The Stolen Years

by I. Izegbuwa

  Sunny exhaled heavily into the phone. ‘Aima, I want to see you again.’

  ‘But you’re thousands of miles away,’ she argued.

  ‘You’ve been on my mind since that day we met,’ he continued. ‘I get to go home soon, and I’m coming to see you on my way. It will be worth the trip.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  Aima was elated; Sunny was coming back to see her - tall, handsome Sunny, with his smooth swagger and crisp naval uniform.

  She didn’t want Madam Ofilia, or any of the other girls to know so she kept the excitement to herself, giving him strict instructions not to come and look for her at The Hack.

  When he arrived, Aima met him outside of campus. She almost swooned when she saw him. He was in mufti not his naval clothes, but he couldn’t have looked more handsome. She hugged him like a long lost friend, her infectious laughter sailing through the air.

  ‘You’re more beautiful than when I first saw you,’ he said. ‘And I’m glad I came, even if it’s only for a fleeting moment.’

  She hung unto his arm and he held her, looking straight into her eyes.

  ‘Listen to me Aima, I can’t stay because I have to return to my base. But I want you to come away with me’. The words came out briefly but firmly. She looked at him in surprise.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  Sunny had it all figured out and he did not mince words about it. He wanted something deeper than a fling. With great precision, he detailed her step by step exit from Adenizen so they could be closer together. Aima was bewildered.

  ‘But I’m in the middle of a semester!’ She exclaimed, not sure if he was serious.

  Laughing at her puzzled expression, he took her by the hand and lifted her up to her feet. They walked to the window of his hotel room and he drew open the shutters. Aima felt more puzzled than ever as they gazed out.

  ‘You are a special woman,’ he said, as he peered into the open scenery. ‘How long do you plan to you continue like this? I don’t like the life you live at The Hack and I want you to have a fresh start.’

  She stepped away from him and lowered her head to the ground. ‘I want to be with you too Sunny,’ she replied. ‘But I’m not sure about leaving Adenizen.’

  What would Madam Ofilia say? Or her parents? Sunny came and stood in front of her. He put his finger to her lips and shushed her gently.

  ‘I don’t want to share you with anyone,’ he declared. ‘When you come to my country, you’ll be only mine.’

  ~~~~

  The package arrived at mid day via speed post. Aima had been expecting it for a while. Feeling thrilled, she rushed downstairs to claim it, only to find that Madam Ofilia had intercepted it and taken it into her room. Disconcerted, she knocked on Madam’s door. It was open and Madam was standing in the passageway, waiting for her with the package in her hands. She held it up when Aima walked in.

  ‘I assume this contains your passport, ticket and other travel documents?’

  Aima noticed that the envelope had been opened. She fumed silently and stretched out her hand to retrieve it. ‘Madam, that package is very important to me, and very personal.’

  ‘I know.’ Madam Ofilia fingered the large brown envelope carefully. Aima had decided to abandon everything and go with Sunny, and she wasn’t going to stop her. If there was one thing Madam still couldn’t comprehend after all these years, it was the way of a man with a young lady. ‘I must commend you on your astuteness in clinching this deal,’ she remarked.

  ‘It’s not a deal. Sunny and I are in love.’

  ‘Call it whatever you like. The point is, even I couldn’t have conceived such a brilliant plan. Now, tell me; where exactly do I fit in all of this?’

  Aima shrugged. ‘It was through you I met Sunny in the first place, and for that I’ll always be grateful.’

  Madam Ofilia let out a long, loud laugh. ‘Always be grateful? My dear, gratitude won’t cut it for me this time.’ She moved to the couch and sat down, placing the open package in her laps. ‘I hear Injayra is a lucrative place; small but promising. Maybe we could work together and set up a camp there.’

  Aima squeezed her face and glared at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  Madam Ofilia smiled. Aima’s move to Injayra was a step in the right direction and had sparked the ultimate plan in her mind. If her girls put what she taught them to good use, they could strike out on their own. She would get them to launch their own villas under her mentorship and before long she would be running her own cartel with good money rolling in. She picked up a sheet of paper from the centre table in front of where she sat and handed it over to Aima.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Sign it,’ she ordered.

  The document was an agreement. It had been carefully written out, stating that Aima would help Madam Ofilia spread her network internationally and extend the operations of The Hack to Injayra. It reminded Aima of the letter that Madam had sent to Mrs. Osai when she was leaving Noble Hall.

  ‘I can’t make any promises Madam.’

  ‘Then I’ll have to confiscate this package. It would be such a pity if all these months of planning a new life with Sunny came to nothing just because your passport went missing.’

  Aima signed the paper. Hurrying back to her room, she shut the door and ransacked the contents of the envelope. She was relieved to find everything intact. Excitedly, she waited for Sunny’s call that evening and thanked him profusely, as she informed him that the package had arrived. However, she couldn’t hide her annoyance.

  ‘Why did you tell Madam Ofilia about our plans?’

  ‘I had to,’ he replied. ‘It didn’t seem right to just take you away without speaking to someone first. She’s the closest person to you that I know, almost like your family.’

  ‘She’s no family of mine,’ Aima cut in.

  ‘Don’t worry honey. In a few days you’ll be leaving The Hack behind forever.’

  Aima wasn’t so sure about that, not with the document she had just signed under duress. She pushed away the thoughts of Madam Ofilia and tried to focus on the future that lay ahead; a future with Sunny.

  ‘I can’t wait for you to come over here,’ he told her. ‘I’ll still be on the base by the time you arrive, but I’ve left instructions for your upkeep till I get there.’

  Aima closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. ‘Are we doing the right thing Sunny?’

  ‘Of course,’ he reassured her. ‘I’ll take good care of you. I promise.’

