Chapter Ten

With teary eyes she tried to remember where Iyke had entered the road from but she couldn't say which; she was busy trying to save herself when he brought her to the place. But she knew she had to find her way out or else something bad will happen to her. The two roads by her sides were very lengthy so she decided to take one without thinking much about it. She walked as fast as possible, hoping to find someone or any house where she can get help but seemed like the road gets longer the more she walked on it. She got tired of walking but didn't stop. She couldn't spend the night in a strange lonely street. It seemed like there was no hope of finding help.

After leaving her in the lonely road, Iyke rushed to his house where Toby, his friend was waiting for him.

"Iyke you can't just leave the girl there. You have to do something." Toby said to him after he had narrated everything.

"I know I should have done something else to her. But I really want to get my revenge on all sex workers. I now see any girl that approaches me for money as either a sex worker or scammer." He said and took another sip of his drink.

"No that's not what I mean. What I mean is you should have brought her home so that we can spoil her a little." Toby said with a mischievous smile.

"You are crazy!" He said to Tony and they both laughed. Iyke knew Tony was only teasing him. They chatted for sometime again before Toby left.

After seeing him off, he decided to go and bring Kendra back.

She got tired of walking and running and decided to rest. Her stomach was beginning to hot badly due to hunger and her legs couldn't carry her anymore. On normal occasions, She would walk a very long distance without feeling pains, but with the condition she was in, walking for just a minute was difficult. She stood up and continued her journey. While walking she cursed Iyke and everything that concerns him. She prayed to see him again inorder to execute all the plans she has against him. He caused her great pain. Instead of refusing to help he decided to add to her misery. She saw his action as the perfect definition of wickedness. Because to her, it simply means he would rather have her missing or dead than not help her or allow her seek help from others. She finally reached the end of the road and turned to the next with a relieved face. She believed therewas a possibility of her leaving there. On seeing what the next road was like, she broke down and gave her way to frustration and disappointment. There was no difference between the two roads. This road was also deserted and very lengthy like the previous one. She wondered if no one has noticed this deserted street to start building in it. She looked around her with confused teary eyes. She lost all hopes and buried her face in her palms, while crying. As much as she felt hopeless, she sqatted and prayed to God for a miracle. She couldn't imagine herself spending the night in a road she can't spend the day in. She was lost in her prayers that she barely noticed a car that was coming from a distance.

Iyke had gone to where he left her but he was surprised to not find her there. He became scared and worried that something bad might have happened to her. So he immediately went insearch of her with his car. He knew he should have thought of that before leaving her in a forbidden area, he just couldn't control his anger so he felt that teaching her a lesson was ok. When she finally noticed the car, she stood up quickly and dried her tears. Kendra wondered if she should stop the car and ask for help or run for her life. It could be a kidnapper, ritualist or someone dangerous.

"It is best to try. I would rather try and fail than wonder what would have happened if I had tried." With these thoughts, she stood up and began to wave at the driver with the little strength she had. Luckily for her, the driver stopped some distance away from her. She walked slowly and carefully to the driver, ready to take to her hills should any sign of danger appear. The view began to get clearer for her as she approached and she finally saw the who the person is. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of it and she suddenly felt some hotness in her. It was the person who had put her in the situation she found herself.

"You ......" She managed to speak but was interrupted.

"Do you want to leave this place or not?" He asked her, void of emotions. Without saying a word, she slowly walked to the car. She was scared this heartless stranger might change his mind. She decided that she won't argue with him. She would just make him think she is meek and too scared, then she would report him and ensure that he gets punished for everything he did to her. The disgustful look he gave her, made her wonder why he hates her so much. She tried to open the car back door but he stopped her.

"I'm not your driver." He spat.

"Why are you so heartless? I only asked for help, nothing much..."

"Asked for help in a distasteful manner!"

"That is ridiculous! What do you mean? Was it really difficult for you to say no and drive away?"

Kendra couldn't lower her voice and she couldn't stop the tears from coming out. She had

always believed guys are always nice to girls.

"Drive away? How should I have done that with you in the way?"

Iyke yelled back at her.

"No amount of reason is enough to justify what you did to me. If someone had raped or kidnapped me, what would you have said?"

"Well thank God nobody did. You are lucky I'm not that type of guy."

