Chapter Six

She tapped thrice on the door impatiently, wondering why no one had opened the door yet.

She finally heard the lock click and barged into the house even before the door was properly opened.

Her mother's indifferent face greeted her.

"Good morning, Mami," She said, also acting indifferently.

Her mother folded her arms directly under her breasts and sneered. "Why are you back so early? Your feet couldn't take you so far, am I right? All you needed to do was say that you're sorry and ask me to help you with transport fare," She said.

Obviously, they hadn't drawn a truce since the quarrel they had the previous day.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I got a free ride today. I didn't walk back, and guess what? I actually paid for my fare home," She said.

"Ibukunoluwami, is that the way you talk to your elders?" She heard Alhaja Pelumi's hoarse voice ask, which sent shivers down her spine.

She turned around and saw Alhaja Pelumi sitting comfortably on the couch, shaking her head at her in disapproval.

As usual, her seventy-year old grandmother was clad in a wrapper which hung loosely around her chest with her long grey hair floating around her neck.

Her eyes always looked fierce and sad; her face and hands were covered with wrinkles, an evidence of a hard life. One of her legs was missing due to the amputation it had undergone after being involved in the fatal accident which had caused her mother to borrow money from her wicked uncle, and had saved her life by merely a hair's breadth.

Bukunmi took quick strides and knelt before her grandmother, shaking like a leaf. Her grandmother was very strict and tolerated no form of misbehaviour. Although she couldn't walk without the aid of her walking stick which always lay beside her, thereby meaning she wasn't fast to catch up with you nor show you what punishment meant, Alhaja Pelumi had this authority no one could go against.

"É karò (Good morning), Alhaja," Bukunmi said.

"É karò, òmò dada (Good morning, good child)," She responded, with a smile.

Bukunmi was surprised that her grandmother had responded to her greeting calmly instead of lashing out at her for speaking rudely to her mother.

"Benjamin informed me of what your mother said to you yesterday. É pélè (sorry)," She said.

Bukunmi smiled, glad her grandmother took her side in the present matter. "It's okay, Alhaja."

"But you know your mother loves you. She's just angry because after using all her resources to train you in school, you still haven't been able to help her reap the fruits of her labour. No parent will be happy to see their child not doing well and she believes that by shouting and disturbing you all the time, you'll be pushed to go out there and find something doing," Alhaja Pelumi elaborated.

Bukunmi swallowed, expressing contrary beliefs about her mother loving her deep within her, but not saying a word.

"Hope you've forgiven your mother. You know, it's only one mother you have," Alhaja Pelumi said.

Bukunmi sighed, contemplating on what to say.

"I don't need her forgiveness. How can you be asking someone I carried in my womb for nine months and birthed and laboured for to forgive me? This generation has turned the world into something else. Haba! How can my own daughter hold a grudge against me for telling her the truth? Elders are always right, Mami, or have you forgotten? Bukunmi should apologise to me for talking back at me, and that's it!" Bukunmi's mother countered.

Bukunmi rolled her eyes, apparently tired of her mother's drama.

Alhaja Pelumi seemed to be tired as well, because she ignored her statement, patted Bukunmi on her shoulder and asked her to stand up.

"Sissy, you're back so soon," Benjamin said, declaring his presence as he stepped into the living room from his bedroom.

She smiled. "I'm back, darling. But what are you doing at home? Don't you guys close by 3pm? This is barely 11am," She said.

Benjamin lowered his head sadly.

"Ben, what is the matter? Are you sick?" Bukunmi asked, rushing to his side.

"They chased your brother out of school," Her mother immediately said.

"Why?" Bukunmi requested.

"Isn't it obvious? He hadn't paid his school fees, of course," She replied.

Bukunmi sighed and wiped sweat off her forehead. "How much is the money you're owing the school?" She asked, holding her brother's shoulders.

Her mother burst into a mocking laughter and clapped her hands dramatically. "You're asking like someone who has the ability to pay his fees. Every time, you call yourself the big sister and yet, you can't pay ordinary 30,000 naira for his school fees after I worked to the bone to ensure you went to school," She said.

Bukunmi ignored her mother and focused on Benjamin. "Ben, can you pay part of the money, then pay the rest later?"

He nodded. "Yes, my principal allows that."

"Okay then," She said and reached into her bag where she took her money from. After counting it, she took out some and handed it to Benjamin who received it with his mouth agape.

"Bukunmi, where did you get this money? Have you started stealing?" Her mother asked, coming closer.

