CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: PART 7

Lianate back from work and went straight to the kitchen. She found Amina washing some of the beef they stored in the refrigerator.
 
“Have you grinded the tomatoes?”
 
The girl turned to see her employer standing by the door way, still in her work clothes. “Welcome ma, yes, I am already steaming the tomatoes. I have also started cooking the rice,” the girl responded.
 
She sighed with relief. She was happy that dinner would be ready before her husband returned from work.
 
“The twins are done with their homework and they are watching the television. The baby is asleep, she ate a while ago,” Amina closed the tap and poured the washed beef into an empty pot.
 
Lianate strode into the kitchen, checked the tomatoes, then walked over to the refrigerator to get herself a drink.
 
“Mrs. Nkechi called about thirty minutes ago. She wanted to know if you got her the cheese you promised.”
 
“Oh! Yes I did. Leave what you are doing. You need to get to her place immediately,” Lianate took over the cooking.
 
“Okay ma,” Amina took off the apron.
 
“The cheese is on the dining table. You need to hurry. I think it is going to rain soon,” she glanced back at the girl who was already at the door.
 
Amina cringed. She detest getting wet in the rain. Mrs. Nkechi’s place was a street away from the estate. If she walked fast enough, she should be home in less than fifteen minutes.
 
The girl picked the packaged cheese on the dining and dashed out of the house. When she got to the estate gate, the clouds became darker and from nowhere, fierce breeze danced around her.
 
“Oh God…” she groaned inwardly.
 
“Where are you going, Pretty?”
 
The familiar voice made her smile. She turned her head and got a glimpse of Deji, standing a few feet away from her. The blue short-sleeve tee-shirt he was putting on gave him a soft aura.
 
“I am running an errand.”
 
He looked up at the darkened sky, then back at her. “It’s going to rain.”
 
The girl shrugged. “This cheese needs to get to the owner,” she tapped the package.
 
“Where exactly are you taking it?” he sounded concerned.
 
“The next street.”
 
“Let’s take a bike,” he collected the package from her.
 
She gaped at him.
 
“I am coming with you. I don’t trust this weather,” he waved down a motorbike.
 
“You don’t have to…”
 
“Yes, I do. Come on, it’s going to rain,” he reached for her hand.
 
They boarded the bike, delivered the package and by the time they got back to the estate, the rain was pouring.
 
“We need to find a place to hide,” she whined.
 
“Okay…” he looked around, then sited an uncompleted building afar off. “Let’s hide in there…” he pointed at the building.
 
Amina followed the direction his hand was pointing to. It was one of the few uncompleted buildings in the estate.
 
“Let’s run!” he held her hand and began to move.
 
She marched his speed and ran.
 
But, by the time they got into the building, they were dripping wet!
 
Amina felt like crying. she never liked been soaked in the rain. Even as a child. While others played in the rain, she would hide inside her house and watched them through the window.
 
“Are you okay?” the sad look in her eyes poked him right in the heart.
 
She shook her head.
 
Dejl surveyed the damp space. He saw what looked like a makeshift bed. An old blanket was spread over some cement blocks. He wondered if someone had slept there a night before.
 
“Let’s sit over there.”
 
Amina followed him and sat on the old blanket. She sighed heavily and looked outside. It was raining heavily. She wished she was home.  
 
“How are you feeling?” he placed a hand around her shoulder when he noticed that she was shivering.
 
“I am feeling a bit cold,” she dropped her gaze and stared at her wet fingers.
 
He drew closer. “We will be fine. Once you get home, make sure you change into dry clothes, then drink up some hot beverage. You will feel better.”
 
“Yes, doctor…”
 
They both started to laugh.
 
Deji was happy that she was smiling again. He also liked the way the warmth of her nearness penetrated into his system. If he had a choice, he would stay right beside her for the rest of his life.
 
There was something he wanted to ask her, but he was a little scared. Would she say yes, or a blunt no? If she said yes, he would be the happiest man on planet earth. But, if she said no, he would ache for days and weeks and probably years too. He breathed out loudly. What would her answer be? There was only one way to find out.
 
