The Mother Who Refused To Give Up

Episode 8 The First Pay

My first week at Blessing Baby Shop was not easy.

My back was paining me from standing 8am to 5pm. My feet were swollen. I was not used to standing in one place. At home, I used to sit on the floor with my children.

But I did not complain. How can I complain when I have been jobless for 8 months? Mrs. Adwoa gave me a small stool at the back for when I breastfeed, but I tried not to sit too much. I wanted her to see I was serious.

Mrs. Adwoa was teaching me something every day.

Day one she said, "When a mother enters, don't say 'What do you want to buy?' Say 'Welcome, maame, how is baby?'"

Day two she said, "Don't force them to buy expensive. If she has 30 cedis, show her what 30 cedis can buy. She will come back when she has 300."

Day three she said, "Every mother is scared. Especially first-time mothers. Your job is to calm her."

I was learning. I was listening.

One afternoon, a young mother came in. Maybe 22 years. Her baby was crying inside a car seat. She looked tired, her hair not combed. She said, "My baby does not sleep. I have not slept for 3 days."

The other sales girl, Adjoa, wanted to show her expensive baby cots. But I remembered what Mrs. Adwoa said.

I went to her and said, "Sister, my second born also did like that. He cried every night. My mother taught me to wrap him tight, like this."

I took one of our small white wrappers and I showed her how to swaddle. How to hold the baby close to chest. How to sing small.

The baby stopped crying. Just like that.

The mother started crying. She said, "Thank you. Nobody taught me this."

She bought two wrappers, one small oil, and one baby vest. 85 cedis.

When she left, Mrs. Adwoa came from her office at the back. She had seen everything.

She said, "You see? You sold because you understood her. You were her."

That day she gave me 20 cedis extra from her own purse. She said, "For your children, buy them something."

I bought fried rice. My children ate fried rice that night for the first time in 3 months. My son said, "Mummy, this rice has meat!"

We laughed.

Week two, week three, I was getting better. Mothers started asking for me. "Where is the mother with the baby on her back? I want her to show me."

Mrs. Adwoa was happy.

Then the last day of the month came. 5th of next month was pay day.

On the 4th night, I did not sleep. I was doing calculations. 800 cedis.

If I get 800 cedis, I can do what?

Single room in Achimota now is 350 cedis a month. If I pay 2 months advance, 700 cedis. Left 100 cedis for food. Yes, it will work.

On the 5th, morning, I went to work early. I swept the shop very well. I arranged all the baby shoes. I wanted everything to be perfect.

At 12pm, Mrs. Adwoa called me inside her small office. The office had only a table, a chair, and a big calendar.

She said, "Sit."

I sat. My hands were shaking.

She brought out a white envelope. She said, "This is your salary. 800 cedis."

She gave me the envelope. Then she brought out another small paper.

She said, "And this is 200 cedis extra. Because this month, you sold more than Adjoa who has been here for 2 years. And because you come with two children and you never complain."

800 plus 200. 1000 cedis.

I held the envelope with both hands. My eyes were full. I could not talk.

She said, "Go and find a room. Don't let your children sleep on the floor again."

I said, "Thank you, Madam."

I went to the back where my children were sleeping. I opened the envelope small and I looked at the money. Real money. Not 12 cedis. 1000 cedis.

That evening after work, I did not go home to the mango tree place. I went to see the house agent near Achimota station. I knew him.

I said, "Agent, I need one room."

He said, "One room self contain is 500 cedis now."

I said, "I don't need self contain. Just single room with shared bathroom. I have 700 cedis for advance."

He took me to a compound house. One room. Small, but the walls were painted blue. It had a window. And a door with a lock. A door we can lock!

I paid 700 cedis for two months.

When I went to call my children, my son saw the room and said, "Mummy, is this for us?"

I said, "Yes."

He ran inside and shouted, "We have a door! We have a door!"

We slept there that night. On the same thin cloth, but this time, inside a room. With a locked door.

I locked the door, I looked at my 300 cedis left, I looked at my children sleeping on the floor but inside our own room, and I cried. But this time, not sad tears.

I said, "God, we are inside. We are inside again."

That night was the first night I slept without fear of rain.

To be continued...