"Greg,"
"Sup?"
"You remember that bar you took me to a month ago where we saw that girl I said looks like someone I met in the states?"
"Yeah. Kali Bar. What's up?" Greg responded.
"Let's have a drink there today." Tonye said quickly.
"Why? Wait. You want to see that girl again, T.boy?" Greg asked turning around to look at Tonye.
"I like the bar. They have nice looking workers that have look-alikes around the world. Isn't that enough reason to hang out there?" Tonye answered with a grin.
"I thought it was Nicole... You know now." Greg enquired halfheartedly, distracted by the TV.
"Well... I like my base and things around here better." Tonye smiled. He really yearned for another encounter.
*****************************************************
The rest of the day, Boma was all jittery and all efforts from Lizzy to get the details of her journey proved abortive. She only said she'd seen a ghost. She was still in the mood when Lizzy came to her.
"Hey Bomcy, someone's asking after you at the bar. One guy like that. Maybe you should go and serve him."
"Lizzy my job description ends with cleaning. I'm not entertaining customers at any level." Boma retorted with a bit of attitude. She had seen so far the kind of deals her demands her Madame put on her workers and although she'd managed to avoid being dragged into it with the excuse of mourning her father, she knew her Madame wasn't buying the line anymore. Her days were thus numbered. And she hadn't found an alternative job yet.
"Boma, will you go and attend to that customer right now! Nonsense girl. Am I feeding, housing, and clothing you for you to carry broom and mop stick around here?!" her Madame, who was just coming in from a corner shouted with a frown on her face.
"Sorry ma." Boma replied apologetically and went into the bar to serve the customer.
In the bar, she walked to a table where a richly dressed man sat before an empty table.
"What will I serve you sir?"
"How much will I pay for your tantalizing curves dear?" the man in his fifties asked as he tried to put his arms around her waist.
"Hey excuse me! That's my girlfriend you're talking to Mr. Man. Get your hands off her!" came an angry voice from a table at the extreme end.
Both Boma and the Man turned around to see who it was that had already started making his way towards them.
*****************************************************
Tonye walked to the table and grabbed Boma's hand, giving the Man a stern look and then he looked at Boma cautiously and guided her back to his table. Boma was completely lost. Glad that she had just been delivered from yet another attempt by a customer to toy with her, she followed although her mind was clouded with worry - if her Madame found out what had just happened which she definitely would, she wouldn't even spend another night in her house.
"Sorry about that. I know I've gotten you into more trouble than I bargained for. But let me handle it." Tonye said to her as he made her sit down and turned to the man who stood up talking angrily and had attracted the attention of the bar owner.
"Madame, can you imagine this little boy contending with me over your girl?!" the man bellowed using his walking stick to point at their direction.
"Chief, sorry sir, don't be offended. I'll handle it." the Madame pleaded and beckoned on another girl to come over. Then she went over to Tonye's table. "Young man, please let her (pointing to the girl coming) attend to you. Let's respect the chief. You and your friend can have extra bottles of beer on me, okay?"
Madame Kali totally ignored Boma who had stood up out of fear and was standing behind Tonye.
"I requested for this girl first and so you better give that offer to chief. You talk about respect in this bar? Doesn't Chief have a wife and probably a daughter this age at home?" Tonye answered the Madame with a disgust in his voice.
Greg had stood up while Tonye was talking and walked towards the door. "Tonye, wetin you dey wait for now? Let's get the hell out of here. I have to take my Dad for an appointment with the Minister of Justice."
Madame Kali, hearing Greg, was in a crossroad: she didn't want to lose her customers or hurt anyone's ego either. "She's not going with you, young man," she said.
"Madame, she is," Tonye said as he led Boma out of the bar, leaving Madame Kali speechless.
Chief had already left the bar before she got a chance to apologize to him. But she cared less; she knew how to weigh customers and Chief had just spared her the headache.
***********************************
Outside the bar, as they got to the car, Boma summoned courage to speak. "Thank you for that really... but I'm not going with you," she said stopping Tonye in his tracks. "I can't afford to lose my job here."
"Your job? You call prostituting a job?" he asked with a bit of shock in his face.
"I beg your pardon, sir!" she retorted raising her voice a tad too high. "You have no right to speak to me in that manner simply because you got me out of that man's arms."
"I'm sorry about that. I'll get you a better job if that's what you want. I do not carry prostitutes either so no worries. Let's just get out of here for now and I'll bring you back tomorrow morning."
She took a second look at him and then opened the door to the Toyota highlander and went in.
On their way, he asked her name and introduced himself properly as a worker in a construction firm. He had obtained his masters degree from the University of Manchester and was in his mid-twenties. He did most of the talking. Boma on the other hand, couldn't hide the fact that this cute guy stirred some emotions in her which she was fighting so hard to suppress. Deep inside, she was grateful for all that had just happened thanks to him. She too wanted to get a better opportunity elsewhere. The morning event, nevertheless, loomed her mind and she had no one to talk to about it.
*****************************************************
Mr. Ray sat on the couch thinking deeply...
The morning event replayed in his mind and he was trying to make sense of it. Why would that girl who looked like his daughter’s twin call him Papa? And yes, there was something more interesting, something undeniable, which dug at his peace of mind: the birthmark on that girl's neck, it looked identical to that on his neck... and his daughter's.
