SHATTERED DREAMS
(The struggle to migrate at all cost)
Adewale Oshodi
Published by Bross Books
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Copyright 2011 Adewale Oshodi
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CHAPTER ONE
“Papa, the streets of Europe are paved with gold. Money is lined up on the streets and anybody who needs money will just be picking it”, David told his unlettered father, trying to convince him to sell the family’s cherished possession, a four-acre landed property in a bid to finance his journey to Europe where he had always dreamt of living.
“Do you mean the white people just put money by the roadside?” Pa Kenneth, David’s 68-year-old father asked curiously. “Definitely, that is exactly what happens in Europe,” he replied.
“Just look at Papa Dauda’s son who went to Europe two years ago”, David said, sounding confidently, as he tried to convince his father that selling the property would amount to an investment on him, which would later pay-off in the long run.
“After just a couple of years in Europe, he bought a car for his father and is already renovating their dilapidated family house.” Pa Kenneth thought for a while, nodding his head, “I remember that Okiro, Pa Dauda’s son had graduated from the university, and for five years, he could not get a job, and then we were told he had traveled to London; so he is just packing the money on the streets of London and sending them to his father?”
“That is exactly what is happening, David chirped in”, “That is why you must support me to go to Europe too, so that I can bring enough money back home”.
“But the only possession we have is the four-acre family land and I can not just single-handedly take a decision to sell it without informing other family members,” Pa Kenneth said, grinning.
“Look father, you are the family head and the land documents are with you. Just sell the land and within six months of my getting to Europe, I will pack enough money and send it to you to buy back the land from whoever you sold it to; I’m sure the person who will buy it will not resist when we want to buy it back double the amount he paid us; David said, still doing everything possible to convince his father to sell the land.
“It will take sometime before I decide because what we are talking about can cause a big crisis in the family,” Pa Kenneth said.
Walking away grudgingly, David murmured to himself as he left his father’s presence. Travelling abroad was something he had always wanted, so immediately he left the university, he did not bother to search for any job. After his compulsory one-year military service, he had taken the traveling issue as his priority, despite the fact that his mates had dusted their certificates and were looking for job all over the place.
But while it is easy to contemplate travelling out of the country, one of the greatest problems associated with it, is the huge financial resources which must be available at one’s disposal.
First, the intending traveler must obtain an international passport before submitting his application for a visa at the destination country’s embassy. For David, the United Kingdom was his destination, with London being his preferred city in which he wanted to settle.
He had heard many interesting stories about London and had planned to immediately go to some notable places in the city as soon as he arrived there, and take some pictures which he would send to family members back home. This was what most of those who had traveled before him had done. He had planned to take pictures at the Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at Bush House, among other places.
Therefore, after the discussion he had with his father, he felt his father was not buying into his idea. This left him dejected and sensed he needed to see his friend, Tanimu, who lived across the street.
David and Tanimu had been friends for as long as they both could remember. They had attended elementary, secondary and even, tertiary institutions together. However, that was where their journey in life separates.
Although they both studied Agricultural Science in the university and were both conscripted for the compulsory one-year military service at the same year, but while David’s dream was to travel abroad, Tanimu’s was to establish a poultry farm and nurture it to become one of the biggest agribusiness companies in the country, and even in Africa.
So, after their military service, Tanimu, while working as an Agricultural Science teacher in a private secondary school in their town, had also bought day-old chicks that he was breeding, which he hoped to sell for profit after four or five months.
Since he had a theoretical background in agriculture, he had no problem breeding the chicks successfully.
It was his chicks that he was tending to when David got to his house. “Papa Chicken,” David shouted from a far when he saw his friend pouring water into the chicks’ trough.
“You and your chicken business” David said, trying to make jest of his friend, Tanimu.
“You are so lucky that you are a witness to the start of a multi-billion naira agribusiness empire”, Tanimu replied, sounding confident.
“I pity you” David said, with all seriousness. Don’t you know nothing ever works in this country; the best thing is for us to find a way out of this country.”
