If I had listen...

I wasn't enjoying the holiday that year and pleaded that my mom allow me to go to Lagos to spend some time with my aunt.

"Lagos is not like here and it's better you just stay here. Go and visit grandma," Mom responded to my plea after some days and that wasn't what I wanted to hear from her.

We live in Ogun state and Grandma also lives there so her place wasn't an option for me, I wanted to see beyond my state but my mom didn't want me to because of the things happening in Lagos. Although she has been there a few times, my mom's few visits to Lagos haven't changed her mind about the big city.

I spoke with my aunt and she told my mom to allow me to come to Lagos. It was my first time going there as a teenager and my joy was boundless. I started packing my stuff immediately and left Ogun State on the third day.

While on the bus, a lot of thought played out in my head. I thought of having so much fun and creating beautiful memories before returning to Ogun State.

My struggle started with getting a vehicle from the garage to my aunt's place, she lived on a school premises and I knew it would be a very busy environment. After several calls, I was able to get to her place and I was really excited.

"Welcome home," My aunt said to me as we arrived at her place.

I was so happy because her place looked very beautiful compared to my environment in Ogun state.

"Thanks aunt," I replied. We chatted about the trip for a while before she showed me around the apartment.

"You can share the room with my kids or crash on the sofa if that's okay by you but your things must be in the room," She said to me and everything was fine to me. After all, I wouldn't expect her to give me her matrimonial bed just to make me comfortable.

Her kids returned from school later that day and we were happy to see each other. We spoke on the phone several and it has helped us build some connections already. Later in the night, my aunt's husband arrived and we met as well. We had a great time that night as we chatted and ate some goodies before going to bed.

The next morning, everyone prepared to leave the house except me and I became bored. I watched movies because they had constant electricity but it wasn't enough so I decided to step out just to check the environment.

I dressed up really well before setting out because I didn't want to be seen as a village girl. I went around the neighbourhood and it was really fun for me.

Upon returning home, I decided to sit outside the apartment where other tenants who were mostly students sat. Some of them didn't go home for the holiday so they spent a lot of time playing outside their rooms. They were young and I felt like blending in with them shouldn't be a problem.

I didn't interfere in their discussion until the third day when I felt like I was part of them. The discussion was on as usual and I just interfered.

Everyone paused to take a look at me before one of the students finally replied to me and that was all I needed to be recognized. A few of them asked for my name while some just called me Alhaja because I always had my hijab on.

I was chatting as usual with the students when my aunt arrived and called me in.

"What are you doing with those students out there?" She asked me.

"We were just chatting," I replied to her.

"Chatting? Is that what you came to do here?" She asked and I could tell that she was angry.

"I don't understand. We were just talking," I replied to her.

"Don't just talk, I don't want you to mingle with these students because they are corrupt. I don't want them to influence you badly," She replied.

"Okay ma," I replied but I wasn't happy.

My aunt sounded exactly like my mom, she is always suspicious and thinks that I am a kid that doesn't know left from right.

I didn't go out to chat that day because it was my aunt's off day at work so I waited till the next day.

"Balikis can you give us foodstuff, we are broke," One of the students asked and I felt sad.

"Living alone must be hard for them without their parents around," I thought and went in to take some of my aunt's foodstuff for them.

We progressed from that to allowing them into my aunt's apartment, we watched a movie together and when it was my aunt's closing time, everyone left.

A few days before leaving Lagos, my aunt and her husband gave me some money. The money was meant for transportation, my mom, and grandma and part of my school fee and I was really happy.

I kept the money on the TV console because I was cleaning when my aunt's husband gave me the money.

"Keep it well," my aunt said to me and I promised to do that.

After cleaning, I forgot the money there and just went to freshen up. Immediately after I finished bathing, I heard a knock and was happy to see one of the students.

Another one came and before I knew it, the living room was filled. We watched a movie as usual and I told them that I would be leaving by the weekend. We all exchanged contacts before they left and later that night, my aunt gave me some money to give to a friend in Ogun state and it was then I realized that I didn't take the money from the console in the morning.

I rushed to check it and the money wasn't there. I turned the living up, side and down but didn't find it.

Unsplash

I felt really sad and eventually opened up to my aunt that the only people who entered the apartment aside from the family were the students.

"Didn't I warn you? You had the effrontery to bring them into my flat," she yelled at me.

I felt terrible and almost cried. I wasn't happy and felt betrayed but there was nothing I could do. I begged my aunt to help with some money but she didn't even listen to me.

My problem was that Mom and Grandma already knew about the money I was bringing for them. I didn't have any option other than opening up to them and facing the music myself.

I left Lagos sad but learned a good lesson. My grandmother wasn't angry when I returned but my mom punished me for not obeying my aunt. It took a lot of people's intervention before she allowed me to go to Lagos again.