She ignored her mother once again. "Ben, this is 15,000 naira. Make sure you keep it well and pay it to your principal tomorrow. I'll give you the balance of the money at the end of the month and pay for your other school needs like textbooks and lunch, is that okay?" She asked.

Benjamin smiled broadly. "Yes, sissy. Thank you very much," He said.

His mother mimicked him and faced Bukunmi squarely.

"Bukunmi, answer me this moment. Where on Earth did you get 15,000 naira from? Speak to me!" She thundered.

Bukunmi scoffed. "Relax, Mami. Contrary to what you think, I didn't steal, and news flash is that Ibukunoluwami Ketu, that's me, finally secured a job," She said.

"Oluwa, ése o! (Lord, Thank you)," Her grandmother exclaimed excitedly.

"Sissy, you don't mean it," Benjamin said, filled with smiles.

Her mother only scoffed in disbelief. "Listen, young woman: I wasn't born yesterday. There's no job on Earth that'll pay you the very day they gave you the job, unless there's something you're not telling us," She said with a harsh tone.

"Something like what?" Bukunmi retorted.

"Something like prostitution. Did you follow the man that gave you a free ride to his house where he slept with you, then gave you money?"

"Mama Ibukun, that's a very unfair thing to say to your own child. Honestly, I don't understand you these days. What has the poor child done to you? I never knew that my own daughter will become a bad woman because of poverty and frustration. If I still had two good legs, I'd have stood up from here and would've come to give you a knock to help reset your brain. Enough is enough! Let the poor girl breathe," Alhaja Pelumi chipped in, highly disgusted at her daughter's statement.

Benjamin chuckled at his grandmother's words while Bukunmi grinned.

"Okay then. Since I've now become a bad woman by making sure my daughter isn't doing something wrong and immoral, ask her yourself how she got 15,000 naira," Her mother said.

"Ibukun, your mother is right. Tell us how you got 15,000 naira to give to your brother," Alhaja Pelumi said.

Bukunmi cleared her throat. "Well, the truth is that I went to a company today and I got a job as the Manager's Personal Assistant. He's such a nice man and he gave me 20,000 naira for my transportation and feeding for the month, saying he will deduct it from my salary at the end of the month," She explained.

"Wow! If he gave you 20,000 naira, how much then is your salary?" Benjamin asked out loud in wonder.

"Well, you should guess," She said.

"50,000 naira?" Her mother guessed.

"Wrong!"

"65,000?" Her grandmother guessed.

"Still wrong," She said, beaming with her teeth open.

"Ummm... 100,000 naira?" Benjamin asked.

"Impossible," Her mother mumbled.

"Yeah, it's impossible, because actually, I'm going to be earning twice of 100,000 naira at the end of every freaking month," Bukunmi squealed.

"It's a lie!" They all chorused.

"It is true," She countered.

"For just P.A?" Her mother asked.

"Mami, believe me when I tell you I'm also in shock. Honestly, I had to pinch myself several times to ensure I wasn't dreaming when he told me what he had to offer me," Bukunmi said happily.

"Allah be praised. Finally, he has given my family a reason to smile," Alhaja Pelumi said.

Alhaha Pelumi was a Muslim even though Bukunmi, her mum and brother were all Christians. Her mum had actually been a Muslim but had converted to Christianity after getting married to Bukunmi's late father who upheld the Christian faith.

"What's the name of the company, sissy? I'm sure it's a big one and a household name for them to be paying so much. Tell me, sissy. I need to brag to my friends that my sister is now working with a huge company," Benjamin said.

Bukunmi ran her fingers through her hair, wondering how they'd react if they heard the name.

She sighed, prepared to take in whatever they threw at her.

"Well, it's a company we all know: Welling Fam Heights," She disclosed.

"What?" Her mother fired.

Bukunmi scratched her neck nervously, waiting for her mother to lash out at her, while her grandmother looked on.

"What's the problem?" Benjamin asked, confused.

"Ibukunoluwami, so you had the guts to go to that company, isn't it? Have you forgotten that when your father died, no single person from there came to pay us a visit even though your father worked for almost fifteen years there.

"Have you forgotten that I went to the branch your father was working at so I could get his insurance documents and the money they were supposed to support us with should he die, but they chased me away and gave me a Court's order not to ever come near any of the branches of their company.

"Have you forgotten, Ibukunoluwami? Have you? Your brother was still a child then, but you were already a teenager, weren't you? You even told me you don't like the people your father was working with and you don't want to ever set your eyes on them, what made you then go to their company in search of a job? Has your craze for money brought you this low to throw away your self-esteem and integrity? Answer me, Bukunmi," She yelled.

