Hi guys, how are you? I hope you are doing great.

At the end of my chapters, I would be dropping a question. It's not going to be a big one, it's just to get to connected you guys.

Please, try and answer. This will help me know if my story is getting the desired effect on you guys. 

Have a good read.

It was Friday. Miriam loved attending mosque for prayers every Friday because that's the only day of the week that provided her the opportunity to spend some time with her friends, Musa and Rashidat in their home.

All school activities were normally concluded by noon on Fridays thus enabling students to participate in the prayer.

Miriam usually goes out with fewer products to enable her round-up sales activities by or before noon as 1 pm was the set time for the prayers.

Musa and Rashidat used to be her classmates back then before she stopped schooling at basic three. At the moment, they were in basic six, preparing for their common entrance examination into secondary school.

Miriam trusted that they'd do well in their coming examination. They were bright kids and she was happy for them but she envied them a little because like them, she'd love to continue schooling but it seems fate had something else planned for her.

Ever since that day three years ago when she saw a movie of an investigative journalist with the Abubakar's family, it'd been her dream to become an investigative journalist. From then onward, she met with Musa and Rashidat regularly every Friday in their residence in addition to the other meetings at their spot, under the mango tree. These helped in keeping her updated.

For Miriam, moments with the Abubakar's family were highly cherished as Mrs. Abubakar was the only person close to a mother figure in her life. This woman had a great deal of influence in the way Miriam conducted her affairs as her father in his carefree nature never bordered how she was doing. The time spent with the Abubakar's family always consisted of study and playtime.

Miriam had a great time with Musa and Rashidat today. Their voice could be heard from a mile as they ran around playing hide and seek.

"Hello children, that's enough play for today." Mrs. Abubakar's voice rang from the kitchen interrupting their play. "Musa and Rashidat, bring out your homework, it's high time you do them.

"And for you, Miriam, collect Rashidat's English textbook and start reading from where you stopped last time and ensure to do the classwork that follows. I will join you to mark your work when you are done and then you will have to do dictation. Understand?"

"Yes Mama, (yes mother)" they all chorused with Miriam emitting a radiance of happiness from her face.

All three of them scurried over to the living room, Musa and Rasidat having in hand their school bags which they've collected from their room. Each taking a spot on the center table, they made themselves comfortable as they started their work.

"Mama, I am through with the work," Miriam reported, the cover of her pen to her mouth, she awaited Mrs. Abubakar's response.

"Ah! So quick?" Mrs. Abubakar replied by cleaning her hands on her apron as she came out of the kitchen. "Let me have it."

Mrs. Aburbakar stretched out her hand to receive a rough notebook from Miriam. It was one of the old notebooks Rashidat used when she was in basic five. Mrs. Abubakar stared at the work; very neat handwriting stared back at her, forming the answers to the questions outlined 1 to 6 on the page. The questions were accurately answered.

She couldn't hold back the smile that crawled it's way into her face as she raised her head, her vision unfocused and her mind cast back to how tutoring Miriam began three years ago.

***

They just finished seeing an action-packed movie of a very smart and intelligent investigative journalist. She was on a mission to dig into a dangerous drug Barron whose influence and connection to high profiled political allies made him almost invincible. It took courage, intelligence, and risks (almost up to near-death attacks) to bring down the drug lord and stopped his activities.

"Mama, I like the actor very well. It is that her kind of work I will like to do when I grow up," Miriam commented.

"You mean you would love to be an investigative journalist when you grow?" Mrs. Aburbakar corrected her.

"yes, Mama." Miriam nodded in a high spirit.

"That's very good but to be an investigative journalist, you have to study very hard."

With a face downcast, Miriam's enthusiasm deflated like a punctured balloon. She scratched her head and replied, "yes, Mama but now that Baba (father) has said that I can't go to school again, I don't know how I can continue to study.

"Yeah, that is a problem but we can do something about it."

"Really?" Miriam's face suddenly lit up with a smile as bright as the radiance of the Sun.

"Yes," Mrs. Abubaka responded with a smile of her own. "You can come here every Friday to study with Musa and Rashidat while I help in supervising your works. How about that?"

"I like that oh," Miriam said, bubbling and jumpy. She could barely contain her excitement. "I will always come. Thank you, Mama."

"Miriam, you know you are always welcome here, right?"

Still smiling, Miriam answered, "yes, thank you, Mama."

"You are welcome."

A brief silence ensued. Breaking the silence, Miriam asked, "Mama, an investigative journalist must always write down on a jotter (writing pad like that actor?"

"Firstly, that thing is called a diary not jotter," Mrs. Abubakar corrected. "And keeping a journal is not a thing only investigative journalists do. Anybody can keep a journal."

"Mama, what is keeping a journal?" Miriam asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh." Mrs. Abubakar chortled, "keeping a journal is what people do when they write down important things that happened in their diary for record-keeping; the same way you saw the investigating journalist did in that movie."

"Oh, I see." Miriam nodded.

Miriam was beyond surprised when Mrs. Abubakar gave her a gift of a diary and a dictionary the next Friday which was her first day of study. She was very intrigued by the investigative journalist in the movie and wanted to be one but she never anticipated any form of support from anyone.

All these tears of joy flowing down her face and this magnitude of excitement, just to express her appreciation for a small gift of a diary and dictionary? Mrs. Aburbakar wondered. Like an imprint, her expression engrafted a mark in Mrs. Abubakar's mind, leaving her with a sense of satisfaction that she'd done the right thing.

***

"Mama, I've finished my assignment." Musa's voice resonated through her thought, justling her attention back to the present.

"Ok Musa, hold on a little let me finish with Miriam's work."

"Yes, Mama."

She hurriedly dictated for Miriam and cross-checked Musa and Rashidat's assignment and then rushed back to the kitchen.

***

Miriam had finished her domestic chores for the day. She'd cooked, served her father dinner, eaten hers, cleared off the dishes after meals, and had washed them.

She brought out her diary and made an entry for the day.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

13th May 2006

I sold all the minerals I went out with today. Mr. Tony, Alex, and the other workers there bought everything that was remaining.

It has been two weeks since I found that place. Since then they always buy minerals from me and Mr. Tony has asked me to keep the change three times now.

On the first day, when he asked me about my age, I didn't want him to know more about me because he is a stranger and Mama Rashidat has warned me and Rashidat to always keep away from men, especially strangers.

Today I told her about the change Mr. Tony has been asking me to keep and she said, did you thank him?

I said, yes. Then she said, good but don't collect gifts from him ever again. Doing so will make you lose value.

When I asked what it means to lose value? She said, it means that I will look like a beggar.

I see Mr. Tony as a nice person but I will not collect gifts from him again because I don't want to be a beggar.

Musa told me today that they are going to write their common entrance examination next Saturday. I am happy for them, oh but I am sad because I too am supposed to write that examination with them on Saturday.

But what will I do? Abbah I cannot come and kill myself nah.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Let me stop writing here today, she thought as she closed the diary and kept it in her money bag. She kind of had an attachment to the diary, she carried it with her everywhere she went.

With her money bag properly kept, she took out a broom from behind the door, swept the floor, spread her mat, and with an old piece of wrapper she made a makeshift pillow and laid her head to rest for the day.

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