The next day, Amara lay on the bed in the hotel, trying to figure out what to do next and how to access her money in her Piggyvest account.
While she lay there thinking, the telephone in the room rang and she picked it up. It was a call from the receptionist letting her know someone was there to see her.
It was Michael's mother.
Amara smiled as she quickly hung up the call after she had let her know she would be down shortly.
She quickly dressed up and hurried out of the room, happy to see the kind woman.
Michael's mother, who was waiting at the reception, smiled when she saw Amara running down.
"Why are you running?" She asked when Amara got to her.
"I did not want to keep you waiting. Good afternoon, ma," Amara greeted respectfully.
"That's why a big girl like you is running?" she teased with a laugh, and Amara laughed too.
"Were you busy? I want us to go out," she said, and Amara shook her head.
"I was just thinking. Where are we going?" Amara asked, and Michael's mother smiled, "You will see when we get there."
She led Amara outside, and when Amara saw Michael's car, she frowned, wondering if Michael was waiting in the car.
"Tega is at the pharmacy, so I'm using his car," Michael's mother said as though she could read Amara's mind.
"Oh. Okay," Amara smiled as she got into the car.
"Have you eaten today?" Michael's mother asked as she started the car.
Amara hesitated, "No. I'm fasting."
"Fasting?" Michael's mother asked, and she nodded.
"I thought I should fast today. Pray and ask God what to do," Amara said, and Michael's mother looked at her.
"Are you sure you're fasting because you want to or because you are managing your money and don't want to buy food?" She asked, and Amara laughed.
"The two," she said shyly, and Michael's mother laughed out loud.
"Let's go and eat something, and then we can talk," she said as she drove them to the mall.
"So, can you drive?" Michael's mom asked, and Amara laughed dryly.
"No o. Who dash monkey banana? I can't drive," she said, and the woman laughed.
"Won't you like to learn how to drive?" She asked, and Amara shrugged.
"I will, but I don't have a car. I can't even imagine having one, so I don't think there is any point," she said with a sigh.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you will have a car in the future. And even if you don't have one, I think driving is an important life skill you should learn, just as swimming. By the way, I've been wondering. You speak so well. What higher institution did you attend?" She asked, and Amara smiled at the compliment but shook her head.
"I stopped at SS 3 after my WAEC. I didn't go further than that. But I used to learn English on YouTube with my phone. And I read books to learn new words. I don't want to sound like an illiterate because I didn't go to a university," she said, and the woman nodded with approval.
"I think you're pretty smart. What would you have studied had you been privileged to attend a university?" She asked, and Amara thought about it for a while.
"Hmm. Nursing. I wanted to study nursing. I heard nurses are in demand abroad. If I study nursing and travel abroad, I'd be able to take care of my younger ones," she said, and Michael's mom raised a brow.
"Do you ever think of yourself without thinking of your siblings?" She asked, and Amara smiled.
"How can I not think of them? I'm the first child. If I do well for myself and they're not okay, they will end up being nuisances, and I will suffer for it eventually. Plus, I really love them and I want them to do well," she said, and Michael's mother sighed.
"So, I guess you did science subjects in WAEC. Did you do well?" she asked, and Amara nodded.
"I tried. I had mostly Cs and one or two Bs," she said, and the woman smiled, impressed.
"That sounds good," she said as she drove into the mall.
As she found a place to park, Amara turned to her, "Sorry to ask, ma. You said you were postponing your trip. Don't you live in Warri with Pastor Michael?"
"No. I live in Lagos with my husband. We used to live in Warri when we just got married, then we moved to Lagos after Tega finished his JS 3 exams," she explained as they got out of the car and headed inside the mall.
"You left Pastor Michael alone in Warri?" Amara asked, and the woman laughed.
"Of course, not. We took him and his sister with us to Lagos. He returned to Warri two years ago. He said God wants him to come here," she said, and Amara nodded.
"Oh! That's when he just opened his pharmacy. That was when I first saw him," Amara said before she could stop herself, and Michael's mother raised a brow.
"I thought you saw Michael for the first time at the church?" She asked, and Amara shook her head.
