UNDER THE MANGO TREE 1

We all believe in visions. Dreams become realities and big dreams might sometimes become an invention. Being the first in a feat was my intention. That pushed me into so many activities from childhood through my teenage days and adulthood. I was brave. I took bold steps that even guys that were cohorts couldn’t dare. 

I had a sense for big things. I mean big things. When I had the first opportunity to express what I wanted to become in life; I told my teacher I wanted to be a pilot. She smiled and said that was more of what men do and suggested I should be a nurse. There was a surge in my anger that day. I felt being a woman was a disadvantage but I still kept pushing on. I had all the support I needed and I was more than focused. I knew I was going to make my family proud and I was going to be a name that the world will reckon with. I will break a lot of jinxes about the feminine gender. I was more than determined but the society I found myself wasn’t determined to allow my push to the next level.

To be a pilot one must be a graduate of a university…… I wasn’t favoured to be one. Not that I dropped out; I never had an admission. Not that I failed jamb; I never got to the point of writing SSCE. Not that there was no money to further my education but some activities that are societally orchestrated juxtapose the determination that I once proposed within. Being the girl child I suffered alone for the wrong of two people. 

Have you ever wondered how society view women? Infidelity sounds feminine and how the woman is the owner of the house. The African man can marry as many wives as he wants but the woman must sit at home in slavery and forced humility which is supported by all religious quotes from all aspects. Have you ever wondered how they used to flog women who cheated on their husband but left the guy they cheated with? Many wonders fill the atmosphere on the injustice done to the womanhood but none of it can be changed by me. 

It was the end of the year and many people came back home from the city. The local school which I attended organized an end of the year party where awards were given to the best students in all ramifications. I was one of the students to be decorated this very day. I lost sleep three days to the event. The cars were slowly driving into the town and everybody was amazed at how great this year’s party would be. Passers-by roamed the front of our compound chanting congratulations as the whole city has heard about my wonderful results and push for greatness. My carriage and countenance has greatly risen beyond mediocrity and I knew nothing was stopping me. Different sections were formed in school and we were assigned to different problems. There was ushering, traffic, I was in the protocol department. It was a day to the great event. I needed to rush to the tailor after rehearsals to check how fit my cloth was. The beauty of the event has played itself over and over again in my head. I couldn’t wait to be applauded. I was walking away from the school hall when the principal saw me and called out my name. I ran to his office as I greeted him and the two young men standing beside him. 

The principal introduced me first to them……… this is one of my brightest student. She is obviously going places. I pray nothing stops her. The young men nodded and the principal introduced them to me. Surprisingly one was a pilot. I asked him again if he meant a pilot…. And he answered yes. I forgot I was supposed to be decent but uncontrollably I jumped on him and there was the beginning of our escapades. That evening I was in his family house and we sat at the back in the big compound under a mango tree. He brought some drinks from Lagos and we sipped in tots. We were talking about the Boeing 737 when I suddenly felt a hand rubbing over my body. The drink was intoxicating but I was still in control.  It’s a lot smoother than our average palm wine thus a next gulp is always calling.  I didn’t think a pilot could be wrong also thus drinking with him was with pleasure. Finally as co-pilot we should be able to share a lot. Right there under the mango tree, I gave in. I didn’t only give in my body but I also gave up my dreams. From the squeezes to the whispers in my ear, my body started shivering and I felt a wetness in between my legs. I wanted to stop him but his hand was there and as the shadows of the night arose; I gave in completely under the mango tree.

FITNESS 1

Every morning saw a new trend. Sport wears was on the increase as the new attire. Even slim people hit the street in a quest to sweat out what I don’t know. There was a sudden increase in the orientation of fat kills. Obesity was the new scary disease. Hypertension was immediately related to junk foods and all was to hit the gym. Same way we were saving lives medically as proposed some other ladies were in the business of meeting people. They jump from group to group in search of greener pastures. Whatever can make you leave your house in the morning to come work out means you have in excess. And they don’t demand much but just …….. Fill in the blank spaces. 

I was also a victim. With massive weight gain I hit the gym also. Subconsciously I added weight. Substituting our African lifestyle for western lifestyles, we were caught in the web. We drive all the way without trekking and we also left our food for theirs. Suddenly I preferred sharwama to Eba, eating pizza instead of Fufu. Basmati rice was taking away my Ofada rice and burgers were just like snacks. Beer overtook palm wine and Hennessey was now our own Paraga. We lost moderation and in excess the body lost shape. 

Buying the kits to train was the first concern as the price was too much compared to what I intended. I spent close to 70,000 naira to buy just two sets of kits for aerobics and treadmills. I settled into the class and the first week saw a mess of me. I thought I was fit until I joined the class. (Every program was a hit from back to back). Pains originated from within as if they were hiding. In two weeks I was familiar with everybody. We played so well in the group and our Whats App page created an avenue for extensive knowledge of whoever wanted to increase the capacity of their friendship. I wasn’t interested at first until Sheila came. 

I travelled for a while thus the class has increased by the time I came back. Almost everybody missed me and I felt so good to be home. I struggled my way to the fitness capacity I wanted and after class our gossip began. I always have a listening ear. Johnson walked up to me and said, can’t you see our new student. She is hot. I turned to look at her and the curves became a reality. I didn’t believe I was in the same group with this lady in the last two hours and I didn’t notice her. I didn’t mind what they might say as I stood up and walked up to her. 