“Look, we cannot all leave”, replied Tanimu, “Some people must remain to change how things are done in this country”, Tanimu said, sounding like a patriot. “The United States and other European countries that you are struggling to enter at all cost, did not get to where they are in a day, so I believe if we all contribute to the development of this country, then we will get to the level these advanced countries have attained”,
“Anyway, my mind is made up”, David said, “I’m here to tell you that if my plan is accomplished, in the next couple of months, I should be a resident of the Queen’s country”
“Really”, Tanimu exclaimed, “have you submitted your application for a visa at the British High Commission in Lagos?”
“I don’t really need to go to the High Commission,” David replied, “I have just met this man who has an immigration agency. He is into the business of helping people get visas and he has promised to help me as soon as I my hands on the funds I am expecting”
Looking a bit disturbed, Tanimu said, “you must be careful with these immigration agents; most of them are frauds”.
“The person who introduced this agent to me said he has been into this business for the past 10 years and that he had never been denied a visa at any of the embassies or High Commissions”, David said.
“In fact, he has successfully assisted people to enter the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and many other developed countries. His success rate is 100 per cent.”
David was so confident that this agent was genuine, and there was nothing anybody could tell him to have a rethink. Realising this, Tanimu just said, “I just wish you the best of luck and hope your dream comes to fruition.
After the discussion with Tanimu, David felt the anger against his unlettered father had subsided, and he left for home, promising Tanimu that he would see him soon.
***
It was 5.30a.m the following morning; David was already at the Iwo Road motor park to make the one and a half hour journey to Lagos to meet Doraso, the immigration agent he had been introduced to.
Being a Friday morning, the bus got filled quickly because of the huge number of people travelling to Lagos for the weekend. Most of these travelers were travelling for various social engagements coming up at the weekend.
David was glad his bus got filled quickly, because he wanted to return home on time. He knew Lagos could be very dangerous, especially at night. The Ibadan-Lagos expressway also gave him serious concern. The highway was such in a bad shape that at short intervals, the bus entered into deep gullies, which made the passenger heap curses on the government. Most of the travelers wondered why such an important highway in the country would be left to rot away, while claiming innocent lives. They all blamed the government for the country’s woes, despite the huge billions of dollars the country was making from crude oil export.
One of the passengers, a middle-aged man, was visibly angry. “Until family members of those who are in positions of authority perish on this road, the government will not realize that it is high time the highway was rehabilitated”, he said, fuming with anger.
As the discussions about the terrible state of public infrastructure were continued, David thought to himself, “this is what I am saying about this country. The government is not responsive to the yearnings of the people. Who should blame me if I want to leave at all cost now?” he asked himself with a smile. This is further strengthened his resolved to migrate at all cost.
David and the immigration agent, Doraso had talked extensively on phone a couple of days earlier, when they were introduced to one another. Doraso had suggested to David to come to Lagos so they could meet in person in order for him to analyse his chances of immigrating, and they had agreed to meet under a very big tree just opposite the British High Commission. The tree provided shade for the larger number of prospective immigrants who trooped to the High Commission on a daily basis in order to obtain their visas to travel to the UK.
David was earlier bothered that Doraso had asked him to meet him under a tree in front of the British High Commission, and not in an office. He had voiced this concern to Doraso while they were talking on phone, but Doraso had assured him that using the tree as his office, he had contact with people who mattered in the British High Commission’s visa section, as well as other embassies in the area. This explanation made David to overcome his initial doubts about Doraso being a fraud.
On this particular day, traffic into Lagos could only be described as terrific, as the volume of vehicles entering this commercial city was so high. After a series of dangerous driving and maneuverings, the bus pulled up at the Yaba motor park, and all the passengers disembarked. However, by this time, David was already 30 minutes late. He had agreed to meet Doraso at exactly 10.00 am, and in order not to waste more time, as soon as he got out of the bus, he signaled to a commercial motor cycle operator, popularly known as Okada.
“Victoria Island”, David asked the motor cycle rider, motioning to him if he would go.
The motorcycle rider was surprised. Victoria Island is on an island and it is linked to the mainland by some bridges.
