Story of a Survivor - Season 1 - Episode 16

5 years ago

Story of a Survivor - Season 1 - Episode 16

The next Saturday was the last in November
1998. We went to the Orphanage to visit Tochi
and Amara. They were looking healthy and
were fast becoming beautiful ladies.

They were both in J.S.S 3 and preparing for their junior W.A.E.C. The Proprieties of the home told us the Girls are good in character and all round learning, she was proud of them. she further reminded us that the home can only accommodate them till they round up their secondary School at which point we should be looking for an alternative home for them, she further encouraged us to be serious with whatever we are doing so that we would be able to carter for our sisters when the time comes instead of looking for another home for them as adults.

We delivered the food stuff we
went with to the proprietress. A bag of rice, a
bag of salt, one gallon each of palm and
vegetable oil and a bag of salt.

1998 ended so fast, I was so busy at work
because the demand for our services was at
the peak. We organized several weeding
Ceremonies as wedding planners. I had
improved in cutting fabrics into measured
shapes to be sewn into dresses. I was good at
patching up torn or loose fabrics. At that stage
I could sew simple materials like pillow cases,
bed sheets and wrappers. But I was a very fast learner, I had learnt how to operate all the machines in the Shop, I could iron sewn
Clothes and package them for collection by
the owners.

At my spare time in the house I used my
machine to sew several styles I saw in fashion
magazines. I got fabrics from pieces of sewn
Clothes in the Shop. I was very creative and I
invented a lot of designs. I improved on my
drawing skills due to constant practice.
Madam Ronke once told me that if ever I
decide to set up my own Fashion Business I
should go far from New Haven so that I would
not lure all of her Clients to myself. She said I
had prospect on the trade and she offered me
a lot of moral encouragement all the way.

Through the Month of December, I did not
come home; I slept in the Shop working
through the night just to meet Customers
demand. I cut Fabrics into shapes throughout
the night while my senior Colleagues came in
the morning to stitch the pieces together, then
I would iron the sewn Clothes all day and
batch for Customers collection.

I also did not sell at my spot in the barracks
because I was too busy at work but I received
a lot of tips in the Shop from Customers and
senior Colleagues. The credit for our efficiency
was always given to me by Madam Ronke, She
mandated all my senior Colleagues to share
their tips with me because most Customers do
not see me Cutting their fabrics into shapes at
night, they also saw me ironing Clothes by day
time, so they naturally give tips to those that
they see sewing the Clothes. The work at the
Shop that season was so intense that by the
end of January, I had saved seventy five
thousand naira from tips alone. I opened
another fixed deposit account with this money
at First bank of Nigeria.