Bassy firmly grasped Nnamdi's shoulder and pulled him away with all her strength. She promptly dashed out of the house with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't bother coming back!" Nnamdi warned her, peeking through the window. The words echoed in her head, causing her heart to race at the fact that she was homeless again.
She stood still for a while, debating whether to go inside and let him have his way or not.
"A first-time experience is not foolish; it's repeating the same mistake a second time that truly defines you as a fool," she thought to herself, remembering how she got pregnant at her first sexual encounter with just one round. "I forbid letting that happen again," she muttered inwardly. "Sleeping with Mr. Nnamdi doesn't automatically make me a member of their family. It won't stop them from throwing me out whenever they want. It will only make me the worst person on earth by betraying someone who did what even my own mother's sister could not do for me. I'll just look for another accommodation while I go to work today. I can't afford to make Gabriel homeless."
Bassy shook off the thoughts of sleeping with Nnamdi to gain favor from him, realizing it was never an option, before going to the compound's backyard to grab tools and head for her business. It was fortunate that she had been fully prepared already.
Throughout that day, Bassy couldn't shake the thought of what had just happened off her mind. She knew Mr. Nnamdi was a womanizer, but she never considered him a rapist. "Maybe because he knows that even if I tell people that he raped me, no one will believe me, just like no one believed that Edu got me pregnant. Moreover, I don't even have anyone to stand for me if I try to file a case against him. He knows I have no one to speak for me, that's why he just wants to further victimize me," she thought.
Bassy's thoughts drifted to how her pregnancy stopped her from finishing even secondary school. It was so bitter that she didn't even realize when a tear dropped from her eye.
"Ahh, Gabriel's mommy, are you crying?" one of her customers who was sitting at the mismatched tables she had arranged for customers who weren't taking their food home noticed the tear in her eye and confronted her.
Realizing herself, she immediately wiped away the tear with a tight-lipped smile. "Yes, oh, my customer, I'm fine. It's like something flew into my eye," she pretended as though her eyes were itchy.
He chuckled inwardly. "Don't try to lie to me, Bassy. I've been observing you for a while now."
"How about you stop observing me and start minding your business?" Bassy objected.
"Everyone in this village knows your story, and you know that. Stop pretending to be alright because I know you are not. Remember, a problem shared is a problem solved," the man lowered his tone, speaking calmly.
Another guy who was almost done eating his roasted plantain joined the conversation. "I always observe her each time I come to this Boli joint. She always forces a smile on her face," he turned to her in a sympathetic tone. "Don't be too hard on yourself, my dear. You are only nineteen. Take life easily and always share your problems with people you trust because you don't know who can help you."
"Thank you, sir," was the only response Bassy gave to them as she focused her attention on the plantain she was roasting.
Due to their kind response to her tears, she felt like pouring out her mind. But reconsidering, knowing that these same people would still be the ones to go and broadcast her predicament in the entire community, she decided to keep her problems to herself.
A few moments later, she overheard her customers discussing their boss looking for a housemaid in the city of Abuja. "That is where Edu lives," she muttered inwardly.
"What kind of domestic staff are they searching for?" she interrupted their conversation.
"Are you looking for a job, Bassy?" one of the guys replied, mumbling after taking a bite of his boli.
"Huh, she has a job already," the other replied, savoring. "If she leaves this place for the city, who'll be making us such nice boli with fantastic pepper sauce?"
"I'm actually asking for a friend," Bassy stammered, not knowing what to say.
"That would be nice. My boss asked me to find someone for them before this weekend. It's really urgent since their last maid just left unannounced, and it's affecting their work schedules since there is no one at home to look after their two children."
"You mean if the person is available, she can resume immediately?" Bassy asked, choking.
"Yes, of course. Even today. That's what brought me to this village. I'm working as their driver. I've been working with them for over three years now. They require nice people."
"They are looking for a young girl around your age, so if you ask a friend, she can fit in."
"Okay, my friend will be extremely delighted to hear this good news. Please, sir, don't talk to anyone about it again," Bassy spoke in an assuring gesture. "I'm sure she'll accept the job because she's desperate."
After the man finished eating, he exchanged his contact with Bassy before leaving the street food joint.
It was like a flicker of hope for Bassy to be in the same city as Edu. At least she could get to attend one of his shows someday.
She thought of how she could suddenly leave the business she started with just thirty thousand naira and how it was blossoming so well. "This business feeds and clothes me and Gabriel. I even pay his school fees without delay and pay most of the house bills just from the money I made in this small business. How can I possibly think of dumping it just like that? Someone else would just take advantage of it and start from where I stopped," Bassy muttered silently, contemplating whether she should leave or not.
Her son's attendance brought her from her thoughts. "Gabby," she embraced him into her arms, savoring his warm embrace and nice baby powdered scent.
"Hmm, you smell like heaven," she inhaled the fragrance again in a sassy composure.
"Thank you, Miss Adeola," she turned her attention to the school teacher who had brought Gabriel from school for her.
"Miss Adeola lived closer to where Bassy's shop was, so she normally helps her bring Gabriel home when they dismiss school for the day."
"You are welcome, Bassy," she replied with a warm smile before continuing to walk down the street to where her house was.
"Mummy, my teacher said that you should buy me a new water bottle," Gabriel said, his tone barely audible.
"What happened to the one I bought at the beginning of this term?"
"It's spoiled," Gabriel replied.
"Who spoiled it?"
Gabriel didn't answer again; rather, he changed his face to a crying gesture.
"It's okay, I'll buy a new one for you before Monday. But you have to stop spoiling your things, okay? Remember, I don't pluck money from the tree," she scolded him in a calm tone before she squeezed out one roasted plantain onto a plastic plate and added pepper sauce for him to sit down and start eating as his second lunch.