°° Chapter 2 °°

Unedited

At night, Osas sat on the hard floor in jail, tears rolled down her eyes as memories streamed through her mind. She wondered why she was just as unlucky as her mother!

From frying pan to fire!

"Baba God, na you be the mighty man of war, na battle I dey so, I don surrender this matter for your hand cause I don see say e pass as eyes see am! My village people strong, them follow my Mama, na the same strength them dey use follow me join, God, na beg I dey beg you, save me from this mess, I no fit end for inside prison for crime way I no commit. Faith naim be her name, help me prick her conscience make she do the right thing, make she lose sleep over my matter, make those wey suppose help me lose sleep over my matter, them go wan drink water, water go taste like bitterleaf, them go wan iron their cloth, their cloth go burn, them go cook food, them no go fit chop the food, make food taste like shit for their mouth unless say them help me! Amen!" She finally added then she remembered, for the first time she was being selfish about her prayer.

Maybe it was the consequences if being locked up for a week now!

"I pray for my sisters and brother,  anywhere they are. Jesus, na you know, na only you fit feather cover person, enemies shoot bullet, e no penetrate. Abeg,  protect them with your bullet proof wings. And I pray for Omo, God.... Change her levels, bring better man come make we chop beta wedding rice and for Folabi, him na good man, but I no just like am that way.  Help am locate him missing ribs, in Jesus name! Yes, Jesus no vex for the break in transmission, if I forget this one ehn,
I pray for Sister Imade, I know say she don they spread my matter but she never come visit me, Baba give her better work, na only jobless person dey do wetin she dey do. Engage with work way go stop her from gossiping.  Amen!

"Won't you eat your food?" Faith's father asked his daughter while they had jollof rice as breakfast, in the dinning room. "I really don't have the appetite" she responded and he tore a piece of chicken with a fork and a knife then he dipped it into his mouth now munching on it.

"Have you heard any news about ASUU strike?" He asked again and she shrugged. Her mother winced looking towards her husband's direction.

She hated it when conversations are raised while eating but she knew her husband was only trying to start up a conversation to avoid the awkward situation that has being springing up.

He was quick to forgive his daughter over the abortion, she on the other hand was forgiving.

"I don't know Dad, the last news I heard last week was that the federal government hasn't agreed to ASUU's terms and agreements" "Ehya but we all know it's necessary to go on this strike but should we support this while the students suffer?"

Faith scoffed within, which suffer? She knew some of her colleagues that were very much happy over the strike and won't like to resume till the following year!

"Maybe they're aiming for six years strike" he joked and Faith chuckled, "I'm equally frustrated by the strike, I want it to end already"

"Was that why you were having sex and getting pregnant?" Her mother snapped at her and she bowed her head in humiliation, "You were frustrated and you couldn't read your books" she added letting out a hiss and her husband gave her a look. 

"Darling"

"Honey you're being too gentle with his girl! We sent her to the university to be something in life,  not to go around sleeping with men! The only reason I'm letting that your boyfriend Paul go is because he's a son to my best friend"

"So I guess the only person you can actually transfer your anger at is that Osas girl" Faith asked and her mother scoffed, "Don't use that tone on me!"

"Mom I already told you not to take this matter farther than you should but you didn't listen to me" "Like you listened to me all those while I advised you against having sex!"

"Oh please Mom! Let go of it already, I've been having sex since last year! This matter has escalated more than it should! I can't go out peacefully without people looking at me like I've committed an unforgivable sin, I can't even join the choir! Worst of all is that this Osas girl will be persecuted"

"For a crime she committed! Yes! And like I told the press, I'm going to make her a public example to those who go around administering abortion drugs to ladies"

"Would you have rather I had that child!"