  ~~~~

  It had been drizzling slightly for the past one hour, and Bibi prayed silently for a bit of respite, so she could dash to the market and stock up on her groceries. As she wrote out her shopping list, there was a rap on the door, and Aima walked in.

  ‘Hi Bibi,’ She greeted, stepping into the room. Her slim fitted outfit flattered her curves and she had an extravagant application of make up over her face.

  Bibi looked up in surprise. This was the last person she expected to walk through her door.

  ‘Aima?’ she said unsurely.

  ‘I haven’t come here to beg you to take me back like Tosan did, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

  ‘I didn’t make any assumptions,’ Bibi replied.

  Aima moved slowly around the room. ‘The other girls?’ she asked.

  Bibi shrugged. ‘They are out and about; studying, eating, I don’t know.’

  ‘Then I’m lucky to have met you here.’

  ‘I guess so, although you’ve told me what you didn’t come here to do. I’m still in the dark as to why you’re here.’

  Aima smiled and stretched out her hand. ‘I came to extend an olive branch to you before I leave.’

  Bibi glared at her. ‘Leave to where?’

  ‘I’m leaving school at the end of the semester and I’m not coming back.’

  ‘Where exactly are you going?’

  ‘Injayra’

  Bibi had never heard of any such place before. She stared blankly at Aima, waiting
for some further explanation.

  ‘I’ve met someone and I’m eloping with him,’ Aima explained, her eyes sparkling. ‘Injayra is a little city in Sunny’s country, a few miles from his hometown. It’s so small; you won’t find it on the map.’

  ‘But Aima, you’ve always loved it at Adenizen; why this rash decision?’

  ‘Sunny loves me and I love him. He has secured my papers and we’re going to start a new life together.’

  ‘But that shouldn’t stop you from graduating!’ Bibi exclaimed. ‘Surely, your Sunny can wait if he really loves you.’

  ‘My mum told me the same thing,’ Aima replied. ‘She said I shouldn’t awaken love until its time was ripe.’ She shook her head. ‘My Sunny is a pragmatist. You don’t know him Bibi. He’s offering me a fresh, clean start out of this mess.’

  ‘Listen,’ Bibi tried to sit her down. ‘I found out why Madam Ofilia does what she does. She was a victim of a terrible past...’

  Aima halted her. ‘I don’t care about Madam Ofilia. And I didn’t come to get advice from you. I just came to say goodbye.’ She turned and walked out. ‘I’ll keep in touch,’ she promised, shutting the door behind her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Injayra was a sight to behold. Its breathtaking landscape, with wide expanse of lush green grass and ivy covered buildings filled Aima with exhilaration. The roads through the city were long and winding with a forest of trees on either side.

