Chapter 5: The life I never had

" Haha." I said again in an amazed tone as I entered the bedroom.

Ha, thunder fire poverty. Is this the master's bedroom or one of the common rooms in this house? I asked myself.

Wooow, money is actually doing wonders. I said to myself again.

"So that's the bathroom. Once you are done feeding your eyes, you can go have your bath." She said as she walked out of the room.

"Wait, did you come with a cloth to change into? Because I can see you only came with a small bag." She stopped halfway to ask me.

"Nooo, I will just wear my cloth back." I told her.

"Nooo, you can't do that. You have already sweated in it."

"Ok don't worry, I will just ask my maid to bring you something to wear." She told me before walking out of the room.

I truly did not know that a whole person can single-handedly have this kind of luxury. I only used to watch it in movies and all my thoughts were that this kind of luxury is limited to five-star hotels or very wealthy people's houses — people like Aliko Dangote, Otedola, our presidential villa. I didn't know that people who are not even as popular as them can actually acquire it. Being married to a poor man has actually done more harm than good to me.

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By the time I was done bathing, her housemaid had already been waiting for me in my room.

"Well done ma." She greeted politely.

"Madam said I should give you these clothes. She said you should wear this one this evening and this other one to bed at night." She told me as she showed me the two sets of clothes.

One was a pair of jean shorts and a cream round-neck polo, while the other was a pyjamas set and a hair bonnet.

"Ok. Ok, thank you." I said warmly as I collected the clothes from her.

"Yes ma, we are done preparing your meal so whenever you are ready please come downstairs." She added politely as she turned to take her leave.

"Ha, Jesus." I watched the young lady leave in pure admiration.

How can someone be so rich that even her househelp is looking breathtaking? No sign of suffering on that young lady at all. Wow, money is really good.

I took the shorts and round-neck polo she sent and put them on. I liked the top because it was extra big and it stopped at my mid-thigh. But the shorts — they were too short for my liking. Even though they went past my mid-thigh, I was just not used to wearing this kind of thing. The highest I ever do is tie a wrapper around my chest. I searched the wardrobe in the room hoping to find any spare cloth or wrapper but everything was empty.

How can I wear this downstairs? What if her husband walks in? I thought to myself, and because of that I refused to go downstairs.

After a while she came upstairs to check on me herself.

"Haha, Toyo! I thought I told Enny to tell you to come downstairs because your food is ready. Do you want it to get cold?" She asked as she barged in.

"Hmm… yes she did. But I can't come downstairs looking like this." I replied as I showed her myself.

"Why?"

"It's too short." I replied.

"Hey?... wonder. This is too short to wear inside the corner of this house? Did I ask you to wear it to the market? Just come downstairs and eat, that's all."

"I know… but… what if your husband comes in?" I asked and she just burst into laughter.

"You won't stop being dramatic, will you? Common, let's go and eat our food before it gets cold." She said as she beckoned me to follow her, but I was reluctant.

"Girl!... I am hungry, let's go and eat." She said again.

"Ok, my husband is not coming home tonight. Does that settle the case?" She finally said when she saw I wasn't ready to move. I tried searching her face for any trace of truth.

"Serious, I'm not kidding." She added with a straight face, and that's when I agreed to follow her.

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"Ei ei ei ei!" My friend laughed out loud as I told her about the fight that happened between me and my husband.

We had just finished eating our meal — rice swallow and seafood okro — and we were in the sitting room trying to watch television but we were deeply engulfed in discussion.

Omo… there are varieties of food o, just pray you have money. I didn't even know there was something called rice swallow apart from the normal rice we eat, or garri that you can turn into eba, akamu, fufu, amalaand pounded yam. I never knew rice swallow existed until today, and I think I love it more than any of the swallows I've known. Very smooth and soothing in the mouth, complemented perfectly with that soup. I don't even know how my friend made that soup — I just know it was rich. Lots and different types of sea animals Such as crabs, shrimp, lobsters,e.t.c inside. I really enjoyed myself.

"Wow, I can't believe this." She said amidst laughter.

"Me myself I didn't believe I could do it until I finally did." I replied, making her laugh even more.

"Well if you ask me, I don't think you did anything bad. You can't continue to live under his bondage forever — when do you want to have a life of your own?"

"See, let me tell you. Gone are the days when women didn't have a life of their own. Now women are making it in all spheres of life — locally and internationally." She told me.

"So don't allow any man to hide your star in any way at all." She added.

"What about your children?"

"Ha, I left them with him but I also told my co-tenant to help me watch after them in case he is not around." I explained.

"That's better. (Laughs). You actually fought your husband for real." She laughed out as she switched on the TV to a Yoruba movie.

We watched until 9:00pm, then we all went to bed. And that was the end of my first day in Lagos.

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(Day 2)

By the time I woke up the next day it was around 8:30am. I really enjoyed my sleep and it felt like I never wanted to wake up from this rich people's lifestyle again. On a normal day, the noise of a c0ck crowing or a motorcycle passing would have woken me up around 5:00am. Even though I still woke up around that time — because it has now become part and parcel of me — it wasn't because of any noise. And after rolling on the bed for a while, I fell back asleep. On a normal day I dare not do that. Apart from the fact that I have children to take care of, even the heat in my room at home wouldn't allow me to sleep. But here there was no disturbance, no heat, no foul smell, nothing. Everything was just as it was supposed to be.

I yawned and stretched while sitting up on the bed. Then I came out of my room and walked downstairs to check if my friend had woken up. I walked carefully as if I had been asked not to make a sound. I was still wearing the pyjamas my friend gave me the night before — soothing and very silky in texture.

As I came down the stairs I met Enny cleaning the chairs in the sitting room.

"Good morning ma." She greeted me respectfully the moment she spotted me.

"Good morning dear, how are you?" I replied with a smile.

"I'm fine. How are you too? Hope you slept well?" She asked.

"Yes… I did. Well done."

"Is your madam in the kitchen?" I asked gently.

"…No. She has gone to work. She left very early." She told me and I was shocked.

"Haw, wow…"

"When is she coming back? Because I'm leaving today." I asked, feeling a little heartbroken.

"I don't know." She responded.

"A…nd she didn't ask you to give me anything?" I asked.

"Not at all. She didn't discuss anything like that with me." She replied and I was speechless for a moment.

"Ok…"

"She might come back very soon though. I think she had a quick order she needed to respond to, and you know how Lagos and traffic is — it's like 5 and 6 — so she had to leave early to beat it. So sorry if that breaks your heart." She explained and apologized on behalf of her madam, and I was truly wowed by that. She is a really well brought up girl.

I smiled softly at her and turned to go back upstairs.

"Your breakfast is ready ma. We made sandwich and tea, so once you are done bathing you can come downstairs to eat." She told me and I nodded in response.

Sandwich… which one is sandwich again? Hey, rich people and their lifestyle. I imagined to myself as I headed back upstairs.

I got into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. My phone screen was on and I had three missed calls — all from my husband. I stared at them for a moment without calling back. Then I noticed I also had a WhatsApp message. I opened it.