“Amina…”
 
“Hmm…” she lifted her eyes to meet his.
 
“I… I wanted to ask you…” he froze.
 
“Ask me what?” she looked on, eager, wondering.
 
He swallowed hard. He needed to finish what he started. “I… I like you.”
 
The girl blushed. Her shy eyes found other things to watch. “I like you too.”
 
Her response made his heart to miss a beat. The affirmation boosted his esteem. “I really, really like you.”
 
She pressed her lips together and smiled. It wasn’t news to her. The truth was that, she felt the same way.
 
“I… I want us to… I was wondering if you will like to go out with me.”
 
She began to feel warm all over, from the crown of her head, to the tip of her toes.
 
“Amina…” he became aware that she was avoiding his gaze.
 
She focused on the dark clouds. “Hmmm…”
 
“Will you like to date me?”
 
She nodded.
 
Deji breathed out loudly. “Is that a yes or a no?”
 
She met his smiling gaze. “It’s a yes.”
 
He chuckled. He felt like jumping and dancing at the same time. He would do that once he is alone in his room. “Beautiful, that’s wonderful.”
 
She looked away again. She couldn’t believe that she was now officially Deji’s girlfriend. Sometimes she often wondered why he decided to get close to her, rather than the undergraduate girls and fellow youth corpers in the estate. Many of them have been giving her envious looks in the past few weeks.
 
“Will you be free on Saturday? I want us to go to Jabi Lake.”
 
She nodded again. She had been there a couple of times with Lianate and her family. But, it would be a totally different experience with her boyfriend. She was looking forward to spending time with him outside the estate.
 
“Amina…”
 
“Yes…”
 
“Can I kiss you?”
 
Her heart beat accelerated.
 
“I believe in no sex before marriage and I would never, ever try to pressure you to do anything contrary to our belief system…”
 
She relaxed a bit.
 
“But, I have been tortured for weeks, dreaming of kissing you.”
 
She bit at her lower lip. She wanted to say yes. But she had no experience. The last and only person she kissed was her childhood friend, Audu. They were barely six or seven. She remembered playing with him and other children at the back of her father’s house. They hid in the same corner, hoping that the girl who they were playing ‘tag’ game with, won’t find them. The boy brushed his lips over hers briefly and swore that he would marry her. That was just a child.
 
“Amina…” he leaned closer.
 
Deji was a full grown man. She liked him and he was now her boyfriend. He had promised that they wouldn’t do anything stupid. Maybe she should allow him. She had also been dreaming of the day he would kiss her.
 
“Okay…”
 
Her consent made his heart to inflate.  
 
She closed her eyes, waiting. She could literally hear her heartbeat banging against her eardrums.
 
The moment his lips met hers, the rain stopped and the clouds began to clear.
 
 

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: PART 6

Amina stood outside the gate, chatting with Deji, her new friend.

Time seemed to fly by, as she enjoyed every moment of their conversation. Almost every single day, they meet up in the evening and take a stroll around the estate. Sometimes, he talked about the secondary school he was posted to and how he couldn’t wait to end his service year. He wished he was serving in a bank or a federal parastatal. Other times, he asked her about her catering school and how long it would take before she gets certified.

“I enjoyed the cupcakes you gave me some days ago,” a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Amina brightened. She had been waiting for him to say something about it.

“You should start your own cake shop soonest,” he leaned against the gate.

The girl shrugged.

“Or you could make some cakes and distribute them to all the supermarkets in the area.”

She sighed heavily. “I have thought about that.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” he looked her up and down. He liked the way her flowing gown cradled her slim frame.

She shrugged again. “I don’t really know where to start from.”

“Jesus is Lord!” he stared at her bewildered.

Amina started to laugh. A vehicle halted in front of the gate and her laughter stopped when Lianate stepped out. She glanced at Deji quickly, then back at her employer. She had no idea how the woman would feel, seeing her outside, talking to a boy. She had never been in a situation like that before.

“Good afternoon, ma. Welcome ma,” they both chorused.

