Living In The Ghetto - Episode 9

"Hey. Hey. Hey..." A voice kept whistling while Chimaobim and Adanne ignored. They kept walking down the place where the tap was located. It was few kilometers away. They guessed it wasn't directed at them, and they also weren't cut out to answer unnecessary whistling.

"Boy and girl," the voice shouted.

"I think they are calling us," Adanne said and tapped Chimaobim but he brushed off her hand. "Leave me alone. If they don't know my name, they should mind their business," Chimaobim replied. 

The voice called again and Adanne turned. "Are you calling me?" she asked in a faint voice which they obviously didn't hear, touching her chest.

They nodded and waved their gallons, then quickened their steps until the caught up with her. They panted heavily before they finally got their breath. 

They grinned at Adanne as they all kept walking toward the tap. Chimaobim was already some miles ahead. He turned backward and saw Adanne smiling and chatting with them. Shaking his head, he kept walking ahead of them without stopping.

They were two girls of almost the same height, same as Adanne. They could all pass as an age mate.

"What's your name?" One asked.

"I am Adanne."

"I am Ngozi

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. And she is Shola," she replied.

"Nice names. You are fetching water too?" Adanne asked even though she felt her question was unnecessary. They had gallons on their hands.

"Yes," Ngozi replied.

Shola kept smiling slightly at their talks without interfering till they got to the tap. She would giggle and twist her body whenever it gets amusing. Chimaobim had already filled his gallon with water and was ready to place it on his head before they arrived.

"This is my brother," Adanne pointed at Chimaobim facing them.

They smiled at him. Chimaobim glanced at them quickly and ignored. "You better be quick and stop playing around with them," he said to Adanne sternly. He placed the gallon on his head and shook his head, then strolled away.

They all finished filling their gallons one after the other, and placed it on their heads. They remained mute as they walked home.

"Can you come to our house later? You can play with us. You seem nice. We want to be your friend," Ngozi said all at once.

"Maybe. Or you can come around to my own. My mum is nice."

They laughed and kept talking till they got to the place they would walk to their separate houses. Ngozi and Shola lived in an unpainted bungalow with green algae growing all over it. The plaster on the place where the foundation stopped had all pulled off and most of the colourless wall had turned black. The zinc on the roof had turned brown looking unattractive; while some blew to the direction of the light wind. It was just a hut away from where Adanne lives with her parents. The hut was inhabited by an old woman and a raffia palm frond was used as the covering. She came out once in a while and some children in the ghetto helped her on an errand on their parents orders. She was the oldest woman in the ghetto with no child. According to people, she never bore and her husband didn't remarry till her husband died.

Adanne exchanged waves with her new friends as they walked toward their house. She walked into the house and dropped the gallon on her head and walked into the room. Chimaobim sat on the bed with his eyes directly fixated on the wall. Mama stood before the pot while she stir the food keenly. 

"Ada, what took your time?" She said as she dropped the spoon on the table immediately, which had her stove and a closed pot on it.

Her eyes moved toward her brother immediately and she removed her face quickly. "Mum, I met new friends on my way," she said.

"New friends?" Mama said, "you make new friends every day. I think you should calm down a little. You don't have to be friends with everybody."

"Mama, tell her o. She thinks I'm her enemy whenever I do. She is always trying to be friends with everybody that comes her way," Chimaobim said in a loud voice gesturing all his hands.

Mama stared at Chimaobim as if she wanted to scold him. "But you need to be listening to your brother sometimes.

Read " Outcast " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. He knows what's good for you," Mama said, "...and I'm not saying you shouldn't be friendly with people but you need to be clear about who will be close to you."

Adanne mopped closely till her mother finished talking. She shook her head and her eyes moved toward Chimaobim. Chimaobim brushed away his face.

"I think the food is ready," Mama said and stood up. She dusted her hands on her wrapper and walked toward the pot on the stove. She opened the pot and smokes settled all over the room. The aroma from the spaghetti saturated all over the whole room.

"Ah! Who dey cook this better food?" a voice asked outside.

"See as e dey scent," the voice said again.

"Na the new neighbor," another voice said. It was manly and coarse.

"Adanne bring out the ceramic plates," Mama said.

Adanne walked toward the place where the ceramic plates were arranged and selected out three. The plates and spoons clinked immediately he pulled them out. He placed them on the table. Mama took down the pot from the stove unaware her hand wasn't entirely on the rag she used to support the handle. 

"Ah!" She yelled as her hand burnt slightly and the pot landed on the table. The cover dropped on the table clinking with the plates.

"Sorry, Ma," their voice chorused as their mother grumbled in pains.