°° Chapter 1 °°

Unedited

Osas watched her brother, Osato eat hot noodles she prepared as though he had freezer in his mouth. He looked pathetic and really hungry. She waited till he ate the last spoon and then he drank water from a blue plastic cup on the stool.

"Thank you" he said immediately after eating.

"You belle full at all?"

"Yes Ma"

"Which time you chop last?" She asked and he felt uncomfortable, "I....I.." he stammered and she ran her hands through her natural hair.
"Mama marry again?"

"Yes"

"How many children she con get?"

"Two, me and my brother Zuwa."

"Where your brother?"

"I give one neighbor make him help me take care of am"

"Him don chop?" She asked and he shrugged.

Osas shut her eyes, she was beginning to entertain thoughts of having to look after them. This wasn't what she needed at this time of her life!

"How Mama take die?" She asked and her eyes became heavy with tears. "She carry another belle again, Na mistake, she no being expect am. You know say she dey like born her pikin herself? The matter con get as e be"

"Why dem no rush her go hospital?"

"By the time people come, e being dey late. Mama body still dey inside house"

Osas gasped, "Why? Nobody carry her go motuary? What about your Papa?"  "Him don run" he replied and Osas rolled her eyes, story of her mother's life! How can one woman have so much ill luck with men!

"Wetin you want make I do now?"

"Aunty Imade tell us say she don inform you say Mama don die but we don't wait, we no see you so she give me your house address, she say make I come meet you" The boy knelt down, "Abeg, we no get anybody else except you. Help us bury Mama, if na the only thing you go do be that"

Osas packed her things and Omo batted her eyes at her. "You're not seriously considering going there to bury your mother, are you?" She asked and Osas kept quiet still putting her clothes in a bag.

"Do you still want me to remind you everything that woman has caused? She abandoned you! She left you to a cruel hand, Osas, you suffered, it was through that suffering you got raped!" She snapped busting into Bini, "Do you still want me to remind you, you got raped Osas!  She doesn't deserve your love."

"I know! But I get choice? She be my mama! My mama! And I be her first pikin!"

"So now, you go use your savings hold burial for that woman"

"Like I say, I no get choice"

"What about your brothers? You go carry them come too?" Omo asked sarcastically then she noticed Osas' hesistation. "Jesus! Inside this small one room wey we dey manage? Haba, you for get mind oh"

"Na beg I dey use beg you Omo, them go stay small until I find another place. Abeg"

After Mama Osas was buried in a cementry, Osas sat in a small room crying with the picture of her mother in her hands. She wished her mother was buried somewhere else and not in a cemetery where she'll be dug up some time soon only to be replaced by another corpse... Or so has she heard!

There was no vacant family house to bury her mother, her mother's relatives only gave one excuse or the other.

Osato walked in feeling sorry for her, "Sister" he called out and she wiped the tears off, "What's up?" "Some men dey outside, them dey wait for drinks. Them say, them wan see you and them make you come settle them"

Osas ran her hands through her full hair then she shrugged letting out a sigh. She got out of the compound to see some youth of the community seated at a corner of the house, some were smoking while others had satchet of alcoholic drinks in their hands.

An old man held her close introducing her to some mature men, "This na my sister first pikin, una remember Osas of that time?" He asked and it angered her so much!

Where were they when her family needed their help? They all deserted her only to show up at her burial!

She only faked a smile, "She is also ripe for marriage" the man added. It took the grace of God for her not to push the old man away.

"We need drinks oh"

"I don send them make them bring am come" she gesticulated, "Make I go check if.... Erm...." She paused thinking of an excuse to avoid the men now peering their eyes at her, "If...erm... I dey come" she swallowed hard walking out of the place to meet Imade.

"Wetin those shameless men dey ask for?" She asked chewing gum.

"Drinks"

"When your Mama dey alive, them give her drink? Osas, if you waste another Kobo for his burial again, I go vex with you" she snapped.

"How i go do? You don con call Aunty Uyi?" She asked and Imade shook her head, "Nobody get her number, she no dey use her old number again, like say she intentionally no want make anybody reach her, even your Aunty Victoria for Abuja, I call her but she never come"

"You don hear anything about my sisters and my brother?"