"Oh ho ho no! You are worse than that." She wished her words would hurt him. She couldn't imagine how worried her parents would be by now. Probably in the police station, reporting her sudden disappearance. After yelling at each other and arguing, they remained quiet for the rest of the journey.

Kendra had a lot going on in her mind. She believed that for Iyke to be so heartless, it means he was a ritualist. She wondered why he didn't or haven't killed her. Probably no human blood is needed yet. She decided to take any of his belongings. Anything that will bring him to her later in the future. She searched around her with her eyes and found a plastic card.

"Drop me here." She said coldly. He refused to let her go because he was worried she might not be safe. Kendra began to hit the window with force inorder to get his response. He immediately stopped the car and began to yell at her without looking at her. Kendra seized the opportunity to take the cards. She took them quickly without noticing there were two of them. A business card and an ATM card.

"Are you waiting for someone to carry you?" He asked when she made no move to leave.

"Pls take me back to the bank. I forgot my belongings there." She forced herself to look polite. She wasn't ready to leave. She only wanted to distract him so that she can execute her plans.

"Take this money and use it to do whatever you need to do this night. Leave, I have relevant things that need me." He said and flung some naira notes to her. Kendra remained still without saying a word or doing anything. She kept her gaze fixed at the money he threw on her.

"You are wasting my time." He said with his eyes still fixed in front of him. Without uttering a word, she went out his car and banged the door behind her.

"Ingrate." He spat the word and picked his money before driving off.

"Ingrate? What did he do for me that I should show appreciation for? The insult he gave me by throwing money on me or what?" She thought while walking to the bank. When she got to the place where she had left her belongings, she found nothing there. She couldn't ask anyone questions because they were just passerby and the stores were already closed. It was already dark but the street light made her vision better. The people in the street were just few and it made Kendra wonder how late it was. With a heavy heart, she left the place and walked slowly to the park. She decided to come back the next day, probably one of the shop owners can tell her what happened to her stuffs. She wondered how she would go home with no money on her? She still went ahead to stop a bikeman who charged her ₦200 for the service. She decided that she would collect money from her parents to pay the man. When she got to her destination, she quickly ran to their apartment, ignoring the bikeman who was calling her to pay him and her neighbours who were throwing questions on her. The door was locked. She began to panick. How would she pay the man? He was already yelling at her to pay him. Without a second thought, she began to beg her neighbours for some money and promised to pay back once her parents arrive. One of them lent her some money and she quickly paid him.

While she was still narrating what happened to her neighbours, her parents and siblings came back. They were extremely relieved to see her and know she was fine. But it didn't stop her dad from showing how angry he was at her. She told them how she had lost the money and continued searching for it.

"If you were still there searching for the money, why didn't I see you when I went there to look for you?" Her dad asked.

"Maybe I was in the bank." She didn't want to tell her parents about her encounter with Iyke. It might make her expose her plans to them.

"Don't you have sense? Since you couldn't find the money why didn't you come back home? You spent the whole day there doing nothing." It was difficult for them to believe she spent hours doing nothing in the bank premises.

"Why didn't I see you when I went to the bank?" Her dad yelled at her. Kendra became scared that she might not be able to convince her parents she was in the bank premises the whole time. She wondered why her dad was suddenly raising his voice. Because she wasted hours there or because she lost the money?

"I went around insearch of it." She replied quietly and hoped the whole interrogation would come to an end.

Kendra was disappointed and sad her parents were this mad at her for what happened. She expected them to feel sorry for her; no sane humanbeing will deliberately lose his only source of hope. Without saying a word to anyone, she went to bed. She wasn't feeling dizzy so she decided to think of what to do with the cards she stole from Iyke. From the sitting room where she was she could hear her dad telling an officer they had found her.

"Were they that worried about me?" She couldn't stop herself from being resentful towards her parents. To her, they weren't different from Iyke who made her day a regrettable one. It was at this moment she understood the saying" life is a do-it-yourself project". She now understood that she was on her own in her struggle to further her education. She was surprise her parents didn't caution her for losing the money. They are probably tired of her and don't even know what else to say. When she was sure they were sleeping, she brought out the cards, took a closer look at them and copied out the number she saw on it.

"What will I tell my master about the money he sent?" She asked herself before going to bed.

