By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
‘That curtain was left here by the former tenant of this house,’ Taiwo explained. ‘The material seems stiff and clammy. Maybe you will need to replace the curtain.’
The window was filthy, which sent a shiver down Chioma’s spine. She might not be a germophobic, but she hated to live in a filthy house. But then, a cool breeze from the gaps in the frame brushed her tired face and she breathed it in with relief and hope that very soon everything would turn out well.
‘Come let me take you to the kitchen,’ Taiwo said, leading the way. He stopped in a small room, which had a sink but no running water.
Louisa glanced around. She hadn’t had much money in Abuja, but they little she got as well as her children; they used the money to buy somethings to decorate the house. She had always kept a clean house, and had taken great care of the possession bought. She was glad with her children, because they are able to cope with any lifestyle.
‘We can clean it,’ Louisa said cheerfully to Taiwo. ‘And we will wash the window to let more light in…’
Taiwo turned to Louisa. ‘That means you have accepted to live here?’
‘Yes,’ replied Louisa with a sigh.
Then, Taiwo pulled out the keys from his shorts. ‘I always move about with the keys because I believe in miracles,’ Taiwo jokingly said and they laughed. ‘I can give you my account number to transfer the money.’
After
an agreement of 3000 naira every month as rent was reached, Taiwo gave Louisa
his account number and the money was transferred.
‘I will bring the receipt tomorrow,’ Taiwo assured. Then, as they walked towards the front door, Taiwo asked Louisa, ‘When will your furniture arrive?’
‘Our furniture will go to the pawn shop. The room is too small for them…a small living room and a small bedroom; it can’t house our furniture…’ Louisa said.
‘Do we have any pawn shop here in
Nigeria?’ Taiwo asked curiously.
‘We have one
in Abuja which belongs to the Moon Corporation,’ replied Louisa.
‘Wish we had at least one pawn shop around this area,’ Bisi said with a sigh.
‘It will help local folks like us…’
‘I’ve no wish to have folks think I am having to pawn things in order to eat.’
‘Taiwo, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with that,’ Bisi said. ‘You only have to take your most precious possessions into the pawn shop on a Monday morning, redeem them on Friday, and pawn them again on the following Monday. Honestly, if we have pawn shop here, I will have more time in the evenings to draw up a list of my items going to the pawnbroker’s hands each week.’
Louisa laughed slightly and said to Bisi, ‘Your house will be filled with pawn tickets…’
‘And even scraps of papers,’ Bisi
finished for her and they laughed.
‘It’s
okay as long as you don’t pawn yourself.’
Bisi
laughed. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ she said jokingly.
Louisa said to Bisi when Taiwo left them, ‘Thank you so much.’
Bisi smiled. ‘It was nothing compared to all the
kindness you showed me when you were my neighbour at Oko-Agbon. You gave me
money for food countless times…you are a good person. I know that someday,
heaven will shower abundance of blessings upon your family.’
Louisa smiled but didn’t say a word.
That night, Chioma dreamed of
Michael. In her dream, she was walking hand in hand with him at the beach,
sitting at the park with him, lying in his arms in the grass. But then, a
drunken voice from the neighbourhood woke her from her dream. She turned to look at Louisa who was sleeping
soundly beside her on a mat, and the realisation that Michael wasn’t hers
anymore caused tears to fill her eyes. Turning over, Chioma wept into the
folded cloth, which served as pillow, until the pillow, her face and her hair
were all soaked with tears.
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