CHAPTER FIVE

My sisters and I walked in between stalls in the market searching for cheaper stuff to put in our apartment. Esther who is now Sally (her new name, she wanted her name to be Sally Alyn) is taking care of the grocery. Sellah (the now Soraya Bakhtiary, she wanted to be a Muslim) was in the utensil section with me (the old Ezna is the new Okra Leontes). Yes, I am Okra Leontes.

"Hey. Thief! Hey come back...…" I shouted. As if he would really listen to my pleads and be back.

I had seen a man behind Sally, he had just pick pocketed her credit card and ran away. We were only remaining with one, and Soraya had it.

All the savings are almost gone and we have not yet put up a fridge in our flat. Well if the fridge really matters in life. For now it didn't.

"Don't bother. He is gone. Forget about what you had," a man behind a stall said.

We had found new jobs, thanks to the noticeable job advertisements in Tivaller hotel and lodge. I also should thank Rehoboth for helping us secure these jobs. Sally became a waitress and Soraya was a chef and I dealt with the lodge, the janitor. And I worked all the way to the offices. It could at least give me money, right?

"Hey," someone shouted at me, I looked up, "make sure you go under my desk."

Agh! That man is awful. I always find sweet wrappers and used paper towels. When I mean used, I mean used.

I simply hate cleaning that office. He sounds like a teenager in love.

"Excuse me missy, ten minutes are almost over and my office is a mess," he said.

"Am so sorry sir, but I've already finished your office," I said.

"Then redo it," he shouted at me.

I had to do it anyway because I did not want to lose my job. I picked up my bucket and the mop and entered the office.

"The corners are dirty," I heard the door close.

I am totally not safe.

"And you are a pretty young lady. You've got everything I would want..." He moved closer to me and grazed his hand roughly at my cheek cupped my chin and tried to kiss me.

"Get off of me," I said to him, "you will not do what you want to me."

"Oh, I hold the money vault if you have forgotten that," he said and smiled. Yes he was handsome but I was done with men. No men in my life totally.

"I am not sure I will give you what you want. Let me tell you something..." I tried to say but he cut me off.

"You should think twice about that. Or else....," he threatened.

"Or else what," I threw back.

He crossed his arms and stared at me. "Just give yourself up and live peacefully. This is the high paying place you're ever going to meet. Come on now. Pull down those wards, do me a favour, I will say a good word for you and within no time you will own this office."

He thought I was thinking deeply about it, no. It has never been in my wildest dreams.

I have dealt with Tan, a man of power, riches, authority and everything and this little man wants me to....... I don't want to think about it. This man is insane, he does not know anything about me.

I can as well quit this job. What do you think? "You know what, I cannot do what you ask of me. And if you are going to make me quit, then that's a much better deal. You don't have any kind of power or right over me."

I lifted up the mop and threw it down to make sure he saw that I was serious. I turned to leave.

"Bad thinking. I hope you find good spots out there to take you in," he talked while I threw the apron across the room to the wall. I banged the door with a great thud and walked briskly and faster down the stairs and straight to the backdoor.

It hurt, loosing the job I thought would give me some money to make myself the independent. That was not fair, I cried as I used my handkerchief to wipe my tears and blow my nose. Having no other choice, I walked back home dejected.

While at home, I was angry. I almost burnt my legs with hot cooking oil when I was making crisps. And even after cooking, I could not eat the crisps. I had cut my finger with the knife.

I decided going for a walk would do me good. I might as well be able to view the horses down at the farmer's house, only if I get permission.

I put on blue jean trousers, a pair of flats, a green tank top and covered myself in a brown poncho.

I closed the door and strode a few steps away before I had second thoughts of turning back and sleeping my stresses away.

"Ezna, hey," I heard a voice, Reho's voice. He is the only one who knows that I am Ezna.

"Hi," I answered.

"Where were you going to?" He asked.

"Just taking a walk,"

"We could walk along with me,"

"No. I think I am good on my own,"

"Come on. Please, I could show you around, even if you already had a tour. Ezna, come on now,"

"I am not Ezna. Don't call me that, everyone calls me Okra and that is who I am. I don't want anybody to know that name,"

"Only a walk with you can keep my mouth shut about it,"

"Well then, since you insist," I walked with him down the road as we chatted for a long time.

He also saw my upset face and asked me what the matter was and because he is a good man I told him. "Some bastard told me to quit my job if I don't pleasure him."

"God, that's serious! Where do you work?" He asked astonished.

"Where did I work, check the difference, " I said, "Tivaller."

"Wait a second," he said surprised, "that is my place. I am boss there."

"Who threw you out?" He asked.

"Ben......" He cut me off.

"I will retrench him. But for now you got your job back. But not your previous one,"

I am dreaming, right? I got my job back the same day I lost it. A difference of six hours.......wait, let him finish what he is saying.

" What about you being my secretary?" He asked.

"I think that will do for now," I said thanking him.

I noticed he stopped and his bright face suddenly dropped into a haggard one.

"Anything wrong Mr Fanaka?" I asked.

"No," he answered, this got me so worried, "lets walk on."

"That bench over there reminds me of Julia, my late wife," he said and chuckled. I felt sorry for him.

"I am so sorry," I said remorsefully.

"Oh thank you," he said, "she was the most difficult woman I ever met. She got me reading bible verses for her to get better during her first pregnancy with our first baby, James."

"Wow, that's wonderful," I commented and chuckled, "I would like to meet him."

It was vaguely a statement not a question........

"He died," he said with a dark frankness in his eyes.

"Ow....." I muttered, "I am really sorry."

"Don't be," he said. We continued walking.

"At one time, my late wife, after we exchanged vows, told me she was not going to be living long inside my arm. She said she can pull the ring off her finger and it would be the end of our marriage. That hurt me a lot."

"Why would she do that?" I asked.

"She didn't believe she would ever get married someday," he said, "but after sometime she became vulnerable and could talk about herself freely. She gave her life to Jesus and I told her that Jesus chose the two of us to be together."

"Tell me more," I said.

"And She decided to buy out the lodge that was on sale," he explained, "this was after I spoke to her of what God had done and would do to her. And she transformed the dirty lodge into Tivaller restaurant and lodging."

"Ahuh,"

"She always prayed the Jabez prayer," he said, "you should too, it works wonders. Only if you want to."

"Where do I find it in the Bible?" I asked. Yet I had no Bible at home.

"1 chronicles 4:9-10," he said, "when you pray it, it becomes a regular part of your life experience. Something about Jabez caused the historian to pause, clear his throat, and switch tactics...… And a story breaks through a hundred of difficult names of his descendants. Something that made him unique. And then the roll call of names of the other children of his and grandchildren picks up as if nothing had happened."

"That request to God changed his life forever," I said. The message had sank right in.

He stood and addressed me. "Things might have started badly for you but you can make a prayer to God and things will end extraordinary for you. But only with conditions."

"Conditions?" I was perplexed.

"Yes, things wont happen unless you have faith in that prayer," he explained lucidly, "there are very many things you must understand while getting in to that prayer. That gives me one question. Are you born again?"

"Yes," I answered.

"And baptised?"

"That too," I said, "yet I still know so shallow."

"Good, you should also understand that too. Apart from reading the Bible, knowledge in it is important too," he said, "I was glad to know that you were in Bible study by the way."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"You will be working from my home office, got it, trust me with your safety. And don't be late tomorrow morning. There's a contract to sign," he said.