ESCAPE

"God will punish you', I shouted as I tried to chase the man who robbed me"

"E no go better for you ',

I am fighting a battle I know I’m not going to win, but I hate being cheated, I settled on the train tracks to catch my breath, a few minutes before the train passes.

A small crowd  gathered the nosy bastards who have nothing better to do on a Monday morning, I look up from after a few minutes, I have no choice, a pair of over-bleached feet appeared beside me. The sight of someone's skin bearing a striking resemblance to over roasted plantain nearly made me regurgitate the contents of my stomach.

"How far now? she asked putting her hands on my waist.

"Watin happen? she repeated when she didn't get the answer to her first question.

She is wearing a tank top, the stretch marks on her arms are the size of a toddler’s fingers, tiny scars cover her arms.

We stared at each other for a while, I am trying to put my words together without shedding tears, and by the look of things, I am having a hard time controlling all the emotions taking over my body.

I am angry, exhausted, full of hate and rage at the same time.

How much can one take before it gets too much to handle?

I stare at her some more, she already figured out what happened, my wrapper tucked between my legs, covering the bum shorts I put on hurriedly dragged on to stop the thief. My camisole hugging my breasts and nipples struggling to escape.

The sound of the train means it's time to get off the tracks if only the train would put a stop to my pain and struggles by running me over with its heavy metal wheels. 

It will be a fast death, I have seen people after they were knocked down by a train, gruesome sight but the death is always instant, I've seen at least five train accident in my life. Three were hawker and the other two an impatient bike man and his poor passenger.

I let the thought of a fast painful, yet painless death takes over my mind, the sound of the train is getting closer and I can feel the tracks vibrating, this went on for almost minute before boli feet dragged me off the tracks. 

She walked me to a detached building close to the tracks, the lights that graced the entrance the night before are long gone, the dirty and scratched walls are more obvious.

"Bring water.” She said to storekeeper next door.

"Cold or hot?” He asked.

"Cold, abeg no waste my time".

The teenage boy disappeared into the shop and emerged opening a bottle of water.

"Aunty we turned on gen last night.” He said with a smile. His perverted eyes on my nipples.

I never step out without a bra, God spent way too much time on my nipples and they are not easy to avoid, I didn't have enough time to put on a bra before chasing him.

I took the water from him without saying thank you to the person who ordered it, I'll end up paying for it, no one is nice around here. She stopped the thought in my head by handing him a fifty naira note.

The look in my eyes said was thankful, I am parched.

She waited for me to empty the plastic bottle before she took a seat beside me on the extended patio of the building.

"Next time ehn, your gats collect your money before anything, nah osho free these agbero's dey like, if you no shine eye well they go carry your money run.”

"Thank you”.

She raised her eyebrow at me.

"So, you sabi talk?”

"Anyway, welcome to Sodom and Gomora, no one is alone, no one is your friend and trust no one” She said before walking off to join the other women standing in front of the two storeys building, we occupied by the railway tracks.

A woman with a protruding belly and fat arms sends of her client.

I walk back to the building, head hung in shame.

Today makes is a week I moved to one of the brothels in Ebute Metta, I walked in and out to get food without saying a word to any of the women who occupied the building.

Bleached feet is the first person to talk to me.

"Sorry o.” Two of the women trying not to laugh as I walked in.

I look through my bag which kept everything I own, at the bottom I picked up a pair of jeans to count what I have left, five thousand, enough to feed me for at least two weeks. I paid four weeks rent for this dungeon called a room, it is way better than where I was coming from.

Kunle was my first client and we had an agreement for seven thousand for the night, it took me six nights to gather the courage to step outside my room and join the women outside last night. He kept me up all night and I can still feel the cramps in my vagina.

He stepped out for a smoke and my instincts told me to follow him, he smoked inside throughout the night so why the sudden need to go outside.

It was too late, he was already walking away from the brothel, I shouted his name, the prick didn't bother looking back before he started to run. I tried my best, but I was no match, he knows his way around more than I do.

