Love’s Encounter

Bastards! Nkem silently exclaimed as she walked to the lobby. The staff of the Transcorp-Hilton Hotel Abuja, were being increasingly discourteous to her, mocking with their eyes and sneering whenever she walked past. In spite of her expensive outfits; her affected American accent; her sophisticated manners; they had seen through the façade that she was a prostitute, and they were treating her with disdain. She shrugged. She wasn’t going to let that get her down. There was a lot at stake: her siblings’ school fees; and rent for the self-contained room they lived in, must be paid; not to talk of food and clothing for them all.

She sighed and cast her mind back to how it all began: she was a happy 14- year- old; basking in the love of her parents and siblings; living a peaceful idyllic life in the equanimity of the Ikeja Army barracks; when her Dad, a soldier, was dispatched to The North as part of the Joint Task Force sent to fight the Boko Haram. Then came the heart-rending news: Dad had been killed in action. Her Mum, on hearing the news, fainted. All attempts to revive her failed. The next day, she and her 4 siblings were informed that their Mum had suffered a stroke and had passed. They were now orphans.

They were shared amongst relatives; a sibling to a relative. Nkem had been taken to the relative in Abuja. There she had met Amaka, whom everyone knew as ‘Oyibo’; on account of her very light skin; a 25-year-old Beauty, who drank like a fish and smoked like a chimney and attracted men like bees to honey. It was this Amaka who had introduced her to prostitution although she had not called it that- she had called it ‘Business’.

She had introduced her to a man- he was a friend of hers she said- with whom Nkem was to do ‘Business’. He hadn’t given her any money; what he gave her was a nasty infection. It turned out that he had paid the money to Amaka, who absconded with it. Nkem had to secretly turn to the neighbours for help. After taking care of that problem, she had fled from such ‘Business.’ But 5 years later, at age 19, she had had to return to it.

Her guardian who had seen her through the rest of secondary school was unable to send her to University because she had her own numerous family responsibilities. So, three years after finishing secondary school, Nkem decided to help herself and not be a bother to her Guardian.
Thus, she re-entered the ‘Business’ world.

Her first client was a Director-General in one of the Federal Parastatals. He had met her in Kubwa where she was tending her guardian’s boutique. He had come to buy a Kaftan. After paying for it, he had given her a tip, enclosing his card in the money. Usually, she would have torn up the card, but this time, she did not. She phoned him and he had come to the boutique again. That was how it had started. For the next two years he took care of her. He rented a self-contained room for her in the outskirts of Abuja, and with the permission of her guardian, she moved out. At once, she had gone to the different states in Nigeria, collecting her younger ones from relatives and bringing them to the little house in Abuja. With the help of the Director-General, her siblings were placed in good private schools, such as they attended when their parents were still with them. Nkem also began her tertiary education at the National Open University in Wuse. Things were going well for the re-united siblings, when the Director-General was retired, because of his age. He had called her and explained that now he was retired, he could no longer afford to take care of her. They had parted amicably.

Now Nkem was forced to look for another sponsor. She had to leave the comfort of hearth and home, to frequent posh places where Honourable Representatives; and Senators; visiting Governors and Ministers went; and, she hustled to be able to do ‘Business’ with various Representatives, and a few Senators. It wasn’t an honourable job, but it paid the bills; and more importantly it kept her and her brothers and sisters together. Her brothers and sisters! 16-year-old Nkiru and 14-year-old Nwanne; and the boys: 10-year-old Emeka; and 8-year-old Ikechukwu. She would do everything for them! They made the hassles of this Business worthwhile.