"I prefer you didn't have sex at all! You almost died Faith! Do you know the money i spent on you?" "Maybe you guys should have left me to die"

"Faith!" Her father snapped and she shrugged, "Yes, maybe it's better cause if I know your guys well, you'll keep in repeating this thing till I get married and leave his house, maybe you guys will even announce it on my wedding day"

"Not a word from you again!" Her mother slammed the table and Faith tightened her fist fuming, "I don't see why they're blaming her, not like she forced me to drink the stuff in the first place!" She muttered and her mother poured a glassful of water on her face.

"You know what? I'm going out, I need to clear my head!" She snapped walking out and her mother slapped her hands on the table.

"Come back here little girl!" She ordered and it fell on deaf ears. "Have you seen your daughter?" She asked her husband and he exhaled.

Osaze took a big bite out of the toast bread he ate then he spat it out on the plate, "Urgh! Tastes like crap" he muttered picking up a tea to drink and it poured on his white shirt.

"Seriously?" He groaned using a table cloth on the table to wipe the stain off.

The door bell rang so he threw it on the table now making way towards the door. He opened it up only to see his father with a hug smile on his face, he almost rolled his eyes.

He guessed he was probably visiting as a messenger so he scratched his head, he wondered why he didn't stop by the previous day.

"Good morning Dad"

"Good morning Son" he greeted and Osaze stared at his father.

"Are you going to let me in or not?"

"I'm sorry Dad, come in" he replied entering.

His sitting room was in a complete mess!

Sifo looked at his son's sitting room and a grimace spreads across his face. There were pillows scattered about, he noticed the splash on the wall and broken bottles on the floor then he looked up at him.

"Was there a party?" He asked rhetorically, of course he knew his son was not the kind to throw parties!

"No Sir"

His face suddenly contorted into a worried one, "Osaze" "Dad I'm okay..... That thing on the wall was an accident, I got angry and I sent the bottle crashing on the wall" he replied then His father noticed his hands were wrapped in bandages.

He wondered why he didn't notice at first!

"Did you do that too yourself too?"

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm fine"

"You're still having sleepless nights, look at your eyes. Maybe you should return to London"

"I don't want to, I'm doing a great job here, even though Mrs Briggs doesn't feel that way" he snapped making way into his room.

"Specifically what I came here to talk about" he followed him into his room.

"I don't want to discuss on any topic that has to do with Mrs Briggs" he replied taking off his shirt then he opened his wardrobe that had a lot of white shirt hanging, then he took out another one.

"And that too! Stop calling her that in front of everyone! She's your mother" "Too bad she doesn't act like one! She acts more like a boss than a mother, look at the way she spoke to you without regards in front of everyone in the room! It's wrong Dad! It's wrong beyond all reasoning!" He snapped putting on he shirt then he began buttoning it up.

Sifo shook his head, "You should understand your mother by now. She's usually controlling"  "I'm not going to take it from her Dad, I can't!" he snapped and his father once again shook his head.

"How do you do it? Mom is rude!"

"You don't understand Osaze, I already signed a long contract with her."

"What contract?" Osaze asked tucking the shirt into his trousers and his father scoffed, "The contract of, till death do us part." He replied with a nervous smile, then he looked around the room, "You should probably hire a maid to clean up the whole house"

"I don't want to. I already fired the last one! I'm done hiring maids, even at the office! All they ever do is gossip, steal and pokenose into my business they are usually disorganized and annoying!"

"You're not going to leave the house that way will you? There are cleaning services"

"I have work and I'll be travelling to Benin" he muttered and his father raised his brow in surprise, "What?" He asked, Osaze has never liked going to Benin, not since he graduated from the University!

"Charles' wedding is not till.... next month, what happened? You've never liked Benin"  "An unavoidable case sprung up and I have to be there.  Like I said, it's unavoidable" he replied and his father smiled at him.  

"A law case or...."

"Or what? A charity case?" He asked letting out a scoff, "I wasn't going to say that"

"But you were thinking of it"

"I wasn't.... Osaze, I don't hold anything against your job. I think you're doing a good job helping people. Good deeds has it's reward but it's the reason for your sudden interest in helping people that baffles me, it gets me worried"

Osaze looked away and his father smiled. "You don't want to talk and I understand, I just hope you find what you're looking for" he chipped in then he cleared his throat.

