**** MELINA P.O.V ****
I stared at the orphanage home again knowing I was going to miss it so much. I can't keep staying there. I am old enough to feed myself.
All my friends since I was young are now in their new homes and as for me. As an unfortunate child, can't get any parents.
I wonder what my parents used witchcraft for. I walked away from the door trying not to cry. My guardian begged me to stay but I refused.
I am twenty. I need to continue my life as a young free living lady. I need to know what out there really looks like.
My bags were in my hands, they contained my clothes and other things like my cream and my hair comb.
I looked around the streets not knowing exactly where to head to. But I didn't want to go back so I kept walking.
Anywhere the night meets me, there I will lay my head. I had packaged food in a small bag. My guardian had it arranged for me when I insisted on leaving. The food would serve for the whole of today.
She told me something that kept ringing in my head. Which is;
"There are bad men out there, all they want to do is get in between your legs. Beware." She told me and it has always been on my mind.
I got to the main road and I saw many shops open. Don't be surprised I am acting now in the place I have lived for 21 years.
They never allowed me to leave the compound because they knew I could get molested or killed by the people of the town.
Immediately some shop owners sighted me. They ran into their shops and locked them up. Some ran inside and began to whisper things to themselves.
I felt so ashamed as they did. Now I see why they never allowed me to step out of the compound. They knew this would happen.
I took to my heels running down the road in pain. I realized that if I want to start my life brand new, I needed to go to a place where they have never heard of my parents.
No one will ever give me a job around here.
I kept running and I felt my heart would cease any moment from now. I got into two buildings to catch my breath.
I rested my back on the wall breathing very hard. I looked around me and I saw I was in a different place.
"Did I run that long?" I thought looking back to see I have run almost five streets.
"Wow."
I guess I can start my life around here. I walked out of the buildings and when people saw me they looked away like I was a normal person.
I was so happy that I wasn't chased or something. They didn't know me. That I was sure of.
It looked like another town. Or will I say another City? I walked amidst the shops and I sighted a shop which pigeons in it.
"Wow," I exclaimed in me. They looked beautiful, they had different bright colours.
I brought out the rice balls ma'am Rose packed for me and put some on my hand. I raised up my hand and when they saw the grains, they rushed to my hand eating from my palm.
I laughed as their beaks tickled my palm. I looked up and I saw a woman looking at me from the inside of the shop.
I guessed she was the owner of the shop and of course the pigeons. She watched me from inside the shop as they finished up the rice in my palm.
When it was finished, they flew back into the shop. I smiled looking at the birds one last time before turning my back to go when the woman spoke up.
"They like you." She said and I looked back to see her smiling at me.
"I like them too," I said walking closer to the shop.
"You are new here?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yes, it is quite an obvious right," I said raising up the bags of my luggage and she shook her head.
"Not that. People around here mind their business. They had never fed my birds before, but when you did I knew you were new. She explained to me and I nodded. "I'm new. Looking for shelter and a job." I said and she invited me in.
"Sit." She said and I smiled sitting.
"Thanks," I replied and she sat in front of me too.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Melina," I replied hoping she won't ask for my father's name.
"Well am Susan." She said and I smiled nodding.
"So where are you from?" She asked and got lost in her thoughts. I can't let her know where I am from, she may end up chasing me out of the shop.
"My father died before I was born, and my mother died a day before yesterday. Since then I have been deprived of their properties and I have been on the streets." I explained and I saw pity on her face.
"Don't you have a family?" She asked and I shook my head.
"No, I don't," I replied and she sighed.
"I can help you. I see you have a pure heart. You can start working here from today. But you have to sleep here cos my husband won't want a stranger in our home." She said and I felt so happy.
"Thank you so much, Ma'am. I am so grateful. I will be fine staying here." I said and she smiled.
"Good. Drop your bags in the shop, I will show you how things are done here." She said and I nodded standing up with my bags.
When I was walking out, I heard the noises of cars and I saw the women, both young and old peeping out of their shops with large grins on their faces.
"What's going on?" I asked Mrs Susan as I saw she was also staring outside her shop.
"Jason will be passing soon. Those are his men in the three cars in front." She said pointing to the chairs approaching us really fast.
"Why are they in so much rush? Don't they know children can be playing on the road? This is a market." I said and she placed her finger on her lips shutting me up.
"Never say anything against Jason. You won't last a day. Especially his mother." She said and I looked at the cars which were lined up accordingly as they moved.
"Who is this anyway?" I thought when they got closer and then I saw one of the pigeons on the road eating rice.
"There's a pigeon!" I yelled looking at the car and the distance which was very little. I need to save the pigeon.
I ran out of the shop and I heard the woman yelling but I didn't answer, I really didn't want to see that Pigeon die.
I got to the pigeon and took it in my hand throwing it into the shop and shut my eye tight expecting the worst.
To my surprise, nothing touched me, but I heard the sounds of hits. The car pressed the brakes suddenly and I guess the cars coming behind collided with it from behind.
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