I am everything but troublesome. However, according to a popular Nigerian saying, "If you give me trouble, I give you double."
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I guess Uncle Tayo didn't know this when he developed the habit of waylaying one of my little girlfriends in the estate.
Rebecca, fondly called Becca by me, was just 13. She was fully grown though, with all the curves in the right places. So if one didn't look closely, he could mistake her for a young adult. When I had newly moved into the estate, I noticed a young girl seated by the estate gate with a tray of processed corn meal known as 'pap' and a bucket of processed beans meal known as bean cake.
She always had a smile and a "Good morning aunty" on her lips each time I passed by so I looked out for her every morning on my way to school.
On one of those days, I boarded a motorcycle directly from my house because I was running late for school. As we drove past Becca's spot, I could see her fiddling at the hem of her blouse, staring away into space. I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw some dried streaks of tears lining her cheeks just as the motorcycle sped away. I don't know why but I was bothered.
Becca was a sweet little girl who just wanted to be happy. I knew because she told me so on one of those days when I went to get pap and bean cakes from her for breakfast.
"My step mother doesn't know I sell in the estate" she replied when I asked why she was selling in our estate instead of learning in class with her mates. "I'm supposed to hawk these items till they're finished but I like it here. It's peaceful and the people are nice. That makes me happy"
I was touched by her extent of maturity so I didn't bug her with questions, I allowed her say what she wanted per time.
When I returned from school that day, Becca was gone as expected but seeing the wooden stool she sat on brought her tear steaked face back to mind so I made a mental decision to ask her the following day.
Becca was not at her spot the next morning, or the morning after that. I became worried. I had never known this girl from Adam but I felt a strong connection with her. I made silent prayers in my heart each time I passed by her spot, begging God to make her okay.
Then I saw her.
She was walking gently across the street with the tray of pap well balanced on her head and the bucket of bean cakes in her hand. I called out to her and was relieved by the huge smile she gave when I crossed over to meet her.
"Becca! It's been almost a week. What happened?"
She blinked severally then fixed her eyes on the ground and gave me an almost inaudible "Nothing". I chewed the insides of my cheeks and sighed, there was definitely something.
We stood there for almost ten minutes, I tried to cajole her into talking to me but she was adamant and insisted that nothing had chased her away from the estate.
I knew talking to her like this wasn't going to yield results so I asked her to come have breakfast with me at a restaurant.
I watched her gulp the food voraciously and wondered if she was starved at home. Perhaps it was linked to the reason she had not been coming around the estate. When she was almost done with the food, I decided to try again.
"Becca" she lifted her eyes to meet mine "did someone hit you?" I saw her avert her gaze again then shake her head slowly. I saw that she was going to talk now so I didn't press further.
"It's uncle Tayo". My mind's eye immediately brought the short, dark, man into view. "He has been touching me".
My heart stopped then began pounding with fury. I asked her to give me the details. She told me, all the time with her head down, of how he rubbed her arm each time he saw her, how he blew uncomfortable kisses in the air, and how he pinned her against himself when he came across her in a secluded spot.
"And when he gets pap from me, he doesn't pay" that was what infuriated me most. I apologized to her then told her I had a plan to deal with Uncle Tayo. I called my bosom friend Mark, who was in the army, and explained the situation to him. He said he wasn't free that week but he came to the estate with his colleagues the next week.
We made plans with Becca to walk past his plumbing shed while we strolled around like regular people. With what she had explained, he wasn't going to resist once she walked past so we waited till we saw her cross over to the shed, then my guys moved in on them. True to her words, we saw Becca pinned on a table by Uncle Tayo, he was just about fondling her in an appropriate manner when he saw uniformed men storm his shed. Mark made sure to deal mercilessly with him.
Becca doesn't still sit in the estate to sell but she stops by my house regularly to give me pap and bean cakes. She refuses to get money for them saying I was her wonder woman and that was her little way of showing appreciation.
I still see uncle Tayo within the estate too, his deep frown never letting up. I greet him cheerfully each time I walk past him too, excited that he makes to hide in embarrassment each time he sees Becca around.