There had been instances whereby motorcycle riders who travelled on the bridge had been hit by over speeding vehicles, thereby throwing both the motorcycle and the rider into the ocean.
The state government had on many occasions, warned motorcycle riders from travelling on the bridge, but some had continued to defy the law due to the monetary gains they would make from the passenger.
So, when David asked if the rider could take him to Victoria Island, he was surprised, but David knew the language of most of these riders.
“I’ll give you 1,000 naira,” he said.
The normal bus fare from Yaba to Victoria Island was 150 naira, but here was somebody willing to offer 1,000 naira.
“But”, the rider murmured, “It’s dangerous”
“I’ll give you 1,500 naira”, David said again.
This offer was now so tempting for the rider to refuse.
“Hop on the bike”, he said, “I know God is our guide”.
Most Nigerians are religious, and even when they are doing the wrong thing, they still call on God to see them through, and so it was not a surprise that the rider accepted the offer, while calling on God to keep them safe.
For David, travelling to Victoria Island on bike was the best way he could get to Lugard Avenue, where the British High Commission is situated fast. By this time, he was already behind time, and he didn’t want Doraso to see him as somebody who doesn’t keep to time, since first impression lasts long.
Immediately David got on the bike, he noticed that the rider looked smart and his mien was different from the other riders he had come across. This rider was neat and spoke with respect, so David concluded that the rider might be a graduate, who could not secure decent employment and eventually found himself riding the bike. For every challenge the country is faced with, David linked such with bad leadership, while believing it was just a matter of time before he left the country for good. He never believed anything could be remedied.
As the rider maneuvered past cars and other heavy duty vehicles on the bridge, David was a bit scared. Coming from a quiet city traffic-wise, his heart started beating heavily for fear of the rider losing control and both of them ending up in the ocean under the bridge.
There was a time the rider got so close to the edge of the bridge that David thought they might fall off, but he didn’t want to caution him so that he didn’t get confused. After about 40 minutes, they got to Lugard Avenue. He got off the bike and paid the rider, while heaving a sigh of relieve. He promised himself in his heart never to embark on the journey across the bridge again on a bike.
Locating the tree opposite the British High Commission wasn’t difficult. Under the tree were many people milling around. Most of them had appointments at the High Commission on that particular day.
David scanned the area with his eyes, and immediately noticed a short fat man seated on a white plastic chair. He suspected him to be Doraso, so he moved under the tree and greeted the man. “Good morning, sir,” David said, “I am here to see Mr. Doraso”.
“Oh!” the fat man smiled, “You are here to see the unofficial ambassador to the Big Three. This is Doraso talking to you”.
“It’s nice to meet you finally, sir. I am David who you’ve been speaking with on phone.
“David, you have been keeping me waiting since morning”, Doraso said in a strong voice.
“I am sorry, sir but you know how Lagos traffic is”, David replied, trying to defend himself.
“That’s not my business. I am a very busy man, and I need to meet some officials at the German embassy very soon. So, can I see your passport?” Doraso asked, stretching his hand forward.
While searching his bag for his passport, David asked Doraso what he meant by the title, the unofficial ambassador of the Big Three.
“The big three are the top three countries popular with Nigerians, and they are United States, United Kingdom and Canada”, Doraso said, smiling, “and I am these countries ambassador in Nigeria.”
“I don’t understand” David said, frowning his face, “I know these countries have their ambassadors in the country.
“I mean unofficial ambassador. I help people like you enter these countries at ease without appearing for visa interviews and I have a 100 percent success rate. Now, let us get down to business”, Doraso said, while flipping the pages of the David’s passport.
“I can see you have a virgin passport”
David was surprised by this, and he asked, “what is a virgin passport, sir,”.
“It means you have a new passport which has no previous visa stamp on it. These foreigners are often skeptical about giving such people visas because they feel they might not return to their country at the expiration of their visas”
“What will happen now since I have a virgin passport?” David asked, while explaining to Doraso what the travelling meant to him.
Wriggling his head to the right and left as if trying to figure out a clue, Doraso replied, “that will only take you fee higher because there is no way you will present this passport for a visa like this and you will be given. I am the only person who has all it takes to secure you a visa, even if it is a virgin passport”.
