All Chapters of Growing Pains: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

RahabIt is always quiet whenever I get home from work. The night air whistling violently, threatening to carry me with it. Pausing outside the house I cautiously go through the keys in my hand. Keys, older than me, all still on the chain making my already laborious task harder. Finding the key, finally, and unlocking the padlock, the first thing I perceive is the burning smell. "Daddy!" I call out frantically, running into the smoky haze. The responding quiet doing nothing to expel my fears.Wrapping my cardigan around my nose and forcing myself to look around, even though my eyes stung. I finally locate the source of the smoke. A burning pot with its contents charred beyond recognition. Taking a rag from the floor I grabthe pot by its worn handle and half run, half skip to dispose the pot outside. A plastic bucket filled with rain water by the side of the house catches my attention and I quickly slosh a good amount in

RahabYellow oranges have to be nature's comic relief or some sort of dramatic irony in the very least, because, if they're called Oranges, why then are they yellow in colour? I'm pondering this silently as I fill the display basket on the fruit aisle of the "organic farmers market".Yes, it is every bit as pretentious as it sounds. You'll not believe the amount of haughty snobs that come in here on a daily basis looking to buy oranges at N141.99 apiece or Spinach leaves for N138.99 a bunch, when they could get double, heck even triple that amount from any local roadside merchant at that same price. If I didn't work here, I wouldn't even be here.But really who am I to judge? I only man the cash register and occasionally work the aisles if someone calls in sick and management can't find a replacement soon enough. Ha! I'd love to believe that's the reason why, not that we are over worked (and quite frankly unde

Rahab"God! Pay day! Finally!!" I almost shout with joy as I enter the store. At last, I can get some food stuffs, God knows we need it. We have been living off of the handouts mama Tunani has been giving us for the past two weeks, and i'm not one to complain but she's a woman with a purpose, she doesn't just give things away without a reason, besides she has been getting awfully close to my dad, giving flimsy excuses to talk to him (...and touch him, when she thinks I'm not looking) if I didn't know better, I'd think she was flirting with him, but do I really know any better?. Even as I think this, a shudder runs down my spine Ew!I mean, I guess you could say my dad was handsome—er is handsome. Also very well built, not bad for a man his age. He was a professional boxer once, a long, long time ago. Was quite a big deal, that is if his press appearances back then were anything to go by but I didn't inherit his love for pain a

RahabI sit as quietly as I can manage in the back of the car. Joyce insists on turning on the radio, after a while Seun gives in. She sings along to some pop song in some foreign language, and i resist the urge to roll my eyes, opting instead to look out the window and focus on the world passing by. We pass Central market in a slow drive, and i observe the diurnal traders hub, rendered eerie and abandoned in the night time. I sigh, I'll need to come and buy some food stuffs tomorrow. The mere thought makes me break out in anxious sweat, I don't have enough money, so much to do, yet so little to work with.I wish my dad could help, or at least help better, I wish I didn't have to be so worried about what comes next, I wish I could go back to school again... Ha! now there's a thought. I place my head on the cool glass and let the melancholy wash over me, it wasn't always like this.

RahabThe box feels heavier now than when I first held and opened it in the car. Why did he even bother? My mind is reeling with the implication of what this is. Typical Seun, this was the reason we both fought the last time.I spent several unbearable weeks ignoring him, only for me to finally break the silence, and by then he had gone and gotten himself a girl friend. Awesome!When he introduced us, I didn't even make the effort to smile. It felt like too much, we had a thing, a connection, not like we were a couple or whatever, but it still hurt either ways. I hated how I felt, I hated that he expected me to be fine with this recent development, as if it were nothing. I mean it wasn't like I liked him in that way right? Wrong!Stupid Seun! Stupid, stupid, Yoruba boy Seun! I almost don't notice mama Tunani until it is too late. I slam into her and the box flies from my