"No."

Osas let out a disappointed sigh, "Okay....."

"Osas!" a familiar voice called out to her and she looked towards the direction of the voice only to see Mama Loveth.

She grew even more angry but she tried to contain it. "Wetin this witch dey do for here?" Imade asked and Osas walked up to her.

"Na your face be this?" She asked and Osas fake a smile recalling all the pains she went through because of her, how many times she got called a witch, how many times she hawked on the street of Benin for her, how many times she had to sleep outside whenever she has bad sales, how she had to stop school only to watch her own children go to school while she stayed at home doing all the chores and how she left the house because she could no longer take it! 

"How many years since we see?" She added and Osas shrugged, Mama Loveth didn't even make her complete her calculation when she added, "You being travel at all?"

"No. I still dey this State. How you dey Ma?" "I dey fine" "How loveth?"

"How Loveth?"

Mama Loveth instantly picked offense! "Are you mocking me?" "Why I go mock you?" "You no know wetin do Loveth?" She asked and Osas shook her head.

"Wetin?" She asked and Mama Loveth rolled her eyes, "I being hear say you dey around for your Mumcy burial. You get mind host burial for that woman"

"Na my Mama, na wetin any pikin supposed to for their Mama, whether the Mama try for them or not!" Osas answered and she sniffled trying to withhold her tears.

"Hope no problem?"

"I just come tell you say....." She hesistated, "I no say, I don offend you for this life and...." She trailed off as tears poured down. "I just want tell you make you no vex for everything way I do" she added as though being forced to say it.

"Wetin happen?" Osas asked and she walked away.

Imade quickly walked up to Osas, "Wetin she talk?" "She say make I no vex for wetin she do" "Oh. Na now her day break?" She asked letting out a loud hiss.

"Wetin do Loveth?"

Imade raised her brow in surprise, "I no tell you?" She asked and Osas shook her head, "She don die" "Jesus!" Osas exclaimed then she covered her lips with both palms. "Talk say na lie!"

"See you, she die last year now, you know say she dey do and push drugs, police shoot her, but she no survive am"

"Oh my God" Osas cried and Imade laughed.

"E be like say you get that tears plenty for eyes, make I bring pail come fetch?"

Two months later

May 2020

"Have you ever thought of taking pharmacy as a course?" The young lady from months ago asked Osas who was at the counter and she smiled.

"Shey University is for people who have went to secondary School, I stop for Jss 2"

"Apart from that," Alice, one of the staff in the pharmacy paused, filing her nails then she looked up when she noticed attention to had been given to her. "She doesn't even know how to construct a simple sentence without making the walls shake, she just used 'went' instead of 'Gone'. I'm a pharmacy student, if someone like this happens to be in my class, I'll laugh her to death"

"Don't be harsh!"

"Na her uncle get the pharmacy or else I for don slap her tey tey" Osas snapped and Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying, thank you for the help. It doesn't smell again and now I can have a normal relationship"

"Just try dey careful next time"

"Trust me, I will" she brought out some money giving her and Osas shook her head with intentions to reject the money. "No, na help I help you"

"I was ready to spend more to get rid of the discomfort but you helped me. Just take it"

Osas received it smiling, "Thank you Ma" she appreciated now dipping the money in her bra. "Don't call me Ma, you're definitely older than me, my name is Hilda by the way. It was nice meeting you. Goodbye Osas"
"Bye bye. Thank you for your patronage" she waved watching the lady leave then the owner of the Pharmacy, Mr Eddie got out from his office and Alice rose up, "Uncle, Osas is a thief, I caught her dipping money a customer gave to her in her bra. You can check it yourself Sir"

"Jesus! Alice, why you like to dey act like Nigerian movie witch like this? Why you hate me like this? I resemble your step sister, abi I dey follow you share boyfriend or husband? Excuse me Sir, is a lie oh!" She pronounced the 'It's' as 'is'.

"I didn't steal money oh, customer just come from nowhere and give me money, she's lying!"

"I know. I heard what happened, I was coming out to commend you osas for it but...." He trailed off giving Alice a look and she looked away clearly embarrassed.

