FIONA- An African Inspiring Prose

CHAPTER FIVE

It was 27th May; Fiona’s 23rd birthday. At

midnight, Fiona woke and prayed to God, thanking

him for adding a year to her age. She prayed

saying, “My Lord and my God, I thank you for

allowing me see today. Though my family and I

haven’t achieved much I am forever thankful.

Thank you for sending us a helper through miss

Roseline. When she rendered us help, I knew it

was your doing. You are always and will always be

faithful to your people. I pray that you always

protect all of us and grant us our heart desires.”

When she was done praying, she went back to

sleep.

It was 6am on Sunday. Annabel woke Fiona up

with a splash of cold water. Fiona jumped out of

her bed angrily, but immediately remembered it

was her birthday and started smiling. She woke to

a loud birthday song by her mother and miss

Roseline. Fiona wasn’t offered gold nor silver, but

these acts of love are priceless and incomparable.

Annabel was also happy it was children’s day.

Fiona and her family together with Roseline

celebrated her birthday the little way they could.

The day passed.

Meanwhile, Vanessa happened to notice it was

Fiona’s birthday because she was always in

possession of her employees’ CVs. She saw that as

an opportunity to throw a lavish birthday party for

her on Monday.

“This is an opportunity for me to spend an

amount of money Fiona would never be able to

pay back. She is going to fetch me a huge amount

of money from one of my potential clients. I will

make sure she gets overwhelmed with my deceit

thinking it is love.” Vanessa said to herself.

So, it happened. Fiona was so surprised when she

arrived her workplace. Hardly would you see a

boss of same gender throw such a lavish party for

her female employee. Other employees were very

surprised and afraid at the same time because

none of them had ever being celebrated like that

by their boss. Vanessa had an ulterior motive

that’s why she did it. Fiona enjoyed her day not

minding the expenses made. Vanessa told her she

threw the party because she was a new worker

and was doing her job diligently. What a lie! Fiona

believed with tears in her eyes. She was full of Joy.

Miss Vanessa Brown spent the sum of ten million

naira on Fiona’s lavish party. She invited high-class

men, including Mr. Smith (a wealthy American

whom she wanted Fiona to sell her body to). After

the party, Vanessa summoned Fiona and

introduced her to Mr. Smith. Fiona thought he was

a foreign investor, but that wasn’t the case. This

man offered to pay twenty thousand US Dollars

which was approximately fifteen million naira to

Vanessa if she could d**g Fiona and bring her to

him. His plan was to defile her, take all her vital

body organs and sell it out. But he did not tell

Vanessa the extra things he wanted to do. Vanessa

agreed and sealed the deal believing it was based

on normal terms. Vanessa decided to threaten

Fiona with death if she did not comply to her rule.

Fiona was not the first employee Vanessa had

trafficked. The first was a lady about same age

with Fiona named Flourish. She happened to have

worked there two years before the incident. She

refused to do it when Vanessa summoned her. So,

vanessa sent thugs after her on her way home

after work. She was drugged and brought to

Vanessa. She immediately invited one of her

potential clients, Mr. Badmus, to a different hotel

where she lodged Flourish. She was still asleep at

this time. It was a d**g that causes

unconsciousness, Rohypnol, that was used on her.

Rohypnol is an illegal d**g. It causes extreme

drowsiness or blackouts and is often used in date

rapes and other kinds of s****l crimes. After Mr.

Badmus was done with her, she was dumped in a

deserted place. She was dumped not because of

what he did to her, but because she was

discovered dead immediately after the assault.

This was the kind of crime Miss Vanessa was

involved in.

It was a Thursday of the following week. Vanessa

summoned Fiona into her office. The appalling

part was that she didn’t even allow Fiona work for

at least a year before swindling her. She was only

after the money Mr. Smith offered. Remember

these girls don’t return after being trafficked.

Fiona entered the office immediately she heard

she was summoned.

“Good day ma.”, Fiona greeted.

“Good day Fiona. How is your day going?”,

Vanessa asked.

“Beautiful ma.” Fiona replied.

“Have a seat. There is something I want you to do

for me. I am willing to pay you a million naira if

you do it.” Vanessa said another lie. She knows

Fiona won’t return.

With a face filled with surprise and wondering

what the job was, Fiona said, “Ok ma.”

“I want you to meet Mr. Smith at Platinum Hotels

tomorrow evening. I want you to sell your body to

him. I am telling you so you can do it willingly.”,

Vanessa said.

“With all due respect ma, I don’t understand what

you are saying. Are you swindling me into

prostitution? Was this the reason you threw a

lavish birthday party for me? I can do any other

thing but not sell my honor as a woman.” Fiona

replied.

Putting on a deceitful smile on her face, Vanessa

said, “Now you listen, Fiona. I am not in the mood

for this nonsense. I am not asking you; I am

ordering you. I may be friendly but extremely

dangerous whenever my wants are not met. Do

you know what it took me to build this

magnificent hotel? The struggle? I do not want to

treat you like a common slave by selling you off. If

you think I am afraid of the police then you must

be kidding. I promise you something; I, Vanessa

Brown, will wipe out your entire family should I

find you and don’t see you by tomorrow. Do not

push me to the wall, Fiona. You do not even have

the right to think about this.”

The kind of anger written on Vanessa’s face gave a

very clear message that she was very serious.

Fiona’s confidence dropped at the sounds of those

words. She became afraid and confused. She loved

her family so much and never wanted anything

bad to happen to them. She had always had a bad

feeling about working in a hotel before she found

this job but accepted because she wanted to take

chances.

So, Fiona left her office and walked home in deep

thought.