Chapter Twelve

'Did you take my change with the intention of using it for your WASSCE funds? How could you betray the trust of a loyal customer like this? If you were in need of money, you could have simply asked me instead of resorting to stealing from me in such a manner.'

'I didn't steal anything. I gave you your change.'

'I'm so sorry, Sharon,' Beatrice apologised, her voice filled with remorse. She walked over to the drawer where they kept the money, took out a hundred naira note, and handed it to Sharon. 'Please accept this. You may leave now.'

Dera, feeling unjustly accused, spoke up. 'Mum, by giving her the money, you doubt your own daughter.'

Beatrice looked at Dera with a soft gaze. 'I trust you, Dera,' she reassured her.

Dera insisted, 'Then you should have let her check her bag first before giving her that hundred naira note...'

The curious onlookers in the shop watched the tense exchange.

'Dera, you're my daughter's friend. How could you do something like this to me?'

'Please forgive this, Sharon,' Beatrice implored, eager for Sharon to leave.

As Sharon opened her bag to put away the hundred naira note, she noticed another one already there—the one given to her by Dera. 'I wouldn't have hidden it anyway,' Sharon announced to everyone in the shop. 'It was a mistake on my part.'

'It's all right, ma'am. You didn't steal your money. It was simply an oversight when you hurriedly placed it in your bag because you were interested in suggesting that I work somewhere else,' Dera explained, still feeling hurt.

A few customers began whispering among themselves, making Sharon feel embarrassed.

Sharon mustered a forced smile as she returned the extra hundred naira note to Beatrice. Leaning in closer to Dera, she remarked, 'Dera, you're like a beautiful rose, but unfortunately, you lack depth.' She sniffed, then added, 'You remind me of the musky smell of petrichor that often emanates from plants.'

Mockingly, Dera replied, 'If you're familiar with the scent of petrichor, then you must be deeply connected to farming. Are you a farmer? Did you perhaps feel a deep sense of nostalgia during the first rain when the petrichor fragrance filled the air?' Dera reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle, gasping with delight. 'I bought this from a roadside perfume vendor. In case you run out of perfume, I'd be happy to offer you a little. It's quite affordable.'

Sharon scoffed, retorting, 'You bought toilet water! Oh, Dera...how cheap! My initial assessment of you seems to have been accurate.'

Undeterred, Dera gazed at the beautiful little bottle adorned with a delicate rose on the label. Opening it, she allowed the gentle fragrance of roses to tickle her senses. A smile graced her face as she carefully returned the bottle to her pocket. Meeting Sharon's gaze, she asked, 'Can you smell it, ma'am?'

'She can't because she has catarrh,' a man chimed in, causing laughter to erupt among the shop's patrons.

'Dera, instead of wasting your time on purchasing toilet water, why not channel your efforts into figuring out how to register for your WASSCE? Otherwise, you'll be left behind. By the way, Jennifer aspires to become a flight attendant for an international airline, but I want her to aim higher. My aspiration for her is to become a lawyer. I have the means to send her to the best law school. As her mother, I will do what's best for her. On the other hand, your own mother manages a small shop, and it seems you have no dreams. Just accept my suggestions, or you'll end up marrying a wealthy sugar daddy with a protruding stomach, who brings no value except for incessant snoring from dawn till dusk. I'm leaving now. This place reeks of your cheap toilet water,' Sharon scoffed, rolling her eyes as she stormed out of the shop.

Everyone turned to the entrance and witnessed Sharon tossing the plastic bag into the trash can.

Witnessing this act, Dera couldn't help but quietly express her realisation, whispering, 'Just as I suspected.'

At that moment, a group of secondary school students entered the shop to buy snacks, their youthful energy permeating the air. Beatrice, spotting their arrival, promptly moved to assist them. Meanwhile, Dera remained rooted in place, silently listening to their conversations, feeling as if they had never experienced any pain or hardship in their lives. It made her world feel even more fragile, as if it could crumble at any moment.