SPONSORED BY LOVE

CHAPTER THREE

SPONSORED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 3: THE DAY THEY FILMED ME HAWKING

The school bell rang at 2:30 pm.

Everyone ran to their cars and buses. I ran to the school gate to pick my tray.

My mother was waiting at the junction with a small cooler. Her face looked tired and her wrapper was sweating.

"Sammie, your mother said you should sell quickly today. I need to go and buy drugs. My chest is paining me," she said.

"Okay mama," I said. "Go home and rest. I will sell everything."

She touched my head. "Don't stay too late. Come home before dark."

She left.

I carried the tray on my head. Inside were gala, groundnut and pure water. Fifty pieces. If I sell everything, I will get two thousand naira. That can buy food and my mother's drugs.

I stood at the park junction. Cars were passing fast. I was shouting, "Buy pure water, buy gala!"

Some people bought. Some ignored me. Some boys whistled at me.

I was tired. My school uniform was inside my bag. I was wearing my old house dress. My legs were paining me.

Then I heard a laugh. A laugh I knew.

Sophie.

She was inside a fine car with Jessy, Cyndi and Poonam. Her driver had stopped at the junction. She wound down the glass and brought out her phone.

"Oh my God! Look who is hawking!" she shouted. "SS2 Gold star girl!"

Jessy laughed, "Our first position scholar!"

Cyndi shouted, "Aunty pure water, how much?"

Poonam was recording. Her camera was on me. The red light was blinking.

I wanted to run. But where would I run to? This was my work.

"Please don't film me," I whispered.

Sophie laughed louder. "Why? Are you ashamed? You should be proud. You are working hard."

She came down from the car. She was wearing fine perfume and fine shoes. I was standing in dust with a tray on my head.

She brought the camera close to my face. "Say hi to SS2 Gold. Say, I am Sammie, I hawk after school."

Tears came to my eyes. I turned my face away.

"Please," I said again.

A car behind them honked. Their driver said, "Small madam, we need to go."

Sophie smiled. "Don't worry, Sammie. We will show everyone in class tomorrow that you are a real business woman."

They entered the car and drove away, laughing.

I stood there with my tray shaking on my head. People on the road were staring at me.

I wanted to throw the tray away. But if I throw it away, my mother will not have drugs.

So I continued shouting, "Buy pure water..." but my voice was shaking.

By 6 pm, I had sold only twenty. My legs were weak. I sat on the ground near the gutter and counted the money. Four hundred naira.

I wiped my eyes with my dress. My phone had no battery. My mother would be worried.

Just then, a black Benz stopped in front of me.

The window came down.

It was Rooney.

He was not in school uniform anymore. He was wearing a white t-shirt. His driver was driving.

He looked at me. At my tray. At my eyes.

He did not say anything at first. Then he said to his driver, "Stop."

He came down.

"Why are you still here?" he asked.

I looked down. "I need to sell everything. My mother is sick."

He looked at my tray. There were still thirty gala and water left.

He looked at the road. It was getting dark. The junction was not safe at night. Bad boys were already coming out.

He removed his cap.

Then he did something I will never forget in my life.

He carried the tray from my head.

"Give it to me," he said.

I was shocked. "No, you cannot. It is dirty. You are... you are Rooney."

"I said give it to me," he said again, softly this time.

He placed the tray on his own head. A rich boy, son of the school owner, carrying gala and pure water on his head at the park junction.

People stopped to look.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

He looked at me. "You are tired. I will carry it for you. You hold the money."

He started walking. "Where is your house? I will follow you."

I started crying. Not because I was sad. Because for the first time, someone did not film me. Someone helped me carry my shame.

We walked together. A village hawker girl and a rich boy with a gala tray on his head.

And the whole junction watched us.