Hustle with Pleasure 10-12

Chapter 10

This woman pleaded with me so much, she begged and even knelt down, but I refused. Now I regret why I agreed to this secret rendezvous, she didn't even consider her daughter who caught us. How can she beg me like this, so that her other child doesn't find out? She's busy begging for intimacy.

We couldn't sleep at all, the vigil was intense. My heart was pounding. By 5am, I whispered to her to open the door so I could leave...

Madam Gold: Come on! At this time? No, it's too early. What if something happens to you on the road, what will I tell your mother? Wait till 6, at least, before you leave.

Madam Gold: Nothing will happen. I can hear motorcycle horns outside, cars are passing by. This is Lagos, our neighborhood never sleeps, and you know that. My uncle will be at our house by 6, I should be there before then.

Madam Gold: No, I can't let you leave at this time, it's not yet daylight.

Thomas: It's not that I don't know how to open this door, I'm just respecting you. It's better if you open the door now, so we can start dealing with this issue involving your daughter on time, before it gets too late and everyone hears and sees what's happening. I suspect it will be loud.

Madam Gold: Lower your voice, what kind of trouble is this? She's my child, she won't disgrace me. Don't worry, I'll handle it...

By then, I was losing my patience...

Thomas: Madam Gold, please open the door. It's not like we'll stay in this room forever, you will eventually have to open it. You have no choice.

Madam Gold: Is it that serious? Is this how you talk to me? You gutter child...

While she was speaking, I felt a strong anger building up inside me. I may be a poor boy, but I am not a gutter rat. If I am what she called me, then how am I inside her room now? I am clean, I bathe well, and I am a handsome boy, well-endowed, just that I come from a poor background. I will not tolerate this kind of insult from this woman, especially now that my status has changed. That's why I angrily walked towards the door and opened it.

As soon as her daughter saw me, she rushed towards me with a heavy slap, landing it on my face. Her mother hurried to hold her back, but she had already grabbed my shirt, saying I wasn't going anywhere...

Her daughter: So it's you, this boy, inside my mother's room? This is a woman who has people your age in her house; someone who is older than your mother and you have the audacity to sleep with her because of money. All the neighbors will hear what you and my mother have been doing, and when I'm done, I will go to your mother and tell her what kind of person her child is..."

That's when Madam Gold knelt down, begging her to let me go, so that the matter wouldn't escalate. But she refused. I struggled to free myself from her grip, realizing that I could easily push her away. She then started shouting her brother's name, asking for his help. The boy never liked me for one day. He treated me like his houseboy when I used to work at their mother's restaurant. Someone I am one year older than.

In the early morning, the young boy emerged from his slumber with sleep still lingering in his eyes. However, his senses were immediately alert when his sister informed him of the situation at hand. He aggressively approached me, grabbing hold of my shirt. I, in turn, retaliated against the boy, not allowing myself to be mistreated by my fellow peer. It was not because I was a thief.

At that moment, Madam Gold had opened the front door, providing me with an opportunity to escape. However, the boy blocked my path, and we engaged in a struggle. I noticed that he was one of those weak boys who relied on their friends to intimidate others. It didn't take long for me to overpower him, and he warned me not to cross paths with him again, threatening that his friends would cause trouble for me.

I spotted a small opening to make my escape, but the girl hurriedly grabbed a large stick, threatening to strike me on the head if I dared to approach the door. I held the boy down on the ground to prevent him from getting up, but my eyes remained fixed on his sister. If that stick were to land on my head, I could potentially be injured or even lose consciousness. Madam Gold had exhausted herself from shouting and eventually sat on the ground, crying.

Realizing that her brother was a burden, she attempted to approach me with the stick. I managed to dodge it, and it ended up striking her brother's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Seizing the opportunity, I stood up to make my escape. However, she still managed to grab hold of my shirt from behind and continued shouting...

