The man gave her the good news that he had just finished talking to her boss on the phone, and she accepted Bassy and her son, as long as he doesn't distract her from doing her job. Perhaps they will be living in the boys' quarter, so she had no problem with it. Bassy was so thrilled that she couldn't help but pour out some tears of joy.
"Start getting ready, we are leaving by 10 am today," he uttered before ending the call.
Bassy quickly prepared herself and her son. She gave him a quick shower, standing him in front of the streets, causing sight attraction by passers-by. She didn't take a shower herself because she can't strip herself naked in the middle of the road in broad daylight. Rather, she washed her legs, face, and armpit to avoid unnecessary smell. She wore some perfume and deodorants before arranging her clothes and her son's to start waiting for the man to arrive since she had already told him she would be waiting for him in a shop.
While sitting down on the bench waiting for the man to arrive, Bassy had a flashback of the last time she left the city. It's been 10 years now since her parents died in a car accident in the city of Lagos, and they brought her to the village of Abudu in Cross River State to start living with her Aunt Akpan. She thought of how going back to the city for the very first time again would affect her life in the most negative or positive way, how she can afford her son Gabriel's school fees. It was like a butterfly crumbled in her stomach when Edu's name popped up in her head. She thanked goodness that she's going to the same city where Edu lives and prayed to meet him someday because he owes her lots of explanations.
Even though Bassy was extremely mad at Edu for what he did to her, she still felt so much affection for him that whenever his reflection popped up in her head vividly, she could only blink her eyes to come back to reality and stop dreaming of what can never happen.
She knew for a fact that Edu was now a big boy and she might be a low-class budget for someone like him to be with. She came to conclusions within herself that Edu lured her into having sex with him before he traveled because he just wanted to sleep with her, not because he needed to create anything strong between them just like he claimed. It was too unfortunate that she fell victim.
Bassy wished to look into Edu's eyes while he tells her everything he said to her was just a lie, it was just a way of getting in between her legs.
The mumbling of her son brought her out of her deep thinking.
"What now Gabriel, stop giving me that voice before I give you a dirty slap this early morning," she scolded him disgustingly after reflecting on the memories of his father.
This is what Bassy usually does, each time she thinks about Edu and Gabriel is close to her, she has the urge to send him out of her side or start beating him for no good reason. It was like a way of pouring out her frustration since there's no one to talk to.
"I'm hungry," Gabriel said with a low tone barely audible.
"Come and eat me now, can't you see that we are waiting for the person that wants to take us out of this village?" She answered him with an angry tone.
"Hmmmm," Gabriel stared, dripping tears, scratching his head. "I'm hungry," he said inwardly, frightened of what his mother will do to him if he dares speak again.
Since the Boli Bassy gave him by 2 pm yesterday when he came back from school, he hasn't eaten anything again.
Bassy, noticing the ceaseless tear in his eyes while he cried inwardly, she gave him a hot slap, prompting him to stop crying before the man gets here as it was already a few minutes to 10. "Or do you want him to leave us because you cry too much?" she asked him, raging.
"I swear Gabriel, if that man gets angry because of this your stupid cry, I'll leave you here and go. You've frustrated me enough.
"I won't let you ruin my life more than the way you have again, it's obvious you were sent to come and kill me but I won't let you do that, after all, your father denied you even before you were born so why should I not leave you here and go to look for a way to amend my broken life," she kept on murmuring furiously. "It's not like I don't want to give you food, you were there when they sent us out of the house and it was too late to see any shop open, now if I leave this place to start looking for a shop and that man comes, he'll definitely leave to the city without us."
Bassy stopped talking and changed her expression to nervous when she saw the man coming in a taxi. She hastily wiped off Gabriel's eyes, threatening him to keep quiet else she will leave without him, which he did.
"So you mean the both of you slept here last night till daybreak?" He asked puzzled as soon as he got out of the car. "Yes sir, good morning sir," Bassy replied.
"Hmm, it's well," was all he uttered after scanning all the dangers they've just overcome. "What if a wild animal or snake from the bush had eaten them up? What if a kidnapper or organ harvesters had come to take them away? People are really going through lots of stuff indeed," he uttered inwardly before ordering them to enter the car.
Bassy was so delighted that she couldn't stop thanking the man a million times. She asked him politely if he can please stop somewhere for her to buy food for her children to eat, since it's a very long journey they are embarking on.
He stopped at one of the nearest fast-food joints for her to buy herself and her son a meal but assured her they were going to be stopping after several hours to either ease themselves or buy any refreshments because it's a 17-hour drive.
It was a few minutes past 2 am before they arrived in Abuja. The man led Bassy to the boys' quarter where the other housemaid was living to take a rest since the boss would be sleeping by now.
"I work here too, I'm the driver. She's a very nice woman but that's if you are willing to bring your head down and work. I'm Nsisong," he finally told her his name before going to his own boys' quarter apartment.
"Yes sir, thank you sir," Bassy couldn't stop thanking the man for bringing her out of the village. She had been singing "thank you Sir" ever since they started the journey until they arrived. She didn't even close her eyes to sleep once along the way, not like someone who didn't sleep for the whole night.
The only thing Bassy could do at the beauty of the room was gasp. "So, you mean this fine place is my room," she muttered to herself in astonishment as she entered the room and shut the door. "OMG, look how soft the bed is, there is even air conditioning, it's a tiled floor, the window blinds are so beautiful, wow, the bed is really big and fluffy. I
"I wonder why the person who was working here left. Who on this planet earth doesn't like good things?" Bassy muttered to herself in astonishment. She gently laid Gabriel, who was sleeping in her arms, on the bed before lying beside him to take a quick nap, so as not to face her employer with a restless gesture.