"In my office, now!" He barked and Alice followed him in.  "What has Osas done to deserve so much hate from you?" "You're taking her side Uncle"  "Shut up! I heard everything, the lady gave her tips when has that ever being a crime? Do you realize how stupid you sounded a while ago?"

"Why do you always choose her side? You're my Sister's husband for crying out loud! You should support me, what's so special about that illiterate?" She snapped in tears and Mr. Eddie waved his fingers at her, "Don't call her that!"

"You're sleeping with her right? Is that it?"

"If not that you're my wife's sister I would have fired you this instant but I don't want to. Don't go around spreading false information to my wife. There's nothing going on between Osas and I."

"I'm a pharmacy student, if not for this stupid ASUU strike that's keeping someone at home, I wouldn't have been here to see a mere illiterate being made important than I am"

"You know why Osas is better than you even when she's not educated, she pays attention to details, she's a fast learner, she listens to instruction, she works based on Intuition no customer has ever had issues with her and she smiles too, you frown every now and then, a man confessed to me how scared he was the first time he came here. Will it kill you to smile, be carrying face like as if it's only you God hates."

The following day

Folabi walked into the pharmacy smiling at Osas who was at the counter of the pharmacy, she was selling drugs to a customer, "Thank you for your patronage" she said softly to the customer who left afterwards.

She flashed a smile at Folabi and he smiled too, "Good afternoon Fola, what's up? Wetin you want?"

"Paracetamol" he said out loud and she rolled her eyes. Folabi was fond of spending his office break from the newspapers company at the pharmacy making request for pain killers as an excuse to see her. "Na every day you take paracetamol?"

"No" he replied, "We both know that's just an excuse to see your beautiful face" he replied and Osas smiled, "Men!" "What? Everytime I try to say something nice, you keep on giving me that same response. I mean it. It's just an excuse, even though i come here with headaches, it usually gets healed after seeing your face"

"You don't mean it"

"I'm serious Osas and you know that very well"

"I don't like you Fola,  you know say na just friends we be. I prefer that relationship like that"

Folabi exhaled, "How long will you keep saying no to me?" "I no get any shikan (little) feelings for you. Even the rat for my house get chance to make me fall in love pass you"

Folabi tapped his chest feigning pain, "Ouch" "I mean am in the best way possible"

"Best way possible? I'm still very much offended, come on! I'm just looking for who to marry me and carry my baby"

"No vex Fola, I no just like you"

"I don't think I need paracetamol any longer, what I need is something stronger, something that can cure heartache" he replied and she busted out laughing.  "You're not serious!" She answered throwing her head backwards.

"Who do you like then? There has to be someone"

Osas shook her head, "No one" "Wow....." "No guy don catch my interest before"  "Again, Wow" "Yes"
Folabi removed two hundred from his pocket handing to her and she opened a drawer to remove his balance then he waved his hands. "Keep the balance"

"For this recession period?"

"After I just toast you finish I go come collect change? You sef reason am now" He asked and she chuckled. "We will save it for the next time wey you go like buy another paracetamol"

"I don't need it, don't make me ashame" he replied and Osas packaged the card of paracetamol into a mini paper bag then she handed it to him.

"Thank you"

"You're welcome. Take care Osas" "Take care too" she added and he walked out of the pharmacy.

"Thanks for your patronage" she waved and Alice hissed reading a novel.

Osas turned towards her, "I hope say you well" "Someone listening to you say that will think oh, she can speak english but I'm sure they'll be awfully disappointed when they engage in conversation with you" she said and Osas ignored her now staring into the oblivion. 

"You're always doing as if you're the only one that can smile" she added and Osas scoffed, what did her smile have to do with anything?

"The smile pain you?" She asked and Alice scoffed, "What's my business with your stupid smile?" "If you ask me na who I go ask? No be you start am?" She asked and Alice mumbled something inaudible words.

"One advise for you Alice, I no get spit to waste on top pikin like you. My spit is very precious. You no be my mate, you no even reach my third sister age, na beat I suppose to beat you but since I no fit. If my smile pain you, you sef dey try smile too. No dey carry face everytime, person no go fit look your face. You be village masquerade?"  she retorted and Alice kept quiet.
Two policemen marched along with Faith and her mother.