Lianate waved at them and walked into the house.

“I think I should go in, she might need me to do one thing or the other.”

Deji paled. He always enjoyed spending time with his new friend. Every second away from her always made his heart ache with longing.

“See you in the evening…” she backed away slowly.

“See you soon, Yarinya (young lady)…”

Amina started to laugh again. “Who is teaching you how to speak Hausa?”

“The students,” he chuckled.

She nodded her head, “Interesting.”

“It was supposed to be your responsibility, but, you have failed woefully.”

The girl clapped her hands and placed them on her curvy hips. “I don’t teach for pennies.”

“You see, you see what I am saying?”

Her laughter rang out like the sound of a dozen nightingales. Deji watched her in awe, noticing how her smiles beautified her dark smooth face. Then it occurred to him that he was falling hard for her.

Amina looked up at him and saw the change in the way he was staring at her. Like he was seeing her for the very first time. His eyes told a story of their own. A story that made her heart to flutter.

******

Lianate kicked off her shoes and joined her husband on the bed. He drew her close in a warm hug.

“How was your meeting?”

“Nasty…”

He chuckled.

“I saw Amina at the gate with Mr. Kola’s younger brother.”

Ike smiled. “I have seen her strolling around the estate with him a couple of times.”

Lianate sat up. “What?!”

He looked up at her. “What?”

Her brows came together in a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He eyed her. “There is nothing to tell. The girl is nineteen. She is old enough to spend time with the boy she likes.”

“Deji is like twenty-six! Who told you that she likes him?”

“He is just seven years older. He is a fine young man, if you will ask me.”

“Ikechukwu…” she groaned with worry.

“What?”

“Amina is naive and that boy is way out of her league. She is like a chick beside a fox.”

Ike’s mouth opened in disbelief.

“I don’t want her to get into any boy-trouble.”

“Leave them alone, Lianate. They are both believers. They won’t cross any boundaries.”

She started to shake her head. “Can you vouch for him?” she climbed down from the bed.

“Lianate…”

“Have you seen the way he looks at her?”

Ike groaned inwardly. His wife tend to make a mountain out of a mole hill at times.

“Amina is a pretty girl. And any boy who sees her will definitely find her attractive. I don’t think she is ready to start dating yet. And that boy is too matured for her, when it comes to boy-girl matters.”

“So when do you want her to start dating? When she turns forty, right?” he eyed her again.

“Of course not.”

“Put them in prayers, babe. And give the girl a word of advice now and then. She will be fine.”

Lianate folded her arms across her chest. She wanted to go back to the gate and drag Amina into the house. She wanted to protect the girl from every wolves in sheep clothing out there. But she knew her husband was right.

“Come back to bed, babe,” he beckoned at her.

“If you promise to also put them in prayers…” she met his pleading gaze.

“I promise!”

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: PART 5

The cry of a new born baby filled the Briggs home.

Nonso and Dozie were very excited about the birth of their little sister.

Lianate and Ike were beyond happy. As the date of the naming ceremony drew near, Voke and Ike’s mum, Nkiru, moved in. Hoping to stay for a while and help the new mother.

Amina busied herself with house chores and making sure the twin boys stayed out of the adult’s way. Sometimes, she lured them into the kitchen and taught them how to make pancakes. Most times, the kitchen ended up looking like a war zone. Flour, sugar, vegetable oil and a host of other ingredients could be seen pasted on the walls, by the sink and dancing on the tiled floor.

Even though she had to clean the wreckage multiple times, she didn’t mind. Immediately after the naming ceremony, Lianate and her husband began to prepare for the twins’ fifth birthday party. They wanted a big party, mainly because they had been celebrating the boys’ birthdays on a low key in the past.

They sent out invitations to their family and friends and the twins made sure they also invited every single child in their class.

Amina barely slept a wink for days. She had so many errands to run, but she didn’t mind. She loved the twins and was ready to make their birthday bash worthwhile.