Bukunmi understood what her mum was saying, but she knew she already got a job that she wasn't willing to let go of. Although she was happy that she may be able to get evidence to get justice for her father's death, but deep down, the amount of money she was to get every month was the main reason she had chosen to work at a company she had disliked since she was thirteen.

"Yes, Mami, Yes! I've traded my integrity for money. Of what use is integrity anyway when I'm living like a church rat? I needed a good job and I've finally gotten one. Nothing you say is going to make me change my mind," Bukunmi said defiantly.

"Sometimes, Mami, I feel like you're not the true mother of Sissy. How could you be so unfeeling and heartless towards her?" Benjamin asked, a look of disgust plastered on his face.

"You can say what you like and even go as far as calling me a witch. All I know is that as Bukunmi's mother, she'd respect my decision and not go to work for those wicked people," She thundered.

"Mama Ibukun, let the poor girl be. Ódun Oòkànlá! (Eleven years!) It's been eleven good years since this incident happened. Forget about the past and move on. How can you tell your child to let go of this rare opportunity because of something that happened over a decade ago? I'm sure they don't even know who she is, she doesn't know them either. It's over my dead body that Bukunmi will not go to work for that company," Alhaja Pelumi said, airing a tone of finality.

She always made the final call in the house, so her words were always respected and heeded to. After all, she was the oldest member of the family.

Bukunmi bent over and gave her grandmother a tight hug.

"Thank you, for always being there for me. I don't know what I'd have done without you. If not for you, some people would have made themselves "gods" in my life," She said, indirectly shading her mum.

"Kpànude (Close your mouth). You know I value respect, so I won't have you directly or indirectly talk back at your mum, even though she deserves it," Alhaja Pelumi said.

Bukunmi giggled. "I'm sorry, ma. I need to go get changed and have a long rest, tomorrow is going to be a long day," She said and stretched out her arms.

"My dear, go and sleep, okay? Your brother will call you when food is ready, okay?"

"Okay ma, thank you," She said.

"Sissy, thanks once again for the money," He said.

She smiled and patted his back.

"It's fine," She said.

She and her mother exchanged fierce glances directed at each other. Even after getting a job, her mother still wasn't pleased. She'd make sure she gathered enough to pay back her uncle, so her mother could warm up to her like before.

Bukunmi walked inside her room and kicked off her shoes. Her legs ached terribly that she begun to wonder how she'd manage wearing it for seven hours. The thought of that annoyed her a lot, but she really didn't have a choice.

She had only two shoes: the one she had worn today and the one she had worn the previous day. Both of them were tight, but she preferred the former, because unlike the other one, it wasn't peeled. The only problem with it was the shaky heels which she could manage effectively as long as she didn't walk fast.

A thought crossed her mind and she immediately took out her phone from her bag, smiling excitedly. Nneoma was probably at work, so she couldn't share the good news with her. The only person she could talk to was none other than "T".

"Hey," She typed.

"Hey. How'd it go?" He responded almost immediately.

"It went well, dude. I got the job, can you believe it?"

"Wow. I'm so happy for you."

She smiled to herself, then proceeded to type again. "What’s up? Why are you suddenly acting all cute?"

"Cut me some slack. I told you about the job opening, remember?"

"Yeah, that's true. Thanks."

"Look who said I was being cute."

"LOL. By the way, how did you know about the job opening, even though the receptionist was unaware?"

.......

Bukunmi waited for his response. After about five minutes, he replied:

"Well, that's top secret."

"Okay then. It's fine if you don't wanna tell me. Anyways, my new boss seems pretty nice, I can't wait to start working with him."

"I'm sure he can't wait to start working with you as well."

"You think?"

"I'm positive."

"Awwwn. Thanks a lot dear, for always being a strong support I can count on."

"It's fine. You deserve it and more."

"I owe you a lot. I promise to pay you back one of these days."

"It's fine, okay?"

"Okay then."

"Gotta run, bye. It’s going to be a big day tomorrow, you should have some rest."

"I will. Take care of yourself."

She dropped the phone and smiled happily. She finally got a job and she was happier than she had ever been in the last eleven years of her life.

What next did life hold for her? Was she going to be wealthy soon? Or would she lean closer to finding evidence that will bring her father justice?

She didn't know what life had in store for her or if all these was a dream, but she was willing to take life as it came.

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Much love.