"Good afternoon Ma, Sir, Sirs "Osas greeted looking at the policemen, "I hope no problem, who una dey find?"

"Where is the stupid girl that sold that abortion drink to you?" The mother asked and Faith pointed at Osas. "That's her"

"What?" Osas asked, "Which kain abortion drink be that? I never for my life sell abortion drugs before for any soul"

"Shut up!" One of the policemen barked, "You're under arrest"

"For wetin? I swear on top my Mama grave, I have never...." She turned looking at Alice, "Alice, help me now" she begged.

"Masquerades don't speak. So I'd rather not say a word to you, officers, please you can take her away. Im sure she's guilty of the crime"

The policemen barged in holding her out of the pharmacy. "You will rot in prison, I'll make sure I'll close this pharmacy and in your miserable life, you'll never sell abortion drugs to anyone!" She snapped leaving with Faith.

Alice laughed maniacally, "Good for you Uncle, this will teach you never to employ illiterates!" She snapped then she picked up her phone dialing her Uncle's number.

"Uncle Eddie, something just happened right now and you won't believe it, Osas just arrested"

Day 1 court hearing

June 8

"Faith Idemudia, can you tell the whole court room, what happened" The prosecutor requested and she gently gave a nod. "I.... I realized I was pregnant and..... I decided to have an abortion done. Someone told me of her and how she had this gift of mixing effective concoction so I went there and she told me to come back and I did. She gave me a concoction and I took it, the next thing I knew I was bleeding and....." She paused in tears while Osas shook her head at how good the girl was at telling lies.

Who was putting her up to this? Could it be Alice? She wondered turning back to look at the faces of people who were beginning to believe her.

"Relax" Omo mouthed to her and she nodded, her heart racing in fear.

"When I finally got better, I realized I've been hospitalized for three weeks and I even had to go through blood transfusion" Faith continued and the crowd murmured.

The prosecutor requested speaking to Osas, after being granted the permission, she moved to the witness stand.

After she had sworn to tell nothing but the truth, he then proceeded to shooting questions at her, "How familiar are you with Faith Idemudia?" "Before I go answer that question," she looked towards Faith's direction, "I just want say, babe, you no get the fear of God in you! I swear, assuming say small fear dey your body, you for no like on top my head" she snapped and Faith kept her head straight.

"I don't even know her, i never meet her before! I swear to God!"

"Have you seen her face before ?" The prosecutor asked Osas now pointing to Faith, "Yes. I no go lie, him come with one guy like that but I no talk to them, them turn back go"

"Wait, but you said you've never met her before"

"No be wetin i mean, to see somebody's face is different from when you meet the person. Shey you get?"

"Or you're trying to shirk from the fact you sold the concoction that almost killed Miss Faith Idemudia"
Osas lets out a frustrated sigh, now busting into Bini language, "It won't be the first time that abortion drugs will be sold in any pharmacy, neither will it be the last!"

"In order words, you're admitting you usually make and sell it using the pharmacy image"

"No! Leave the pharmacy out of this! I no do anything, the girl dey lie! I swear to God almighty!" She cried.

Mike, the lawyer representating Osas stood up from his seat, he was one of those hungry lawyers at the police station who wait to be hired to earn a living.

"Your honor, I'll like to cross examine Miss Faith Idemudia"  he requested and the permission was granted.

He walked majestically to the witness stand where Faith had already moved into. She stared at the brown colored coat he wore on a black colored trousers.

Her gaze suddenly fell on his pitiful-looking black cover shoe which looked peeled, no amount of polish could conceal how pathetic the shoe was!

"Were you alone the first time you went to the pharmacy?" "No. I was with my....." She paused, "My boyfriend"

"Ah han! Let's take our mind back to the fact that that she said she went to the pharmacy the first alone!"

Faith scoffed, "I never said that, I said I went to the pharmacy, I never said I went alone" she replied and the man stood still in thought, "Are you sure, it's as if I'm remembering something like that"

"I didn't"

"Ah han" he paused now looking at everyone, there was a tiny voice in his head telling him,  Mike no fall hands, just ride on!