*****************************************************
Boma lay on the beautifully laid bed, in the air-conditioned hotel room that Tonye had lodged her into. All her life she hadn't been given such treatment and she couldn't even believe her luck. What did this guy want? He was the same person that mistook her for one Nicole in the United States of all places. Why was he being so nice to someone like her?
She kept thinking... And the man she saw at the park. This man looked as young as her father before he got ill. He didn't just look like him, he sounded like him, and she couldn't have mistaken the birthmark she saw on his neck when she woke up from the table and saw him looming over her. Why didn't he disappear like the ghost he was? She'd watched some movies at her neighbors’ houses as a child and she had seen Nigerian movies where ghosts relocated and lived in new locations where no one knew them, and then when someone eventually found them, they disappeared. This man didn't disappear.
While she was still pondering on the thoughts, she heard a knock on the door. She quickly sat up and went to the door to know who it was; the time was about eight pm.
"Hello Madame. It's a hotel attendant," the person replied.
Nervously she opened the door and he handed her an envelope from the man that booked the hotel room he said, and walked away. Boma closed the door behind her and opened the envelope. It contained a business card, some money, and a note.
*****************************************************
Tonye and Greg stood by the car outside the hotel, waiting for the hotel attendant.
"All these trouble for this girl, T-boy. So you like her like this?" Greg asked.
"I'm only doing what I think is proper. Why should an intelligent girl like this, also from my tribe, have to be subjected to such level of living?" Tonye answered his voice thick with anger.
"You're right. But that depends on if she truly doesn't like the lifestyle," Greg said looking straight at Tonye. "A pig, will always Go Back to the mud."
Tonye shrugged. He couldn't respond to that since indeed, he hadn't known her much. She barely even spoke on their way here, but somewhere inside he believed, her resistance to join them was a hint that she wasn't enjoying her stay at Madame Kali's. Only time could tell. He'll give her a chance, he decided.
"Thanks for today: for pulling a Ben Affleck at the bar," Tonye spoke, a smile spreading on his face. "I nearly confuse join too."
Greg laughed and said, "Minister of Justice ke, ni bo ni iyen ti n sele."
And they both laughed together.
About that time, the hotel attendant walked into their conversation.
"I've delivered it sir," he said.
"Did she say anything?" Tonye asked.
"No, sir."
"Ok. Thank you. Take for your trouble," Tonye said handing him some money.
The attendant took it, appreciating him, and left.
"We can go now abi?" Greg asked moving towards the driver's door of the car.
"Sure."
*****************************************************
Boma counted the money, it was ten thousand naira. She was amazed. Excitedly she took the note and read,
Hi,
So sorry about today. I'm a phone call away just in case you need my help. Please accept the gift. Have a lovely night.
Tonye.
She held the note to her chest. Less than two months in Lagos and she had found favor in the eyes of this handsome young man called Tonye.
“Tamunotonye... God’s will. God will bless you for your kindness.” she whispered. A native of kalabari in River State like she was, she hoped he would remember his promise to get her another job. She couldn't wait to leave Madame Kali and her bar.
Very early the following morning, Boma checked out of the hotel and found her way back to Madame Kali's house. She knew Madame Kali would still be home and would be expecting cash returns from her venture last night. The last time someone tried to play smart on Madame Kali, according to what Lizzy told her, Madame Kali made sure she dealt with the girl beginning with seizing her belongings and the girl never returned after having a heated argument which resulted in Madame Kali sending thugs after her. And She, Boma, couldn't afford losing her belongings. So as she left the hotel, she had decided to give her Madame all the money she received to avoid any suspicion; she had plans.
She walked into the house and met her colleagues about to leave, including Lizzy.
"Bomcy!" one called out to her hailing her.
"Na so you tire reach dey come back by this time?" another said tauntingly.
She just ignored them and went ahead. In the parlor she saw Madame Kali dressed and ready to go out. "Good morning ma," she greeted bending her knees.
"Good morning my dear," Madame Kali said so nicely walking up to her to hold her. "Are you back already?"
Boma couldn't understand the nice reception. She had expected her Madame to be mad at her after yesterday's incidence coupled with the fact that she was returning a bit later than other girls did.
"Ye-es ma." She said with hesitance and then handed her the envelop.
"Good girl." Madame Kali said as she opened the envelop and saw the money. "Nice, for a starter. But you'll do better next time."
"Thank you ma," Boma said and she turned to enter the room.
"Get ready and go to work, okay?" Madame Kali called after her.
"Ok ma."
As soon as she entered the room and closed the door behind her, she quickly opened the wardrobe, brought out all her belongings, intending to run away as soon as Madame Kali left the house. Then she realized she couldn't find the brown box. She searched and searched everywhere, but it was gone.
Worried sick at the disappearance of the box, Boma quickly went to catch up with Madame Kali to inform her before the thief went far. And she managed to stop her just before Madame Kali drove out of the premises.
"Madame, Madame," she shouted after the car flapping her hand and running towards the car.
The car slowed down and she caught up with her Madame.
"Please ma, I can't find my brown box. I don't know who took it. I've looked for it everyw..." she was just talking and Madame Kali interjected.
"Shhhh... Keep quiet there. I have kept the box for you, safely,"
Boma stared at her in disbelief as she spoke. "Let's consider it a surety, until you've paid your dues by working my money's worth. I'll give you back your box when I'm satisfied with your services. If you don't like it, you can pay me for the past two months of taking care of you, with two hundred thousand naira cash." and she drove off, leaving Boma speechless.
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