My name is Michael and you are ….. Sheila she said as she turned her face. I continued the conversation like I was in a lonely world and I needed to make a friend or die. She gave audience and the talk took the next twenty minutes. I asked if she drove down to the gym or she needed a little help. She declined first and with a little conviction she accepted. The distance was short but I was slower. I didn’t wish to leave her sight. I cancelled work for the day as I asked her for lunch. She accepted reluctantly like she wasn’t hungry and when she asked where I was taking her to for lunch I knew I was almost there. Ekaette can’t be your cook and you take a girl out for lunch. The dining table was set for us before we got back home. I was neatly dressed to go pick her up. There were three food options and she pick from just one. It was a light eat as we talked as I made my intentions known. She asked if I wasn’t married and I told her the truth…….. I’m about to. She wasn’t too bothered.

 I asked her to come with me as I led her to my room. She sat on the bed and was looking at me as if she will kick me if I came closer. I sat beside her and turned her head towards me. Slightly the head came closer and the kiss began. It grew in intensity with fondling of breast. She was really prepared for this. I slowly pulled up her to expose the fruity spheres and my concentration left the mouth for the boobs. I struggled to take it slow but she pushed my head down. I raised the skirt to look under like I was looking for something missing. And with a stretched hand to initiate the penetration, she asked the question what are we doing? I was surprised…… like does it look like swimming? She stopped me and said if it was sex that I wanted, its 20,000 naira. I thought she was joking at first but after a while I discovered if I don’t bring out the twenty thousand I was the one joking. I told her I didn’t have cash on me and surprisingly she had her own POS machine. Where is your ATM? Then I knew the hustle was real. I pulled out my ATM and inserted it. Savings or current she demanded and I said current. She typed in 200000 naira instead 0f 20000 naira. It was when I was done that I saw the alert. That was where the problem started. I called her and the response was “the number you are calling does not exist”. I can’t wait to hit the gym tomorrow.

NOT MY FAULT

I grew in a family where we really don’t care about one another. Nobody cares where you slept, who you sleeping with, when you are sick or what grades you got in school. Don’t disturb for food and don’t accumulate bills believing someone cares. I started living this life since I was fifteen but the expressions we create to the whole world was all is well with our family. My brothers and sister are alien to the realities that I live in. the truth is I built my trust in friends who catered for me once in a while. For every penny I had from the age sixteen I worked for it. I was never a prostitute but men who enjoyed the night with me ends up with loads of appreciation. To some people I was wrong but to me, there was nothing wrong in what I was doing.

Two pastors have been convincing enough, lecturers were a normalcy (that saw me through  my academics), gym classes paid phone bills, bouncers and dj’s were for the fun of it, uncles and daddies catered my house rent and boyfriends built up my account. I was just existing. I had no plans for the future and no family. 

Age is as constant as change thus I was growing older. One night I heard someone call my name in my sleep … Kate Kate Kate. Get a life and stop this. I sprang up from my bed and surprisingly my phone was ringing. I ended up not knowing who was talking. I reached for my phone to check who was calling me and I saw it was Clara. What on earth who she be calling me for at this time. I struggled to pick but the call was lost. I put the phone down and increased the fan to accommodate no sweat when the phone rang again. I picked and the noise from the background made it impossible for me to hear what she had to say. With a faint voice I got the glimpse and the tone strongly told me “he asked me to marry him” and I asked her what her response was. She answered I said “YES”. For the first time I was touched about something happening to someone in my family. My younger sister just got proposed to. I am happy for her but on one side of the coin I felt it should have been me. In ten minutes the pictures have circulated the whole social media. From Facebook to Instagram, BBM to WHATSAPP, people started telling me congrats like I was part of it. I tried to see his face but the pictures were dark. The face of the guy looks familiar but I wasn’t sure he is not one of my former payees. I really didn’t care much thus sleep was the next thing on my mind.  

The next morning I had calls from my dad and my mum. They had called to tell me if I have heard my sister was getting married. They were happier than expected. I was surprised as they showed some level of care. It was when my mum said “and I heard his father is the governor of CBN” that I knew the cause of their joy. The marriage is an avenue to make money. If the information is true then I really knew the face.  Either George or Solomon. How on earth did she catch that big meat? They are coming to see us next week Friday my mum said. I didn’t know if that was an invitation but I know I will be present. 

I called my friends and told them the good news. They were all surprised as me. I gathered all the information about the guy in two days and Helen was once a sex maid to George. She wasn’t even ashamed as she was narrating her experience with him. The whole salon stood still to listen to her sexcapades. I wondered in my thought and something inside of me made me think I needed him more than my sister. 

 I went with two friends a day before their proposed visit to help with the arrangement of the house and sincerely nothing as changed. I asked dad if he will not at least repaint the house and he said……. My daughter, it is good your in-laws meet you the way you are. Don’t reduce the amount of help they will have rendered by painting. I didn’t accept that thus I called a painter and I gave a face lift to the house. We were expecting twelve people but I insisted we cooked for twenty. Clara was the happiest person in the world. Her fiancée had given her two hundred thousand naira for preparation and stupidly she had told our father. That one collected ten percent for his drink and I was also given fifty thousand for the food. I easily did that with my friends. We were set for them by 11am but they didn’t come till 1pm. The convoy made a reference to our area. The whole street knew a dignitary was about to be welcomed. The governor came down with his elegant wife and they respectfully was about prostrating and kneeling for my dad and mum. They pulled them up and escorted them into our sitting room. 

Their perfumes killed the smell of the air freshener in the sitting room and in couple of minutes we were serving them food. I wore a long gown and a little slit and I was fortunate to be the one that served the twins. George and Solomon really looked alike. Until I sat down I never knew they were staring at me. The other two guys that came with them looked hungry.

The date for the traditional and white wedding was fixed and our family promised to send them the list of things required before the end of the month. We were escorting them and familiarizing when a note was slipped into my hands. It was a phone number with no name. It was dropped by one of the hungry friends but I suspected it wasn’t his number. I waited to get back to my house before I placed the call and surprisingly it was ………………..