By Amie Sillah K.B, Aisha and his Mother K.B did not give Mama Yaadi money instead he asked her to wait for few days for him to raise the money. “Mama am sorry all my money has been spent on repairs and maintenance but just give me few days to raise the sum for you, ask your creditors to give you more time and you’ll repay them in few days time,” K.B posited. “Okay my son, I know what to do.” She left. Aisha She entered as Mama is coming out of K.B’s house. “Good morning Mama.” She greeted her. “Good morning Aisha; how are your parents?” “They are fine Ma and have sent their greetings.” “What is it K.B both you and Mama looked worried?” “She is borrowing me some money which I don’t have that’s why we are both worried.” “What! I am finished but you asked me to check on you today; what am I going to do? I should not have come.” Aisha held her head and bowed in distress. K.B He bent down and raised the mattress where he pulled out some money. He touched Aisha’s shoulder and dashed her the money. “What! You startled me but you said you have no money,” She shouted. “Lower down your voice don’t let Mama hear you then she’ll be very upset with me.” He kissed her. “You are my ‘No One’ and your education is my priority.” “Come over here, you are a darling and I’ll never betray your trust in me,” Aisha posited. “I know that’s why I trust you and favoured you over my dear mom.” “I am now definitely convinced; I’ll never betray your trust and I’ll excel in the Nursing Academy.” “I trust you that’s why I am investing my last bututs in your education and don’t care what others think about you. I would have disappointed you if I give Mama that’s why I disappointed Mama and gave you.” K.B gave her lift home but before they reached she asked him to drop her two junctions away. “Let me take you home.” “I don’t want my dad to see you honey just drop me here, I’ll be fine.” She waved him good bye and went to her house as she spotted Saer’s transport. Saer with Papa Aisha saw them seated at the dining and decided to snub and not greet either of them. Saer is disturbed by the attitude but Papa signaled him to be patient. K.B with Tenneng Begay He picked her up from the market going home and decided to give her lift home. “T.B I am very worried about your friend.” “Why are you worried about her, has she done anything wrong to you?” “Not actually but I am just suspicious about Aisha; help me T.B I don’t want to lose your friend, I love her very much and has already spent a fortune over her against my mother’s wish. My heart will be broken if she betrays me and my mom will be proven right. Please help me explained my position to her, how she is the apple of my life,” K.B explained. “I can assure you that you’ll never lose her, Aisha is yours and yours alone, I’ll speak to her don’t you worry.” “Thank you very much for your support, I appreciate and would never forget about you.” Aisha with Papa Papa discussed with his daughter. “Do you really want to go to the U.S continue your nursing career and practice there?” “Of course Papa that is my dream and I’ll do anything to achieve it.” “Then give S.B a chance to achieve that dream then when you get there you can get lost when your feet are firmed.” She thought hard and took the bet. “Okay Papa I’ll give it a try and see how it works.” “Opportunity knocks only but once, forget about that K.B of a boy, he cannot make you realize your U.S dream,” Papa advised. Aisha with S.B “Papa said you can help me realized my American dream? I was in a relationship but I am taking this opportunity because my Papa advised me to do so and I can see some sense in it.” “I know that K.B was your boyfriend and he has spent a fortune on you; you are an intelligent agent and men would not leave you alone but I am ready to refund K.B handsomely if you could just give me a chance to prove myself.” “Tell me about yourself and what you do in U.S.” “I am not a show man, a dandy boy but I’ll be very frank with you; U.S is not a land of milk and honey as some fraudsters would want us to believe, life is very difficult there if you have no correct papers; you live a life of hide and seek, a very unstable life, if employed you will not have an insurance cover and no employment benefits and will be at the mercy of your employers who are out to cheat the system and using you as an accomplice. We the self-employed and those legally employed pay heavy taxes and high utility bills and rent.” “Are you trying to discourage my ambition to go to the U.S? Since we started this discussion I have no inspiration from you; also your mannerism does not show anything from the U.S.” “What is U.S mannerism, I want to learn?” “You don’t use slangs, you don’t ‘swagger’, (mannerisms) not wear ear rings, wore Rasta and wear stylish clothes, say words such as ‘shit men! Nigger e.t.c.!” S.B laughed heartily. “Let me educate you my dear friend and sister; those people you describe are from a ghetto background and to test your bubble I am not from such a background; I went to the U.S with a focus and a dream to achieve when I graduated from college and decided to be self-employed; I took a bank loan and decided to open up a Taxi Hiring Outfit and became an employer myself. I started with 5 taxis then within few years it multiplied and blossom into a successful industry and I was able to employ a lot of Africans from the Diaspora, the Continent and here at home. Now I have branches in many States within the Federation and my goal is to spread to the whole of the U.S. My creditors are pleased with my performance and are always ready to give me more transports.” “So you do ‘Taxi-Taxi’ in America?” “I run a transport company and not ‘Taxi-Taxi’ as you know it here, I have made a lot of money and no U.S employment would have paid me that kind of money and I also have the opportunity to help other African people at home, from the Continent and the Diaspora. “ I came back home to marry from my homeland, as a traditionalist I relied on my dad to find me a willing damsel to marry based on consent; I cannot force but if you do fall for me I’ll sponsor your nursing career in the U.S; I don’t want to give you fish but want to teach you how to fish for life to take your family out of poverty but that can only happen if you are ready to work for it.” “S.B! ‘Taxi-Taxi’ is all the same everywhere, you can’t convince me with your big high grammar,” Aisha posited. “I don’t blame you Aisha, you don’t know as you have never traveled outside of this village. You are still like the frog confined within the circumference of the well; I am the bird here please come out for me to show you the world,” S.B posited. To be Cont.]]>
