I have been making most of my withdrawals
across the counter since my ATM card got
expired last month.
Anyway, I breezed into a random Diamond
bank yesterday afternoon to withdraw money.
Got the withdrawal slip and wrote out a
whooping sum of two thousand, five hundred
Naira. ( I had to spell it in full so the amount
would seem huge)
My hands were stretched out nonchalantly to
the female banker and when she raised her
face to receive my slip, I recognise her as
Seun, my room mate in my 200L.
'Damn!" I cursed. Not when I am appearing
this shabby.
I should have added another zero to the
N2500 if I knew I was going to bump into
Seun. As girls who haven't seen each other in
more than two years, there was bound to be
some sort of comparison. I heaved a sigh
when I remembered my account balance is
just N22000.
"Lord have mercy! Naijasinglegirl? Is this
yewwww?" she exclaimed, stretching out her
short arms in an unsuccessful attempt to hug
me over the counter.
She snatched my slip and gazed at me
pitifully.
"Babezzz are things that bad? This one
N2500 is bringing you to the bank. I could
pay you from my pockets you know."
No thanks!
During our days in the university, Seun was a
flippant part time student. We often teased
her that her type may go as long as ten years
without getting a job.
I even promised I was going to lend her my
NYSC khaki to take Instagram photos in her
backyard since part time students were not
eligible to participate in NYSC orientation
exercise.
Today, the wheels of fortune has spun in her
favour.
I had to lie I actually came to the bank to
withdraw 15K. I took the slip from her, tore it
into two and wrote out another draft of 15K
which she paid from my account.
On getting out, I had to board a vehicle to
another branch of Diamond Bank to pay in
the 12.5K balance sharp sharp! Zero
tolerance for extravagance.
Last night, we had a lengthy conversation on
phone.
She wanted to know why I was unemployed
and I kept dismissing her with,
"Don't worry about me jare. I'm working on
something."
"Something ke? Lie lie! You think this your
good girl attitude would get you anywhere in
this country? Don't you know I got my
banking job through Chuwkudi, that my
sugar daddy. If you didn't dull his friend your
story would have been different today!"
Chuwkudi's friend was a stinking oil rich
magnate in Portharcourt. I met him through
Seun but there was a problem. He was
married!
Seun is of the school of thought that there is
absolutely nothing wrong in dating a married
man so long as both parties share some
fringe benefit in return.
Chuwkudi's friend was generous. He was
ready to dash me one of Nigeria's oil well if
only I was willingly to spread one of my legs
to the South South and the other to the North
East for him whenever he needed TLC.
Each time he came by my hostel, he would
squeeze N10000 to N15000 into my palms
for dinner.
During my first and unfortunately, my last
tour to his company's lodge, he promised me
an IT placement in Mobil. I was going to get
an already furnished flat at his quarters after
graduation. He was going to influence my
NYSC posting to an oil company and of
course, a well paying job upon completion of
NYSC.
All these promises in exchange for my
hymen…
"Sir, but I told you I cannot…I have not done
this before…" I trailed off.
He tore off a page of his cheque book,
scribbled something down and handed the
paper over to me.
"This would be yours if you spend tonight
with me. . . I would make you the envy of your
friends." He swore.
Six hundred thousand Naira was written
boldly on the cheque.
The highest amount of money that had ever
been offered leisurely to someone in my
family's genealogy. Honestly, It took a special
level of grace to dropped the cheque on his
table and walk out that door forever.
Did that singular 'goodgirl' attitude cost me
my surest ticket to this good life I crave for? I
hope not.
Posted By David Aniemeka
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