The next day, after informing Lady B, I set out for job hunting within the vicinity. Fortunately, I spotted a hair salon in need of salesgirls. I went in to meet the owner, whose name I later found out to be Madam Sussan.
There were already two girls, Tope and Ireti, working under her as apprentice and otherwise respectively. The first flaw I noticed in Madam Sussan was her hot temper, which was evident from the way she yelled at Tope and Ireti. However, having gained little experience from staying with Aunty Jane, I decided to give it a try. After much interrogation, Madam Sussan approved of me working with her, but with a meagre salary for a start. All I needed was to save up money for my education. Albeit, I resumed work instantly.
When I returned home that evening, the entire house was boisterous, and I began to wonder if Lady B was hosting a party. Several young girls were seated in the living room, chatting happily as I walked in. I recognized one of them to be Gabriella—the good Samaritan.
As soon as Gabriella saw me, she came to meet me. Curiously, I asked her what she was doing in Lady B's living room with other girls. She chuckled and explained that they were all working under Lady B. She didn't go further to tell me what kind of work it was, and I never bothered to ask.
When I got to my room, I saw a wrapped parcel on my bed. Anxiety took over me as I began to unwrap it. Lo and behold, it was a brand-new Android phone with a validated SIM card. I was so excited that I ran to Lady B's room to embrace her and thanked her for the gift package.
That very evening, I dialed my mum's phone number. My mum was so upset and asked me of my whereabouts. It quickly dawned on me that Aunty Jane must have told my parents I was missing. At first, I lied to my mum that my phone was stolen. Then I thought of a tangible lie to relieve her concerning my whereabouts. I reassured her that I was safe by telling her I was already in school under a scholarship programme.
It was a bit hard to convince my mother, who was skeptical amid a tough woman like Aunty Jane. She asked why I didn't inform Aunty Jane. I told her that I was going to do that now I had gotten a new phone. At my request, she sent me Aunty Jane's number. My intention was to send her a text message stating where I was. I also asked after my father, and my mum said he was not around but had been worried on hearing of my sudden disappearance.
Later that night, I went to the bathroom and freshened up. Then I went to the dining room to have dinner with Lady B. She asked me about the job I found, and I told her everything that had transpired that day. After a delicious meal, I retired to my bedroom to get some sleep so I could prepare for work the next morning.
If there was anything Madam Sussan liked about me, it was my punctuality. She always commended me for that. Most times, Madam Sussan was not around. She was either at a wedding ceremony or a burial. That was all Tope, Ireti and I needed. We attended to customers and gossiped a lot as well. Soon, I became very close to my workmates, Tope and Ireti.
One day, after work, I went home. As I was about to move to the bathroom, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. At first, I ignored it, but the caller persisted. I reluctantly answered, only to discover it was Aunty Jane. Immediately, I knew my mum had given her my number because I had forgotten to send the text message I had planned.
Aunty Jane asked where I had been for weeks. I sensed fear in her voice. There was no point lying to her, so I told her I was in a friend's place, safe and sound. She said she had intended to report my disappearance to the police that weekend. Then, she pleaded with me to come back home, but I politely turned her down. I did not expect her to know the kind of monster her husband was.
Deep down within me, I knew what I was doing—or rather, that what I did was not right. But I needed to face reality, to achieve my dreams and goals. I needed some space, at least. Aunty Jane was not a bad woman, neither had she ever been cruel to me. But all I wanted was to avoid Uncle Joe.