A NIGHT OUT OF MANY

Something Unusual

JASMINE

It had just snowed that night when I headed to get lemon tea for Mum from a tea shop nearby. The snow was unusually cold so I made sure to swaddle up in my winter Jacket. As I passed a brothel close to the tea shop, I found myself gazing at the women there, it felt like they were displaying their bodies for sale and the intriguing part was how exotic cars kept stopping by to pick up one or two of them each second. The night was one out of many as I had walked by that spot countless times, but something about that evening drew my attention. I was really curious about what the job entailed.

"Girl! don't tell me you'd stand and mop like that. We made twenty dollars just last night, we're extraordinary people, you could join us if you want... don't snooze baby!" A lady had tapped me from behind, saying those things.

They were two of them and from the way they basked out after one of them had spoken to me, you could tell they were excited.

They were undoubtedly one of those harlots from the brothel but it didn't matter at that point.

"Wait... did she just say twenty thousand dollars?"

Twenty thousand f*****g dollars!

I kept muttering as I walked with the bag in my hand, ignoring the strong wind that kept blowing and sending dust particles across my face.

That was a lot! How were they able to figure out I needed money badly? Was it written on my forehead?

My legs vibrated like those of a person being electrocuted. It was ridiculous to think such an abysmal job would pay so well.

"f*****g goodness!" I screamed till I got to the house.

"No, come off it Jasmine, you are not a prostitute." I muttered, trying so hard to trash the idea of venturing into such dirty business.

The night seemed long as I lay on my bed, pondering on my encounter with those ladies on my way back from the tea shop. Jason should have resumed a month ago but Mum wasn't giving her greenlight. There was no need waiting on her, she had already cleared the air that she wasn't ready to take up something that was beyond her capability.

Those ladies make such amount with just their bodies? Or was there something more to it?"

I squeezed myself into a tight ball on my bed and averted my gaze to Jason who snored with reckless abandon.

Poor thing! He must have told everyone about the recent development—His admission into the almighty Oxford university.

"Do this for Jason, just once." Someone whispered to me, I turned to see who it was but there was no one.

"Yeah, just this once." I had replied to the unknown person that spoke, with gritted teeth.

Immediately, I cupped my face with my hands and heaved a sigh, not the one of relief but the one that depicted I was in for something cumbersome.

I made decisions and promises like I was a god—never failing or changing and that was something I loved about myself.

I was never in haste to make promises but whenever I did, I was sure to fufil them—one feature of a god!

"You said you were offered an ushering job?" Mum asked me while ironing her clothes the next night.

"Uhm... Yes... Yes Mum..." I stuttered, scratching my neck and running my fingers through my wet hair. I had just left the bathroom some minutes ago.

"I thought ushering jobs are done during the day." Mum said.

"No... The event was scheduled for 8:pm, I have to be there in time and I'll be back by morrning." I replied picking up the bag containing the clothes I was going to change into later on.

"Alright... be safe, okay?" She pecked me on the forehead.

I hurriedly ran through the gate like I was late for an appointment. When I turned, I saw Mum watching me from the balcony and then, my heart leaped, with guilt piercing it like an arrow.

"Just this once, Jazzy". I kept speaking to myself, trying to get rid of the guilt that perturbed me.

But why was I even feeling guilty? I was doing it for my brother afterall, not like I was some sort of w***e.

You know how mannequins stand in front of shops after being dressed by their owners? That was how I stood close to the brothel, clutching on to the bag in my hands.

"How much for a night?" A man asked after zooming in abruptly with his car. I had turned countless times to be sure I was the one he was asking. I froze, trying to process the question.

For once, I had never thought such question would be thrown at me but yeah, there I was, facing my fear.

"Dumb people don't take up jobs like this." He said while walking towards me, he must have said that because I hadn't given him an answer to his question—Nitwit!

"Uhm... I'm sorry, I didn't get that..." I stuttered.

"My boss wants you to come over, I'm not hiring you, I've got my lovely wife at home." He scoffed while I feigned a smile.

I wasn't so sure about his character, but there was something I was sure of, he was a rude and cocky person.

"Forty thousand dollars for a night, home service." My eyes stood on hearing 'Forty thousand dollars' And from the way my eyes popped out, you could tell I was overwhelmed but I maintained composure and tried not to freak out.

"Sorry...I didn't..." Oh! My f*****g nervousness was finding its way out as beads of sweat formed around my forehead.

"Hop in already." He said like he knew I was going to accept the offer.

I couldn't second-guess anything. Forty thousand naira for a night was a whole lot—A golden opportunity!

"You couldn't ask reasonable questions to know my identity. You literally hopped in when I asked you to. What if I was some human trafficker?" He asked while he drove.

A human trafficker? How was I unable to think about that?

My heart skipped a beat.