Her daughter: "Where do you think you're going? How would you feel if I caught your mother sleeping my brother?"

Oh, me, who had never laid a hand on girls, I couldn't control myself and ended up striking her heavily across the face. My mother was nothing like her mother; she is a God-fearing woman. It wasn't my fault that her mother associated with young boys she could potentially give birth to. Let no one bring my mother into this matter...

The incident surprised him greatly, and even shocked Madam Gold. I could see the shock on her face as she covered her mouth and widened her eyes, staring at me. She quickly recovered and grabbed my shirt again. Her brother had managed to get up and go inside. I didn't know what he wanted to bring, but I didn't want to waste time finding out. I tore the shirt to free myself and quickly made an escape. When I reached the gate, I realized it was locked. I looked back and saw the boy rushing out with a knife. Without thinking twice, I climbed over the gate. One of my shoes got caught on the gate, but I didn't mind. I ran with only one shoe on.

The first motorcycle I tried to stop didn't stop for me. I looked like a mad person. I wasn't wearing a shirt, my trousers were falling off my waist, and I had only one shoe on. I stopped to catch my breath and checked my pocket to make sure my Phone was still there. It was already 6 o'clock. I took off the remaining shoe and threw it in a corner. I started walking down the street towards home, with people looking at me strangely.

Luckily, I saw a motorcycle that belonged to my friend, and he gave me a ride home. I lied to him and said that some boys had attacked me. I had the same story ready for my mother and brother when I arrived home. Before entering the house, I called Love’s driver to find out where he was. He said he would be at my house in 30 minutes. I know Madam Gold's children would definitely want to come to my house to tell my mother what had happened. Being a smart guy, I asked the driver to meet us at a certain junction, pretending that the landlord had come early in the morning to evict us from the house.

I rushed inside to alert my mother and brother. I wouldn't even let them take a bath. Thank God I had told them to pack our bags the night before.

Chapter 11

Upon entering the house, I found my mother and brother waiting for me. They had already finished bathing and our packed bags were in the corner. As soon as my mother saw me, she exclaimed...

My mother: Oh my child, what happened to you? Where are your shirt and shoes? Look at how dirty your jeans are, what happened?

Thomas: Some hoodlums attacked me on the way back. They took my shirt and shoes, and when they tried to take my phone, I managed to escape. That's why my legs are covered in dust and my trousers are dirty.

My mother: Oh my, that's terrible. Thank God nothing serious happened to you. How can I even express it? My child, whom God has used to change my life, God forbids. They could have injured your face as well. Sit down; let me find something to clean it for you before you take a bath.

Thomas: No need, it doesn't hurt much, just a small cut. The driver will arrive soon. He said we should wait for him at the bus stop. The car won't be able to enter here again. You know our road is in bad condition, it almost got damaged last time. Let me quickly wash my legs and face, then put on my shirt and shoes, so we can hit the road, no time...

I didn't even let her speak again; I rushed out to wash my legs. My body was tense because Madam Gold daughter’s words kept ringing in my ears. If she and her brother come here, it will be over for me. My mother will never agree to go to GRA with me again. How will I face her if she finds out that I'm involved with older women for money?

I hurried so much that I didn't even check the house properly to see if she had packed my things. I just grabbed my Phone from the corner, along with my charger, and put them in my bag. We started moving. My brother locked the door. I carried my mother's bag in one hand and my own bag in the other, and I hurried my mother along. She wasn't behaving like her usual self; she was walking fast, following closely behind me. I spotted a motorcycle that had just dropped someone off opposite our house, so I asked the rider to take my mother and our bags to the junction, while my brother and I walked until we found a motorcycle to take us. My mother tried to tell me that she would come back later to collect her remaining belongings from the house. She explained that she only had one Ghana must go bag and couldn't take everything with her. I didn't respond to her because I knew that nothing would make me allow my mother to cross this neighborhood again once we left. Whatever was left behind, I would use money to cover it.