“Now, how much will I pay you to obtain a British visa?” David asked.
“It is 550,000 naira,” Doraso answered.
“What!” David shouted, “That is too much, when the original visa fee in the High Commission is just about 20,000 naira.”
“What I’m offering you is multiple entry 10-year visa. That means you can enter and go out of the UK at will,” Doraso said, trying to convince David.
“However, you can go and submit your passport yourself and see if you will be given a visa, and if you are successful, it will just be for a three-month stay in the UK, and before you know it, you are already an illegal immigrant in Queen’s country”.
“But, to convince you that I offer a 100 per cent success service, you won’t pay the money until the 10-year multiple entry visa is on your passport,” Doraso said, while telling David to take or leave the offer.
David thought for a while. The 10-year multiple entry visa sounded too good to be true and Doraso’s no visa, no payment policy made him look genuine.
“Okay”, David finally said, “when will the visa be ready?”
“You can check back in two months time. You know I won’t release your passport if my 550,000 naira is not complete”, Doraso said.
“Don’t worry,” David smiled, “your money will be ready”.
David and Doraso shook hands and he moved to where he would get a bus to take him to the motor park. He didn’t want to risk his life taking a bike on the bridge again. Moreover, he was not in a hurry to get home as he was when he was coming.
***
For the two-hour journey back Ibadan, David was only thinking about how to convince his father to sell the family land. He felt since Doraso had assured him that he would not collect his fees until the visa was ready, proved he was an expert in immigration matters, and anybody who is not sure of himself would never give that promise. However, all he could think of throughout the journey was convincing his unlettered father who was not too keen to sell the land to dispose it for his sake. David knew embarking on a journey was capital intensive, and if he succeeded in paying Doraso the money he demanded, he still needed some money for the air ticket, and more money for him to settle himself in the UK before he found something he would be doing himself.
A year earlier, the family had met on selling the landed property, but members decided to hold on for a couple of years. This was because the estate agency, owned by another member of the family, had advised that with the land being in a commercially-viable location, it would be better if they could just hold on for a while.
The advice was that since government was planning to construct a highway very close to where the land is located, landed property in the area would shoot up by over 250 per cent in just a matter of months after the construction of the highway, and that was how that sale was shelved the previous year.
But since there was nothing his father could convert to money for the purpose of his trip, David then felt he should further convince his father to sell the land, while hoping that he would buy it back from whoever it was sold to for double the price as soon as he got to the UK. He knew convincing his father wasn’t going to be easy.
His father was a much disciplined man, and despite the fact that he was not rich, he was still contented with life.
The family history had it that when he was young, being the first born of his parents, he stayed back from school to help his father on his farm, while also supporting the educational advancement of his siblings. That gave the reason why all his younger ones were educated, while he was an illiterate
This journey back to Ibadan from Lagos was short than when he was going in the morning, and maybe it was because he was lost in his thoughts, he had a little sleep on his way back. Not even the bus’ constant running into potholes stopped him from sleeping.
After an hour and a half’s journey, David finally got to the junction of his street, hoping to find a taxi to board home. His body was aching as a result of many pot-holes his bus ran into on the journey.
“Now, some will say we have a government”, David murmured silently to himself, “many lives would have been saved in road accidents if we have a responsive government”, referring to the bad state of the highway, which is one of the busiest in the country.
But just as he was waiting by the side of the road to get a taxi, a Hummer H3 parked by his side and honked several times. David was attracted to the jeep. He had never seen the Hummer jeep in his life, but he had seen American music stars drive the vehicle in their videos.
“What could this king of the road be doing in my area?” David thought. It was then he realized that the Hummer had parked and the driver was honking, while also signaling to him to come. The jeep had created a scene around the junction, as many other people who had also never seen the road monster in their lives, looking in awe.
David’s heart skipped a beat after he realized the driver of the jeep was actually signaling to him to come. “May be the driver missed his way,” he thought as he moved closer to the jeep. He was also very careful because ritualists had often kidnapped people in such way in the guise of seeking for help.
