Nadia batch 1

NADIA
Episode 1.
She was born with no silver spoon, no educational background, no siblings, she was just born. At 15 she was very intelligent and smart even without support from anyone. She had high hopes and high dreams, she didnt know of they will come to pass but she just believed.
Nadia lost her mom two Years ago to tetanus in the ancient city of benin. She remembers that day like it was yesterday. Her mom had been pierced by a big nail two weeks ago on their way from their daily hustle. Her mom had taught her to always be hærdworking and never be lazy. And so what they do is go from dirt to dirt picking bottles and empty cans, wash them thoroughly then take them to the market for sales. Since two weeks that the nail entered the mother’s leg, she had managed to press the leg with hot water. That was the only medication they could afford. For whatever they got from their sales of bottles and empty cans went for their feeding.
So that day when they came back the leg was heavily swollen , and Nadia’s mom was wailing heavily. One could see she was in serious pain. Nadia was very worried but what can she do, there was nobody to call for help, not even neighbours because they lived in an uncompleted building that has been covered up with grasses before the mom cleared the in,side, but the road leading to the building was still very bushy.
They had to move to that place after Nadia’s dad died and her uncles seized all of his properties, the mom had chosen to move to the uncompleted building that was far in,side the Bush because she believed the owners of the place would not find out easily that there were people living in their property and true to her thoughts they had lived in that place for more than a year! Until this happened to her.
Nadia watched as her mom wallowed in pain, she wished there was something she could so to help her ease her pain.
”Nadia my daughter” # she began, ”you are my daughter, my light, my everything, you are the only thing that your uncles couldn’t take from me therefore you are the only true possession of mine. You have to be a very strong girl, in everything you do remember that God is always with you, remember to seek his opinion on everything and every decision you make, everything she said stressing on the everything. One day Nadi, my child, your uncles will come and apologise to you, please do well to forgive them, hold no grudge in your heart for anyone. Before you make any decision rake your time to have a second thought on it. I love you so much Nadi my child, and if I have the strength and the power I wouldn’t leave you. Nadia looked at her mom again and immediately understood that her mom was dying, so she started crying, mom please don’t leave me, don’t die please, let me run to the road , let me seek help please.
With tears in her eyes, the young beautiful woman whom suffering had made old held her daughters hand and continued. ”My child weep not, I am not leaving you, I may not be here physically with you but never forget that I am with you at all times. Your father and I will always be with you, to watch over you. Nadia my child, your joy Will come, you will go places, those that have caused you pains will come back and seek your help.
Then she pulled the necklace from her neck, it was a very old chain, Nadia had always seen that chain on her mom, she stretched it and gave it to Nadia. My child this is the only thing I can offer you, never take it odd from your neck. Let it remind you that I am always with you. Also its going to bring you luck wherever you go. Put it on she urged nadia who wore the chain but didnt stop crying. I love u my child, and she stopped breathing….
Mama, mama, mama, Nadia was scre-ming shaking her mom from head down but the woman was gone. Nadia cried for hours before dragging her mom to one corner of the building and digging a small pit she buried her mother there. I promise to make you proud she cried amidst tears.
When she got back in,side of he building she was scared, she wanted to leave the place but she had nowhere else to go and so she decided she will stay until she finds somewhere for her to go. She counted the sales they had made that day it was about four hundred and thirty naira, she had no appetite to eat, she knew she could no longer continue with that work , she couldn’t do it alone. That night as she slept she knew it was a new beginning for her.
The next morning, Nadia still didnt have the appetite for food. She knew what to do for she thought about it through out the night, and so after washing up, she picked up the money and she knelt before her mother’s grave, mother you said I will make it, this is the first time am going out without you, please go with me today, dear Lord bless my hustle today. Amen putting a little of the sand where her mom was buried in a nylon bag she left the place and went into the streets of Benin she has seen little girls Carey coolers of satchet water on their heads hawking, she spoke with one of them and she was told she can rent the cooler. She was happy when she finally rented the cooler for 20naira and bought a bag of satchet water for naira60 she still had about 350 naira with her from the money her mom left behind. She started Hawking with the other girls. In almost an hour time her water was finished and she sold everything for 100naira, she quickly ran to carry another bag but by then she was very hungry. She took 100naira from the 350she carried and then she bought fufu and Edo native soup she ate quickly and then continued her hawking.
By the end of that day, Nadia had sold 12bags of water. She sat down to calculate the money with her, she had 1200, she quickly returned the cooler she rented, she bought food to eat for the night, she was super excited. She took a glance at the wall clock on the woman’s shop it was quarter past 9. She carried her nylon of food and headed home . she saw some few girls still selling but she was done for the day. It was a good start for her. She waved some of them goodnight and walked fast she needed to get past the thick bushes to her house……
What does the future holds for Nadia?
Episode 2.
Nadia was walking very fast, she has never walked that path so late alone! She was a little bit worried but then again she was a brave girl. She walked past everyone on the street and was about taking the bush part that leads to the uncompleted building, when she saw some rough looking boys standing along the path smoking and gisting. She wanted to continue but then she heard her mother’s words clearly.