My brother and I hadn't even walked for three minutes when we saw another motorcycle. As we balanced ourselves on the motorcycle, my brother's bag was in front of the driver, who hadn't even started driving yet. I looked to my left and saw Madam Gold’s children, along with two other guys, chasing after us at high speed. I told the motorcycle driver to drive fast and promised to give him 5k. The guy increased his speed, but before that happened, the girl was already shouting...

The girl: "Help me stop Thomas! Why is this boy running away like a thief? Thief! Thief! Thief!

The motorcycle driver wanted to slow down upon hearing that, but I begged him to keep going, saying that the girl was lying. When he heard what she said next, he didn't stop anymore...

The girl: "A young boy like you is sleeping with a woman who has already given birth to you and has your peers at home, all because of money. Your mother must hear about this. If you manage to escape, you'll meet us here..."

I knew that the motorcycle driver and my brother heard everything the girl said, but nobody said anything. By the time they realized that the motorcycle wasn't stopping and no one was helping them stop us, they stopped chasing us. It was a close call, they almost caught us. Thank God my mother had already left; otherwise, it would have been a disaster. I wondered what my brother was thinking after hearing what that girl said.

When we reached the bus stop, the driver was already there, waiting for us. My mother sat on top of her Ghana must go bag. I paid the motorcycle driver, who was an old man. The way he looked at me, it seemed like he was ashamed of what he had just heard about me. But I didn't care. What concern was it of his? I didn't even know who he was, and he would never see me again. The 5k I gave him was what he should make in one week.

I assist my mother in crossing the road to get into the car. As the driver sees us, he opens the trunk and helps us organize our messy bags inside. The first time I felt relieved since leaving Madam Gold’s house was when my mother, my brother, and I settled down inside the car and the driver started moving. My mother and brother sat in the back, while I occupied the passenger seat at the front. As I fastened my seat belt, I noticed a motorcycle dropping off Madam Gold’s children at the bus stop, and then another motorcycle dropped off two more guys. These people followed us all the way to the bus stop, imagine that. I rolled down the window so the girl could see me inside the big car...

Thomas: "Hey! I shouted at her..."

She turned around in the noisy bus stop, searching for who called her name. It didn't take long for her to spot me, but the driver had already gone too far...

Thomas: "Bye bye..."

Oh, she was devastated. It was as if she wanted to disappear and reappear inside the car. She touched her brother and pointed at the car, but it was too late. They stood there, looking at me, until the car disappeared from sight. I glanced at the back seat, our eyes met, but nobody said anything. My mother was in her own world, praying.

Another drama unfolded when we arrived in GRA. My mother saw the house and refused to enter, claiming that I wanted to use it for money rituals. The driver and I pleaded with her to go inside, but she refused. She peeked inside the house, hurriedly came back out, and declared that she wouldn't sleep in that house...

My mother: "Thomas! Thomas!! Thomas!!! How many times did I call you?"

Thomas: "Three times."

My mother: "Who owns this beautiful house? What did you do to receive this house? How did you pay for it? You can't tell me that someone just gave you this place without taking anything from you. No, I don't believe it. Just because I don't have money doesn't mean I lack common sense. Are you trying to use me for a ritual? Did they tell you to bring your mother and brother for money rituals?"

Thomas: you seem to be asking me a lot of questions, but you don't want to calm down and accept the answers I'm giving you. Let me call the person who gave me this house, maybe you'll listen to her."

My mother: yes, go ahead and call her. It's not too late; or I'll go back to my batcher house.

I called Love on the phone and told her everything that was happening, even with my mother right in front of me, but I didn't put it on speaker, just in case she called me sweet names, and she does call me sweet names, eventually. My brother just observed everything that was happening; he hasn't said anything since we left the house. It hasn't been an hour since I called Love, and she arrived, in her car. After we greeted her, including my mother...

