Chapter 5

Immediately I left school, I took a taxi to my boss’ shop where I learn hairdressing.My mum believed in learning a trade aside schooling and took it a little bit too serious.

“Good afternoon ma.” I greeted my boss who was too busy eating her Amala and ewedu soup to notice me.

“Eh, afternoon o jare! Welcome, thank God you are here. Go and plait Aunty Nene’s hair for her and be fast about it.” She said in Yoruba dialect while I just grumbled mentally.

She never even allows somebody to rest a little bit before working.The woman was very lazy, she hardly did anything other than to supervise, sleep, gist and eat.She had twelve girls in her shop, six of which were already learned enough to be freed but hadto serve her for a year according to her rules. I was one of the six who were learned enough so I got to do lots of hair too, it was exciting at first but it got tiring.

Imagine standing for over six hours, unfortunately for us and fortunately for her, her shop was a renowned and popular one known around here so we got lots of customers each day despite our fervent prayers against it but it was like Aunty’s charm was very strong.

“Ah ahn! Amy, is it that small hair that you are still doing since? You are always slow!” She snapped at me while I hissed quietly.

If you are not satisfied, just come and do it yourself, don’t stress me!

“You! Go and wash these plates for me and tell Bimpe to go and collect my change for me at Iya Sukura’s shop!” My boss commanded one of the little girls amongst us.

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“Aunty, I am going home ma.” I announced to my boss who was fast asleep on the three seater chair.She raised her sleepy head up and just waved me away meaning OK.

I just couldn’t wait to escape the place for a while, thank God for Hostel.

I trekked to my mum’s shop since it wasn’t really that faraway from my boss shop.I met her inside her shop serving her customers.

My mum owned a beer parlour shop, and she was very popular on that street so as expected, we were always in the shop till midnight sometimes.Funny enough, my mum was a Conc. christian. At least, that was what she thought, I guess quoting bible and going to church regularly makes her one, for her mind.

“Chisom, where’s mummy?” I asked one of the girls that work for my mum.

“She should be in her office! How is school?”

“Fine, thank you. Well done.”

Chisom was one of the few girls in mum’s shop that I liked a lot, she was cheerful and friendly. Others tend to see me as their enemy as if I was the one responsible for their misfortune.

“Iya ita, come and see your servant here o, she just poured pepper soup on my cloth!” One of the jobless bulky men shouted.

Mum rushed out of her ‘office’ to tend to her customer with immediate effect.Wait, did I tell you that my mum can sometimes be wicked and insensitive? Okay, you would know soon.

“Ngbo, Trinity… Why did you do such a thing? Are you mad?” My mum snapped at the girl who was in her twenty’s.

“Madam, he slapped my ass!” The poor girl explained expecting my mum to support her but knowing my mum, she wouldn’t, her customers were more important than an ordinary ‘ass’.

I’m sure she hadn’t even noticed me.

“Which stupid ass?! You better say correct Nigerian english and stop forming accent, which bombom is there that they are slapping sef, abi is it not this flat thing?!” My mum said as the men in the parlour all laughed.

Old Idiots!

“If you try such a thing again, I’ll sack you!” My mum shouted at her as Trinity rushed out of the shop in annoyance.
I facepalmed myself.

“Ah, Amy, you are back! Drop your bag now.” Mum said as soon as she spotted me.

I followed her into her supposed office and sat on one of the sofas there.

“Mummy, you were mean to that girl! Why would that man slap her like that in the first place?!” I said voicing out my honest opinion.

“Wo, fimile!(leave me alone!) Those girls will not kill me, Customers are always right!”

I hate that Nigerian clause…Or was it everywhere?

“Did you hear what your sister did today?! Eh, Amy, if I allowed her, ehn, she would have beaten me this afternoon o, I don’t know what I will do about that girl’s issue!” My mum said digressing from what I brought up.

Oh, I have three siblings, I am the third born and the second daughter in the family of Falade.

I have only one brother who is the first born and was in Akwa Ibom serving our country. The second born is a female, the first daughter and the black sheep in our family, Motofumi was just very troublesome and slutty. Go to school, she didn’t go, learn a trade, she refused. She was just satisfied with sleeping with every male on our street, both single and married, whether rich or poor. She dropped out of school when she was in S.S 3 without even finishing her WAEC exams.

Our last born, the baby of the house, Pamilerin was in Primary Six. She was the brains of the family. She was smart, beautiful and brilliant. She just packed everything that was supposed to be shared equally amongst us.

She had won a lot of awards for her school and was currently on a scholarship. The scholarship is meant to help her through her primary, secondary and even university level without my parents paying a dime. Pamilerin was the apple of my mother’s eye. My mum wouldn’t stop using her as an example of success for the rest of her children.

“Ahahn, mummy! I’m sure Motofumi can not do that!” I said disagreeing with my mum.

If you are a Nigerian and you have a Nigerian mum like mine then you should understand how Nigerian mums exaggerate and act like drama queens.

“So I am lying, abi?, Awon ale baba e ni oniro [your father’s concubines are the liars]”.

Only God knows what dad’s concubines ever did to her, every little curse was always passed over to them, I just pity them if there were any.

“I don’t know if I should go and see pastor again to do another deliverance for her! My enemies must not prevail over me! Your father’s concubine will not succeed. All those witches and wizards in my mother’s household will not succeed in whatever they do.” Mum said again while I just shook my head.

Welcome to Nigeria where every sorrow, pain and bad incident is said to be a curse from an enemy. Every and any thing bad thing is always caused by a witch somewhere.