Chapter one
“Farida! Farida! Where is this girl?”
“I am here maami.”
“Oya go and bath quickly so you can help brother Ade run some errands.”
“Maami, please I don’t want to work today, I am very tired.”
“If you don’t work what will we eat? If you do some work for him we will be able to eat bread this morning and amala in the afternoon.”
“Ok, ma.”
Nine-year-old Farida went to shower and get ready for the day’s chores. She was to help him sweep his room, wash plates and run errands for him. She would have preferred to play with her friends since it was a Saturday but then what will they eat if she doesn’t work. She got ready and resumed her work.
“Brother Ade good morning. Do you have any work for me?”
“Farida my wife how are you? I always have something for you. First, you will wash plates; they are not much. After that, you will buy bread and beans that we will eat before we clean the room.”
“Thank you, brother Ade,” Farida replied excitedly.
After food, Farida washed the plates and wanted to start cleaning the room but Ade stopped her.
“Farida come and sit down. Sit beside me. You don’t need to do any more work today and you will get good money. You just make me happy and you will get all you want”
“No more work? Thank you, brother. But what will maami and my brothers eat?
“I will give you N500.00 to give them today instead of N100.”
“Brother Ade thank you. That money will last us 3 days.” She replied excitedly
“I know. I want us to play a game.”
“What type of game?”
“I will be the daddy and you will be the mummy.”
“Oh, you want us to act drama?”
“Yes. And do what mummy and daddy used to do. You will remove your clothes and lie on my bed and I will remove my own and we will sleep together.”
“Ok.”
She removed her clothes and laid on the bed. She was excited lying on the bed because at home she and her brothers sleep on the mat. Even the mattress maami slept on was not as comfortable as this one.