"Will you stop by at your Aunt Avia's place and give her a parcel for me?"

Osaze groaned, that was why he hated letting people know he's travelling, there's always one vegetable, palm oil or plaintain to accompany him when he'll be going back to Lagos!

He wasn't even planning on making any stop!

"Is she still in Benin?"

"It's like she doesn't want to come back"

Faith sat on her boyfriend's  bed in a one room apartment, she was in deep thoughts, her mind pricked with guilt. The following day was the hearing and an innocent lady was going to go down for a crime she didn't commit!

She ran her hands through her braids now breathing in and out continuously.

Her phone rang but she ignored the call!

Her phone hasn't stopped ringing since social media magnified the case. Her colleagues in school and her family members hasn't stopped calling either.

She has avoided picking calls to avoid people judging her over getting pregnant and aborting a child. If not that her mother was bent on making an example of Osas, she would have preferred to keep the matter away from the public.

Paul entered into his room then he smiled at her, then he took off the red polo shirt he wore. Faith raised her brow at him, she knew what that look meant! He had sex in mind! 

Is this guy kidding me? Who wants to have sex with him? She thought hissing within.

Paul undid his belt and she scoffed, "What do you think you're doing?" She asked and he shrugged, "What does it look like?" He took off his trousers now sitting in the bed.
She leaned in for a kiss and she pushed his head back. "No!" "Babe what's up? I haven't had sex in weeks"  "How is it my business?" "You're my girlfriend now"

"So? Is my only duty to have sex with you? Can't I just decide tovisit my boo because I miss him or that i want to see him or talk to him? Must it be sex?"

"I miss you" he rubbed his hands on her exposed thighs then he slowly pushed them into her gown and she swatted it away.

"I can't do it!"

"Why?"

"Since the abortion... I don't think I want to have sex again"

"Are you kidding me? What will happen to me?"

"I'm rethinking my life here! I almost lost my life because of a drug you bought and an innocent girl will be punished for a crime you committed and the only thing you care about is sex." She rose up shaking her head.

"I'm sorry" he apologized, not wholeheartedly, at least something to clear the tension.

"Paul, I'm feeling guilty"

"Over what?"

"Over what again? What will I feel guilty for? Tomorrow's the hearing and that girl will go to prison, Mom is trying to make it look like the girl poisoned me or something when I know the person at fault is you! Where did you get the damn drug from?"

"I already told you, a friend of mine gave me"

"What if it had done damage to my womb ehn?"

"But it didn't now, why you come dey para?"

"You know what Paul, maybe I made a mistake coming here. I thought I had someone to speak to" "Babe now" he held her hands, "Calm down. I'm sorry"

Faith knocked on her door and her father opened up. "Where's Mom?" She asked and her father smiled. "She went out"  he replied so she walked in freely.

"Are you okay? You seem worried" she asked, "I'm worried about the girl who's going to face judgement tomorrow"

"She gave you that thing you took, it will teach her a lesson"

"She didn't give me anything Dad."

"What?"

"Paul gave me a drug and I took it, we were initially planning on meeting her because we heard she's naturally gifted to prepare those kinds of concoction but I had a change of mind, I didn't want to go through with the abortion but Paul didn't want the baby. I have never met that Osas in my life"

"Jesus, Faith!"

Faith bowed her head in shame, "I know I've done the worst but at least it's not too late to confess is it? I can't keep quiet and allow an innocent person go to prison for a crime she didn't commit" 

After Osaze landed in Edo State, Charles his cousin picked him up from the airport. "When Mom told me you were coming to Benin, I had to ask her if tomorrow was my wedding" he said while driving and Osaze chuckled softly.

"You still haven't loosened up have you?"

"Nope"

"Guy, abeg try! What happened was in the past, this is the present. If you're behaving like this over matters like this, by the time you clock fifty you'll be looking like your father. Smile once in a while abeg! I use God beg you. With his Kain strong face, fear go dey catch anybody!"

