Patsy (the victim)

5

The next morning zahra'u check out of the hotel, with her baby clasp on her back she grab her duffle bag and head to the town not really sure about her destination, she knows she will need a place to stay because she can't sleep on the street with her daughter,
She roam around for some time and stop by a food vendor, she buy some rice with stew and water before leaving to find a place to eat,

She spot a cashew tree in front a house and decide to rest there for a while, she untie her baby and drop the duffle bag under the tree, she drop the baby on her lap before grabbing the black nylon and begin to eat her food.

"What are you doing here?" An old man ask coming out of the house and zahra'u look up from her food.

"Ina kwana baba." Zahra'u greet the old man as he stare at the baby on her lap.

"Lafiya.
Are you alright?" The old man ask suddenly having some sympathy toward her and zahra'u shake her head.

"Yes,
I am fine,
Aiki nake nema." Zahra'u say dropping the small quantity of her remaining food.

"Where are you from?
And who's baby is that?" He ask curiously, he will like to help her but he need to know if he isn't making a mistake.

"It's my baby,
I am from gurara here." Zahra'u say hopefully, she doesn't want to start telling her story to anyone, what happened to her isn't something she love talking about.

The old man stare at zahra'u for some time, he really want to help her, he has a daughter her age he just doesn't want to repeat same mistake he made, people aren't trustworthy this days.

"What is your name?" He ask and zahra'u sway her crying baby.

"Zahra'u." She say staring at the man with a pitiful look on her face.

"Where's your husband?
The father of this baby?" He ask and zahra'u stare quiet as the memories of the past come flowing through her head.

The old man stare at her, she didn't have to speak for him to know the pain in her eyes, his daughter was a rape victim and ended up in same fate as the girl he's about to help, the only difference in there story is his daughter died during child birth leaving his grandson an orphan.

"Stand up let's go.
There's a house down the street,
The woman ask me if i can help find a maid for her,
Except i am not sure if she will accept you considering you have a baby." The old man say helping zahra'u with the duffle bag as she stand up with her daughter in her hand.

"Mamah will not be a problem to my work i promise,
she barely cry i can manage insha Allah." Zahra'u say and the man node.

"I work as a gate man in this house,
They already have two maids already i could have speak with the hajiya in the house, but i will prefer there since they are the one searching for a maid I think they will pay you better." He say and zahra'u node putting her baby on her back as she uses the wrapper to tie her for support.

"Nagode baba,
Thank you very much,
I promise i won't disappoint you." Zahra'u say as she continue thanking the old man making him to smile.

It's a short walk to the beautiful bungalow, zahra'u and the old man who's name she learnt is mallam musa knock on the gate and patiently wait outside..

"Mallam musa,
it's you " yanzu nan hajiya ta gama tambayan ka."a man say opening the gate widely as mallam musa enter with zahra'u trailing behind him admiring the building.

"Come in." The man say opening the parlour door as mallam musa ask zahra'u to sit.

"Mallam musa,
I was just asking Dauda about you,
Na jika shiru kwana biyu." The regal looking Lady say entering the parlour.

"Yes hajiya,
This is zahra'u." He say and the lady node glancing at zahra'u and the baby on her back.

"Good morning." Zahra'u greet and the woman node with a smile.

"Morning,
But mallam musa she has a baby,
Are you sure she can do the work around here without the baby bothering her." She say and zahra'u shake her head.

"No Aunty,
I promise my daughter won't make my work difficult,
I have work in a restaurant before,
I can do all the chores around here i promise." Zahra'u say and the woman node impressively.

"It's alright then,
There's just me and my husband in the house,
You will do the regular chores around here and I will pay you 20,000 naira every month." The woman say and zahra'u node kneeling on the floor.

"Thank you very much ma'am,
May the Almighty bless you and your family, nagode." Zahra'u say making the woman to smile with a node.

"It's fine,
Mallam musa is like a family to him so i trust him,
Your bedroom is by the kitchen door." The woman say and zahra'u node mentally sighing in relief.

"Thank you soo much hajiya and i promise zahra'u won't disappoint you." Mallam musa say and the woman node.

"It's OK mallam musa,
Well let me give you two some space to talk, the bedroom is right there." She say and zahra'u node watching the woman disappear into a lobby.

"Thank you baba i really appreciate,
This means a lot to me and my daughter." Zahra'u say still kneeling on the floor making the old man to smile.

"It's OK,
Just make sure you do the right thing and if there's any problem just let me know, take care of yourself and your daughter, i will also check on you once in a while." He assure her and zahra'u node.

"Thank you." She say with a sniff as the old man slightly touch her head.

"It's fine,
May the Almighty guide you through,
With every hardship comes relief soon, everything will some day be a story to tell." Mallam audu say and zahra'u node.

"I will leave now,
Take your bag and rest in the bedroom." He say and zahra'u node, she grab the duffle bag and walk to the direction the lady point, she glance at the kitchen that the door is already open and open the brown door next to it.

Zahra'u scan the well furnished bedroom, this is the first time she will be sleeping on something this big,
Zahra'u knows she will have to do everything she can to live in the house, she untie her baby that is still sleeping and keep her on the soft mattress with a smile,
Zahra'u believe she find a home never did she know the four walls of the beautiful bungalow is another step of misery in her life.