t Criminals hence, what we did that day was very bad. The purse contained a lot of money, passport and a key. I remembered I kept the passport and the key somewhere safe. We were handcuffed by the Police, pushed into the vehicle as they drove us down to Ajegunle Police headquarters.
We were tortured and questioned at the police station. I didn’t lie to them. I confessed that we snatched the purse because we needed money to do some things. I also revealed that we had spent all the money. When the woman came, She told the police the money wasn’t really important to her but the passport and the key inside the purse was what she needed. Although, Katie didn’t know I kept the Passport and the key. I didn’t inform her. She was surprised when I told them I was going to provide it. I gave them a condition that if she really needs or want the Passport and the key back, she would have to bail us from the police station so I can get her what she was looking for. Fortunately for us, She agreed. She even paid for our bail by herself that day, bought us food and drinks.
We were granted bail after spending 2 days behind the bar at the police station. It was even the woman that drove us back to where I kept the passport and the key as I handed it over to her. She was happy. It seemed She needed it so badly. After getting her stuffs, she dialogued with us, informing us that her name was Mrs Grace. She asked us what led us into living in the callous streets of Lagos as we were very young girls who should be busy with school or learning a trade. We told her everything that has happened in our lives. She volunteered to help us. She promised to enroll us with her friends so we could learn a trade like Tailoring, hair dressing and whichever trade we care to learn. It was a good idea to me but I wouldn’t want to fall victim again. That was not the first time someone would promise me and it will result into something else. After several murmuring/silent discussion between I and Katie, she convinced me. She suggested the woman could be of help to us. The relationship between us was so close that there was nothing she would tell me that I wouldn’t listen to.
We decided to give it a try. We left Ajegunle as we followed Mrs Grace down to Alausa, Ikeja area of Lagos state. She stays alone in her apartment. She was a civil servant.
A week later, she started to fulfil her promises by enrolling us to learn Hair dressing in Mama B’s Saloon shop in Alausa. Mama B was her friend and hairdresser.
Being an apprentice in Nigeria is not something really easy. Its just like a gold passing through fire. I and Katie continued our learning with Mama B. Mama B was a strict master. She doesn’t take nonsense from anyone. Hence, I never had any issue with her.
One Thursday, we were braiding a customer’s hair when a woman came to the shop. She greeted everyone. I looked up and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Mrs Ajoke. A woman I have been looking for, for a very long time. I jumped up with excitement as I hugged her. She doesn’t really recognize me but I do. Mama B even gave me a resounding slap for what I did because Mrs Ajoke appeared lost. She couldn’t remember where she knew me from. It was after I explained myself; telling her where I knew her from and how I have longed to meet her for help over the years. She remembered and greeted me hospitably. Mama B also apologized for slapping me earlier.
After Mrs Ajoke was done plaiting her hair, I followed her to her car to further tell her everything about myself, what my Uncle did to me back in the years and about reuniting with my Son again. She was emotional. She felt pity for me. She told me she knew my Uncle Very well. She called him a Wayward man. She even told me that many Rapโฌ and molestation cases has been linked to my Uncle in the past but she was looking for a Perfect evidence to deal with him. Yes of course, I would be the perfect evidence.
She left that day after giving me her hot mobile line where I can contact her whenever I want to visit her. She gave me her Address as well as some Amounts of money which I had to hide from Mama B or else she would skin me alive. She doesn’t like it when we collect money from her customers. She termed it begging.
I and Katie got home that day in the evening. We close 6pm everyday. We met Mrs Grace in the house and I told her how I met Mrs Ajoke at the saloon and who she was. Mrs Grace told us that she was even preparing to ask us some questions concerning the stories we told her before. She was about hiring an activist to open and handle our case but since I told her how qualified Mrs Ajoke is, she suggested that I should invite Mrs Ajoke to the House for dinner so that she could have a discussion with her.
Saturday of that same week, I had invited Mrs Ajoke earlier that our guardian wish to meet her. Fortunately for me, she accepted. She visited us that day. She met Mrs Grace, they dialogued together in the sitting room. We weren’t with them, all I could remember was that they talked while we were in the kitchen preparing the dinner….
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