He cleared his throat.  "As we have settled that like that, we move!" He stated raising a finger and Osas wondered if the man was drunk.

"So you said you asked her for the drugs and she gave you. How did she give you and what time? Why did you collect it in the first place?" He asked provoking laughter from different angle of the room.

"Omo for where you see this Opolo from?" Osas asked and everyone busted into laughter including the Judge.

The prosecutor shook his head, the man was definitely fooling himself.

Osas got out and some press walked up to her stretching the microphone at her. "What do you have to say about the crime you've been accused of?" A female journalist asked,  "I dey innocent, I swear to God. I no get hand for wetin happen, I no even know the girl wey accuse me"

Omo almost cried from watching her friend being pulled out by policemen then she walked up to the lawyer frowning and Folabi followed her.

"Abeg for which law school you graduate sef?" She snapped at Mike after the court session was adjourned. "Which kain question be that?"

"You didn't even have the decency to wear a good suit, you go wear one kind ancient of days coat! I should have known from the moment I saw you that nothing good can come out from you" she snapped pacing left and right.

"Do you think you have the money to afford a good lawyer"

"Abeg abeg!" Folabi waved her hands, "Arguing will not solve anything at all. Let's just think of a way to help Osas! If not, she'll go to prison for a crime she didn't commit"

"Are you sure she didn't commit it?" Mike asked and Omo charged towards him and Folabi held her back.

"Fighting will not help matters too! Calm down! Let's think of a way to let a wider audience know about this injustice then we can save her ass"

"Are you suggesting we use social media?"

Folabi turned towards the press then he snapped his fingers. "I'm a journalist, I think i have an idea or two"

Osaze Benjamin Briggs, fiddled with his phone as the Board meeting dragged on in the law firm owned by his mother Morenike Briggs. Even though his father had forced him to attend the meeting, he wasn't the kind to entertain such indiscipline but he needed to reply some urgent messages.

"So we have to figure out a strategy to get him out of this mess. Mr Benjamin, what do you think?" Mrs Briggs asked and Osaze looked up at her

"Huh?" He asked and she walked towards him, her high heels tapped on the polished floor. "Don't tell me you haven't been listening"

"You know how I get when I'm being forced to do things"

"You're taking the case on behalf of the commissioner"

"What case?"

"Eniola will brief you on that" she replied and Eniola flashed a smile at him but knowing Osaze so well, he'll definitely disapprove.

"I'll pass"

Morenike's eyes raised in shock. "I'm not sure I heard that clearly"

""Mrs Briggs, I apologize but I'm not interested, I have a lot on my plate already" "Like what?" "I have a job"

"Saving lost cats and dogs! Is that what you call a job? It's insignificant!" She asked, "Nike" his father raised his hands, "Sifo,I don't recall asking for anyone's opinion."

Sifo pressed his lips together, "All I'm just saying is, having this discussion now is somewhat pointless" 

She glared at him and he kept shut now looking down.  Osaze rose up angrily, "Mrs Briggs, members of the board, you'll all have to excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend, in my insignificant work place" He snapped walking towards the door. "Come back here Osaze!" She snapped but he ended up walking out the door. She turned to the partners at the board meeting and they all tried their best to look away from her angry face.

She had tears welling up in her eyes from being embarrassed but she managed to flash a smile at everyone. "Moving on!"

They were already used to the arguments already, there wasn't any meeting those two won't go head on!

Osaze Benjamin foundation

Osaze sat in his office looking through his emails on the laptop and his secretary walked in. "Good afternoon Sir" "Good afternoon Mrs Obianuju, how are you this morning?" "I'm fine Sir and you?" She asked and he stalled.

"There's never a time you answer that question, why? And your eye balls are like you didn't sleep at night. I guess I should be used to that but I'm not! Is there ever a night you sleep Sir cause it's not healthy and I know you're not the clubbing type"

"I suppose you came for a reason"

"There you go again with your straight to the business attitude. Some times an employee just wants to talk to her boss. You don't look too happy, I know you're not usually happy but this one is on a whole different level cause you have that look like you're in a bad mood and you probably want me to leave you alone"

Osaze exhaled, "It's my Mom" "It's always her right?" Obianuju added rolling her eyes, "What did she do this time?" "Does she need to do anything? All she has to do is be herself and I'll be pissed off"

"Why did you even bother going to that board meeting in the first place?"