On D-day, so many people filled the Briggs’ home. There were several children running around, while the adults ate and drank. Nonso and Dozie were ecstatic! It was their birthday party and Amina made them the biggest pyramid of cupcakes they had ever seen in their young lives. Their parents also got them some delicious cakes, but Amina’s cake was the best of them all.

The party ended well, and when the last guest left, Amina took a stroll while the hired hands cleaned up the house and tried to get everything back to the way it was. 

It was a breezy evening and she often enjoyed talking walks around the estate. 

“Hello…”

She heard a voice behind her. When she turned around, she saw a very tall dark young man standing a few feet away. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t recollect where she had seen him.

“Hi…” she responded, wondering if she should keep walking.

“My name is Deji, I stay with Mr. Kola Williams.”

That name sounded familiar. Mr. Kola lived in the estate and she had seen him once or twice talking with Ike.

“He is actually my older brother…” Deji continued, he looked rather anxious.

Amina nodded. “I know Mr. Kola.”

“Okay, good. What’s the name?” he sounded relieved. 

She raised an eyebrow, contemplating whether to walk away or respond.

“I am a Youth Corper serving here in Abuja. And instead of renting an apartment, I decided to stay with my brother. It’s better, you know… the cost of things and all that.”

The girl blinked several times. Why was he giving her information about himself?

“I have seen you around, a few times…”

She stared at him, long and hard. She noticed how his thick dark eyebrows made him look more handsome. She wasn’t sure she had seen him before.

“You often take walks around the estate. I do it too. It helps me to unwind,” his lips spread in a smile.

“Oh…” maybe that was why he looked a tiny little bit familiar.

“I told myself, the next time I see you, I will introduce myself.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

He looked away. “I wanted to get to know you… maybe, we can take walks together sometimes.”

She shrugged and looked towards the house. The twins must have slept by now. Lianate and Ike might still be hanging around, probably gossiping with Voke and Nkiru. She wondered if the baby was still awake. The girl was beautiful.

“So, what’s the name?”

She glanced back at him. He seemed harmless, and very friendly too. And if she was being truthful to herself, she wouldn’t mind getting to know him too. “Amina, my name is Amina Haruna.”

“Pleased to meet you, Amina.”

Their gazes locked and held.

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: PART 4

 Three years later

“What are we going to do?” Lianate turned to her husband.

“I am not sure. This is the third time she is failing her JAMB and WAEC examinations,” Ike was saddened.

“Maybe I will take her to another lecture centre. A friend told me about some very good teachers,” Lianate suggested.

“It is hopeless. It is not everyone that will go to school,” Ike's brows came together in a frown.

“But, education is important,” Lianate argued.

 She was not ready to give up on Amina just yet.

“Why don’t you ask her if there is something else she wants to do?” Ike crossed his legs and yawned.

Lianate breathed out loudly. She was worried about her help. The girl was growing into a beautiful young woman. She wanted her to be equipped and prepared for life. She was aware that the girl wouldn’t live with them forever. Once her children were old enough, they would be able to take care of themselves. And start doing chores. Then Amina would move on and start her own life. Nowadays, most men want a woman that would bring something to the table, be it a skill or an education. 

“I think she likes baking…”

“Baking?” Ike raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, she is always watching cooking shows on Youtube,” Lianate chuckled when she remembered the day the girl tried to make them a meal she saw on Youtube. 

“Oh, okay… then we can enrol her into a cooking school or something like that,” Ike picked up his phone when he saw a message icon on his screen.

“I think she will like that,” Lianate got up.

“Great…” his eyes remained glued to his phone screen.

“I will go and discuss it with her…” Lianate was sure that the girl would be very happy.

******

Amina was busy watching a cooking show on her phone when Lianate came into her room.

“You and these your cooking shows,” Lianate sat on the bed.

“Aunty, you need to see how they made their spaghetti. It looks so delicious,” she licked her lips.

“You and food,” Lianate eyed her. She was delighted that the girl had added some weight recently. But, even at nineteen, she still looked rather slim. Maybe it was genetics. Her father or mother was probably very thin.

“Aunty, I am going to open my own restaurant very soon,” the girl sounded optimistic.

