Story of a Survivor - Season 1 - Episode 12

5 years ago

Story of a Survivor - Season 1 - Episode 12

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I quickly searched my other Pocket and gave
him an old ten naira note. I could not hold
back the tears. I cried as Junior bade me
farewell and sped off towards my father’s
House, our House.

I started off towards the Barracks because the
entrance gate via the mammy market would be locked by 8:00PM. I ran towards the Barracks heartbroken, I fell down severally as I ran because the ground was stony and steeply.

I got home that night and wept through the
night. I did not tell my Sisters what I
encountered but they were looking at me with
mixed feelings. They wondered where I had
gone all day and why I came back home
crying. I saw some Cartons of biscuits,
toiletries, and provisions that my Sisters have
bought for their business. They were busy
reconciling their account when I dozed off.

I woke up the next day feeling very sick, I
vomited twice. Caroline took me to visit Oga
Chucks the Chemist at Mammy Market. He
gave me two injections and administered some drugs to me.

I went back home and slept all
day. I was down for three days during which
Caroline was there for me.

Two weeks after my recovery I went to a
vocational institution at New Haven to register
as an apprentice. I paid the twelve thousand
naira and two Crates of Coca Cola charged for
two years training. The outfit called
“Delectable’s” offered training on Fashion, Catering and events management. The duration of training ranged from six months to two years depending on the area an apprentice wishes to specialize. I applied for two years so as to specialize on everything they had to offer.

I bought some working tools like
Scissors, measuring tape, Papers etc. I also
bought a brand new sewing machine which I
kept at home awaiting my graduation.

I resumed at work at 7:30AM daily cleaning up
the Shop and putting everything in place
before others arrived. I was handed a spare
key because I was always the first to arrive at
work daily.

In the evenings I sold roasted maize c-m pear
along the Mammy market road in the Barracks.

Sometimes I sell roasted plantain c-m fish
depending on what was available in the
market. I was occupied day and night.

I was at the Shop one day when two elegantly
dressed Ladies came in to sew some dresses.

My Boss madam Ronke attended to them and
afterwards called on me to take their
measurements. As I approached with my
measuring tape and register I was stopped mid way by the scream from one of the ladies. It’s a lie! She shouted. Deborah Adanne Amadi!

The last time my name was so called was at
Command secondary School Abakaliki. I looked
keenly at the epitome of beauty, it was
Cordellia. It is me Cordellia! She said
spreading her arms astride. Cordellia Okoro? I
asked. Yes nah! She beamed. Derby! Look at
you! What happened to you? Where have you
been hiding all these years? So many
questions to be answered as we hugged each
other to the astonishment of everyone in the
Shop.