Song of the Chapter: When We Are Human

“Out!” The officer said as he unlocked the door of the prison. “You are lucky o. Thank God you get connection, if not, you will never see the light of day again.”

Sewa raised her head and squinted at the man talking. His black police uniform was rumpled and his shirt was left untucked.

Slowly, she got to her feet and sluggishly dragged her legs forward. Sewa's eyes were heavy with fatigue. For the past four days, she wasn't able to sleep because of the giant cockroaches and mosquitoes. The officers hardly gave her food and the water tasted either like kerosene, mud or it had been left in the sun for too long.

“Like I don't understand how a beautiful girl like you would be stealing but that's how all of you are. You will be catwalking up and down, and at the end you are nothing but a common thief,” the officer continued.

Sewa ignored him and rubbed her eyes. She held the bars to steady herself for a minute. The officer pulled her roughly out of the prison.

“Abeg, be fast. I have better things to do than watch you walk like a snail.”

Sewa gave him the deadliest glare she could muster and rubbed her forearm where he had grabbed her.

“Move!” He ordered.

Sewa walked ahead of him, doing as he instructed till they reached the front desk.

“Sewa!” Her mother's anguished call jerked her awake from her sombre mood.

“Mommy,” she cried and the two hugged amidst tears. Her mother showered her face with kisses and thanked God.

“Sewa,” her mother whispered in to her ear as they parted slightly. “Let's go.”

“If you like mess up again, we no go let you-” One of the police officers started saying again.

“Will you keep quiet?” Sewa's mother barked and gave them a deathly glare. The officers cowered for a second but quickly recovered and sneered at the two females.

“We will throw the two of you in now.”

“Oya!” Sewa's mother threw down her purse and pushed Sewa behind her, “Come and carry me. Since you can carry your mother and lock her up there.” Sewa pulled at her mother's arm pleadingly but her mother was far too gone in her anger.

“My mother knows I'm not a thief unlike you.”

“Ehn? So you can collect bribe and not be a thief? All those people you go stop for road and collect their hard earned money does not make you a thief. It shall not be well with you,” She said subsequently switching from the Yoruba language to the English.

“Madam, hold your tongue or I go throw you back in jail.”

“No problem, but first give me back my money. You can't throw me in jail without giving me my money first.”

“What a useless woman o. I'm ashamed to be a woman,” The female police officer finally spoke up.

While Sewa silently hissed in disdain, Sewa's mother clapped in a mocking manner and barked a harsh laugh. “See charcoal calling kettle black. You are insulting my daughter when you, you that your vagina is a flapping mess. It's your sort with innocent face that will be sleeping around. Abi is that not how you got the job?”

The female officer was shocked and pressed her lips together with a frown. Her thin lips kept disappearing as she scowled.

Ugly woman, Sewa thought, it's not she is even fine. See how she open mouth 'waaa' to insult me.

“Stupid!” It was obvious her mother had finally had enough. She picked up her purse from the dirty floors of the station, grabbed her daughter by the wrist and stormed out. Her small yellow Camry Toyota car waited for the duo a mile away.

When Sewa asked why she parked so far away, her mother answered that if she had not, the officers would have extorted more money from her. After all, people believe those who have cars are rich.

It wasn't that her family was too poor, but they managed to get by. Thanks to her dad, God bless his soul, thought to buy his own house rather than rent an apartment for the family. This helped because with a roof over their heads, all they needed was to worry about food.

“Mummy, where did you get the money?” Sewa asked, watching her mother drive through the traffic.

“Ah we thank God o. You won't believe what happened.” From the tone of her mother's voice, Sewa knew she was in gist mode.

“Remember that your friend from secondary school? That one that always followed you home after school? Em, what's his name again?”

“Elijah?” Sewa offered and frowned in confusion.

“Yes! That boy. I shouldn't call him boy again when he is all rich and has that nice body.”

“Mummy now. Tell me what happened”

“Oh yes. So I was gathering all the money I had from my provision sales and thought to borrow loan. I was in my shop sef when he came in to buy everything I sold. I didn't even recognize him with all his handsomeness-”

Sewa cocked a brow at her mother. Is she really going to be like this?

“- I thought he was crazy or a gold digger but when he introduced himself, I hugged the good child. Anyway, he offered to release you from prison and still bought all the goods I had in my store. He pulled some strings and called some people and then the DPO of that stupid useless station. Elijah na gave me some money just in case they ask for bribe. That's how I na rush to come and release you.”

“Wow,” Sewa muttered. She didn't know whether to be grateful or disgusted. It's his friend that got her in trouble in the first place.

“Oh, he even gave me his business card.” Her mother pushed her purse into her daughter's hand. “It's inside.”

She unzipped the purse and pulled out the small flat black card. She read;

          Manager,
          IndiGo Enterprises,
          4, Adigun road, Ikeja.
          Available during working hours.

“Well first, we are giving him back his money.”

If not for the 'go-slow', her mother seemed prepared to crash into the car in front of her. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Mummy, you know how I feel when someone gives us something for not doing anything that will benefit the giver.”

“It doesn't matter!”

“I will give him back his money he gave the police as bribe. The money he paid for your provision will be used to get new stocks.”

“When I have paid him, I will get my restaurant back. End of story.”

“You work too hard, Sewa.”

“Hardwork blesseth man.”

“God knows when you will get married now when all you think about is that restaurant.”

“I'm not interested in marrying,” At her mother's gasp, she quickly added, “at least not now. When I have enough money, then I can marry without intimidation from any man.”

“What about Elijah? He's the perfect man.”

“There is no such thing as the perfect man. Elijah could as well be facing his own problems-”

“Like being single in his late twenties?” Her mother cut in.

“There are many other women out there.”

“And there is only one Sewa Ade in this world.”

“Actually, according to Google, there is a possibility I find two to ten Sewa Ade on the internet.”

Frustrated, her mother snapped, “There is only one you and you will, hopefully, get married one day. End of discussion.”

After a long term of silence, Sewa poked her mother. “Mummy, are you still angry?”

“If I land you one slap, you will stop that rubbish you are doing.”

Sewa chuckled softly seeing the small smile on her mother's face. She turned on the radio and switched the station to FM 107.5. Adekunle Gold's Orente blasted from the speakers.

Sewa moved her body to the song and sang along. As the song ended, she finally said what had been troubling her all day.

“Mummy, I'm hungry.”