Lagos Light And Hidden Lies
255 Words
The bus to Lagos was loud, hot, and packed with people selling everything from groundnuts to fake chargers. Blessing sat by the window, holding a small bag with two wrappers and her WAEC result. Mr. John sat beside her, smiling and buying her bottled water every hour.
“Don’t worry, my wife,” he said. “Lagos is different. You will live in a big house. You will not suffer again.”
Blessing nodded but her stomach felt tight. She had never been outside her village before. Everything looked fast and confusing.
When they arrived, it was night. The city lights were everywhere, brighter than the stars she knew. Mr. John brought her to a tall building in Surulere. The flat was clean, with tiles on the floor and a TV bigger than her mother’s window.
“This is our home,” he said, opening the door.
For three days, he was kind. He bought her food, new clothes, and let her sleep late. He said he was traveling for business and would return soon.
On the fourth day, Blessing woke up alone. The house felt quiet in a bad way. She went to the kitchen to make tea and saw a phone on the table. It wasn’t hers.
Curious, she checked it. One message stood out:
“Boss, the girl has arrived. Are you sure you want to go ahead with the plan?”
Her hands started to shake. Plan? What plan?
She heard a key turning in the lock.
It wasn’t Mr. John.
- Writer
