Move On

Word meaning used:

Agbero: Thugs

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"This young man must be a gentleman, or perhaps because I rescued him from the agbero" my thoughts kept flowing, and I noticed he has his eyes fixed on me. Just as I was about to break the boredom, he said "my name's Mike Spencer" nodding to that "Mike Spencer, I can tell you're not from Lagos, I am Jack".

The walk to the terminus was fun with questions asked and laughter exchanged, Mike said "you're intelligent, and I respect that, like I said my family just moved in, we are from Rivers State, born and raised in Accra Ghana..." the honk from a passenger bus put him to a stop, and just then we went to purchase the bus ticket from Obalende terminus boarding to Lekki Phase 1.

The ticket attendant in a low typical Yoruba accent said "where to? "

Mike responded "V.I please? for two"

"it will cost you 200Naira" said the attendant.

"wow when has the price went from 100Naira to 200Naira?" I said with a deep furrow on my forehead.

"I'll pay, we just need to get off this place" said Mike with a smile on his face.

We boarded the bus but I couldn't help but notice the constant smile on his face which seemed awkward to me, all through my stay in Aunty Bisi Orphanage Home, the nanny have for no reason been good to me, I had been abused severally. There was this night that one of the nanny fondly called Aunt HotCake asked me to escort her to the laundry room, she made me washed her menstrual blood underpants, the other night she came to me and forcefully had sex with me, threatening to poison me if I let a word to anyone, scared of my life as a 12 years old kid, I kept shut. Any night I fight her, she will starve me for a whole day, punish and report me to the administrator for stealing and gambling. This act went on until I got to 16, and she was transferred to another center.

The other nanny would call out to me, either to help lift heavy luggage, to massage their feet or to just make jest. None smiled, none were kind except for Uncle Peter; A businessman from Akwa Ibom State, he visits us every month with items like toys, food, clothes and medications. Uncle Peter is a widower, his wife and children died in a plane crash from Nigeria to Paris, ever since then, Uncle Peter haven't missed a month with us, he's a heartbroken man that comes to the orphanage to play with children and teach them how to grow rice, groundnut, carrot and beans. I kept wondering why Mike Spencer would be sharing smiles for no reason, just then I realized I was traveling with Mike Spencer, a good gentleman that took upon himself to make sure I don't walk to V.I. Unknowing to me, Mike had bought Doughnuts and Coke for the both of us, with a mouthful of doughnuts, he tapped me to hand over the doughnuts and coke he bought for me, he has been too nice for a guy he met few minutes ago. But I was really starving, and this is not the time to question myself.

Mike Spencer's voice finally came out from his mouth and he said something that felt encouraging accompanied with a smile, "Jack, whatever the problem is, just move on. life's too short to wallow in yesterday's misfortune, maximize today's blessings, to establish a better tomorrow."