  Aima could hardly believe that this land of grandeur was to be her new home. Sunny wasn’t in town when she arrived, but had made adequate preparations for her, as he had promised. His friend, Bonfree picked her up and took her to a self-contained flat in the suburbs of Injayra. It was well furnished, with everything she needed for her comfort.

  ‘This is Sunny’s getaway,’ Bonfree explained, with a smile. ‘He comes here whenever he’s on vacation from the sea. It’s like his second home.’

  Aima smiled. She liked Bonfree. He was as at her beck and call, remarking that Sunny would be upset if he didn’t take good care of his angel. Sunny arrived at Injayra a week later.

  ‘Oh Sunny, this is all so beautiful.’ Aima exclaimed.

  ‘I knew you would like it here,’ he replied with a smile.

  ‘You must take me around,’ she cooed excitedly. ‘I want to go to the beach, the parks and the malls.’

  ‘I won’t have time for all that,’ he interjected. ‘I leave the day after tomorrow.’

  Her face fell. ‘You’re leaving again?’ she asked, the disappointment evident in her voice ‘You just got here.’

  ‘I know hon,’ he replied. ‘The life of a naval officer is a busy one.’

  ‘Well, what am I supposed to do if you’re not here?’

  ‘First you need to get a job. There’s a friend of mine, who can offer you something.’

  Working as a sales assistant in a large supermarket, Aima couldn’t be anything but grateful. The sales manager was Sunny’s friend and she would be working under him. It was a decent job considering the fact that she didn’t have a university education. It wasn’t the first time she would be earning money, but this time, she wasn’t making it through bed-hopping. She belonged to only one man now and as soon as his current deployment was completed, they would get married. She wished Bibi could see her now and everyone else who thought she was making a mistake by coming to Injayra. The Hack was like a distant dream and as she settled down to her new life, she forgot all about Madam Ofilia and the agreement she had made with her.

  ~~~~

  In her first mail to Bibi, Aima ruminated on what life would be like as a naval officer’s wife. Sunny would be stationed at sea for weeks, leaving her alone most of the time to raise their children. But he was serving his country and she was already accepting his intermittent absence as part of their marriage, even though the wedlock was yet to become her reality. Already, she was finding her way around Injayra and discovering ways to stay the loneliness. Luckily, Bonfree was available whenever she needed him. He showed her the sights and sounds of Injayra and helped her to make new friends.

  He’s like a guardian angel, she wrote. He makes Sunny’s absence bearable and I am glad to have him close by.

  The sales staff were getting ready for the shift changeover. Aima quickly finished typing her mail and hurried off to wrap up her duties for the day. The sales manager sat in his office, looking through some receipts, when she rapped slightly on his door. When he summoned her in, she paused and bit her lower lip nervously; hoping that he would keep his cool today.

  ‘Sir, these orders just arrived.’

  He looked up as she entered, and beckoned for her to come closer. When she approached, he stretched out his hand, but didn’t take the files she was holding. Instead he caught her by the wrists, laughing as he did so.

  ‘My queen bee,’ he called her.

  ‘Sir please!’ Aima struggled to wriggle free, dropping the file on his table, as she hurried out.

  What was with this man? He had been making advances at her since the first day she resumed work. Didn’t he know that she was Sunny’s woman? Feeling flustered, she considered reporting him to Sunny, but realized it would only lead to conflict between the two men and he could easily have her fired. Aima sighed. She was a reformed woman now and wanted to stay faithful to Sunny; she really did. But this lecherous young manager wasn’t helping matters. The way he carried on was as though he knew something about her past life. That could not be possible. She was thousands of miles away from The Hack and nobody knew her here.

  ~~~~

  Tosan shot up from the bed as soon as the unexpected visitor walked in. Her face grew pale, as though she had just seen a ghost.

  ‘Madam Ofilia!’ she exclaimed. ‘You? Here?’

  ‘Aren’t you going to offer me a seat?’ Madam asked, looking smug.