Love: My good friend, I heard that you don't want to enter the house I gave your child, that you're afraid."

My mother: Ah! Don't blame me, I'm afraid; things happen in this life we live. This beautiful house, my child and I will just live inside, not paying rent, and you even gave him a car. When he was telling me about this in the house, I didn't know it would be like this, fear entered my body when we got here."

Love: Hehehe! My dear, you're very funny. I understand what you mean though, life can be like that, but don't be afraid, okay? I won't do anything bad to you. Your child is a blessing, anyone who knows him should be proud of him. The kind of blessing this boy carries; it's what foreigners pay a lot of money for. Don't be afraid anymore, let's go inside the house, it's mine, I gave it to your child."

My mother: Oh, if you say so, my mind has calmed down a bit. Please, don't be angry, what kind of work does he do for you that made you give him this house and car? I don't understand the blessing you say he carries."

Love: Oh, okay. He's my errand boy. The position is quite important, I have many companies in Nigeria, and he’ll help me with many things. I don't even know how to explain it to you. You see, I didn't just give your child a house, I provided him with better accommodation so that it's easier for him to work for me.

As the two of them continued their back and forth banter, my mother finally seemed satisfied and entered the house completely. She placed her hands on her chest and looked around, accompanied by my brother. Once her mind had settled, she knelt down and began to bless Love. After all the commotion, Love told me to join her in the car so she could tell me something.

Love: Your mother is such a lovely woman, oh! And she's still young too. It's not what I expected; I could even be older than her.

Thomas: Thank you.

Love: I need to go do something now. We'll meet up later in the evening so I can collect the sugar. Tonight is going to be wild, my body craves it. I'll need some details from you to open your bank account, so I can deposit your 500k. Once the banker sends me what she needs, I'll forward it to you. Help your family settle down and I'll call you later.

Thomas: Okay. I'll be waiting for your call. I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me. It still feels like I'm in a long dream.

Love: How will you thank me? Don't talk like that. All the sugar in your body is enough to thank me. You don't need to do anything else, just be available whenever I want it, and don't cheat on me. I don't want to see you with those young girls...

After she left, I realized that my body was extremely weak. I didn't know how to tell her that I couldn't give her any sugar today, my body needed rest. What I had witnessed today was overwhelming, and I wasn't sure if my manhood would even cooperate today...

Chapter 12

After Love left, I entered the house and decided to use the better shower bath for the first time since I was born. However, I almost burned myself with the hot water because I didn't know how to handle anything in the bathroom. After a short while, I figured out how to make it work and took a shower to relieve the stress I had experienced that day. It helped me cool down and relax.

Once I finished bathing, I got dressed and decided to check on my mother and brother. They were still in shock about the house and everything that was happening. My mother was in the kitchen, looking around, so I didn't disturb her. My brother was in his room, looking lost and unsure of where to start.

Thomas: Hey bro, what's up? Why are you sitting there looking confused?

My brother: Man, my head is spinning. I don't even know where to begin. Yesterday, I was living in a batcher house, and now I'm in this beautiful house, just like that.

Thomas: Yeah, I understand how you feel. It was the same for me when I first came here. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. After a few weeks, this will be our home, no more batcher .

My brother: Life, man. God is good. Don't think for a second that I don't appreciate everything you went through to make sure we're comfortable. I see the sacrifices, bro. Thank you.

Thomas: No problem. Let me go get some rest. I can't even explain how tired I am right now.

My brother: Go ahead and sleep, you deserve it. If there was no AC in this house, I would have come to fan you while you sleep. Oh, before you go, do you think my girlfriend can come over here to visit?

Thomas: Of course, she can come. You have no problem with that.

My brother: Since I have my own room now, she can stay over, right? You know how it is.

Thomas: Well, that's not my problem. You'll have to figure that out with her. You know I don't get involved in those things. Just be careful and don't get anyone pregnant. You're still a young boy, especially since you want to go to school.

