Love Impossible: A collateral to the mafia

My mother's angry voice echoes through the room as she exclaims, "You are piece of trash! How could you gamble away our money?"

The heated argument between my parents has been ongoing for two hours, and it shows no signs of ending soon. My father has once again squandered the money my mother painstakingly saved. Although I'm not privy to all the details, I overhear my mother mentioning that the funds are meant for an essential expense, the nature of which remains a mystery to me. It seems my father has resorted to accessing her hidden debit card and withdrawing the money without her consent.

"It's not gambling, honey. I invested the money. Just wait a little while, and I'll really get it back, big," my daddy says, and I sigh, knowing he's only making matters worse. It would be better if he doesn't say anything. I can't bear watching them fight any longer, so I stand up and leave the sitting room. Ayomide and Shola will be back from school soon, so I need to prepare something for them to eat when they arrive.

"Where are you going?" I hear my mummy's voice ask sharply behind me, and I pause before turning to her.

"To the kitchen. I want to prepare food for Ayo and Shola," I reply quickly.

"There's nothing in the kitchen to cook, only a little garri. They can make that when they come," my mummy informs me.

I heave a sigh before disagreeing, "They had the same thing yesterday and the day before. They shouldn't eat that today again, mummy." I express my concern; it's not ideal for them to eat garri so frequently, especially since they're young children.

"I don't like it either, my dear, but what can I do? You guys should manage it for now, jowo (please). I will get something later," she responds.

"Mo ni owo (I have some money)..." I reply in Yoruba dialect. "Let me use it to get some things to prepare." My mummy looks at me with concern.

"Are you sure you have enough? You can just go and meet Mama Rebecca to give you credit instead, and I will pay later."

I bite my bottom lip to prevent myself from crying as tears well up in my eyes. When will this all end? Owing money, buying things on credit, constant fights about finances... Just... when will it all stop? I'm already 21 years old and still haven't taken the JAMB (Joint Admission Matriculation Board) examination to further my education at a university. After I finished secondary school a few years ago, my mummy asked me to hold on for a while and do other things first because there is no money to send me to the university. I attended a public secondary school here in Ajegunle because they couldn't afford to send me to a private school.

My father doesn't have a stable job; he often engages in gambling and drinking. He claims to invest, but it appears more like gambling since he doesn't yield any returns. While he's my father, he contributes to our family's problems. He used to be different when I was in secondary school, working as a vulcanizer to support us. However, he abruptly changed his lifestyle to drinking and gambling, causing trouble.

We live in a small house in a rough neighborhood in Ajegunle, Lagos. We chose this place due to its affordability, despite its unsafe, noisy, and unhealthy environment. Where else could we find a two-bedroom flat for just 3,000 naira a month? We can't afford to live in the more affluent parts of town. Ajegunle is known for frequent robberies, fights, and terrible roads, making it unattractive to the middle or upper class.

My mother runs a small secondhand clothing store at the market, but her sales are modest and not sufficient to meet all our needs. To support my family, I work part-time jobs as a waitress and a salesperson. I waitress in the morning and work as a salesperson in the evening. During my free time, I assist my mother at the market.

My part-time jobs don't pay much, but they're all I can do for now with my current level of education. I want to ensure my siblings have a better life and education. Ayomide is only 10 years old, and Shola is three years older. They are still young and need support. I'm actively searching for a better-paying job or any opportunity to secure their future. However, finding a good job in this country is challenging, even for those with strong qualifications, let alone someone like me.

"Oluwakemi! I asked you to go and ask her for some food ingredients so you can start cooking," my mother's voice snaps me back to reality. I notice she's still holding my father's shirt firmly, indicating that their argument isn't over yet.

"I have some money, mummy. I'll buy the ingredients, so don't worry," I assure her before heading out. I can't help but wonder how much money my father has taken this time. I hope she doesn't do something drastic before I get back.

When I return, the house is empty. I haven't been gone for long, so where could they have gone? They were arguing fiercely when I left, so it's strange that they would suddenly disappear. Did they take their argument outside?

"Mummy? Daddy?" I call out, but there's no response, and the door is left wide open.

I know they're both adults, but it's unusual for them to leave the doors open like this. I sigh and head to the kitchen to start preparing something. They'll probably be back soon, or maybe my mom has dragged my dad to the casino where he gambles to recover the money. That's something she's capable of doing.

The rice I'm preparing is nearly ready; it just needs a little more time for the water to evaporate. It should be done in about fifteen minutes. As I open the fridge to put away the remaining groceries, I start hearing loud, unfamiliar voices coming from the living room. These voices definitely don't belong to my parents. Could it be that the neighbors have come into our house to intervene in their argument?

I need to check this out. I quickly rush out of the kitchen to see what's happening in the living room, and my eyes widen in shock at the scene before me.

Oh my God!

My parents are on their knees, trembling in fear, while three imposing men dressed in black suits stand around them, guns pointed at their heads. As I take a hesitant step closer, trying to comprehend the situation, one of them turns toward me and aims the gun at my head. I freeze in fear and bow my head, raising my hands in surrender. Oh my goodness, what is happening?

My heart races as I try to comprehend the situation. Who are these people, and what on earth is happening in my own home?

"And who is she, your daughter?" a husky, unfamiliar voice inquires. I raise my head to locate the source of the voice.