“From your mouth to Gods ears,” Lianate smiled broadly.

“Amen!” Amina said out loud.

“Hmm…" she thought of how to bring up the subject. "Amina, will you like to go to a cooking school, or a place where you can learn how to cook like a professional?”

The girl blinked several times and stared back at her employer who was more like an older sister to her. “A cooking school?”

“Yes…” Lianate could see the excitement in her face.

“Somehwere I can learn how to bake snacks and make cupcakes?” she whispered. 

“Yes, yes, somewhere you can learn whatever you want. Somewhere you can get the expertise you need to own your own restaurant,” Lianate affirmated.

Amina jumped down from the bed and started to dance. “Yesu! Nagode!”

Lianate started to laugh.

When she was done dancing, she knelt beside her employer. “Thank you so much ma. Thank Uncle Ike for me. Thank you, I am so, so grateful,” the girl started to cry.

“Oh Amina. All glory be to God Almighty. It’s okay,” Lianate patted her on the back. She was happy that the girl was happy.

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: PART 3

Lianate was happy with her new help.

The girl was very hardworking and respectful.

She was willing to sponsor her education to whatever level the girl dreamed of. It was the least she could do for the girl.

She was glad she listened to her mum. Amina was indeed the best fit for them.

Her husband was also impressed with the girl. He once said jokingly that their twins were behaving like little chicks, following Amina to and fro, all over the house. He was glad that their children were comfortable with the girl. They saw her like a big sister.

Amina’s joy knew no bounds. 

Living with Vero’s daughter was like a dream come true.

Lianate and Ike treated her like a younger sister.

They made sure that she ate as much as she wanted.

They gave her new clothes and was always ready to meet her needs.

They also wanted her to go back to school.

She couldn’t believe that they were willing to sponsor her university education.

All she needed to do now was to read, pass her exams and maybe in the near future, she might be the first graduate in her family.

She was thankful that God answered her prayers and delivered her from her aunts. 

Once in a while Vero visited. Amina was always happy to see her. Sometimes, the woman make silly jokes. 

“Amina, you are getting fatter!” she would say, or, “Amina, you are eating all the food in this house!”

She often wondered what would have happened to her if Vero hadn’t been there that day. Her aunts might have succeeded in terminating her life.

Her parents were having problems with her aunts over a land dispute. 

They wanted to evict them from the house they were living, claiming that her father built on the land given to them by their mother. But her father inherited that same land from his own father.

The dispute continued for years, until one day, Amina and her family woke up inside a burning building.

Their house was on fire! How it started, no one knew.

Her father tried to get them all out of the house, but, she was the only one that survived.

Her aunts told everyone in the community that she was a witch who wiped out her family. Many people believed them. And no one came to her rescue whenever they were maltreating her.

They often told her that 

they will end her life one day. They swore that she would join her family in hell before she clocked seventeen.

She feared for her safety and tried to run away a few times. All to no avail.

Until the day God used Vero to save her. Her aunts most be disappointed by now. They would never be able to hurt her again.

Oh how she wished her parents and siblings were still alive. 

She missed them so much.

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: Part 2

Amina felt safe in Vero’s home. The woman had been kind to her. She bought her new clothes, took her to the salon, made sure she ate three times a day, and told her that if she needed anything, she should ask promptly. This was more than she expected from someone she hardly knew. What more could she ask for?

Initially, Vero thought Amina was fourteen years old, but was shocked when the girl told her that she clocked sixteen years a few weeks ago. The girl also looked too skinny for her liking. She couldn’t imagine what she must have passed through while living with her aunts. It must have been dreadful. 

She reached out for her phone when it started to ring.

“Mummy…” 

The sound of her daughter’s voice made her smile. “Lianate, how are you? How are my babies?” she remembered the last time she saw the twin boys. 

“They are fine. Mummy, Nonso and Dozie will be starting school next week. But, I don’t know how Ike and I are going to cope. Most days, I return from work at 6 pm and Ike comes back at 8pm. Who will take care of the twins when the school bus drops them at 1pm?” Lianate complained.