Even, just a couple of weeks earlier, a Mercedes Benz C-Class had approached the area. The driver stopped to ask a group of school pupils the way to the house of a very popular chief in the area.
After describing the house to the occupants of the car, they seemed not to get the place, so they asked if one of them would take them there, with the promise that they would return him to join his friends, or even take him to his house.
At first, the pupils were reluctant, but with the promise that whoever took them to Chief’s house would be given 1,000 naira, one of them volunteered, and to be sure that he would be safe, he asked his best friend, another eight-year-old boy to accompany him.
Even, before the boys stepped into the car, they had been thinking in their minds what they would do with the 1,000 naira that would be given them. 1,000 naira is a lot of money to these pupils, since their daily pocket money to school is about 40 naira, out of which they would pay their transport fare. However, as the car left with the boys, that was the last they saw of them. So, David had made up his mind that if he occupant of the hummer asked him to take him somewhere, even for a huge amount, he would decline politely.
When he finally got to the jeep, he was shocked when the driver turned out to be James, his former classmate at the Community Secondary School in their area.
“James”, David shouted, “what are you doing in this big jeep?’ and not waiting for an answer, he asked again, “or you are the driver to one of the richest men in this country?”
“Cool down, man” James responded, signaling to him to enter the car. “I just returned from Italy where I am based, and I will be in the country for a couple of weeks before returning.
“Are you really sure you own this jeep?” David asked, wiping his eyes with his palms to ensure he was not dreaming.
“Of course”, James said, “this is just one of my exotic automobiles”.
James was the last person David expected to see, and even successful at that too. He was one of the poorest students academically while in school, and was always coming last in class in everything. He was not gifted academically or in sports.
Even, one day, their mathematics teacher had suggested to him that he drop out of school and start work as a fruit vendor since he was not useful in the academic line. In short, James was just so bad that he could not even recite the multiplication table off hand.
“James,” this is really a big surprise to me, David said again.
“After I left secondary school, I just met some international businessmen who assisted me in their line of business. First, I started by helping them export their goods to Europe, and during those times, I was learning the ropes of the business. Now I work for myself” said James.
“What type of goods do you export? “David asked, while noticing the expensive wristwatch James was wearing, as well as his designer clothing.
” All sorts of goods, but you won’t understand now. Anyway, I just completed my eight-bedroom duplex in this area, so I am just going to see it”
“You have built an eight-bedroom duplex. Are you back in the country finally?” an exclaimed David asked.
“I just want to make this country my base now and recruit people to work for me like I did for my boss then”, James said, while asking David what he was doing at the moment.
Not wanting to tell James he was doing nothing, David said, “a telecommunications company in London just employed me and I am just coming from the British High Commission in Lagos where I had gone to submit my visa application.”
“Oh, that is beautiful,” James smiled, patting David on the shoulder. “I knew you would go places. You are just so brilliant, so I am not surprised by this. I also come to London often for parties and other stuffs from Italy once in a while, especially during weekends”, James said.
“You do?” David asked
“I hope when you get to London, we will meet, and whenever you are less busy, you will also find time to visit me in Italy.”
“That would be nice, James,” David said, as the hummer jeep moved slowly on the dusty road to David’s house. He, however, could not but notice that people, especially small children stood gazing at the jeep as it rode past. He even saw people trying to get a gaze through their windows. Such a luxurious vehicle had never passed the street behind, and it was kind of funny that James, who every thought would not amount to anything in life, was the person commanding this great attention.
Soon, the wonder on wheels pulled up in front of David’s house. All the occupants of the face-me-I-face-you weather-beaten house came out to see who it was. Even, his father, who was seated under a tree in front of the house, stretched his neck to catch a glimpse of the vehicle.
As soon as David alighted from the jeep, he waved to James, and promised he would check him at home before he travelled to London.
David moved to the house like a king. People asked him where he met the guy that brought him home with such a wonderful vehicle. “He is my very good friend. He just returned to the country and felt he needed to see me” David answered.