My brother; it's not today, I know how it is on the streets, I can't let my girlfriend go through that kind of thing, and I’ll protect her well"...

I finished with my brother and went to my bedroom. As the latest big boy that I am, my bedroom is like a master’s; everything is big just like my ego. I lay down on the bed, wanting to rest a bit before Love calls me for service. It didn't even reach 2 minutes when my phone started ringing. I didn't recognize the number calling me, but when I picked up, it was Madam Gold's voice I heard...

Madam Gold: Thomas, how are you? Just tell me that you're okay, that's all I want to hear"

Thomas: Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine. I suggest you don't call me again, please, I don't want any trouble. What I saw today, I've never seen it before in my life"

Madam Gold: Oh my, my son, don't talk like that, do you want to kill me? What do you want me to do?"

Thomas: I want to sleep now, my whole body is in pain"

Madam Gold: I'll leave you to sleep then. Can we see each other tomorrow?"

Thomas: God forbid, I'm not sure if I'll ever see you again with my own eyes, I can't even try it"

Madam Gold: So you have the audacity to treat me like this, after everything I've done for you in this life? You have a good phone because of me; you have good clothes and shoes today because of me. Just because of this small challenge you faced from my children, you want to abandon me, that won't happen"

Thomas: Pfft! As if you got me a phone and clothes for free, something I paid for with my own body. When it pleases you, you make noise because I'm too sweet, but you don't realize that I'm paying for the things you gave me? Even now, you owe me because I serve you more than what I get from you. If your children kill me, you'll have the audacity to call it a small challenge. Please, get off my phone, let me sleep"...

Before she speaks again, I turned off the phone, threw it in a corner, and dozed off. When hunger woke me up, it's already dark outside, so I turn on my phone to check the time and realize it's midnight. There's nothing left in the house, so I'll have to find a way to stock up the kitchen in the morning for my mom to cook. I wonder what they ate. Everything is quiet and dark, so I walk into the kitchen and find a little bit of leftover fast food. I'm sure my brother bought it while I was sleeping. I quickly devour the food, still hungry. I then open the fridge and see another dish inside, maybe the one he bought for me. I rush to eat that one too, enjoying the cold food as hunger is my only companion. There's a microwave in the kitchen, but I don't know how to use it, so I'll ask Love to send someone to teach me how to operate the appliances in the house.

It hasn't been long since I started eating the cold food when several text messages start flooding my phone. Love is furious with me, thinking I turned off my phone to avoid my responsibilities that she assigned me before she left. I quickly call her...

Thomas: Hello, ma.

Love: What's wrong with you? Is this what we discussed? The relationship hasn't even started yet, and you're already misbehaving. I don't have the patience for a sugar boy who acts recklessly.

Thomas: No, ma. I was just feeling very tired, and I decided to rest for a bit. I didn't realize I would fall asleep.

Love: Is that why your phone was off?

Thomas: No, ma. It was low on battery. I've charged it now. I'm sorry, please forgive me.

Love: Rule number one, I don't want to call you on the phone. Either your phone is off or you don't pick up. If you miss my call, it shouldn't take you more than an hour to call me back. If you want to sleep, you should text or call me to let me know. You don't have any other job, I am your job. Do you understand me?

Thomas: Yes, ma.

Love: Yes, Love!

Thomas: Yes, Love.

Love: What are you doing now?

Thomas: I have just finished eating and I want to go back to bed.

Love: Which bed? I’ve been patient since morning? Get dressed. The driver will come pick you up now.

Thomas: Wouldn't it be better if we do it in the morning? It's already late and almost 2 in the midnight.

Love: I don't want it in the morning, I want it now. I won't be able to sleep. Come on, get dressed, the driver is on the road...

I just feel so tired. This work won't be easy, no rest for this body. How will my mother feel if she wakes up tomorrow and doesn't see me in this new house? Trouble...