"And the best motivational speaker goes to ....." Osaze trailed off and Charles laughed, "Abegi! So what brought you to Benin?"

"A case"

"What case?"

"There's this lady, Osas, she was accused of administrating some concoction to"

Charles chuckled before he could complete it, "Nigeria my country and trends! May God help us! So this girl even trend reach Lagos? Na wa oh, well sha, it's not my business, wedding on my mind!" He replied and Osaze smiled.

"So you broke your 'I'm not coming to Benin' code for a person that isn't your family member, wow I'm shocked! Why didn't you send someone in your stead"  "I don't know..... I just..... There's just something about the case that has me hooked, I don't know what but......" He trailed off looking out the window then he shrugged.

"So where are you going to now?"

"To talk to her"

"At the police station?"

A policeman whistled at Osas while she sat on the floor of the prison talking to an inmate. "E be like say na you dem dey call"  she tapped a woman and the woman shook her head.

"I no sure, e be like say you oh"

"You no dey hear your name?" The man yelled and Osas raised her brow at him "I resemble who them dey call" she whistled then he held the bar looking down at her.

"E be like say you don't con like prison well, na here you wan stay shey?" "I get choice? Shebi na una arrest me for crime way I no commit"

"Oya stand up jhoor! Them don release you!"

"Huh? How?"

"The girl don confess, you no do anything so you fit either sit down here or.... You come out"

Osas gasped in surprise then she ran her fingers through her hair. "Thank God!" The woman close to her exhaled and she smile feeling bad for her, "You nko?"

"When them tire to hold me, dem go release me so.... No too worry about me"

"Bye bye now" Osas chuckled pressing a  hug against her. The policeman opened the prison door, he was beginning to get impatient, "You want pack come live here?" He snapped so she rose up going out.

"Oga police, your body too dey hot sef!"

Charles packed his car in front of the police station, "So you're going in to check it out now?" "Yep" "No wahala now, I go dey here dey wait" he replied then Osaze noticed three persons come out of the police station.

Among them was a familiar face, Osas. He quickly looked into the screenshots on his phone to confirm If she was the the one.  "That's her" he said to Charles.

"Who?" Charles asked looking towards the police station.

"Don't you know how she looks like?"

"Na my wife?"

" The dark girl in the middle"

"Oh"

"Yes"

"Na how the girl the take confess naim I no understand" Omo said shaking her head,  "My God no dey sleep" Osas replied dancing and Omo laughed.

"Wetin you think say you dey do?"

"Victory dance now"

Omo shoved her away using her shoulder and Osas chuckled, "Babe you gatz baf, the kain smell wey dey come from you ehn! I just dey manage to"

Before she could complete her sentence, Osas raised her armpit pushing Omo's head into and Folabi laughed. "Remind me again, how old are you guys?" He asked and Osas chuckled now dipping her finger underneath her armpit then she sniffled it.

"I wonder who die under my armpit"

"Me!" Omo complained, "Na my ghost just dey stand here!"

"I can't wait to go back to work"

"At least baf first"

Osas looked towards Osaze's direction and he quickly looked away, "Should we go?" "No, I want to find out what happened" "Okay" Charles shrugged.

Shortly after they left, Joseph walked into the police station. Without much adue, he greeted the policemen at the desk then he proceeded to hitting the nail on the head.

"My name is Osaze Benjamin"

"You be reporter?"

"No, I'm a lawyer and I'm here concerning Osas case"

"Many Osas dey here"

"The one with the abortion case"

"Oh ..... Ah, Oga you come late oh. E never tay wey she go sef"

Osaze feigned oblivious, "Oh. She was released,  when exactly?" "It hasn't been long" "Why?" "The parents of the young woman just dropped all charges and they asked that we release that Osas girl"

Osas walked along the street to her work place. She kept on greeting  and waving hands at friends whose face she hasn't seen in a while.