"Dad wanted me to be present but I'm sure the poor man was just cajoled into doing it by Mom" "Don't refer to your dad as that"

"I pity the man, I wouldn't want to have such a woman as a wife and as my mother"

"Hmmm. This one that you're talking wife already, do you already have someone in mind?" "No" he answered sharply.

There was a knock on the door and a his thirty two years old sister, Vera pushed her head in, "There you are Uju," she entered smiling. "I'll leave you two Mr Briggs" "Mr Benjamin" he corrected and Uju exhaled leaving the office.

"You do know that Benjamin is your English name right and your surname is Briggs?"  Vera asked taking her seat. 

"I believe the name should have been Osaze Benjamin Ighodaro if the super woman tendency in your Mother didn't take over"

"You can't change the fact you've had that name since you were born"

"I can still change it, the only reason I still have that name is because of Dad hasn't given me the go ahead to. You have no idea how much I just want to take that stupid surname off" he complained and Vera laughed. "My name changed after I got married, get married and bear your wife's surname"

Osaze sniggered, "Now you think you're funny shebi?" "What did I say? It's a harmless suggestion."  "Why will a woman maintain her surname and expect the man to change it all because she's wealthy? This is the same shackle I'm trying to break out from. You've broken from it already"

"You can't break away as long as you're here in Nigeria. Remember when you took that long trip to London to clear your head?" She asked and he smiled.

"You were a lot happy when you got back. Why don't you do it again?"

"I can't leave this organization, I still have a lot to do and you know that" "Still trying to redeem yourself?" She asked and he exhaled, his face fell and Vera became worried.

"Are you still having nightmares?" He asked and he nodded.

Vera sat on the desk "What do you see in those dreams?" She asked and Osaze returned back to looking at the laptop. "Come on brother, you have to tell someone some day. I'm worried about you, look at those eyes. I'm sure you didn't sleep at night"

"I'm fine Vera. I'll be fine, you didn't just come to check up on your big brother right?"

"No I didn't, actually....." She trailed off looking at the laptop. "Is it connected to the internet?" "Yes" he replied and she turned the laptop to face her direction then she quickly typed on the search engine.

Osaze waggled his eyebrows as he curiously waited to know why she was being mysterious.

The girl who was accused of abortion

Then she clicked on 'search'  afterwards and different news popped up some unrelated news and those related to it.

She clicked on a news then she turned the laptop back to him and Osaze skimmed through the news. "So.....?" "She.... According to her, she didn't sell any abortion drugs, some blogs are saying concoction, I don't know which to believe but this news has been making wave for a week now. This girl has been arrested and detained against her own right. If you play the video below, you'll instantly know she's innocent of the crime. She looks harmless"

"Looks can he deceiving"

"Not this one!"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"It seems like your forte you're an advocate of human justice. Will you seat and fold your hands while this woman gets jailed for a crime she didn't commit"

"What if she did?"

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

Osaze scratched his eye brow then he covered his palm over his face then he brought them down. "I'm busy" "Osaze" "I don't want to go back to Benin, you know how I feel about Benin, I'll send someone else"

"Please do. There's this video that surfaced about the lawyer, you'll see it on that blog, nobody knows who took the video but one thing I know is that the lawyer is a complete idiot and she'll lose with such person defending her"

"Why are you so concerned about a girl you barely know"

"Well, because, just like you brother, I have a an affiliation for humanitarian services." She replied coming off the desk then she smiled at him.

"Promise me you'll look into the matter"

"I'm not promising you" she replied, "Take care of yourself brother" she kissed him on the forehead before walking out the door.

Joseph clicked on a video of Osas and it played.

"What do you have to say about the crime you've been accused of?" A female journalist asked,  "I dey innocent, I swear to God. I no get hand for wetin happen, I no even know the girl wey accuse me"

He clicked on the second video which was already edited. The video was blurry but it managed to show the courtroom and the lawyer in question.

"Were you alone the first time you went to the pharmacy?" "No. I was with my....." The lady paused, "My boyfriend"

"Ah han! Let's take our mind back to the fact that that she said she went to the pharmacy the first time alone!"

