She checked the basket that contained her dirty laundry. There were
many clothes there because she did not wash during the weekend. She decided to
busy herself with washing them. She played a playlist of music from her phone
as she washed.
After washing for
a while, she heard banging on her door. She cleaned her hand and went to answer
the door.
“Who is it?”
“It is me,” she heard Cynthia
say.
She opened the
door and let Cynthia in.
“I have been knocking for the
past 5 minutes. Where you not hearing me?”
“Sorry. I was washing in the
bathroom.”
“You got me worried o.”
“The music was too loud I
guess.”
“Or you were just thinking.”
“Thinking of what?”
“Even this your door sef. The
thing can break somebody’s hand.”
“Sorry dear.”
Cynthia dropped
her bag on the table while Mabel went back to the bathroom to wash.
“Did you see Chidinma?” Mabel
asked Cynthia.
“Yes. She staged me with
gist.”
“Really?”
“Yes o. I had to pretend you
called me on phone before I could take my leave.”
“Hmm. What was she gisting you
that made her keep you hostage.”
“Don’t mind that girl. There
was this new guy she met and she is crazy about him.”
“Guy kwa. Chidinma and guys.
She will not focus on her studies and finish well.”
“That’s what I have been
telling her but she doesn’t want to listen.”
“She keeps saying that she has
to help herself through school.”
“By selling her body and
dignity?”
“I wonder. But if not for you
and mummy helping me out, I don’t know what I would have done. I might have
joined her.”
“God forbid. Does she not have
parents?”
“They are in the village.
“Really?”
“Yes o. She is the first
person to go to university in her house.
“Are they are that poor and
backward?”
“Yes but if you see her, you
will not know.”
“Village girl is forming
ajibo. I can imagine.”
“You will not know that her
parents are in the village sef. The way she packages herself.”
“Ok oo.”
Cynthia went to the bathroom.
“Leave Chidinma matter joor,”
she said. “Are you done with the washing?”
“I have not rinsed them yet.”
“OK. Let me help you.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
Cynthia helped
Mabel rinse out the ones she had washed till they were done.
“Where are you spreading
them?” Cynthia asked Mabel.
“Downstairs.”
“Kai. Carrying this heavy
bucket down your staircase is not funny at all.”
“It is not heavy na.”
“We have to share it. Bring
another bucket.”
Mabel got a
bucket and they shared the washed clothes. They went downstairs.
“You people need an elevator
in this building,” Cynthia said panting.
“I have told you to start
exercising but you will not hear.”
“Leave that one biko. As slim
as I am, you still want me to exercise. So I will disappear.”
“Exercise is for fitness not
for sliming.”
They spread the
clothes on the clothes line behind the house. As Cynthia stooped to pick the
last cloth to spread, she felt a sharp pain in her back.
(...to be continued...)
-Chinedu Isaac
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