She was here at the Abuja Transcorp-Hilton Hotel because there was to be a Gathering of The Top One Hundred Game-Changers in Nigeria. The President; Vice-President; Senators; Ministers; Governors; and, the top drawer of Nigerian society would be there too, as well as foreign nationals. It had been advertised in the newspapers, on TV and the radio, and on various blogs.
She had checked into the hotel two days before the event, so as to make it easier to mingle without an invitation card, when the VIPs arrived. At the close of the event, she would check out. She had to get someone tonight, so as to cover the hotel-bills and have something left-over to take home with her. Thinking about home, she ought to phone her siblings for the Night. It was Nkiru, the second-in-command, who picked up the call: ‘Nki-babe, how are things at home? I’m fine. You guys shouldn’t forget to pray the Rosary before going to bed. I shall meet up at Mass, so we could all go home together. Taxi-money is behind the TV. Ciao. Greet the others for me’.
After she had hung up, Nkem glanced around the lobby and saw there were a number of women, probably looking for clients too. She sighed. Life in Abuja was a hustle indeed! She closed her eyes and prayed; then she looked at her watch, the guests would be arriving soon. She refreshed her make-up and put on a smiling countenance.

‘Hello.’ She looked up and saw a middle-aged Caucasian man standing in front of her.

‘Hello’ he repeated.

‘Hello’ she replied in astonishment.

Greetings exchanged, he walked away.

Wow! A white man greeting her! White guys in Nigeria were usually wintery in their attitude. They always had their noses in the air, looking down on everything and everyone. This one must be different, she thought. She recomposed herself and concentrated on the Night ahead.

At 9 pm, the guests began arriving at the lobby. She mingled with them on the Red-Carpet; posing for photographs; and being interviewed about her name, and what designer outfit she was wearing. Soon they were all on their way to the prestigious Congress Hall. Getting there, she looked around for a good place to sit. She caught sight of the White man who had greeted her in the lobby. He beckoned to her to come and sit by him.

‘I hope you don’t mind. I saw you looking for a seat and noticed the empty one beside me’, he explained in halting English.

‘Not at all, thank you’, smiled Nkem sweetly.

‘Thank Goodness seating has been taken care of’, she thought in relief.

Looking at the incoming guests, she glimpsed a few people she had done ‘Business’ with, but she looked straight ahead, taking care not to meet their eyes. In this line of work, keeping a low profile and pretending not to recognize one’s clients were important. Anyway they had her phone number and could get in touch with her anytime they wished.

The White man passed her a plate of Appetizers.

‘Thank you,’ Nkem accepted it graciously.

‘This guy must be very friendly’, she decided.

My name is Niccolo. Niccolo Barbieri. I am an Engineer at Julius Berger, one of those renovating the Abuja stadium, he smiled.

’I’m Stacy’, said Nkem, giving him her commercial name. Nkem was for family and close friends. She whipped out her Business card from her handbag; a perfumed plain white card on which was printed her phone number and the name Stacy. She gave it to him and winked meaningfully.

He smiled politely, bowed, and put it in his pocket.
The Gala went well, and as it drew to a close, he took out her card, wrote something on it and gave it to her. It read: My place, Maitama Sule, Asokoro district.She nodded and immediately went to checkout.

She was elated! She had just been casting her bread on the waters when she gave him her card. She didn’t dream that he would be interested. White men in Abuja usually went for top-of-the-line girls.
With her little suitcase in her hand, she got into Niccolo’s chauffeured car, and off they went to his residence.

The drive proceeded in silence, but, Nkem was excited. Who didn’t know that if a White man liked you, he transformed your life forever! She was going to be on her very best manners and say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ constantly.

Soon they arrived at his house at the exclusive Maitama Sule district, the poshest area in Abuja.
The Chauffeur gave the keys to Niccolo and retired to the boys-quarters. It was just Nkem and Niccolo in the sitting room.

‘Would you like a drink’, he asked kindly.

‘No Sir’, she said shyly, ‘I don’t drink’.

He smiled and looked at her carefully.

‘Tell me about yourself Stacy. You could start with your real name’.

Nkem looked up, shocked.

‘I have a lot of experience with Abuja Girls, he explained. A few years back, I started dating Abuja girls and I know they don’t like using their actual names.

