Chapter 5: Orphanage Gist and Work Life

I no get work for house, but Ifeoma dey go work. I dey her place dey play game every day.

If she order food, she go order for me too. Sometimes, she go call from office, "Ngozi, wetin you go chop?" I go shout, "Give me small jollof rice join the order!" Ifeoma go use JumiaFood order jollof rice and dodo. Ifeoma dey come back from work late. When she come back for night, she go just collapse for sofa, no get energy at all.

I go drop my game, help her press her shoulder. E be like say my body sabi am already, because I do am well.

After she rest small, Ifeoma go dey complain: "Pastor Sani mama na wahala. That time you just finish school, you work for am for free. Im mama no too well, so after work you go still dey help her press body."

"...."

Ifeoma no gree stop, come knock my forehead: "Ngozi, you too soft. If I no dey, you go let them use you anyhow. That family dey use you because you no get anybody."

I rub my head, dey feel somehow: "I no remember anything like that. Na only you I remember."

Ifeoma stop, then laugh: "E good as you no remember. Just dey remember me—I no go ever do you anyhow."

Her voice sweet, like big sister wey mean well. I believe Ifeoma, because na together we grow.

Both of us grow for orphanage. We dey hustle for orphanage, dey share one sachet of pure water, dey run from madam cane. When we small, I dey follow Ifeoma everywhere. She dey find cabin biscuit for me, help me wash my cloth.

She get stubborn head, dey fight for me if bigger children wan collect my food. As we grow, Ifeoma dey teach me book. She senior me one year. When I dey write WAEC, she don enter university. Every day she dey call me, dey ginger me to read.

She want make I enter the same university as her, but Ifeoma too sabi book. I read tire, still no fit enter University of Ibadan.

When result come out, I hug Ifeoma dey cry.

Ifeoma knock my forehead: "Why you dey cry? 320 marks, na big thing. Wetin you dey cry for?"

She rub my head: "You try well."

Later, na so I carry my Ghana-must-go, enter night bus to Port Harcourt, dey cry for window.