  She could see Tosan was visibly shaken by her presence and was glad she still had that effect on her. She sat down in the chair which Bibi hurriedly pulled out for her and motioned to both girls to do the same. They obediently sat on the bed.

  ‘Actually, I’m glad you’re here as well,’ she told Tosan. ‘I’m curious to know what Bibi said to you to make you desert the villa and come back to this place.’ She waved her hand round the room with disdain.

  ‘She didn’t say anything to me,’ Tosan retorted, a sudden boldness coming over her. They were out of Madam’s territory and Bibi was by her side. ‘Leaving The Hack was purely my decision. I was fed up of living for you and it’s impossible I could ever return there.’

  ‘You’ll definitely be back,’ Madam replied, ‘begging for me to take you in. Look at you; you don’t even have a bed of your own. If not for these girls who had pity on you, you’d be out on the streets.’

  Tosan didn’t reply and Madam Ofilia pushed further. ‘Tell me,’ she said, turning to Bibi. ‘Has she been stealing from you as well? Or didn’t she tell you the real reason why I threw her out?’

  ‘She told me everything,’ Bibi put in. ‘Tosan, why don’t you step out while I speak with Madam Ofilia alone?’

  Tosan hesitated a bit and Bibi put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Then, with a smile, she turned and headed out the door. Bibi wouldn’t have any problem handling this woman on her own.

  ‘We finally meet face to face,’ Madam Ofilia said to Bibi after Tosan had left. ‘You and I could have been great friends, you know.’

  ‘No, we couldn’t,’ Bibi replied, exuding more confidence than she really felt. ‘Not on your terms.’

  ‘Who cares about the terms? Do you know who I am? One word from me and I could have Tosan thrown out of here as well. Squatting is illegal on these premises you know.’

  ‘It’s already been taken care of Madam. We’ve spoken to Mrs. Osai and she has agreed to let her stay here till she can get back on her feet again.’

  Madam Ofilia stood up and surveyed Bibi. The strength she had observed in her from the first day at the Sports festival stood out stron
g and glaring.

  ‘How’s Aima faring at Injayra?’ Madam questioned. She hadn’t heard anything from her since she left Adenizen. The venture they had agreed to start together had been left unattended and she wanted to know why.

  ‘Aima is fine,’ Bibi replied abruptly. ‘But I think Tosan is ill. She was in pretty bad shape when she first came back to A16. She has lost a lot of weight and is extremely pale.’

  Madam Ofilia looked on nonchalantly as Bibi spoke, unmoved by this new piece of information. If Tosan hadn’t been so strong headed, she would have listened to her advice on how to stay out of trouble and not found herself in this predicament.

  ‘I think she must have caught something during the course of her time at The Hack,’ Bibi concluded. ‘Ma, don’t you even care?’

  The older woman laughed cynically. Why should she care? It was enough that she was looking after the girls while they served her needs. But she couldn’t be bothered about what happened to them afterwards. After all, who had shown her any care when she needed some?

  ‘Aima’s life turned out pretty well,’ she remarked. ‘She’s in a foreign land with no worries. That’s how much I care. But tell her to remember our agreement because I’m still waiting. And as for you, you must stop meddling in my affairs. I have no patience for nuisances like you.’ She shook a finger at Bibi. ‘Take this as a personal warning from me. Stay out of my business.’

  She exited the room and went down the corridor, brushing past Tosan without as much as a second glance in her direction. Tosan rushed back into the room.

  ‘Bibi, are you okay?’ she asked. ‘That woman must be the devil incarnate.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Bibi responded. ‘Don’t worry about Madam Ofilia. Actually it’s you I am concerned about.’ She turned to her with a pensive expression on her face. ‘Tosan, what do you intend to do now?’

  Tosan shrugged. ‘I know this room is tight and I am in everyone’s way. I will be out of here as soon as I can sort myself out.’

  Bibi shook her head. ‘It’s not about the room. I didn’t mean that you should leave. There are other issues, you know. You didn’t write some of your exams last semester and you have missed so many classes this time around that I’m afraid you might not be able to make up for them. I don’t want to see you thrown out of school, you have to double up on your efforts. And then there’s the issue with your health...’