"Osas, you don come back?" A woman asked her as she approached the pharmacy.  "I don come back oh, I no dey go back again!" She yelled now laughing. She noticed Mr Eddie's car outside, knowing the man was in, a wide smile formed on her face.

Although she saw him in court, she couldn't wait to have a discussion with him and apologize for the trouble she almost caused him!

When she walked into the pharmacy, she noticed Alice was the one available at the counter so she flashed smiled at her. "See as I dey smile because say I see you. Even with your big head, I still miss you!" She snapped and Alice hissed, now rolling her eyes.

"Oooooh" she stomped her feet, "When were you released?"

"Today"

"Why?"

"Shuu? See me see this girl oh" she hissed making her way past the counter and Alice rolled her eyes again. "Where do you think you're going to?"  "To resume my job now"

"And who told you you still have a job here?"

"I....."

"Sorry to announce it to you Osas, you've been fired"

"You're lying! Mr Eddie!"

"He's not around"

"Him car dey outside, you're lying! Mr Eddie!" She yelled and he got out. Osas smiled on seeing him, "Them don release me"

"I'm quite aware, i just got a call from the parents to apologise for damages caused. They were ready to sue us"

"I'm sorry about that Sir but iwas innocent. I want to resume my work back and.... Alice is doing her witchy witchy behavior again oh. She said I don't have job here"

"She was being serious"

"What? Why? Them don commot blame for my head now!"

"It's not that Osas, my wife thinks I'm cheating on her with you." He answered and Osas gave Alice a look, " I wonder how that kain thinking cross her mind" she replied sarcastically and Alice faked a smile at her.

"I hope you'll understand that it wasn't intended. I don't want issues with my wife" "I understand" she replied, tears found it's way down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them off.

Then he handed a brown envelope to her and she collected it. "That is a severance package of twenty thousand naira. I wish I can do more"

"Thank you Sir, you don help me very well and I go miss you" she hugged him and Alice cleared her throat.

She pulled away sniffling the she looked at Alice who only waved at her then she walked out of the pharmacy.

"Tell your father I appreciate his package and I'm highly grateful for it" Aunt Avia said to Osaze whose mind had wonder back to Osas' case.

If he was the lawyer in charge, he would have had the accusers pay heavily for emotional and social damages!

"Hello!!! Is anyone home?" She called out and Osaze turned towards her, "Were you talking to me?" "No, I was talking to myself. Who else will I be talking to?" She asked now laughing to herself. Afterwards she took a seat close to him.

"How's your father doing?" She asked and Osaze kept quiet, "Is that Yoruba woman still controlling him?" She added and he chuckled. "That never gets old right?" He asked and she chuckled.

"When are you returning back to Lagos?"  She asked and he raised his brow at her, "First thing tomorrow and you?" 

"After Charles' wedding"

"Charles told me you're here because of that Osas girl that's trending all over social media"  "He couldn't keep his mouth shut right?" He asked and his Aunt laughed.

"I was disturbed to help her but it turned out to be useless cause I didn't even get to do anything. It played out fine on his own"  "Osaze, the advocate of human justice, fairness and equity. I love your passion Son, you're doing well, what's left is a woman by your side"

Osaze laughed now rolling his eyes, "That's funny" "It's not a laughing matter oh, don't even laugh with it. I'm dead serious! Haven't you considered it?" She asked and he exhaled.

"I don't know..... I...."

"You're still feeling guilty aren't you? What happened was ages ago! We all have to move on some time in our life. Forget about what happened, dwelling on it will not change a thing. Instead it'll make you mentally depraved! Are you still making a mess of the house" she asked and he kept quiet.

"Have you hired..."

"No!"

"Osaze! You this guy, is it until a girl comes in to see such a mess before you realize you need to clean it up?" "All this talk about girls will definitely put me off dinner"

"Before nko? Is it a man you'll get married to?" It's a woman and you had better get someone to clean that up before you'll end up being embarrassed about it" she added and he laughed.

