Hello Playloadites,

We have got this heart touching story, titled: “The Thorn In My Flesh” and here is a brand new Episode for your reading pleasure and am sure you’re going to learn a lot from this story..

After the fight with Gift’s mother most of her customers deserted her and refused to buy wares from her based on what they had heard mama Gift say about her.

Tired of sitting in the shop without making any sales, mama Toke opted to taking her wares to her customers in their houses with the promise of giving them at discounted rates but that still wasn’t enough to get them to buy from her. Many of them who were bold enough called her a witch who was using their money against them.

Toke was at home reading with the old kerosene lamp that was one of her mother’s most prized possessions since they could not afford to have electricity in their house.

She heard her mother’s footstep at the door and she ran to welcome her. her countenance changed when she saw that her mother had returned with her wares the way she went out with them.

Toke: “welcome, mama” she said, helping her bring her wares which were displayed in an old and rusted tray that had seen better days from her head.

Mama Toke: “how are you?” she managed to say.

Toke: “I am fine, ma. No sales again today? This one that you returned the way you left”

Mama Toke: “no sales o, my daughter. What about you, did you make any sale today?”

Toke: “mama, the villagers have refused to buy from me o, anywhere I go, they call me the daughter of a witch and then send me away. I had to go to the neighboring village before I could make any sales” she said.

Mama Toke: “you went where? The neighboring village? Haven’t I told you that you should never go that far just to hawk? Don’t you know that the king of the neighboring village died and that some heads will be used to bury him? Please don’t do that again” she said entering the room.

Toke: “but mama, if we do not go to the neighboring village to hawk, how do we survive now that people have refused to patronize us in this village?” she asked thoughtfully.

Mama Toke: “I don’t know again o my daughter. Maybe death should just come and carry me because I don’t know what I am doing in this world. Ordinary to feed you and myself, I am finding it very difficult” she lamented.

Toke: “don’t worry mama…”

“Don’t tell me not to worry”, her mother interjected.

“Why won’t I worry? Everywhere I go people call me a witch and accuse me of killing my husband all thanks to that your stupid and God forsaken aunt. In fact ehn, God will punish her, she will never know peace in her life and nothing good will ever come her way” she cursed.

Toke: “mama! Stop cursing her. Leave vengeance for God, let Him fight our battles for us” she said.

Mama Toke: “you are too young to understand what I am saying” she said, wiping the tears in her eyes with the edge of wrapper.

====

Mama Gift: “Gift, Gifty, where are you o” mama Gift called out from the sitting room.

Gift ran out, cleaning her hands from which had detergent foam on it.

Gift: “I am here, ma” she said.

Mama Gift: “oh, I see that you were washing your uniform. Anyway, I am going out for our women’s meeting. Take care of the house and make sure that you serve your father his food as soon as he returns later in the evening. Is that okay?” she asked her daughter who nodded in the affirmative.

As soon as her mother stepped out, Gift went into her parents’ bedroom and lifted one of the pillows on the bed. There, her mother’s Nokia phone was hidden under the pillow. Her mother never went out with her phone whenever she was going for women’s meeting and this was because the use of cell phones during meetings attracted a fine.

“Since I cannot use the phone at the meeting, what is the use of taking it there?” her mother would always say.

Gift switched on the phone and dialed her boyfriend Francis number which she had memorized in her head. Francis was her boyfriend but theirs was a hide and seek relationship because she was afraid of her over protective parents.

She dialed his number and he picked.

Francis: “hello baby, this one that you are calling, I am sure that your parents have gone out. Are you coming?” he asked.

Gift: “I cannot come because I need to wash my clothes and do some other things before my parents come back. I want to see you, can you come?” she asked twitching her finger.

Francis: “No problem, I am on my way already” he said and ended the call.

Gift quickly deleted the number from the phone’s call log and returned the phone to the way her mother had left it.

Few minutes later, she heard a knock and without checking to see who it was, she opened the door and ran into the waiting arms of Francis.

Francis: “I have missed you so much even though we saw yesterday night when you lied to your parents’ that you were going to get notes from one of your friend” he said holding her hands.

Gift: “I miss you too and that is why I called you as soon as my mother went out” she said leading him by hand into the sitting room.

Francis: “why don’t we just run away baby. Let us run away to a place where we can do our love without anybody interfering” he said.

Gift: “Hmmn, I am also tired of this hide and seek love. I am 16 and yet my parents don’t want to see me with any man. But we cannot elope because you are still in secondary school and so am I. if we run away, how will we survive?”

Francis: “I told you not to worry about that. I am strong enough to do any sort of menial job just to put food on your table and besides love conquers all so you have nothing to worry about” he assured her.

Gift: “hmmn, that sounds like a brilliant idea. Anyway, I have something to show you. Wait for me” she said and ran into the bedroom without waiting for his reply.

She came out and handed Francis ten thousand naira.

Francis: “baby, where did you get this from?” he asked feigning surprise.

Gift: “my father and my mum. I lied to my mother that I needed money for craft and that if she can give me five thousand naira, I will make a craft that will make me take first position in my class. You know that my mother is obsessed with me coming first now, that is how she gave me the money” she said.

Francis: “and your father? How were you able to squeeze extra money from him?”

Gift: “I lied to him that we were going on excursion and that the excursion fees is five thousand naira. He gave me and I am giving you”

Francis: “oh baby, I love you so much. In fact, you are so smart and that is the kind of wife I want to marry” he teased her.

Gift: “just sit back and relax, let me get you something to eat. My mother just made banga soup and pounded yam, I am sure you will love it” and ran off to the kitchen.

To be continued.