There has always been one rule which governs my existence. Don't ever question the grand master because the grand master is always correct. As I align from my bus, I ponder what will be the new guiding factor in my life. I pull up my hoody and walk into the breakfast motel I just spotted.
The smell of fried food dominates the area. I walk up to a booth and take a seat. The song diamonds are forever plays softly in the background. A white, blond aging lady approaches me and with her southern accent she asks me
" What can I get you?".
I reply in my now gruff voice
" pancakes".
She then says,
"We don't see many people come into town".
I just hmmm a reply. Not at all swayed by my lack of response she says "Okay darling, What's your name? "I ponder this for a while. What really is my name? I guess I could give myself a new name,I didnt have to be Aruwa anymore "Aliyah" I reply. She goes" lovely name" I hmm in response.
My pancakes are thrust towards me, and I quickly devour them. I can't even remember my last proper meal. I get up ,drop a 30 and tell her to keep the change.I then walk out of the breakfast motel. I reach into my pocket and pull out the now crumpled paper and look at the address. The trailer should be 10 minutes from here and so I begin my walk. I quickly notice that the deeper I get into this town the more abandoned it gets.
At last, I arrive at the trailer park, it looks quite scanty, but right there in the middle of the park was the trailer I was looking for, the paint was falling off and rust was peeking out from different corners of the vehicle. I shakily approached the bus and knock on the door. "Bernice is that you I swear to God" suddenly the door is flung wide open, and a slightly overweight woman bursts out, her dark skin glistening from whatever hard work she had just been doing before. She turns to me and says, "You are not Bernice". I clear my voice and say "I'm looking for Mrs Shaibu do you know where I can find here" "Depends on who is asking" she replies. "Mr Austin said you would help me "then suddenly a ghastly look comes upon her face, and I can see fear written all over "You are from that place "she says shakily. Then the door is slammed right in my face. "I want you off my property now or I am calling the police "I hear from behind the door. Tears begin to prick in my eye as I walk off her property.
I walk until my feet get tired then I sit on an abandoned curb and not for the first time I wonder If running away was the right decision. But I knew I had to get away from him and from that place. He destroyed her and just as slowly he was going to destroy me.