After selling the last bunch of plantain, I started walking back home.
It was a Saturday morning and many people were out on the streets. As I walked passed a food canteen, some silly guys that were inside started calling and wooing me, but I didn't look back. The sun was already out and becoming harsher. I walked fast ignoring them and to my notice it seemed one of the guys came out to chase after me. I fastened my steps walking quick, but seemed the guy was ready to follow me home, even as I corner a street and looked back I saw him following me and giving me signal to wait. I got nervous and also scared, what did I do wrong. I quickly fastened my steps and cornered the last street leading to our home, heaving a sign of relief that he didn't follow me as I ran but as I looked back again I saw him running towards me. Scared I don't stop to know why this guy was after me, I didn't also minded some of my cousin sisters that stood outside staring at me, I ran straight into our home and shut the door behind me, as I quickly jamed it and lock it from within.
My heart was pounding loudly and I was sweating seriously, I bent down and thankfully our curtain was black, so no one from outside could see what was within. I slowly went to the window to peep out if the guy has gone or probably I wasn't the one he was chasing after, probably he was chasing someone else and I misunderstood and started running. But as I raised my head to peep a little, I heard a gentle knock on our door, I swallowed and quickly bent down back.
"Who's that?," I said within myself as I was scared to speak out.
Knock knock knock!
I swallowed and contemplated on going to open the door.
Frustrated and seeing no one answered him, he stood a little and turned and left our compound.
I continued watching him as he left. I didn't know him and hadn't seen him before. I doubt he was my past senior in school as I was quite familiar with some of them, still peeping thru the window a little, I saw my cousin sister whom I wasn't in talking term with approached him.
I swallowed and opened the curtain very well to be sure of whom I was seeing. My eyebrows furrowed as I stared at them. What were they both discussing, I don't know but as the guy turned to look back at our house, I quickly closed back the curtain and peep a little. I saw him smiled and left and Amara started walking to our house, same girl that has never visited us..
What does she want?.
I didn't open the door and decided to go warm my food as I hadn't eaten since morning. She knocked, knocked knocked calling my name but I didn't answer and she turned and left.
I serve my food, after I was thru eating I decided to go wash our clothes so I could go to church early the following day. I didn't want to go to the market again since I had already sold the whole plantain, as i only went to the market when I still had some plantain left.
Coming out to wash my dirty clothes, I sat on the bench in front of our compound. After I was thru washing them, I rinse it and went to hung it on the tied rope. Later I went back into our house to sleep.
Mama came back in the evening and she woke me up as I had slept so long.
"Come this one you are sleeping like these, hope all is well?." Mama asked as she looked at me suspiciously making me to wonder what she meant.
"Mom nothing is wrong with me, am tired,' I stretched as i replied her and sat up.
"Tired?. I said it, sure Is not what am thinking?," Mama questioned again as she went to take a seat on the old couch opposite me.
"Mom I don't know what you're talking about, am fine. Am just tired having washed so much clothes," I replied her and stood up to carry her bag inside.
"Okay if you say so, but you know you can't hide Pregnancy."
"What?!," I screamed and paused at the door, turning to face her.
"Am not pregnant oo!," I refuted.
"Let it be the truth," Mama replied and looked away from me.
"Did anyone come to look for me?," She asked me.
"None that I remember, no one came." I couldn't bring myself to tell Mama about the guy that had chased me from the third Street that was closer to Mama Esther house. I swallowed the words about him and went to offload Mama's bag as she bought some food stuffs that we would prepare against Sunday.
"Let me go and take my bath first, when am back I will gist you all that happened in the market today. You sold all the plantains?."
"Yes Mom," I replied.
"Good, you are really trying, but don't worry, your reward is in heaven, just keep being a good girl."
I frowned hearing Mama. "What did I say wrong?," Mama questioned and I looked away, "nothing," I replied her.
"Have told you I can't afford to sponsor you to school, is not like I wouldn't want you to be a graduate."
"I Know Mom,. I didn't mention anything about school," I replied her and she sighed and shook her head and went to the bathroom to take her bath.
After Mama was thru, she came out to the parlour and started gisting me about all the dramas that happened at the market square, some I could remember them and some I didn't even know whom they were. We laughed all thru the night and after that we went to sleep.
The following morning, I prepared as I wanted to attend the church fellowship service. I took my bath on time and warm the meal, after I was thru I took my Bible and stepped out as Mama wasn't attending church service with me.
"Are you leaving, wouldn't you take an offering?," Mama reminded me as she came out to the front of our house and gave me the money.
"Do and come back quick, I want to go to the village women's meeting today. You know your uncle and his wife wouldn't allow me rest as they are planning to sell this house your father left for us." I frowned hearing Mama.
"Okay I will," I replied and left, trekking to church.
The church we attended was the only Catholic Church in Ugodinma village and a lot of people living in our village attended it as well.
The church was very big as it contained a lot of crowd and even had extra field and frontage to accommodate the late comers.
I went to take my seat as I came early, listening to the Rev father preaching and choir singing worship songs. When it was time for offering and receiving holy Communion I stood up as well and went to receive mine.
After the second service was over, we shared the grace and everyone started leaving the church premises and I went out too heading home.
As I was about to corner to the first street leading to our home, as I kept my head lowered as the scotching sun was out, someone held my hand from behind and I stiffened and turned to stare at whom the person was.
I raised my head to meet the gaze of the person whom had stopped me and he immediately left my hand. I swallowed as my eyes meet his.
"Hi," he said and I felt my heart beat pounding again remembering he looked like the same guy that had chased me yesterday. I took two steps backward and wanted to run but I bumped into someone else again, was it a trap. I almost fell as I bumped into the second person that came from my behind and he caught me as I almost fell down.
I looked up to meet his gaze and he seemed a bit familiar like I had meet him before, holding his gaze a little as he also stared into mine, he finally helped me stood up properly and took some steps away from me to the next guy that had been chasing me.
He spoked something to the guy's ear, but I couldn't hear him, and the other guy smiled to me.
"Sorry for chasing you yesterday, I just wanted to know you and be friends with you," The first guy that had previously chased me said as he was as tall as the other guy whom saved me from falling. I nodded and wanted to leave but the first guy spoked to me again.
"Sorry I wouldn't take to much of your time can I have your number?," He asked me and I stared at him, feeling shy and nervous. Though it wasn't my first time being stopped by a guy, but I felt so shy and nervous and I couldn't understand why.
"Humn, sorry I don't have a phone," I replied him and he frowned, I turned and wanted to leave but he held my hands again, "Wait!," He said and I turned to stare at him.