Cold Grip Of Gray Pastures II
Cynthia a beautiful belle in her early twenties fair and radiating, the type that turn heads walking across a crowded hallway, was in her newly acquired boutique fully packed with beautiful wears that her customers can’t get enough of, she got a handful of sales girls while she monitors from her seat, chatting with her friend Rashidat who visited. Cynthia started her boutique business after she did her NYSC and couldn’t waste her time continuing with white collar job hunt that wasn’t yielding any positive results. Rashidat at the other hand was about going for NYSC but out of curiosity came to see Cynthia to give her an idea of what it was like when she served, a little heads up wouldn’t be bad she thought rather than going there totally oblivious. Rashidat attended the Command Secondary school with Cynthia back in Jos when they were still secondary school students and unlike other secondary schools, Command Secondary Schools leaves you with a bit of military experience similar to the type you pass through in NYSC camps. So to her advantage, Cynthia assured Rashidat that the experience in the camp wasn’t much different from their experiences in their days in the military owned secondary school they both attended. Assuring her she would be fine she cited how fun it was for her two years ago when she served. Buried in deep thought of excitement off the positive words Cynthia comforted her fears with, Rashidat was awakened to her environment of a busy boutique by a phone call to Cynthia’s phone. It was her mom calling as usual asking how she was and her health condition and how she fared. Cynthia’s mom was the caring type that wouldn’t stop calling her children to make sure they are alright; Cynthia didn’t really like the idea especially when her friends are around, she believed it made her look like mommy’s girl since her friends moms don’t usually call as much as her caring mom calls her and she didn’t like it, she assumed her mom didn’t trust she can take of herself well enough.
While on phone with Cynthia, Her mom was sensing the discomfort in her tone and totally figuring the root of the unpleasant tone like a mother would, she made a laugh out of it and promised not to call again for a while but made Cynthia promise she would call often at her comfortable times. At the call drop, Cynthia dropped her phone gazing at Rashidat and expecting the usual jest she gets from her friends when her mom calls asking her questions about how she fared. She wasn’t wrong anyway, Rashidat didn’t disappoint her assumptions. Cynthia now happily explained to Rashidat that since she was the only daughter her mom likes talking to her everyday on phone to know how she is, but at the other hand, her dad who was a retired major general believes she can handle herself since she went to a military oriented school and went through the university herself, that she can handle herself contrary to her mom’s belief. When Rashidat asked after her brothers, she told her she always chat with them from time to time on facebook. Facebook was like a playground for all ages, everybody was on facebook, making it easy to keep in touch with relatives and old friends and also making new friends. Cynthia was explaining to Rashidat, who wasn’t a big fan of the whole facebook idea and was wondering how Cynthia enjoyed being on facebook all the time. Like a dancer ready to dance to her favorite tune, Cynthia narrated her bonding with the online social network from her university days, facebook has been one of the activities that helped her be busy whenever she was bored and she got addicted to the website. but since blackberry came into the market, facebook hasn’t been much of her addiction now though she still has some friends she usually chat on with on Facebook once in a while. Few years back on facebook she met a guy who she is currently dating and according to her, he is an amazing handsome guy that she wouldn’t have met if not for the social online hub since she was the busy type.
Meanwhile in Lagos same afternoon
Odera and Echezona the two newest millionaires in town after successfully ripping off a couple of ladies they haunted from facebook and other online social networks were driving in their both newly acquired cars, with music blasting aloud arrogantly into the air. They felt so untouchable, just like when youths touch their first millions. With girls packed in their cars, they drove into a food lounge making a huge scene. Their friends Gideon and Nonso who are also into the same business but a different team where in the lounge drinking with a couple of girls too; Obviously those two also made a recent successful hit, because the spending is usually higher with fresh money in the pocket. As soon as odera and Echezona walked into Gideon and Nonso started hailing them calling them names like the youngest millionaires, evidently they are aware Odera and Eche struck another deal after the Chioma’s deal. More drinks were brought to the table since they were regular customers there, their brands were served without asking. Their girls who didn’t know much about the criminals they are seated with, sat aside enjoying the served meal and drinks. Echezona showed Gideon a couple of pictures from their last hustle. They both laughed over it and did their usual stylish handshake peculiar to them only. Those nude pictures are supposed to be backup collateral incase the victim tries to make trouble later. But they keep it as boastful souvenir to show themselves later. Gideon narrated to Echezona how he lured a rich girl from Calabar to Lagos and robbed her of 1.5million after drugging and rapping her. Echezona also narrated how he lured another girl from Kaduna to Lagos, drugging her also and robbed her after rapping and taking nude pictures of her. Odera and Nonso were busy watching their girls’ dance for them as they spray them money. it was only them in the bar since it was noon, Nonso was bragging on how facebook pays them while other people were busy wasting time on it. This was the business they do graduates and undergraduates and the excuse was always “government no give job”. It is seen as a hustle and means of livelihood for them. And when the money comes, it is blown living a flashy lifestyle.
Back in Nasarawa
After Rashidat left, Cynthia got a call from her boyfriend, Eddie. He was coming into town to see here briefly for a day or two from Abuja. It’s usually fun when Eddie is around, Cynthia loved him so much and he was the caring type unlike most guys she met earlier in life. She loved cooking and Eddie since is a heavy feeder that always compliments her cooking no matter how bad it tastes, there was no limit for them when it comes to having a good time. So no matter how much they hangout or stay out, as far as Cynthia is there, Eddie never eats out. He prefers Cynthia’s homemade meals. She could purposely cook a burnt food and Eddie will eat it all and compliment her. It usually leaves her so happy even weeks after Eddie visited, she smiles randomly when memories of their times together fills her mind. Eddie was already on his way to see her so she left her boutique earlier than planned to go fix a nice meal for her boyfriend. Cynthia lived in a two bedroom flat in a remote part of Nasarawa state. One of those areas with rigged with four storey blocks of flats, well planned Neighborhood though somehow a middle class residential area, totally safe in the heart of town and very accessible from any part of the city. She got home and was still prepping food for her boyfriend when Lisa called. Lisa was her friend who introduced her to the boutique and clothing business she was a bit older and more successful, still single though. He had always believed men are distractions. Lisa was complaining about the sudden increment of prices of were from their supplier who she believed got greedier. She suggested they should source another dealer who will sell to them at the normal or cheaper rate. Cynthia wasn’t too firm in the business yet since she just got into the business and had no other dealer apart from Lisa’s connection. Nevertheless she asked Lisa to come by her house so they could plan on how to work things out for their boutiques citing that since the internet was available, getting a new dealer won’t be as hard. Lisa promised to be over in an hour or two and Cynthia continued with her cherished kitchen business.
Cold Grip of Gray Pastures
by Nnagoziem The Vyrus Udensi
(inspired by real events)
....to be continued
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