However, he was pained by the fact that the girl he was trying to woo, Kunbi, was not around when the Hummer Jeep rolled into their area.
David had been trying to get the attention of Kunbi while he was still in the university, but all his efforts had proved abortive as the girl always told him, although politely, that she needed to concentrate on her studies. She just got into the university when David was in his final year, and David tried to woo her for himself. It was during their discussions that David got to know they both resided in the same area, and they had never met for once before their paths crossed in the university.
Kunbi was a very quiet and religious girl. She was also very brilliant, as she was once of the students who got the highest marks during the university entrance examination, which made her to be admitted to study medicine.
Apart from all these values in her, David knew Kunbi had a future. He knew she would qualify as a medical practitioner in the next couple of years, and as a medical doctor, she would also be a great helper to her husband. So, he was always looking for avenues to impress her. That was why he was pained that he didn’t meet her as he rode in the hummer jeep.
David was lost in the thoughts that Kunbi didn’t see him with his friend, when he suddenly realized his father was seated under the tree. He was, however, glad the old man saw the vehicle that brought him home, and before he could greet his father, the old man asked, “Who was that?”
“He is my friend, James”, David answered, while seizing the opportunity to explain to his father why he needed to support him is his own travelling. “James just travelled to Italy less than a year ago. Now look at the car he is riding. You need to see his eight-bedroom mansion and the fleet of luxurious cars parked in his garage”.
“Is that so”, his astonished father hummed.
“Papa, this is the reason why you must support me in this journey”, David said, but he didn’t want to go into the issue of whether he should sell the land or not. He knew what he saw should have convinced him that he needed to assist his son, and in any way too.
***
For the rest of the day, David could only think about James’ transformation from a dull boy while in secondary school, to a rich young man. This further reinforced his decision to travel out at all cost, and he was ready to give it all his best.
“Nothing will ever stop me from achieving this goal,” David thought to himself, “not after telling James that I had been employed by a telecommunications company in London and would be leaving the country in a couple of months.
“And after two years in London, I’ll return home to flaunt my wealth and to convince Kunbi that I really mean what I’m telling her; that I love her and want to marry her. I know she will never turn me down then, especially when she sees my own hummer jeep and the five-bedroom duplex I would have completed. Every girl wants a man that she would be proud of”, David said silently, before finally sleeping-off. entered his father’s face-me-I-face-you weather-beaten house.
CHAPTER TWO
Evelyn’s mother couldn’t wait for her eldest daughter, Evelyn, to finish secondary school so that she could join her friend’s daughter, Agatha, in Italy, where she operated hairdressing saloons.
Mama Evelyn lost her husband about six years ago and had been bringing up her five children all by herself, so she couldn’t wait for Evelyn, who is just 15, to finish her secondary education the coming year.
Even, while still in school, all the children, except the last child, hawked to contribute to the economic survival of the home.
However, for Evelyn, she used to be a very intelligent girl, but helping her mother to hawk bread early in the morning before going to school and after school hours, really affected her academic performance, and gradually, her grades dropped. That was after the death of her father.
The family used to be very comfortable when their father was alive. He was an agricultural commodities seller who made sure that his wife and children lacked nothing.
Even, after marriage, he specifically instructed his wife not to work so that she could concentrate on the business of raising the kids to become morally upright and respectable members of the society. He was really successful as his trade to the extent that after a couple of years of marriage, he built his own house.
Unfortunately, he could achieve what he had planned for his family. He died in a ghastly road accident on one of his business trips while sourcing for agricultural commodities for some foreign companies. His death was a great shock to the family, especially his wife, who was about three months pregnant at that time.
After the man’s burial, his family drove Evelyn’s mother and her children out of their house, while his brothers took over his businesses. Their argument was that Papa Evelyn had no son, as all his children were girls, and according to their culture, they were entitled to nothing in what the man left behind.
Mama Evelyn took the case to the traditional ruler of their community, and he supported the deceased’s brothers’ decision to send them packing. The traditional ruler said according to custom, female children amounted to nothing since they would leave their fathers’ house to go to their husbands’ house, while also dropping their fathers’ names. The king then ruled that since she had no son, she should leave the house for her husband’s brothers.