Vero thought about what her daughter was saying.

“We do not want to employ an help, but with the way things are right now, we don’t have a choice anymore. I love my children, but I am not ready to resign from work just yet. Mum, do you know any agent that can help us to get a good maid?”

Vero’s gaze darted in Amina’s direction. The girl was watching a soap opera on the television. “I know an agent that can help you.” 

“Thank God. I have been worried sick. My predicament almost gave me an heart attack."

The girl's laughter filled her ears. “I rescued a young girl some days ago. She is an orphan and is also hardworking. She would be a good fit."

“You did what?!” Lianate’s voice rose a notch higher. 

“It is a long story, but I think Amina will be able to take care of the twins.”

“Mum, she is a complete stranger! Can you vouch for her?” she sounded troubled. 

“I have watched the girl. She is godly and respectful. I think you will like her too,” Vero leaned against the chair and relaxed. 

“O-okay. We trust your judgement. Ike and I will come over this weekend to meet her,” Lianate sighed heavily.

“Beautiful. I am so happy that my grand kids are starting school,” Vero grinned. She could still remember how little they were when they were born.

“Those boys are terrorists…” Lianate groaned. 

Vero hissed, “Like mother, like children."

“What?! What's that supposed to mean? You cannot compare me with those vampires."

“Says who? You were way worse."

“That’s impossible!” Lianate screamed. Then she started to laugh.

“If your father was still alive, he would concur,” Vero chuckled, then fell silent. Even though it had been almost a decade, she still missed her husband every single day.

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: Part 1

"Kill her!"

"Let's burn her alive!"

"She killed her parents!"

"She killed her siblings!"

"She is a witch!"

The noise and the teeming crowd attracted Vero. She found her way through the crowd till she got a glimpse of a dark skinned, very thin girl, who looked not more than fourteen years.

She was surrounded by four stern looking women. They poked, slapped and cursed her.

"What's going on here?"

No one paid any attention to the brown skin middle-aged woman.

"Why are you hitting her, what's her offence?" Vero approached them.

"This is none of your business..." one of the 

women eyed her.

Vero pulled the girl to her side.

"Who are you?" One of them glared at her. 

"Give us back out neice!" 

"She is a witch!"

"She must pay for her crimes!"

The women shouted at her.

The thin girl held unto Vero as if her life depended on it.

"Where are her parents?" Vero looked from one to the other.

"They are dead!" they retorted. 

"She killed them, along with her siblings!"

"She must die!"

The women fired back.

"You all want to partake in a criminal act..." Vero pointed at some people in the crowd. "I am calling the police..." she reached for her phone. And in less than five minutes, the crowd dispersed.

"Give us back our neice!" The women 

surrounded the middle aged woman.

"You want to end the life of an orphan.." She eyed them.

They kept quiet.

"When you all spend some time in the police cell, maybe then, your brains will reset."

The girl's aunt fled when the woman started making a call.

"Please help me..." 

Vero looked down at the malnourished teenager.

"What is your name?"

"Amina Haruna."

"Where are your parents?"

She bit at the bottom of her lip. "They died in the fire..."

"Is there any other family you can stay with."

"There is no one else, except my aunts, they will kill me," her eyes grew wild with fear.

Vero nodded and glanced at the corner she parked her vehicle. 

She knew that the sooner they left the area, the safer the girl will be. "Come with me, I will find a safe place for you to stay."

Amina broke down crying.

"Hey..."

"Th-thank you, ma."

"It's fine. Let's go."

Vero led the girl away. Amina kept looking back at intervals, hoping that her evil aunts wouldn't return and snatch her away from her saviour.

CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS: SYNOPSIS

 SYNOPSIS

Lianate and Ike had no desire to employ an help when they got married. But when the babies started to arrive and the burden of their jobs pressed in, they knew they needed to make a compromise. But nothing in the whole wide world could prepare them for the castrophe that besieged their lives. Will their marriage survive the damages? Will they be able to pick up the pieces of their broken lives and move on? Or will their challenges turn them into enemies and end their blissful world?