Chineye's POV
I rushed back home even though the nights were quickly drawing. Mama cared less and doesn't mind sending me out, knowing a lot of silly village guys are after me. Thankfully I got to our home and knocked on the door. Mama came and opened it from within and I went it.
"What took you so long?," She asked me and I sighed, breathing out heavily having ran a farther distance to reach home.
"What do mean mom, Their house is far," I told Mama as I went to take a seat.
"Which far, is it not the next two streets and is not even too inside like our own, as if you just enter the street you will see their house not to far, unlike our own that you will trek to long to get here."
"It's still far Mama, is far!" I said and took a seat.
"Anyways hope you have given the woman back her magazine, I don't want to hear any stories or see her here again, hope she's the one you gave the magazine too?," Mama questioned and I sighed.
"Mm, I just gave it to someone I saw at their gate."
"What do you mean?," Mama asked me with blazing eyes.
"Mom I don't know him, but he came out from their compound and I told him am here to see Mama Esther, he started asking me questions and night is coming, so I gave him the magazine and rush back here, before everywhere will turn dark," i replied.
"Hmm, so her sons are around, I should have known and go and return it by myself, anyways so long you have returned forget about them and go serve the food, I was waiting for you to return so we can eat together."
"Okay Mom," I replied and stood up and went to our kitchen to dish out the jollof rice I had cooked before leaving.
I came out back to the parlour and place Mama's own plate of food on a stool and dragged it to her front, while I went to serve her a drinking water. I went back to bring my own food and sat across her to eat.
Our parlour was empty and we didn't have any electricity supply, no television, no radio, no fan, no bulb, just an old couch that seemed to have torn at different places and a long sofa that was also old. We were poor, poor as a church rat, but we could still manage to feed with Mama's plantain business, although Uncle Chudy wasn't that poor like us, but Mama and his wife ain't in good terms and Mama forbids me from going to their compound, that was three house away from ours.
Their family lived there, but none of them were talking to us as it was an ancestral family house. Mama also warned me never to associate with any of my cousin sisters or brothers even though they wanted to be siblings with me. So I was alone and always with Mama. No chat with relatives except for my school friends that used to come visit, but no relative was closer to us.
Finishing my food I went to keep my plate and Mama's own in the kitchen. When I returned back to the parlour, Mama went on telling me about our sales for the following day, telling me, "Neye, you will have to go and hawk those plantain tomorrow, while i will go to our shade at the market square to sell the remains."
"Okay Mom," I faintly replied, there was no point bringing about my education to her. There was no money and no furthering. I had hoped Mama Esther would talk to Mama on my behalf, but it seemed my academic status and intelligence would go to waste.
After she was thru briefing me about how I will sell the plantain and the last price, I stood up and went back to lay on the mattress in our room.
The following morning, I went to take my bath, after I was thru I dressed up and prepare to go hawk the plantains before noon that heavy sun would be out.
After I was thru taking my bath and putting on my clothes, a short gown as most of my clothes had become smaller. I was growing and the clothes where becoming jump-up, lol.
I went and carried out the plantain to the front of our house, while folding the wrapper that I will place on my head to go and hawk. Mama came out and helped me carried the tray of plantains and placed it on my head.
"Don't stay too long, once you are thru selling it, you come back home or come to the market and join me," Mama told me.
"Okay," i replied and started going out of our compound carrying the big tray of plantain on my head.
Walking thru our street and going out to the main Street, I was stopped by some customers and I sold to them.
Still walking I was stopped again and i asked the buyer to select the plantain while i bent a little for the buyer to pick it , after given the buyer her change, I continued trekking, hawking the remaining plantains until I was almost thru, remaining just two bunch.
One of my former secondary school mate saw me, and called me, I went to her as she stood in front of her compound.
"How are you doing Tricia?," I greeted her and dropped down the tray of plantain on the floor, stretching my neck sideways to relief the hurt of carrying the heavy load of plantain.
"Am fine Neye, how about you, I thought the last time we spoked you told me that you will soon get your Jamb form?" Tricia asked.
"Mm, I thought same but Mama as refused, she said except there's a university in this our village, that am not going to the city and I shouldn't bother about it," I told her.
"Why?, na wa oo. Your mother should have atleast consider you are intelligent, why would she be against you furthering, na wa oo. How about you?, What do you plan on doing now, continuing hawking plantain and remain in this village?," Tricia questioned me and I frowned.
"What do you expect me to do?, There's nothing I can do to protest against Mama, just forget about me furthering, I will be fine," I told her as I bent to carry back my tray of plantain that remains two bunch.
"Wait are you now going?" Tricia asked and I stopped and dropped the tray back on the floor.
"Eh na!, Or what do you want to tell me again?. Have told you to forget about me furthering, it a waste, I will just continue selling with Mama, maybe until I get married, who knows," i replied Tricia with a smile and wanted to carry back the tray, but Tricia stopped me again, "Wait."
"Oh oo!, What's it again?. I need to go and sell this remaining two bunch before hot sun will come out and I haven't even eaten, I have to go now," I told her and wanted to carry the tray up, but she seized my hands and dragged me to a corner.
"You too you are not serious, seems you enjoy selling plantain," Tricia told me.
"What do you mean?," I frowned.
"Tell me, don't you think of finding a better job or a guy who will sponsor you thru school?."
"Ahh! God forbid, I don't have anything to do with guys," I bluntly refused and she laughed.
"Na so, be forming holier than though, see if you have a good boyfriend, you can tell him to assist you in buying the Jamb form first," Tricia spoked again and I just stared at her in horror
"No no no!, Don't tell me about boyfriend again, I don't want to have anything to do with a guy until am married."
Tricia twist her nose, "stay there,"
"What?, No! I don't need a boyfriend."
"See am just advising you as my friend, even me that's in school I still have a boyfriend, and his helping me sometimes when my parent don't have."
"Eh! That one is you. See am not interested in any relationship, so let's just forget about me furthering, have you heard from Sandra?," I asked her.
"Eh, she told me she wouldn't be coming home this holiday."
"Why?," I quickly asked
"I don't know. Why not call her yourself?"
"You know I don't have a phone," I replied with a frown.
"You see why am telling you to accept a boyfriend, you are even more beautiful than me, am sure some of this handsome guys in this our village will be crushing on you."
"Let them crush, who cares. Am not interested and don't tell me about guys again," I replied her and bent to carry the tray containing two plantain bunch, she stopped me again.
"Okay just give me one bunch, I wanted to buy that's why am outside waiting for you to pass."
"Okay take it yourself. Since I have been standing you didn't remember you want to buy," I frowned and bent a little.
"Neye Neye!," She hyped me.
"Leave me oo, Am going," I told her after giving her change to her.
"Eh we see later before I return back to school, we have like a month holiday," Tricia said.
"Wow, that's much, okay I will be expecting you." I crossed their house gutter and left.