One of Papa Evelyn’s friends, who had stood with his family since his demise, was furious by the inhuman decision. He promised that he was going to take the case to a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that specialized in fighting for the rights of widows.
“It could mean we might be drawn in a long legal battle over your husband’s property, as well as his business”, the man told Mama Evelyn angrily.
However, the woman had a different opinion. She knew her husband’s brothers were so fetish, and they could go to any length to harm her and her children in order to take over the properties, so she decided that she would let God be the Judge in the case.
Therefore, for a woman who had never worked before the demise of her husband, life became tough for Evelyn’s mother, as she suddenly faced the reality of fending for five children alone. She started some petty businesses which her daughters were also involved in.
Evelyn’s role in the family survival was to hawk bread, Atim, the second daughter’s role was to hawk sachet water, and while their mother roasted corn in front of the one-bedroom apartment they now managed, not quite far from the five-bedroom bungalow that had been taken from them. It, therefore, wasn’t an easy transition from a family who relied solely on the man of the house for day-to-day living, to one that now had to fend for themselves.
Just a couple of years earlier, Mama Evelyn’s friend, Mama Agatha, was also in the same situation she was. She had lost her husband to ill health. Just like Mama Evelyn, life became hard for Mama Agatha until some people came from Italy and asked to take Agatha with them, so she could continue her school, while also learning a trade in the European country. Not quite two years after Agatha left for Italy that things changed for her mother and her younger siblings.
First, Agatha opened a supermarket for her mother, and then bought her a car. After a couple of years, she bought a four-bedroom bungalow for the family because the house they moved to after the death of their father was not conducive enough. That was how her family was delivered from the shackles of poverty. And one after the other, Agatha took her siblings to join her in Italy, and in just a couple of years, things changed for the better for the family.
Mama Agatha and Mama Evelyn were quite close. She knew how difficult it had been for Mama Evelyn since her husband died, so one day, she suggested that she allow Evelyn join her daughter in Italy, so she could also work and change the fortune of the family.
Mama Evelyn was overjoyed by this. She knew how Agatha had changed the life of her mother, and thought that would also be her lot if Evelyn could travel out of the country to work. However, since her daughter had only one year left before she finished her school, she told Mama Agatha that immediately after Evelyn’s final year examinations, she would hand her over to Agatha to take her to Italy.
With this, Mama Evelyn felt her dreams were coming to fruition, and it was just a matter of time before things changed for the family. Even, before this, she never stopped telling Evelyn she was the hope of the family. “You are our hope in this family and you must bring us out of poverty just as Agatha brought her mother and siblings out of poverty,” she would tell her daughter.
***
At just 15, Evelyn was looked upon as the saviour who would change the financial fortune of the family, and that was why she was doing everything in her power to assist her mother in raising her other sisters. She knew her grade in school was suffering as a result of this, but she didn’t care. She only wanted her mother and sisters to be happy.
Months rolled into years, and as soon as Evelyn started her final year examinations in school, her mother went to Agatha’s mother to remind her of her promise to assist in sending her daughter to Italy to work and build a better future for herself. “How can I forget, my sister” Agatha’s mother said, “when I have been assisting Agatha to look for young girls who will go to Italy to work in her saloon; how can I then forget you?”
“I really appreciate you, Mama Agatha”, Evelyn’s mother said, “God will reward you in abundance”.
“Amen O!” Mama Agatha said, rubbing her two palms together.
“But I am surprised why Agatha usually requires young girls to join her in Italy? Mama Evelyn asked.”
“To give them a better life like she is about to offer your daughter, Evelyn” Mama Agatha said, smiling. “She wants to empower our girls more.”
“But do all these girls live with Agatha in the same house?” Mama Evelyn asked.
“Agatha has shops in all major Italican cities, and those are the places where she put the girls.”
“Oh, I see,” Evelyn’s mother smiled, “a lot of other girls would simply have employed white people, but Agatha is helping her sisters in Nigeria. May God be with her always.”
