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Chapter nineteen
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THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty
Just as her mother would always tell her. She would always say that social strata, class or position doesn’t matter. What matters is the personality in you. Life has a way of balancing these things. You may have money but no morals. Or, you may have morals and not money. However, people with both virtues are to be considered fortunate and blessed by God. Immediately the conversation the room mates were having before she came in resounded in her ears. How can our youths do anything for money? Where are our morals? Where did it all go wrong? These questions and many more kept hammering in her mind and bringing her to a state of a conscious handyman. In a society where materialism and unequal distribution of wealth is the order of the day, there is always an alarming rate of crime and social vices. In recent years, due to economic backlash and desire to ‘belong’, many youths have taken to different social malpractices. Many of our youths have dropped out of school while cybercrime i
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-one
‘Tell me, I’m losing my patience here? ‘Well, mother, father, it was really nothing that huge. You don’t have to fret. It was just a couple of boys trying to be irresponsible.’ ‘How do you mean irresponsible?’ Her father who had been silent all these while finally spoke. ‘Father.’ Nkem continued. ‘I had closed from work and was returning home when a group of boys accosted me. But, I promise you nothing happened.’ She concluded. ‘You’ve got to be careful, my daughter. By the way why did you return home late today aside being accosted on the way? He asked rather impatient. ‘Yes father, my boss wanted us to finish a contract she had which was already getting behind schedule. I would have closed from work as you all know by 5:30 PM but for this reason, I had to stay an additional one and a half hours.’ ‘I think you have to tell your boss what happened today so that she doesn’t make you stay late again.’ Her mother commanded. ‘I will mother, let the day break.’ ‘Okay. Now go in an
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-two
‘Sorry ma’am, am Fresh and am looking for one Nkem. I believe she works here. Please can I see her? ‘Nkem?’ she was confused. ‘Nkem never had anyone coming to look for her apart from her family members and she doesn’t keep friends as such. Who could this be?’ She asked herself and the only way to find out was if she could call her out and see her reactions. ‘Nkem.’ She called. ‘Yes ma’am.’ ‘A minute please’ She could feel some butterflies in her stomach. Her worst fears have come to play right before her. How would she be able to manage this scenario? Oh my goodness. Where do I run to? Her instincts couldn’t be wrong. She had never felt so sure of her instincts before now. She slouched as she walked. She could feel her own legs and hands vibrating to the rhythm her heart was playing for them. The drum was acutely resonating in her ears until she closed her ears with her hands. She managed to drag her tired legs to the door. Right before her was her worst fears. She looked down
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-three
‘You smell so good and fresh.’ He opined, still basking in the feeling of smell of wild flowers. ‘You-u-u?’ She stammered. ‘Yes, me.’ He uttered. ‘Please, can you let me go?’ She begged. ‘You don’t practically know how good you look. You’ve practically mesmerized me, girl. You’ve swept me off my feet my love. Couldn’t sleep all through last night, you know? Haven’t felt this way before. In fact, prior to this moment, I’ve got no feeling for no girl. Tell me; what do I do with you?’ ‘I am quite fascinated at your feelings.’ Nkem found herself saying. Seems she has finally found her voice. She was no longer terrified but feels pity for this lost soul. ‘How can you really fall in love with someone you are just meeting at the first time?’ By now, it was beginning to get dark and because it was a cold evening as a result of the heavy downpour earlier in the day, people were scanty on the roads. The coldness of fear had enveloped her once again, and she became restless to rea
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-four
She didn’t utter a word but gave him a wry look instead. ‘Let me take you home. It’s risky for you going out all by yourself.’ ‘I don’t want to be seen with the likes of you. Please, let me go.’ ‘No, if you must go alone, then, I won’t let you go.’ He opined. Seeing that this will start another argument that will lead her nowhere, she gave in. She hurried into her clothes and she felt guilty all the way home. It was about 9.00pm by the time she reached home. To say that the environment at home was conducive prior to her reaching home would be an understatement. Everyone at home was worried. Her parents didn’t know what to do. Should they report her inability to reach home by then to the police? They knew that the police would ask them to wait for 48 hours before they could declare her missing. She felt that that was not ideal at all, a whooping 48 hours? By then something untoward must have happened to the victim. To her, that was a long wait. She felt that the country’s legal
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-five
I will have to run away by dawn, I can’t be here being helpless. Tomorrow history shall be made once again. She shuffled her feet to the direction of the bed, and lay her exhausted body on the bed awaiting the breaking of the new day. She stood in front of the bungalow, she didn’t know if she should go further or backward. She looked at her wrist-watch it was eight minutes past six in the morning. She was apparently not ready to go in; she had become indecisive. What to do? She had left home at exactly 5.00am. It was her decision to leave before daybreak to avoid being stopped by her parents and to avoid drawing the attention of the neighbours. The name at the gate read: LITTLE ANGELS MOTHERLESS BABIES’ HOME. She swallowed the gulp in her throat, grabbed her baggage tenaciously and knocked softly at the gate to avoid waking up the little ones. No one came to her rescue immediately or were they afraid of the stranger knocking by that time of the day? She leaned on the gate hoping to g
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-six
‘Why is he still in bed? You all know the rules here. You know that there is no exception. Why would you leave him behind Susan? Why you no bring am come here, you know say we wan pray?’ She asked in pidgin English, code-mixing her words so as to carry Susan along. Pete happens to be the latest baby there, the baby of the house. He should be around five months old. ‘Ma, you know say him be get small fever, na him make I keep am behind.’ She said in crude manner scratching her head and adjusting her skirt in the process. Madam Faith looked at her in a careless manner, doubting her preparedness to catch-up with the contemporary way of living. ‘You for bring am along, in fact, you for tell me say him get small fever. Okay, if I no too ask now him whereabout, you for no tell me? Susan, Susan, eeh, how many times did I call you?’ ‘Two times madam.’ She answered in a naive and crude manner. ‘Oh! Chi m! You will not kill me o, Susan.’ Sandra said bursting into uncontrolled laughte
THE COVERT IDENTITY Chapter twenty-seven
One should note that if one has a responsibility to provide parental care to one’s child, one must: Name your child Provide a home for your child Protect and maintain your child Discipline your child Choose and provide education for your child Determine the religion of your child Agree to provide your child with any necessary medical treatment Allow confidential information relating to your child be disclosed where necessary You must also support your child financially Sandra allowed herself to be in that illusion where children sometimes lose their first line of protection – their family. She felt the reasons for the separation could be displacement, inability of families to care for children due to poverty, disability, domestic violence, abuse or neglect, addiction or other forms of substance abuse, or death of parents. She felt that every child has the right to grow up in a supportive, caring and nurturing family environment. Despite the growing body of evidence relating
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