A dark-skinned man, appearing to be in his mid-30s, stands up from the sofa and approaches. He raises his right hand, signaling for the man holding the gun to lower it. The armed man complies, making way for the well-dressed newcomer. He walks toward me, his hands in his pockets, and gazes at me intently.

I've never seen this man before, and his extravagant white suit leaves no doubt that he's quite wealthy. What could he possibly want with my family? And why has he come here with armed men?

"I believe I asked a question," the man repeats, his eyes fixed on me.

"She... She's our daughter," my father stammers, his voice trembling with fear.

"I see, but there's no resemblance at all. She doesn't even look like you; where did you get your ugly face from, huh?" the man mocks, laughing.

"Who... Who are you, and why are you in our house with guns? Have we done something to offend you?" I muster the courage to ask. I need to understand their intentions and why they've invaded our home like this.

He looks me up and down, a faint smile playing on his lips. "My apologies for not introducing myself properly," he says. "Your father owes me money, and I've come to collect it."

I close my eyes in shame upon hearing his words. This is just great, my father has managed to bring trouble to our doorstep. How on earth did he end up owing money to someone like this? It's clear that this man means business, and he's not to be taken lightly.

I turn to my father, my voice filled with frustration and concern. "Daddy, why did you borrow money? What was it for?"

My father doesn't respond with words but instead hangs his head in shame. I can hear soft sobbing, and I realize it's coming from my mother. She must be just as shocked and unaware of this situation as I am.

"Let me break it down for you darling..." The man continues, moving closer to me. I take a step back to move away from him but he grabs my waist abruptly and I gasp at him in shock before wiggling out of his hold quickly.

Why would he grab me like that? But well, I can't simply say anything but frown.

He grins, "Darling, your father came to my casino to gamble, and well, my stupid brother agreed to gamble with him and the result? Your father ran away after he lost to my brother. And you see, my brother could have killed him that day for he's not the patient type but I intervened and that's why your father is still with you today.... "He pauses and turns to my daddy.

Kill? Did he just say kill? Who on earth has my daddy messed with? Oh goodness!

"Hey! Old man, do I have to do all the talking? Come on, explain to your daughter." He glares at my daddy.

Daddy trembles on his knees and manage to raise his head.

My father's voice quivers as he tries to explain, "K...Kemi, I...I'm really sorry. I went to gamble at Dankaka some time ago after...after taking the money your mother saved, hoping to win and get more so that we could have enough...but..... but I ended up losing everything and....and...and also ended up owing some amount of money..."

Before he can finish his explanation, my mother slaps him hard across the face.

"You trash!! I thought you only gambled the money! What? You also owe? What have you done, you useless man?" she exclaims, her eyes welling up with tears as she looks at my father in deep disappointment. I share her disappointment in my father. How could he gamble away the money my mother worked so hard to save? And it was meant for my education. Does he not even care about our future?

"Please sir, how much does he owe your brother?" I ask the man.

He smirks, "20,000..."

I raise an eyebrow at him, "Wait, 20,000 naira?"

He stares at me with a disbelief expression before bursting into a loud laughter.

"Hey, old man, you have a funny daughter, she thinks the money you owe is 20,000 naira, how stupid." He continues laughing and I stare at him in puzzle. What's funny? He said 20,000, didn't he?

"Hey darling, it's 20,000 dollars. You can do the little math to know the amount in naira."

Wait, 20,000 dollars? I don't need to do the math to know that would be huge in naira. How did daddy owe such amount of money! I'm sure the money he collected from mummy is not much, how did he gamble it to this extent?

"That is 8.3 m in naira darling. It's a small amount though but I can't just leave it right?" He smiles at me before going back to sit on the sofa.

I turn to my daddy in bewilderment, "Da... daddy, how...how could you gamble to the point you owe 8.3 million...."

"Relax darling, you can fight with your father later, but for now, let's discuss how I'm getting the money." The man says turning serious as he crosses his right leg over the other.

I sigh before saying in a pleading voice, "Sir, could...could you give us more time? The money is very huge for us and it would take time for us to get it..."I pause when I hear him scoff.

"More time? Darling, your father had pleaded for the same favor and I already did that. I let him be for a whole week, what else do you want me to do? Haven't I been patient enough?" He shrugs.

I bite my lip, feeling helpless and overwhelmed. We're already struggling, and my father's actions just keep making life harder. How on earth are we going to come up with 8.3 million now? Even if my mother and I work tirelessly for the next five years, our earnings would never be enough to pay off such a debt.

These people are clearly dangerous, and I'm not sure they would hesitate to harm us if we can't come up with the money.

"Oh, come on, darling, it's not the end of the world. Don't look so defeated," he says with a grin before standing up.

I realize that my younger siblings will be back from school soon, and if they come home to a scene like this, it won't be good at all.

"I'm certain your visit here isn't just about the money. You must be aware that my family is poor and won't be able to repay such a large sum anytime soon. So, what is it that you want?" I ask, mustering some courage.

He stares at me for a moment, seemingly taken aback, before turning to my father with a smile on his face.

"You have a very smart daughter old man, are you sure she's really your daughter? It's hard to believe since you're stupid." He shrugs and shakes his head before turning to me.

"You're correct; I know very well that your father cannot provide that money, that's why I came with a very nice proposal."

Wait, what proposal?

"I think you should pay the price for your family darling...." He smirks before grabbing my waist again, "What do you think?"

XOXO