“Amen!” Agatha’s mother answered, while reassuring Evelyn’s mother that she would ensure that her daughter lived in Agatha’s house so that she could be closely monitored and guided towards the right path to follow in the European country.
CHAPTER THREE
The thought of travelling abroad made Evelyn lose interest in everything she was doing. To her, the tickling of the clock was too slow, and she couldn’t wait for her examinations to be over, after which she would await the arrival of Agatha, whom her mother had said would arrive the country in a couple of weeks.
Every passing day, Evelyn wondered why young ladies, who traveled abroad, especially Italy, became so rich upon their return. In her community, virtually all the well-to-do families had daughters in Italy and other parts of Europe, and other families who had nobody in Europe, like theirs, looked out for opportunities to send their children, especially girls, abroad, in order to assist the family financially.
Evelyn’s best friend, Amaka even noticed her lack of interest in things she used to like before. It was Evelyn who prompted them to always go to the fence of the community’s richest man, Chief Ebele, at night to read whenever there was a blackout in the community.
Chief Ebele always used his generating set every night, and Evelyn, Amaka, and a few other friends, would sit by the side of a lighted fence to read, especially when examinations was around the corner.
However, these days, Evelyn no longer called her friends to go out to read at night. She was overwhelmed with the thoughts of traveling to Europe, and this showed in her lukewarm attitude to things she earlier gave priority to. All that was on her mind was for Agatha to return home and take her to Italy.
Finally, a couple of weeks after Evelyn’s final examination, Agatha returned the country. Evelyn’s joy knew no bound. She realized that in a matter of weeks, she would be in Italy. She was thus determined to capitalize on the opportunity to bring her family out of poverty. She once told her mother, “My first priority would be to open a big supermarket for you, just like the one Aunty Agatha opened for her mother”.
***
The process involved in travelling abroad wasn’t an easy one. Evelyn’s mother first had to loan money for her daughter to obtain an international passport, which she took to Agatha immediately it was ready.
Agatha did the processing and Evelyn was not made to appear at the Italican embassy. On the day she went for briefing in Agatha’s house on when they would be travelling, she met some other young girls in the house. They were about 14 girls and had all come to see Agatha.
Evelyn immediately knew she was not the only one Agatha was helping to travel abroad. She must be a very kind woman”, Evelyn thought to herself. After waiting for some minutes, Agatha, who was not at home when the girls arrived one after the other, finally came in a black Sports Utility vehicle (SUV).
“Sorry girls,” Agatha said, as she got out of the car. “I went to make some arrangements for our departure in the next couple of days”.
Hearing about their departure brightened the girls’ faces. “A bus will be here next Thursday and I expect all of you girls to be gathered here by 8am so that we can get to the airport on time”, Agatha said, while handing each of the girls 1,000 to be used as transport fare back to their various homes.
As the girls left Agatha’s house, Evelyn heard some of them discussing how nice Agatha was, saying she was God-sent.
Evelyn couldn’t wait to get back home. After she got down from the cab that took her to the junction of her street, she was eager to share the good news about her departure, which had been fixed for the following Thursday.
It was from afar that she saw her mother in front of the house, still roasting corn and banana which she sells for the family’s survival.
“Mummy”, Evelyn shouted, while running, “we are leaving the country in the next four days”.
On hearing this, her mother dropped the fan she was using to blow the corn and banana she was roasting and rushed to hug her daughter.
“Thank God”, she said, with tears already forming in her eyes, poverty will soon come to end in our lives”.
“Mama, don’t cry” Evelyn said, wiping her mother’s eyes with her handkerchief, “things have started changing for our family from now on”, she said, while also struggling to fight back tears from coming out of her own eyes.
Dancing, Mama Evelyn said, “so my daughter will fly in a plane to Italy?” she asked herself.
“A bus will take us from Aunty Agatha’s house straight to the airport on Thursday, and we will fly by night,” said Evelyn.
Looking up to the sky, Mama Evelyn knelt down, raised her two hands up and said, “God, I thank you for everything. I know we will not suffer in vain in this family.”
***