”Think twice before making a decision” she paused for a while and then she turned back and branched a shop which was already locked. She sat down at a small chair waiting for the boys to leave so that she can continue home. Her food was getting cold.
Nadia waited for close to thirty minutes, before she finally slept off. It was the sound of gunshots that woke her up. Her nylon of food had fallen on the ground. She quickly checked her pocket and her 1200 was still in there, then the gun shots continued, it was on this second time that she realized she was not alone. There was one other girl there sleeping. The girl jumped up and was shouting don’t kill me don’t kill me. Nadia quickly held her mouth and beckoned on her to be quiet. They both laid still and calm.
The gun shots by now have become louder and closer. Nadia was scared but she was very calm, the other girl was shivering so hærd, Nadia held her very close like she was a baby even though she was bigger than Nadia.
It wasn’t long before the boys ran and stopped at the same shoo where Nadia and the girl were hiding. They sat on top of the table. Nadia could remember them very well. It was same boys she had seen at the entrance to the bush path that leads to her home. They were four in number.
”That was very close , one of them had stated, yes o, if not that I was smart enough to scare that security man with the gun shot he would have dialled the police. Thank God you were able to do that another one commented. But you shouldn’t have shot the oga’s hand na? If I didnt shoot his hand maybe one of us would have been dead by now. That man carried a small dagger and was about to dagger you, you should be thanking me not scolding me. Thank you he muttered, but next time please don’t shoot anyone abeg. We are doing this to make money not to become killers I beg you. I don hear, share the money make we move.
They brought out a wallet, Nadia watched as they carefully counted the money, one of them quickly grabbed the money from the first guy who was counting it shouting, ”to count money you day do like say na work, give me this thing make I count, and as he dragged the money the money fell from his hand and scattered on the floor. Shay you see wetin you cause now, the others grumbled as they all bent down to pick up the scattered money. At this point Nadia was really beginning to get scared because some of the money was on top of her legs and the guys were determined to pick every single dime.
Nadia quickly muttered a short prayer. ”God help me please, mother keep me safe please!” The boys gathered the money, they even picked the one on Nadia’s leg without bothering to look at it if it was a leg or wood, they just picked it up and counted the money in a hurry. Nadia heard them say its 37,000 naira. They shared the money and left in a hurry to different directions.
After they left, Nadia laid still on that same s₱0t , there was no aota of sleep in her eyes. She was there until she heard the first c–k crow, then she left the girl who was still obviously very shaken, she picked up her cellophane of food and that was when she noticed the ID card on the floor. Without saying a word, she picked it up, turned and looked at the girl once more before racing in,side the bush without looking back. When she got to the building she quickly entered the small foam she shared with her mom. She planned on stealing few minutes of sleep before heading for work.
That night was a horrifying one for her. Nadia woke up two hours later, and got the biggest shock of her life, she saw that girl lying next to her. Same girl she met at that shop. Nadia was surprised and wondered how she got there. ”Wake up, hey wake up” what are you doing here? Why did you follow me here? Hey get up and leave already! She stood and looked Nadia straight in the eye. Please don’t drive me away please, am sorry I followed you, I was too scared to remain there,I didn’t know if those boys will come back thats why i followed u, please don’t drive me pleaee.
Nadia felt pity for her, she asked her to sit down she picked up the nylon food she bought last night, she checked it and found out it was not yet spoilt, so she brought out the small OKs pot that she and her mom managed, she poured the soup in it and gathered some sticks lying around, she made the fire and put the pot on it to warm the food.
From the sky and the upcoming brightness of the day, she could tell that it was almost 7am. She served the food on two old pieces plate and gave one to the girls and she took the other and ate quietly. I am Nadia she said as she introduced herself to the girl, my name is Ruth she replied. After eating she took a bowl of water and went to clean up, she also gave the girl some water to take her bath, she looked at her and discovered that the girl was not too bigger than her Nadia didnt have much clothes but she brought out one of her neatly folded dresses and gave the girl one to wear. With a big grin on her face Ruth told her thank you.
So tell me Ruth where are your parents? Why were you alone in that place, how old are you? The questions were just pouring out. Well Ruth started. I don’t know my parents, I’ve never known my parents, I grew up with my aunty and her family. My aunty was very mean to me, she treated me like a slave, she always insulted and called me names. She said she saw me abandoned on the streets of Lagos and she had mercy on me and that I should be grateful to her. Its not like I was not grateful o but she was not just satisfied. She beat me at any little provocation, she despised me, her children hates me, she finally threw me out of her house about two weeks ago simply because I ate from the food she kept for her kids, I was very hungry o, I would have died o, its just small I ate o, then she chased me away. I don’t, have any where else to go that’s why I hang around d market till evenings and when she closes from her shop I go there to sleep. Until last night when we almost lost our lived. If u had not come, maybe those guys would have caught me and killed me, it’s God that brought you to save me.Nadia watched her carefully before asking her of her age. And she said she was15.
Nadia didnt want want to decide in a hurry so she told Ruth to follow her to the market, she rented two coolers she gave Ruth one and bought one satchet water for her also. They agreed to meet at a s₱0t every one hour, with that they both headed in,side the market hawking pure water!