Before I decided to come here, I almost escaped this county.

Can you believe it?

I almost escaped.

I could see freedom and a better life, my eyes saw the plane, pilots and flight attendant but my legs didn't get to touch the mighty bird. I dreamt of the flight for weeks, it's huge wings in the air, slicing through the clouds.

But one rich bitch could not mind her business, she told the immigration she suspects we were been trafficked and we were pulled from the queue. Busola got away, she ate bad food and was running from the boarding queue to the toilet, she was on her way back from her fifth trip when myself and three others were escorted by the officers.

The immigration officer told us it will only take a few minutes and we will be back before the final boarding call.

I believed her, something about her beautiful face and neatly plaited her made me feel safe but I was wrong. We were escorted to the immigration office, people stopped to look at us with pity in their eyes.

Some airport staff whispered the word “Ashawo” loud enough for us to hear.

I looked around the office, the stench of urine, sweat and fish filled the air.

I was the last to go in for questioning.

Nengi came out in tears

"Your turn.” The officer who later introduces herself as Miss Coker said to me as I stared into the oblivion.

It's all over now, I heard the final boarding announcement over an hour ago. I couldn't find the tears, I was numb.

We went into a room with poor lighting, she sat at the other side of the table and gave me a cup of water, which I didn’t know I needed. I drank in silence.

I answered all her questions and told her how I met My Lady, she is a friend with a woman who supplied the drinks I hawked drinks in Lagos Island. I listened to the conversation whilst pretending to look for cold drinks in the freezer, I took my time arranging each bottle in my basin and rearranged the freezer. Enough time to get all the information I needed. She mentioned needing girls to work for her and her friends in Istanbul. I waited for her to leave before I approached her, apologized for listening to her conversation and explained my interest.

She started at me for a while before asking if I had a phone.

I informed her I could not afford it and I wasn’t necessary for me to have on since I had no one to call.

She looked at me again, before handing me five thousand naira and a business card.

"Buy a small phone with that and call me.”

An hour after, I walked out of plaza with the cheapest second-hand Techno phone I could find and a registered sim card. Both cost me three thousand naira. I stopped at a kiosk to buy two-hundred-naira airtime.

The rest will bring me to her house and back.

I dropped the phone with the phone charger by the hawkers sleeping quarters in Pelewura, I continued hawking for a few before going to pick up my phone.

I dialled the number a few times but no answer, I waited for a few more minutes before giving it another go.

We spoke for a few minutes before she told me to come to her house at Ikosi the next day.

I was ready by ten the next morning, I got a bus from Idumota to Oyingbo and boarded a bus to Ketu from there. I got alighted at Ikosi, the smell of decomposing waste filled my nostrils I was so bad I could taste it at the back of my throat.

I showed a bike man the address.

"Hundred naira.” he said.

I pulled up my skirt, before lifting my legs to climb the bike. He lifted the brake after making sure I was balanced, he moved through cars and navigated sharp bends with confidence.

He stopped in front of a house.

"We don reach.”

I gave him a two hundred naira, note and collected a damaged but manageable hundred naira note.

I took my phone out of my bag to call the lady who I do not know her name.

She told me about the work opportunity, she was very nice and explained each step.

She lives in a country called Turkey, which I found amusing.

Who names a country after a delicious bird?

She needs a maid to help her out in her house and needs to bring back three or four for her friends. I need to get my passport done and get a visa.

She asked about my family members, I told her I've been alone for as long as I can remember, and I have fended for myself on the streets of Lagos.

"You sabi cook?” She asked

" I sabi cook and take care of house ma, but I no sabi how to take care of children.”

" Don't worry about that, our kids can take of themselves',

The passport and Visa process took five weeks. I spent most of my time at her house where I meet the rest of the ladies.

I fold what's left of my valuables, cheap clothing from Balogun Market.

Tonight, is another night. If boli feet and stretch mark arms can do it, so can I.