Faith scoffed, "I never said that, I said I went to the pharmacy, I never said I went alone" she replied and the man stood still in thought, "Are you sure, it's as if I'm remembering something like that"

The popular voice over: Are you a mumu Man? played causing Osaze to scoff.

"I didn't" The girl answered.

"Ah han. As we have settled that like that, we move!"

🎶Aye le ibosi oh🎶 played and the video ended with a sad meme.

Osaze shook his head in pity, "She's definitely toast" he muttered scratching his head then he went through other blogs to find out different opinions on the issue.

Afterwards, he picked up his phone putting a call through one of his friends in Benin.

"Good afternoon Osaze" the man greeted and Osaze nodded, "Good afternoon." He replied, "What's this case about one Osas' that's about to be convicted for selling abortion drugs?"

"First all? Why is everyone interested in the same issue? People have been buzzing about it like it's a news about Davido and Chioma, of course, I'm sure you don't even know who Davido and Chioma is" he teased laughing and Osaze rolled his eyes.

"Secondly, it wasn't abortion drugs, the tabloids are just carrying false news about."

Osaze nodded in understanding, the worst for him was opera mini news, those people will make the news look enticing so you'll click on it only to realize it's fake!

"According to a reliable source, the lady allegedly sold traditional concoction for this young girl to use in aborting the baby. She used it and almost died, when the parents asked to know who gave her the stuff, she told them it was Osas so.... She was arrested. The mother of the girl is just trying to make an example out of her!"

"In your opinion and judgement, what do you think about the issue?"

The lawyer laughed, "The last I checked, I don't read minds so..... I don't know Osaze, whether it's the truth or not but there's this guy playing boyfriend to this Osas, he's a journalist, he's working his ass to help but it's the young girl's word against the accused, her best friend and boyfriend are also witness to this."

Osaze scoffed, "Best friends and boyfriends? Are they seriously using that? There are a lot of things a good lawyer can counter, why will the word of the boyfriend count? For what we know, it might be planned?"

"Have you seen the stupid lawyer? Very useless somebody! I watched the video and I covered my head in shame"

"The guy should just quit and become a trader" Osaze snapped and dkdk laughed. "Abi, mwhn, the guy shame me! The mother isn't ready to let this go, she's a hardcore principal of a secondary school, strict to the core. She has sworn to make sure Osas' spends time in jail for the crime"

"How is it a crime? Not like this Osas' in question actually forced the drink into the daughter's mouth. She did it voluntarily. I don't see why they're making this a case? It's just a matter of the rich oppressing the poor!"

"I trust you now! I know wetin you for don do now!" He commended and Osaze exhaled.

Maybe his sister was right, he has to take the case upon himself then!

Folabi and Omo watched Osas stare at the bread and beans before her. She didn't have the appetite to eat. "My brothers don chop? How them they?"   "They're fine. You no go chop?" Omo asked and Osas raised her brow at her, "How I go take chop when I know say my own don burn for this life"

"No worry now, me I dey hungry, I go help you chop" she dragged the bread eating it and Folabi glared at her, "You no get shame?"

"For food again?" She asked mouthful then she began chewing.  "All this worry makes me hungry so...." Omo trailed off rolling her eyes while Osas dragged the bread back.

"FFO (For food only)" she snapped then she sighed, "Wetin we go do? Una sure say that lawyer complete school at all? I fit defend myself pass that mumu! I hope say una no pay am any money"

Folabi waved his hands, "That's not important now. I'm trying to let everyone know about it, maybe we can get help from all these sympathy organization, even if you get convicted, they can fight on your behalf"

"That means them go jail me shebi?"

Folabi kept quiet and Omo shrugged, "That's what we think. But.... on the bright side ehn, you fit no too tay for prison"

"Come on Omo, that wasn't even funny" He snapped and she rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood here! It's like we're burying someone here!"

"Yes, we are burying someone! Me! What if the judge talk say I guilty? Wetin go happen?"

"The next hearing is in two days, let's hope for a miracle before then"

Will there be one?🤔

Find out in the next chapter!😁

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