Eleven

Faith's mother dropped herself on the chair in her sitting room at hearing the job her daughter had been hired for.  "How could you settle for a driver? The salary would even be smaller than the petty one you were receiving as a teacher. You're a graduate for crying out loud," her mother vented.

"Mum, fifty thousand naira is going to be my salary. Can you imagine? You should be happy for me. My salary as a teacher was only twenty thousand," she frowned at the last part as she took her seat on the chair opposite her mother's.

Her mother's mouth hung in the air. "Oh, my God!  Who is stupid enough to pay such huge  amount for a petty driver?"

"Mum!" Faith shouted angrily. "Are you indirectly saying I'm petty and my boss, stupid?"

"Idiot, no," her mother answered. "I am just saying that the money is too much for a driver. The drivers I know receive ten to fifteen thousand, of course I would be surprised," she added.

Faith smiled. "I know right."

"Are you sure there isn't anything else involved aside from driving? I hope it would not involve you trafficking drugs," her mother said. 

Faith laughed. "Of course not, mum. It's just that I will be living in the house with my boss since he might want to go anywhere anytime." 

"Must you live with your boss. You can always go.... Wait, did you say he?" Her eyes were wide. "Your boss is a man? And you're going to be living with him?" 

Faith had expected her outburst and had planned in advance. "Why are you making a big deal out of that, mum? I am going to be fine. The real deal is the money that is going to help us." 

"You're right, but is your boss married?" 

Her daughter frowned. "Why are you asking?" 

"I don't want you to live alone with a single man. Most of them are players. You need to be careful," her mother advised. 

Faith laughed inwardly. She was fighting it so much from surfacing. Her mother would not have known the kind of person the man was. There was no way she could have figured that her boss did not like girls. The chance of getting intimate with her boss was purely and clearly zero.  "Okay, mum," she replied to assure her mum that she would be safe. 

"But wait, if you go, who will be keeping my company?" 

"Come on, mum. It seems you don't even want me to go for this job. Your niece is here. Thankfully, she wants to live with us now. Allow her to," Faith convinced. 

"Okay. But still, I will miss you." 

"Same here. I will be coming home to see you whenever I am chanced," she reassured and hugged her mother. 

Her mother's nine year old niece walked into the room and stood in akimbo. "Must you work as a driver? Amirah asked with a questioning look. She was infamous for her sharp tongue and the unnecessary way she talked. 

Ignoring her question, Faith said, "Take care of my mum and don't hesitate to call me if you need money or anything," Faith said. 

"Have you collect your salary when you've not start working?" Amirah asked, assuming that she would not tell her to ask for money if she did not have money. 

"No," Faith shook her head while moving her index finger from side to side.  "Have you collected your salary when you've not started working?" she rephrased her question. 

"Okay. So—" 

"Shut up, Amirah. It's none of your business," Faith cut in angrily. 

Amirah shrugged. "If you say so," she replied and dragged the travel bag which contained her stuff to her side. 

"Thanks," Faith said. 

"No thanks, sis. Just make sure you earn good... I mean good money," Amirah declared with her right thumb caressing her right index finger. 

Wiping her tears, Kate, Faith's mother asked, "Did you mean good morning?" She was referring to the 'good money' her niece had said. 

"No, mother. And don't mind her," Faith suggested. 

"I mean lolly. Money, what you take to the market to buy something," Amirah explained with a broad smile that revealed her missing front teeth. 

"Of course, I know. But, the way you pronounced it was way off the line," Kate corrected. 

Faith rose to her feet and walked to the kitchen. "Let me make some dinner. Should we have spaghetti?" she shouted from the kitchen. 

"Yay!" Amirah jubilated,but Kate went against it. 

"Yam flour will be fine," Kate declared.  

"Oh!" the little girl became grumpy, but did not say anything. She dare not. 

Faith grumbled. She did not feel like eating that. But knowing her mother, she would only eat what she had determined to eat.  "Amirah!" She cooed and the little ran toward her in the kitchen. 

"Yes?" the little girl answered as she stood by the door. 

"Ssshh! Let's make spaghetti secretly, shall we?" Faith concocted with an evil grin. 

Amirah returned the evil grin. Seconds later, she shouted, "Big mummy, Sister Faith is trying to make spaghetti instead of yam flour." 

"Fuck you," Faith shouted as the girl made her way out of the kitchen to their sitting room. 

Amirah was always full of surprises. She did the things you least expected and her knowledge of things was beyond what you could easily fathom. How could she want to eat spaghetti and betray her just when Faith was trying to please her? 

———

The following day, after lunch, Faith changed her clothes, applied some nude make over, looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She got to the living room and took her seat to adjust the laces of her shoes. 

"I have to go now, mum. You and Amirah have the rest of the day all to yourself," Faith mentioned and rose to her feet and slid out the handle of her travel bag. 

Amirah had been playing with her mother since the cock crowed. Who knew if the little trouble maker ever had a good time resting at night? She was fond of waking up as early as five am and that was the time she would start her distance by going into their rooms and waking them up to prepare breakfast. 

Faith shook her head at the thought. 

"Why are you shaking your head?" Amirah asked as she walked into the room, hand in hand with Faith's mother. 

Faith ignored her and started walking to the door. "I am going to miss you guys."

"I will miss you more," her mother said and gave her a tight hug. 

Amirah crossed her hands on her chest and made a sound at the back of her throat. "I will not miss you. Bye bye," she joked and smiled. 

Faith gathered the girl in her arms, then kissed her cheeks. "Bye, baby," she said.