‘My real name is Nkem’.

‘What do you do’?

‘I am a student at the National Open University’.

That was the beginning of a conversation that lasted till daylight. They talked and talked. She told him all about herself; he told her all about himself.

He was a Widower whose wife passed on ten years ago. He had married a Nigerian girl, the mother of his two children- a boy and a girl- who were at University in his hometown in Italy.He was alone now except for the Chauffeur and the Cook who lived in the boys-quarters, and the company of Abuja girls now and then.
At 7 am, she informed him that she had to leave for Church. He gave her 500 Euros, the highest amount she had ever received in a Night.
She knelt down and thanked him lavishly. The money had just taken care of the rent.

‘I would like you to spend the Night here on Friday, but tomorrow, I need you to come to my office and see me after Work’.

‘All right’, she gushed, ‘I would be delighted’.

After changing quickly to her Church clothes, he dropped her off himself at Church, because the Chauffeur was off on Sundays.
On Monday, at close time, Nkem was at the Julius Berger office to meet Nicc as he requested. He took her to the IBB golf club of which he was a member.
On Tuesday, she came to see him after Work again; and they went to The Millennium Park.
On Wednesday, he requested to see her siblings so she took him home with her.
On Thursday she took the younger ones shopping, with the money Nicc gave for them.
On Friday she went to his office and they went home together. They were downstairs talking, when Nicc said he had to go to the Stadium to check the latest progress. She stayed up all Night in his room, dozing off and waking alternately. She was very relieved when he came back at 8 O’clock the next Morning.

‘I was worried’, she cried. ‘I phoned many times, but you didn’t answer’.
‘I’m sorry; I just couldn’t answer. There was trouble at the site, and we had to spend all Night fixing it. Let me have a bath and breakfast, and we’ll go out’, he apologized kissing her cheek.
They went to the Arcade Club Suites at the Central Business district, for Hors d’ouevres and Virgin-Piña Coladas.
Nkem looked bright and beautiful in a black, fitted t-shirt with the inscription, ‘ITALIANS DO IT BETTER’. She had bought it a few days before, in homage to Nicc, to his admiration and appreciation.
‘I must say I’m impressed by your integrity. You aren’t like some girls who made off with my watch and money’, to which Nkem replied with pride: ‘My parents raised me to be honest and upright, and I’m not going to forsake that’.
‘I would like to marry you, said a moved Nicc, ‘but I made a promise to my wife just before she departed, that in honour of her, I will not marry again. I can’t marry you, but I can give you the next best thing’.
‘Could you be my Girl? I shall build you a house in a good part of town; buy you a car; and after your schooling you could come be my Personal Assistant, so we could always be together’.
‘I was captured the moment I saw you smiling in the lobby. You reminded me of my darling wife in her younger days. As I became acquainted with you, I realized I had to have you in my life forever’.

‘What about your children, Nicc’? She queried.

‘My children are very understanding. So long as I don’t re-marry, they’re fine with me having a girlfriend. And, they are the reason I want to build you a house of your own, so when they come to Nigeria to visit, there won’t be any awkwardness. You’re all right with me’. he assured.

Nkem fell into his arms and kissed him repeatedly, not minding if they were stared at.
It was all over! The awful life of being a prostitute was all over! It looked glamorous on the outside, but in reality it was filthy! And there was always the fear of being arrested by the Police because Prostitution was banned in Abuja.
Tears of happiness and relief poured forth and, Niccolo the ever-green Gentleman, leaned and dabbed them off with his handkerchief.
‘What shall we drink to’? He asked as the waiter placed their drinks on the table, ‘To a new life’?
‘I have something more appropriate’! She exclaimed.
Nkem raised her glass and toasted, ‘To the best Italian man in the Universe: Hero, Friend, Chivalrous Knight in Shining Armour. May your days long, happy, and graceful ’.
They clinked their glasses ‘Cin! Cin! ’

And they lived happily ever after.