The Tales of Laura
Chapter one-
A new place entirely
In the noisy city of
Lagos lived the family of the Jacobs, an average family living in a rented
apartment in Lagos, This was a Saturday and the Jacobs were expecting a new house
maid to help around the house.
The Jacobs were in the
sitting room watching a local television programme with their two children,
Victor who was fifteen and Mayowa their
only daughter aged twelve when their neighbour, Mrs adewale came in with a
roughly dressed thirteen year old girl.
They were warmly
received by their neighbour who told them about the new house girl from a
village in faraway Benin city who came here to study in a government public
school because of her desire to be educated but since her parents couldn’t
afford to take care of her little educational requirement financially she
agreed to come to Lagos to be a maid for any family.
“what’s your name?”
asked Mrs Bimbo Jacobs, the girl replied” I am Laura Odemena ma”.
Mrs Jacobs turned to
her neighbour and asked if she would be fit to do a job as young as she is
young her neighbour answering in the
affirmative.
She was told that Laura
clocked thirteen few months ago and she had been enrolled at St Richards
government secondary school for her Junior secondary School one education
(JSS1)
Their neighbour left
and Laura sat on the chair looking at strange faces, wishing she was with her
own family but she knew this was her best chance to get educated as the
situation seemed.
Mr Jacobs who was silent all through and didn’t even greet their neighbour was
fuming with a frown on his face, though he struggled to wave his
neighbour bye told His daughter to take Laura round the house which she did
immediately, he then turned to his wife and blasted her for bringing a young
girl, younger than his son to their house,
“She may be young but the point is she would help around
the house, the kids go to school, come
late, do assignments so they barely have time to help me and I am not ready to
die so I need her” Mrs Jacob responded sharply, walking out on her husband.
After about thirty minutes of Laura’s arrival she was shown
a little storeroom where her small belongings which barely filled a polybag and
her mat would be, she was asked to wash all the dishes and start the house
cleaning which she did perfectly imagining how successful she would eventually
be and trying hard not to think of her family.
Mrs Laura meanwhile gave the young girl a lot of work to do
in a bid to see how much she could and she discovered that she could do almost
everything including cooking except carrying big buckets. However her solution
was to give her a smaller bucket with many rounds of fetching, Laura even did
the laundry on her first day at the house of the Jacobs.
Mrs Jacobs was pleased and told her husband how helpful she
was but her husband forced a smile to satisfy his wife not because he was unhappy.
At about 9pm, Laura went to store, laid down and started
thinking of her family in Benin city, he Parents who wanted the best for her
but had no means of funding her little educational dues, her four elderly
brothers who never went to school but farmed, she thought of her mum who was
her best friend and hot tears rolled down her eyes when she remembered she
wasn’t going to see them soon. As she sobbed in the dark room, Mayowa the only
daughter of Mrs Jacobs came to meet her and Told her to sweep her room, she
stood up immediately to sweep the room but suddenly she felt Mayowa was younger
and should not give her others. So she said declined.
Mayowa angrily said “
Are you alright, I was commanding you too not asking you too”
Laura replied “You have no audacity to order me except your
parents if you want to sleep in a clean room go ahead an clean it, I am new
here so lets be friends”
Mayowa cut in sharply” How can I be friend with you, I am
even surprised you speak English you stupid fool”
Laura was agitated before her visit and now more tense and
suddenly gave Mayowa a dirty slap, the girl screamed , her parents rushed from
the bedroom heard both parties story and immediately mrs Jacobs slapped Laura
without counting, Laura was so much in pain and she could barely open her eyes,
but for Mr Jacobs who rescued her she would have received the beating of her
life, Mr Jacobs corrected the girls and told his daughter never to ask her to
carryout instructions, he also told Laura never to take laws into her hands,
she apologised with hot tears kneeling and promising never to do that why
Mayowa walked away angrily because of her father’s judgement.
Mr Jacobs told his wife how angry he was with their
disrespectful daughter but she defended her as usual allowing the girl to
escape her father’s punishment yet again.
Laura laid back on the mat and sobbed at how she handled
the situation, she wished this never happened at least on the first day of her
stay, she also wished she wasn’t living with the Jacobs, she was also aware of
more trouble but she made up her mind to help the Jacobs, focus on her
education and make sure something good comes out of it.
She slept murmured some prayers and wished Saint Richards
Government School would be a nice place for her to learn and hoped the next
day, her resumption day came quickly.
Watch out for Chapter 2, I would appreciate
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