Chapter Two

~ Rose~

I felt my legs go weak immediately he uttered those last four words. Princess is my all. I know he is rich and can take everything away from me but, I was hoping he wouldn't find out about my daughter. What do I do? How do I make him understand that he can't take my daughter away? "How do you know about my daughter?"

"Oh, you know how to hide and I must give you that! I looked everywhere... I almost thought you were a ghost and you didn't exist until a friend saw you in Lagos last month... You do know how to hide I must say." He said and moved to stand beside me.

His close proximity wasn't helping my fear at all so, I moved behind my desk and sat down. "Please, have a seat, and let's talk like grown-ups!" I said as calmly as possible.

He looked at me for a while and I thought he wouldn't sit until, he took a deep breath and sat down then said, "I thought we had an understanding that night, what happened? I woke up and you were gone. The worst part is, you left with over 30,000 dollars. I asked around and was told you didn't work at that club like you said. Why did you do all that?"

How do I explain to him that I was there that night for the first time? I haven't even stepped into a club before. I think the best thing is to explain to him what led me to that place that night. "I can explain everything but, please, don't take my daughter away. She is the only part of my life that I don't regret!" I pleaded.

He looked at me like I was wasting his time then said "your explanation better be reasonable or you have yourself to blame."

"Ok... I... It's a long story." I said to him.

"I have all the time in the world to listen to you and, if you don't want to talk now, I can take my child with me and, you come to me when you are ready to explain your actions and why you hid my child from me." He said trying to stand up.

"No! Please sit down. Don't take her away! I will tell you everything!" I said. I couldn't allow him to just walk away like that and then take my daughter.

"My life has always been hard. There had never been a single day that I could remember not being hard... I have never known my parents, I only remember staying with my aunt who made sure I had it as hard as possible.." I started.

Years ago...

"Rose!!! Rose!!!"

I heard my aunt shout my name. I have been staying with her for as long as I can remember and if I had my way, I would be out of her house by now. I don't want to answer her because I know she would ask me to go and run one stupid errand or the other.

"Rose!!!" She shouted again. She is almost close to the backyard where she allows me to sleep and I don't care what she will do this morning. I watch as she rounds the corner and when she sees me sitting and just looking at her, she flares up immediately. "See this useless monkey ooo... So you have been sitting here while I have been shouting like a madwoman since!"

'So you don't know you are a madwoman?' But of course, I couldn't say it out. Instead, I got up like I was surprised at her appearance and said "good afternoon aunty... I didn't hear you calling!"

"You didn't hear me calling?" She asks to which I nodded. She got angry at my answer and rushed to me and started hitting me. "So, my voice wasn't loud enough? I will make sure I kill you today! You are very useless. I picked your ass and sent you to school... What have I ever gained from you?" She continued to rant and hit me like she always does.

I managed to escape her hold on me and after running a short distance, I asked her what I have never been able to ask all my life. "What have you ever give to me sef... You made sure I work for anything you give to me... Even the school you are using to brag sef, you didn't do anything! I was hawking pure water and doing all sorts of things for you... Let me even ask you, who are my parents?" I asked but I made sure I was far away from her as possible.

She tried to catch me but I ran away creating more distance between us. "Do you think you are important to me? I have been waiting for you to grow up more so you can start making me real money!" She shouted and tried to catch me again.

What does she mean by real money? So all the ones I have been making is not money? "But aunty, what about all the money I have been making for you since I could walk?"

"See this yeye girl oo! So you think all those 2000 naira, 3000 naira that you bring home every day is enough money? You must be more foolish than I thought. In fact, I can see you will be worse than your stupid mother!" She shouted while picking up her slippers to throw at me.

This is the first time she has ever talked about my mother and I wasn't about to allow this opportunity to pass me by. In all my 18 years in this house, she has never talked about my mother. Sometimes, she would bring a new girl to join me but after a few months, they would leave. "Since you have never like me, why don't you just send me back to my parents! Tell me about my parents and I will leave your house for you." I said hoping she would allow me to go.

"Hahaha, do you think your parents want you? Your useless mother didn't even know who your father was. I brought her from the village and taught her how to make money! After a few months, she got pregnant with you this stupid girl!"

Her story didn't shock me much because I had suspected she does something like this. I have been wondering how she makes money to own a big and beautiful house like the one we stayed in but now it is very clear. I always knew she was into some kind of prostitution business and that's why she was always coming home with different men. "I don't understand what you are saying, aunty... Who is my mom? Tell me about her and let me go and look for her so that I can stop being an eyesore for you!"

"I should let you go?" She asked to which I nodded. "You are much more foolish than I thought. What did they even teach you in that school sef? How did you even manage to pass your WAEC? Your mother is one of the prostitutes that worked for me when I just started. Ahe got pregnant for you after a few months in the business and, when she gave birth to you, she dumped you at my house and ran away... I have never seen your mother after that night."

I wanted to know about my parents and after finding out that my mother was a prostitute and I would be introduced to the business that day, I ran away from home that night.

I was lucky enough to meet aunty Joyce who helped me. She took me to her house and allowed me to stay with her. Aunty Joyce wasn't that different from my aunt that I grew up with. Aunty Joyce was into the same business just that she didn't want me to join in until I was old enough.

I stayed with her till I was twenty and she decided I was old enough to start feeding myself.