The next day after everyone had gone out, she rushed back to the place she had left her bag and other belongings. Luckily for her, the owner of the shop she had picked her stuffs and kept them well for her. She brought out her phone and dialed Iyke's number.

"Who is this and how did you get this number?" Her heart skipped a beat and began to beat faster when she heard his voice. From the sound of his voice, Kendra could tell he was already upset and looking for his card.

"Well he should be. He deserves it." She thought before replying.

"It is the girl you abducted yesterday." She tried not show her fear. She must be brave if she really wants to defeat this heartless man.

"Abduct....oh!" He roared with laughter the second he remembered.

"Is that what you call it? Abduction? If I had hurt you what would you have done or called it? Felony? You have somethings that belong to me. I won't warn you to return them but I'll tell you this......"

"Let's meet at the bus stop opposite Zenith Bank. I will be there in the next five minutes." She said clearly and hung up. She was surprised at what she just did because it wasn't part of the plan.

Iyke was already waiting for her when she got there. The number of people she saw at the bus stop made her less anxious.

"He can't harm me when all these people are here."

She couldn't deny the fact that he looked so good and smells of money. He leaned on the car and he was busy with his phone.

"Where are the cards?" He asked her without raising his head to look at her and even be sure it was her. "Will you stop that and look at me or do you want me to leave."

She refused to be badly treated again by him.

"You called the meeting. You can leave if you want to." He raised his head and looked at her.

"I'm here for business." She started, ignoring the intimidating look he gave. She wondered what he was looking at in the lower part of her body.

"What you did to me yesterday was very bad. I could have been killed, raped or....."

"Or nothing. Nothing could have happened."

"Listen to me! I have two cards that belong to you and I give to you on one condition."

Kendra tried not look intimidated by his the mischievous look on his face. She knew he wasn't taking her serious.

"I don't even know why I'm here. You can have the cards, I'm sure they can fix your messy life." He said and turned to leave but she stopped him.

"Iyke or whatever you call yourself! I'm not joking with around this time. If you don't do as I say, I will go to the police, give them the card of the man that hurt me so that they can locate him and then stop at nothing to see that you are severely punished for what you did." She was happy he did not walk out on her while she was talking to him. It gave her hope of having a successful plan.

"Really." He asked with a mischievous smile and looked unmoved by her threats.

"If they ask you how you got the card and why or how I hurt you, what will be your reply?"

"We both know they won't be interested to know why and how. All they know is that a grown arse man caused an innocent teenager alot of pains. Let me just get to the point. I will give you back your cards and not report you to the police and in return for that, you will give me the financial help I need." She said to him, looking very serious. She had made up her mind to not go back on her decision.

"Iyke saw nothing serious in her statement. The only thing he saw and pictured was a scammer who was tired of working and was now trying to dupe him of his money.

"How about I help you financially in whatever you do or want and in return for the that, you will do whatever I want."

He stopped smiling mischievously and asked her straight in the eyes, with all seriousness.

"You think you are wise." Kendra asked him and tried to wear an intimidating face.

"No I don't. I'm sure I am."

"Whatever you want? She knew they were already creating a scene but she didn't care."

"You know nothing about making dirty deals so you should listen to me and play by my rules. If you want to report me to the police over an irrelevant issue then go ahead; I will gladly fold my arms and watch you fail. You have to give the police something before expecting a perfect work from them and we both know you can't. But if I give them double of what they want, they will do the work in a way that it will favour me, even if they know I'm wrong. So younglady, are you playing by my rules or not?" He asked will a triumphant smile. Kendra didn't see it coming. She was so disappointed when she realized her plan has come to a clear failure and she cursed herself for being foolish. She totally forgot or maybe did not know the person she was making this stupid deal with was someone who could take care of her, her family, her children and children's children. He was right. He will fight her with his money and he will surely win. Nobody will reject an amount of money that is double of their salary.

"Maybe there is another way to do this. Knowledge." She immediately scoffed at her own thoughts.

"Knowledge when I couldn't even gain admission by merit."

"Younglady are you still there?" He wondered why she was quiet and taking time to reply him.

"You said I will do whatever you want? What do you mean by whatever you want?" She prayed it wouldn't be what she was thinking.

"Marry me." He said nonchalantly with pride.