"I'm glad you're happy now"

"Until I leave your presence, sometimes I wish I had you as a mother. Maybe I would have been cheerful"

"Come on Osaze, don't say that but I somewhat agree with you there. Maybe you would have been cheerful but should I remind you that a happiness comes from within, sometimes you just have to make yourself happy. You should laugh more often son, I don't like it when you frown, you start to look like your Mom, except she's darker but still ..." She trailed off and Osaze smiled.

"Smile often, who knows, you might attract a good woman. Maybe your frown is the reason you're still very much single. 

"Aunty Avia"

"I'm serious Son, you need a woman, a woman to make you smile and forget about your past, a woman to start a future with and I pray to God to help you locate her quickly!"

Osas walked through her street, she had almost gotten to the face me I face you house she lived, she has managed to restrain herself from crying, all she wanted was to enter into the house peaceful,cry her eyes out and sleep the whole thing off.

"Osas!" Ken, One of the touts on her Street, called out her name. He was sitting and smoking cigarettes on a half fence. She tightened her fist looking at the guy.

"Ken, I no get your time abeg!" She snapped walking away and the guy ran after her.

"Wait, now one minute"

"Leave Osas alone" one of his friends, Elvis yelled, "You no want her trouble!" He warned and but the guy hissed still chasing her.

He held her hands and she pushed him away.

"Kenneth, leave me alone"

"I like an when you pronounce the name full" he winked at her.

"How far, I hear say you don branch prison come back. You no different from us now shey?" He said with a smile holding to his cigarette then he inhaled a little then puffed it up on her face.

"How many times I don warn you make you no try that rubbish again? Ken, I dey vex, if you no want make I use vexilation (anger) on top you, you go delete commot for my front!"

"Which Kain person you be sef, for other girls, wetin I dey do they turn them on. I no need talk two times, them don open leg for me"

"I no be those girls and I no fit ever be those girl!" She snapped leaving and he held her hands back. "You dey go inside your house shey? Make I follow you enter?" He asked and she scoffed.

"For why?"

"E be like say your body hot, make I for help you cool am down" he replied and Osas hissed walking away and he slapped her ass.

"Fine yansh!"

Osas turned giving him a slap on the face and the rest of the guys laughed at him. "For your miserable life Ken, no ever try that shit again" "Small romantic play we person dey play with you?"

"Romantic kill you there! Mumu!" She snapped leaving and he hissed turning towards the guys who were still laughing at him. 

The slap left a burning sensation on his cheek.

"That one na slap? E no even be like say person touch me" he confessed walking towards his friends.

"You sure?" They asked, "Why the place com dey red?"

"E .. e red?" He stammered and they continued laughing, "No, e pink. Shebi I warn you! You just got Osassed" he answered and tmsms rubbed his cheeks.

"How person go dey carry iron call am hand?" He asked and they all busted out laughing again.

"I think say e no pain"

Osas entered into the room to find her brothers sitting on the floor drawing on a piece of paper. "Sister Osas, good evening" they both greeted and she refrained from crying.

She blinked her tears in clearing her throat. "How far, how una dey? Una don chop?" She asked and they both nodded. "Good. I go dey toilet incase anybody dry find me" she said going out of the house then she walked out and her tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Osas" Elvis called out and she tightened her fist lifting it up at him. "Calm down" he held her fist dropping it down, "I come in peace, no mind that mumu, at least you teach am small lesson. Why you dey cry? She I you don commot for prison"

"Osas looked away, "I no get job again"

"Wetin do your work?"

"Mr Eddie fire me"

"Make we straighten am up?" He asked and Osas shook her head, "Sometimes, I dey wonder why your life be this. Anywhere you go, you dey attract trouble"

Osas cried the more, "I wish say I fit help you" "You get job for you fit give me?" "You go fit push cocaine?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No honest job wey you fit give me?"

"Sorry Osas, honest job no dey pay again"

Joke Silvia as Aunt Avia!

It's another update!!!!😀

I might make another update before the day ends😁

I might oh

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