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“Good afternoon ma, what would you like to buy?”

Fiyi hurriedly crossed the drainage, to the car parked in front of her mother’s stall. She recognized the woman as one of her mother’s customers.

“I want bananas and watermelon, ” she replied

Fiyi rushed back to the stall to put some of the fruits on a tray to show the woman since she was not making an attempt to alight from her car.

“A bunch is 500 naira ma, ” she said trying to balance the tray on her knee and show it to the woman at the same time.

“I am your mother’s customer and she doesn’t hike prices for me.”

“I know ma, that is how we sell it, you can ask her anytime you come around”

The woman whispered to the young lady sitting beside her for a few seconds. Fiyi tried to look beyond the car to the hustle and bustle of the street and check if there was any other customer coming her way. 

The woman turned back to Fiyi.

“Give me four bunches of banana.
Where is your mother? she knows how to mix up the fruits for me.”

“She is a little under the weather ma, that’s why I am here.”

“Oh! Regards to her then.”

“Thank you ma”

“Tell me the kind of fruits you want, I can help with the selection.”

“I hope you won’t cheat me with the prices?”

“I will never do that ma,” she replied even though a quick glance at the woman shows someone who can do away with little change. The way she was trained will not allow her to cheat the customer even though she could.
She crossed the drainage back to the stall.

Fiyi gently picked up different kinds of fruits and put them into different plastic bags, according to their sizes so that the smaller ones don’t get crushed.

“Here ma,” she said to her. Fiyi noticed that the lady beside the woman was now talking on the phone and seemed to be unaware of what was going on in her environment.

“I hope you can find your way here, in case I want you to get me fruits? The woman said to the young lady.

“I am talking to you, ” she jabbed the lady softly when she didn’t get a response.

“I was on phone mom, ” she complained

“You could have nodded or something”

“Why do I have to come all the way here, can’t they deliver the fruits?”

“That’s true, ” she said and faced Fiyi.

“My dear, do you do deliveries?”

“Yes ma'am, if you want.”

“That’s better then. Get the fruits” she said to the driver. “How much am I paying?”

“5000 naira ma. I put in four bunches of banana as requested, Watermelon, carrots and oranges, and a few garden eggs.”

“You don’t have apples?”

“No ma.” She replied as she handed the plastic bags to the driver.

“The last time I came here, your mother said she needed to talk to me, can you tell her to call me?
I was hoping we'll talk when I come here today.”

“Can I have your card ma?”

“Oh! She has my contact. Just to be safe though, you can have this,” she said handing her a complimentary card and some wads of cash for the goods she bought.

The young lady in the car said something that Fiyi couldn’t hear, and it earned her another jab from her mother.

“Mom!”

Fiyi couldn’t hear the mother's reply but was sure the last had said something offensive since she was still rubbing her side from the aftereffects of the jab.

“Thank you, dear, take care of yourself, ”  the woman waved as the driver joined them back in the car.

Fiyi watched the car go and promised herself she was going to be in the same position one day. Riding in her own car with her own kids even though she imagined them smaller she smiled.

“Is that your boyfriend?" her immediate younger brother said as he joined her in front of the stall. He appeared out of nowhere or maybe she didn’t see him approach because she was lost in thought. Obviously, he must have seen her attending to the customer.

“I wish.”

“As big as your school is, you can not get a boyfriend that has a car? he teased

“Shut up,” Fiyi replied and slapped his head.

Her brother was taller than her but they were close. He could be a torn in the flesh but it is understandable. Brothers are natural tormentors. Thankfully she was older than him or else he would have made her life difficult. He was in the final year in secondary school and hopefully would be able to gain admission next year. That was something she did not want to think about.

“See this girl, I am taller than you o.”

“I am older though.”

“Seriously, even girls in my school have boyfriends with cars but you, I am not even sure you have a boyfriend not to talk of one with a car.”

“Why are you here sir? She ignored his jab.”

“Mom said I should come and join you here,” he shrugged.
“That is the only way I could get her to rest. Moreover, she said she doesn’t want me walking around aimlessly. That woman needs to understand that I am a big boy now.”

“Yes now, big boy empty brain.”

“At least, I have the swag, and girls are all over me. What do you have?”

“Brain, to enable me do the right thing at the right time, to help understand that your exam should be your priority and not girls.
If you get anyone pregnant, you are on your own.”

“You are savage, go and marry and leave our house,” he grumbled

“The house that you built abi so that you can start forming man of the house.”

“I am still the man of the house the last time I checked, Bami is still a kid.”

“I want to buy carrots.” A customer said interrupting their banter.
Fiyi snapped her fingers at him before going to attend to the customer.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
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