"I don't understand."

"Let's get married. You understand that now?" He said to her with disgust in his voice.

"How can you ask me to marry you when I disgust you? Or you think I don't know? Ok Iyke, please be serious. I badly need money right now and ...."

"I'm not joking. Let's get married and you will be given all the financial things you need." He said grimly.

"What do you take me for?"

"A sex worker who desperately is in need of money..."

He barely finished his statement before Kendra slapped his cheek.

All those who saw what happened and heard the sound of it gasped.

"I am not a sex worker!" She pointed warningly, at him.

"You can go to hell with your deal. I don't need your bloody money!" She yelled and turned to leave. After taking some steps away without being called back by Iyke, she paused, swallowed her pride and turned back to him with her head down in shame. Her heart dunk at what she did and she suddenly felt weak and inferior before him.

She knew some onlookers were already sniggering at her, some were already filming her but she decided to Ignore them. If giving them a show would make her get what she wants, what then should stop her?

"I'm sorry." It escaped her lips as a whisper. She wondered if the slap annoyed him or made him crazy. Men love it sometimes.

"Call me when you are ready." He said and left.

"You can have your cards." She said loudly after him.

"Keep them, I don't need them anymore." He replied without looking back. Upon all the sadness and feeling of disappointment, she still found herself lost in his looks and car.

"I wonder how rich he is that it made him this heartless. He thinks I'm a nobody. I will prove him wrong." She declared and threw away the cards. She put a smile on her face and began to walk home.

"Why marry me? Does he have feelings for me or something?....oh Kendra, don't be stupid! He is one of those womanizers that sees women only as a tool for satisfying thier urge. He should have atleast asked me what I need the money for. Why does he even think I'm a sex worker? Is this how a golden opportunity will slip off my fingers? Why such a bad luck of coming from a poor background? There is no problem. This university that seems impossible to see will surely be seen and even explored. Just one day." She wasn't ready to giveup, even though she doubted the possibility of furthering her education.

When she got home, her mum was waiting outside for her.

"Just went for a walk." She simply replied.

"Kendra is there anything you are not telling me? Whatever it is you can share it with me. I'm your mother." Edna said to her after they entered inside the house. She knew her daughter wasn't fine.

"Oh! So now you realized that." She thought.

She was touched and happy her mum felt concerned but she couldn't stop her resentment towards her parents from getting in the way.

" This resentful feeling is useless. I should tell her since it is over. Ugh! How can I tell her I went to meet some one for financial aid and the person made it clear to me that I will first Marry him?."

"I'm fine. I am not hiding anything from you." She said, avoiding her mum's eyes. After she threw herself on the bed and cried silently. The thought of everything brought fresh tears to her eyes.

After helping her mum to arrange the fruit she bought for sell, she went to the kitchen to make dinner. While they were eating, their radio was on and it was time for Kendra's favourite program. It was about celebrities telling people their past and some other things about themselves.

"If she became successful at last without going to school for once, why can't I who atleast finished secondary school make it? What is stopping me from achieving my aims? I want to study food science in the university and I know how to cook very well. What do I even need the so called university for?" She knew she was only comforting herself with lies.

"No more school talk or anything that has to do with it. I'll focus on my business and give it my all for now." She made up her mind and continued eating. She forced herself not to think of what Iyke told her ; she didn't want excess pressure on herself.

"Adamma?" Her dad called her after their meal. She immediately knew his reason for calling her was for something very important. If not he wouldn't have called her by her first name. She wondered why her parents value her first name so much.

"Did you go to the market today?"

"No sir" she replied, waiting to know why he called.

"Will you go tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Have you told your Master you lost his money?"

"Nn.... no." She replied with a quiet voice.

"Ok. I know how difficult this Is for you, but there is nothing you or anyone can do except to wait till next year. It is not even far, this year has almost ended. Just be patient and wait, a patient dog eats the fatest bone. We are all struggling in this house, including your mum who has health issues. I promise you, by next year everything will be fine. Ok?"

"Ok." She said and left. Kendra felt for her dad when he promised her. It made her kinda happy knowing he finally understands and cares about her feelings. But it didn't stop her from doubting the possibility of them saving enough money for her school and brothers, especially Wisdom who will finish secondary school by next year.