CONTINUATION
PUSHED
I entered her KIA, my mind clouded with a million
reasons why I shouldn’t go;
“she might not be saying the truth or it might just be like
one of those movies where ladies were lured and used for money ritual” I thought
to myself. But then I decided to kill my paranoia view about what and where I was
getting myself into. Besides everything I did were for my daughters and I needed
the money for them
She was right, the place was very discrete. The normal floor
was a classy restaurant and bar. For a while I wondered if this was the
location.
“I wouldn’t mind working here” I said to myself
But I was following somebody who was leading me through. We walked
to the back and followed an underground. Yeah, that was the place I was going
to be working and trust me, it was something else.
The music was loud and the whole place was filled with
alcohol smell and cigarette smoke
“Von” I called about to change my mind
“You see that room labeled R23, that’s the changing room,
wait for me there” she turned and shouted to me in the loud club.
“What the hell is this?” I thought to myself. There were
young girls of ages between eighteen and twenty two on polls and roaming around
in nothing but lingerie. I was disgusted. The way the men handled the ladies,
was this Sodom and Gomorra? I hadn’t seen any height of immorality like this in
my life. I turned back. No, I wasn’t going to do this for a million naira. What
kind of mother would I be then. I started to the stairs but then my mind went
to Adrian. Just last night, she threw serious tantrums and broke down because I
told her medicine wasn’t possible because we were broke. She tried to make me realize
she was the only girl in her set going in for medicine but I didn’t listen. I’m
sure it was sad for her. So closing my eyes painfully, I turned back and headed
for R23.
“Where were you” Von asked “You were supposed to get here
before me” she continued
“Ummh………I’m sorry, had to use the lu” I lied. She was
dressed in a push up leather bra and lingerie and heavy black makeup. Her lipstick
was rouge. She looked exactly how she was expected to look, rouge and she had a
costume mask on.
“put this on” she said throwing a black tong and bust crop
top to me” I looked at it and sighed. Close my eyes and got dressed in it.
“I can’t do this” I nagged almost crying “I have two teenage
daughters” she looked at me with sad eyes
“I’ll be at the next pole beside you. Trust me. I have your
back. So cut it out”
I refused to move along with her. She walked up to me and
put her hands on my shoulder
“It was like this for me the first time. But its either your
daughter goes in for medicine and you get a better life or not”
That sentence pushed me. Just one night I said to myself. If
I could make a hundred thousand our case was handled.
Putting my mask on, I followed her to the champagne room, a
room filled with all the public figures you could imagine; celebrities,
senators sons, even some females……..name it. The lights dimmed down and we
stepped up, the music got louder men were wailing and waving money at us. I looked
at Von, she wa dancing provocatively but I wasn’t dancing, I wasn’t sure what
to do. I looked at her again and this time I could see that she was provoked
“Follow me” she mouthed. So I did. Surprisingly I found myself
doing it. The twirling and turning and everything. It was exciting when I heard
the guys’ voice screaming at me and I saw their money thrown at me. Now I knew
what to do keep dancing and the money would keep coming. So I did. I danced. And
money was thrown at me. The night was a good one; I was paid my regular hundred
thousand naira and made twenty on the stage. I got home by three in the morning,
happier than ever
It became a lifestyle; I didn’t stop after one night. No, I went
for the second and the third and forth……I would go every night and bring home a
hundred thousand upwards. I became greedy for more, so I moved to personal lap
dances which increased my income. Soon, we had enough to find us a flat at
Yaba. I stopped my multiple jobs and focused on my career as a stripper.
“Mom where do you work now” Adrian asked me one day
“I work in a restaurant. Night shift at Victoria Island”
“as a waiter?” she continued with a squeeze on her face
“What else would I work as in a restaurant you this child”
Well she didn’t stop, she kept on asking questions and I kept
on avoiding them. Soon she left for school leaving I and Sapphire alone
I hung out with Von and Seyi another of my colleagues a lot and
hell those ladies were big spenders. They changed clothes, cars, shoes like
they were under wears. I would just stand and watch them in boutique getting
myself and Sapphire just a few things.
“Aisha, just give Sam a chance, I know he is a few years
younger than you but he owns an empire and can get you anything you want”
“Seyi, five years isn’t a few years” I snapped
“Please it is. We all know we won’t marry the men we sleep
with. We just have fun and get paid its part of the job” Von said
I refused; I was okay
with my flat and Toyota Camry. I had a comfortable life. And Sapphire was in a
school that was one of the best. That was for a while. Soon I took up Sam’s
offer and slept with him. Yes I was paid heavenly so I continued
“Aisha, I’m coming, I need to get something” Sam said one
night while I was in his mansion. He left so I went to the parlor to get
something to drink. The amarula was missing so I got into the store to get a
new one. I was shocked on opening one of the lockers in my search, I saw body
parts. Terrified, I ran away, scaling a low fence behind. I stopped all
contacts with Sam telling him it was over. He took it well thank God. But I couldn’t
get what I saw off my head.
One evening, four months after I and Sam had stopped dating,
I got out ready for work and stepped on the pole. Von was beside me as usual. I
got dancing and a man beside me signaled with thousand naira notes that I should
come closer. As I brought myself closer, the door of the clubbed opened I looked
to that direction and froze, there was Adrian and Sam coming in…………………..
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