Chapter 2

            I pounded three wraps of Akpu and warmed the remaining Egusi soup for Aunty Mba as breakfast, before dashing out of the house in my faded Ankara high waist skirt and an off coloured red blouse; in a bid to fetch water with the gallons. 

"Olamma!" I turned to the familiar voice of Stella, my best friend. She was on a cheeky smile. A smiling angel indeed. She got joy from bottom of her heart which always radiated on the outside. However, Stella could be dangerous when stepped on.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look different from the Olamma you know?" I quizzed at Stella whose eyes has been scrutinizing me. "Don't tell me that it's that your wicked Aunty that did this to you. Your body is filled with stripes of cane." My bittered best friend asked angrily. " You were not even around yesterday evening, Aunty Mba called me ashawo. She even went as far as instructing me to bring back her black goats in the night. This morning she emptied a whole bucket of cold water on me, simply because I over slept. " I explained in details to Stella who kept shaking her head dissaprovingly. "And what did you do? Don't tell me you cried because of Aunty Mba. If I were you, I would sell her goats and chickens in the market and tell her that they got lost . Can you imagine?"

"That will only be worse, Stella. It is the cocks that I am even blaming. Their voice has suddenly gotten tiny and sonorous, I don't hear their crows anymore. Even the morning birds went on vacation. " I ranted with all seriousness. We got to the public tap and joined the other children who queued up in a long line. Some of the younger ones left their lines, playing around and running wild. As my gaze lingered on them, I never saw a genuine smile on their faces. Most of them were victims of broken homes or products of a single parent. 

When we sat on our gallons to savour our tantalising gist, a boy of about ten years ran madly towards our direction and at the top of his tenor voice screamed "Agbo is back! He and his gang has returned o!". He kept repeating the words as the ran towards the small ghetto market. There was a stampede among us as buckets and gallons clashed. Some of us even left our buckets and flew like lightning with our slippers in both hands. Ghetto children are born athletes. I got perplexed when I saw Stella who was beside me, many miles ahead of me. Her legs were no longer touching the ground. No one was excluded in the race as I was already panting when I arrived home. 

"Aunty! Aunty Mba, Agbo has returned." I was breathing fast. Her eyes opened immediately in shock. She ordered me to bring in our grinding stone, cooking stove and the clothes I earlier washed. I felt happy because I thought Aunty Mba would tell me not to hawk today. But I was so wrong. I went to my tiny room where I pulled off my ragged wear. 

" Olamma!" Aunty Mba's voice sent shivers down my spine. My termite infested door flung open to reveal Aunty Mba. Her eyes darted all over my body. Just then did I realise, I was just on pant and bra.

"See how round and fat the buttocks of a seventeen years old girl is. Tell me! I say tell me how many men have demanded and how many have you supplied your supplements?", Her voice echoed throughout my room. Supplements? What does supplements mean o? I will check it out later in my mini dictionary. 

I am a secondary school graduate from my village school. But I hardly understand big grammars. It was after I finished secondary school that Mama sent me to leave in this slum ghetto with Aunty Mba her younger sister. 

"Aunty Mba I am innocent of all your accusations." A confused me, replied. "Shut up and dress up. Have you forgotten you have four baskets of oranges to sell. Don't even dare to come back until they are all sold. Let me see how you will be doing 'touching body ' with those useless touts. When you come back, soak those beans that you earlier picked, because we will fry Akara ( Bean Cake) tonight. " Aunty Mba detailed me. A wicked grin playing on her unpleasant face that had wrinkles permanently glued to her forehead. Immediately she left, I fell to the ground and started weeping profusely .

I carried a basket filled with ripe oranges on top of my 'aju' after i re dressed . I trekked out of the slum to the heart of the busy city. The sun wasn't smiling at all . I was surprised that i didn't get melted under the fierce torture of the burning sun.

"Buy your oranges! Sweet oranges! " I chanted as i moved around the Expressway when there was traffic combustion. "Oroma gi a, otokwaru uto?." ( This your oranges, are they sweet?) A middle aged woman who was holding her little son asked me while eyeing the oranges. "Very sweet ma. It's not the every day type you lick o." I tried persuading her to patronize me. I was most grateful when she bought three hundred naira worth of oranges from me. 

By the time I was done selling the four baskets of oranges i got exhausted. Telling by the shadows, the time was either ten or few minutes past it. I staggered towards the T-junction. I didn't dare think about the work that awaits me at home. Later on, i boarded a ' Keke na pepe' who dropped me close to the ghetto.

I had entirely forgotten that ' Agbo' the most dangerous Street Lord has arrived. He was arrested late last year and was detained since then. Probably, his guys bribed his way out. 'Otule' was no where to Agbo. They did clash at times and it always ended up a bloodbath. In the sense that each of them wanted to be the 'Jungle Villain’.

"Fine girl, no pimples. " I froze as my brain suddenly booted. Wait! Is that Otule or __ God please let it not be so. I increased my pace and I instantly felt like urinating. " Aishh!" I yelled in pains. Someone threw a plank on my head. 

From their different hideouts, more touts came out and surrounded me. Agbo wasn't with them but i knew they were his guys.

Run! No, wait small. Stupid girl, run!! , my subconscious told me. I made to run but Agbo's voice mellowed me. " If you move, i will shoot off your skull and send your people a body with out private parts." I immediately fell at his feet, begging him to tamper justice with mercy.

"Will you stop shading crocodile tears and get your juicy body up from the ground. " Agbo ordered and I instantly flew up. He continued, "If you comply, nothing will be done to you. But if you prove stubborn, 'Anyi ga ese gi ka afifia' (We will smoke you like weed); and rape you to the extent that you will have instant 'Alhmezier '." His threats were deadly. 

"Pull off your pant. Hand it over to me and get out before you regret this night." Agbo instructed me. Chim o! Yahoo Is Definitely A Herbalist.

I acted dumb to his orders. Agbo didn't repeat his orders. He just looked at one of his guys who had no front teeth. The unpleasant looking guy went over to me. He pulled up my Ankara high waist skirt and forcefully took off my pant. While doing it, he was deliberately touching my vital part. Though he acted like he was doing nothing. I didn't fight it cause I knew better than doing so.