"I saw him the day before I moved in with Valerie. I took a stroll to clear my head and think about Valerie's offer, and then something carried me to his pharmacy. Maybe it was God trying to show me that Michael would be the one to save me that night," she said with a small smile.
"You talked with Michael?" Michael's mother asked, wondering why Michael didn't mention that to her when they talked.
"Yes, ma. The pharmacy was still empty at that time. So, I guess he just moved in. I've just been thinking about how funny and strange it is that I met him two years ago, and I met him again the day before yesterday when I needed help," Amara said, and Michael's mother nodded.
"It is indeed very strange," she said as she stopped by a phone store. "Let's get you a phone. I want to be able to communicate with you easily after I leave."
"A phone?" Amara asked, surprised that the woman wanted to get her a phone.
"Yes," Michael's mother said, walking to the techno phone stand and leaving Amara to follow her.
"Give me a good phone. One with a strong battery, enough space, and good camera quality," she said.
The sales lady picked up a phone and handed it to Michael's mother while Amara stood aside awkwardly, not sure how to react to the woman's kind gesture.
What did she do to deserve such kindness from this lady? Amara wondered as she watched Michael's mother pay for the phone.
"Why are you just standing there? Come and check if you like it and give her your details for the receipt," she said, and Amara forced a smile as she went closer.
As Amara signed the receipt, her eyes widened when she saw the amount of the phone. It was over two hundred thousand naira.
Just like that?
Michael's mother smiled as she watched her. "Don't look so shocked. Take the phone, let's go," she said, and they walked out together.
Amara was speechless as they walked, and she kept trying to figure out how to thank her or ask her why she was being so good to her.
"Let's get you a SIM card over there," she said, leading her to the Airtel shop.
Before they could step into the shop, Amara stopped walking, and Michael's mother turned to her, "What is wrong? Come, let's go in."
"Why are you being so good to me?" Amara asked, and Michael's mother smiled.
"Because I can afford to be. I have the resources. Trust me, this money is nothing to me. And I like you. I like you a lot," Michael's mother said, and Amara frowned.
"Why? How can you like me after everything I told you?" She asked, ignoring the passersby.
"How can I not like you when you were so honest? You did what you thought was best and easier considering your situation, Amara. I can't blame you or judge you for it. Who knows? Maybe I would have done the same in your shoes. I don't like to judge people when I've not walked in their shoes. It's a shame that Valerie, or whatever you call her, took advantage of your situation. And I honestly wish I had met you earlier before all of that happened. But don't worry. I'm here now. So, come, let's get you a SIM card," she said with a wide smile, and a tear dropped from Amara's eyes.
"Thank you, ma. Thank you very much," Amara said, wanting to go on her knees without minding that they were in public.
"Don't embarrass us both by doing that," Michael's mother warned quickly before she could do it. "Thank God. Just come, let's get the sim. We have to go somewhere else after here," she said.
"Where?" Amara asked curiously.
"You will see. Now come," she said, and led her into the shop.
Amara registered a new SIM card, and when they were done, she gave Michael's mother the number and took the woman's number.
"Now you have my number. You can always call me whenever you want to talk to me or need something, okay?" She said, and Amara nodded.
After that, they went to one of the eateries in the mall. As they sat to eat, Michael's mother looked at Amara curiously. "So, what was your plan when you told Valerie that you wanted to quit? If the drama had not happened that night, what did you plan to do?" she asked, and Amara shook her head.
"I didn't have a plan. I have about 200k locked. I was going to find a place to stay and replan my life, or maybe continue the runs to save money to open my store and rent a place," she said, and Michael's mother nodded.
"What if I get you a place to stay and a sewing machine? Will you be able to take care of yourself without going back to it?" She asked, and Amara's jaw dropped.
"Eat your food. Let's talk more about that when you're done," she said with a soft smile. "By the way, did Michael tell you anything?"
"Like what?" Amara asked, confused.
"Anything at all. Maybe he likes you?" She asked, and Amara shook her head immediately.
"No, ma. No. Not at all. I told you we are not even friends. He can't even like somebody like me," she said, and Michael's mother laughed.
"If you say so," she said, already thinking of the conversation she was going to have with Michael.
She didn't think it was a coincidence that he had asked her about Hosea and the prostitute in the Bible just after meeting Amara.