CHIAMAKA

Chiamaka arrives Lagos to begin her work as a Domestic staff to the senator.

She was flown in from Abuja where she lived with her parents. It was her first time on a plane. The head of housekeeping, Gloria, came to pick her up. They were about the same age and this made her uncomfortable. How can someone her age be in charge of her. Her pride as the big girl in the area was wounded.

When they got in the plane, she copied those who put their luggage in the top compartment and she looked so good doing it.

Then it was time for take off, due to her excitement, she didn't listen to the flight attendants during their routine safety training. The pilot asked all passengers to buckle in.

She tried to locate the seat belt like in a car but did so in a tush way, she turned left and then right. Where is it?..Gloria watched her do this. A little smile crept up her lips. One of the flight attendants reminded her to buckle up, she said she would.

When she found the seat belt, they were too short. Why was this happening to her today?. A sweat broke out of her head. After struggling with it for 5 minutes, an attendant came to her rescue. For the remainder of the trip, she didn't dare look at Gloria.

After a couple of days, she settled in to her work, went through some of the training on how to use the appliances in the senators house, she was shown how to vacuum a room to perfection, how to restore white towels by soaking them first with bleach and salt, etc. She didn't really pay much attention during her training because she was a big girl and did know most of what they were teaching her.

The domestic staff worked on a rotation shift every week, Week 1 - Kitchen duty, Week 2 - Sanitation duty, Week 3 - Laundry Duty, Week 4 - Room Service Duty. If you weren't on a duty, you would be on general Housekeeping. It was a standard arrangement and it worked.

The third week, she was assigned to Laundry duty, she got there and the washing machines were huge like those at the laundromat. Try as much as she could, she couldn't remember what they taught her concerning the machines. She wasn't going to ask for help, it would kill her. She would just have to figure it out.

She got on with it. By the time she was through with laundry, the clothes had shrunk down two sizes, every cloth had a stain on it.

It was either she reported herself or she was found out.

---

"Ever since I met you, you have captured my heart and made my life easier and brighter. I have found peace in your company and I have decided that today, I want us to take it a step further." Ebuka, the son of senator Gburugburu knelt down and having brought out the ring, It had been a long time coming.

He paused for dramatic effect, he smiled and raised the ring higher, he looked around to the nodding of everyone around and then deep into her eyes.

"It will be an honor if you will continue in that and make me a happy man forever. Chiamaka, will you marry me?"

All eyes turned to Chiamaka, the other house helps were present, especially Gloria whose face was red with jealousy, Chiamaka couldn't be bothered by her right now, Ebuka had chosen her over all the girls in the house and with this commitment, she would soon become the Daughter in-law to a senator..

She giggled excitedly.. She would make him wait 5 seconds before voicing out her approval. She was so excited. Her name would change from Chiamaka Albert to Mrs. Chiamaka Gburugburu.

Earlier in the day, she somehow knew today was proposal day, Ebuka was dressed especially flamboyant and he smelled so nice. He had asked her out on an impromptu date and the first part that gave it away was the fact that their date would hold in the biggest dinning room in the senators house - The Banquet Hall. It could easily sit 200 people.

Secondly, he had given her his ATM to go shopping for a new dress, He wanted something with a touch of gold, and other accessories to match.

Furthermore, Obiangeli, the Head of the kitchen, had whispered to her before she went out to shop that Ebuka had ordered the kitchen to prepare assorted meals for up to 50 people. That bit of information sealed her suspicion.

Since he set his eyes on her the first time she arrived at the senators home, Ebuka had not been himself. Chiamaka would catch him on different occasions sneaking glances at her and smiling, sometimes when in the company of his parents or sibling, he would loose concentration when Chiamaka passed by.

When she realized the power she had, she would catwalk a little more, she would squeeze out an additional stress when she greeted him "Good morning Sir".

"Don't call me Sir, my name is Ebuka. You are making me look like an old man. Please."

"I am sorry sir.. I mean Ebuka" she flapped her eyelashes a little too much, hyping the drama to an exotic level.

"That's better. What's your name?"

"My name is Chiamaka Albert, but my friends call me Chi baby".

"Chi baby, I like that. Can I be your friend as well?"

"eh, no o, you are boss son, so you are my boss.".

"I am not your boss, my father is your boss, I am just his son. You know what, come with me". He took her by the arm and led her to the balcony.

"Look out there, what do you see?"

"Your father's properties?" she pointed her finger at the cars, other buildings, an eatery and a sports facility which she had not been privileged to visit as there is another team of help in charge of that.

"No, the world, see the blue sky, the green grass, we all exist under it. We are equals under heaven." He had a way with words and he used the talent well.

She relented after hearing that and accepted to become his friend, he promised her he was in no way better. Just privileged.

His parents also took notice of the frequent exchange between the two and unlike many rich people, Ebuka's father had asked him one day if he liked the girl. He confirmed he did and that set the ball rolling to this moment. His father unlike many didn't care about his son finding the daughter of a high and mighty man in the society to marry. He had always allowed his children make their own choices and that made the family grow exponentially and they told him anything and everything because he would judge fairly and support them.

Over the next three months, they went on dates every week to exotic locations, today it would be a spa, next time, a garden, they alternated event centers as well and she never got bored. He funded every trip and despite the fact that she still helped in the house, her quickly rose through the ranks and became the assistant to Gloria. The two hated each other with a passion. Her joy knew no bounds especially now that she could rub it in her....

"Chiamaka!" Nneka screamed.

The loud call pulled her from her fantasizing. She had fallen asleep on the pile of clothes in the laundry room. The harsh reality settled in quickly, she was in a lot of trouble. She checked her wrist watch, it was 6pm. She had been asleep for 3 hours.

"Wetin happen to Oga cloth? Chineke, you don enter trouble today for madam Gloria hand." Nneka was renowned for her gossip prowess. If you told her your secret, consider it leaked successfully. She was in charge of cleaning the restrooms and she was famous for knowing what goes on in behind closed doors, she claims to have the secrets of each member of the senators family in the palm of her hands.

"Wait nau, where are you going?" Nneka was about to leave but Chiamaka got up in a haste and stopped her.

"it's not what it looks like, It's just that something went wrong and the laundry came out like this, don't report me please".

"Bia, you think say I be small pikin, Oya tell me wetin go wrong?" arms Akimbo, Nneka knew she had gotten her.

"The.. the.., as I was trying to.. Hei.. I am in trouble o.". She didn't even know enough to lie about what happened.

"you no Sabi how to do something, you say something go wrong, how something no go go wrong. E dey for your body. Infact, i dey go tell madam now say you don spoil Oga cloth finish. See as agbada dey like singlet, ehn". She drew out a hiss.

"Sorry please, don't report me. You know they will send me back to the village. Please now, Please.". Chiamaka pleaded with her head in her arms.

"Okay, I will not report you, go and report yourself." She wasn't playing.

"Go and report, what will happen, will happen, after pleading with you, what else do you want me to do?"

"Okay, I am going". Nneka made to leave but Chiamaka stopped her again.

"Sombody cannot even play with you?. Ah ah, okay what do you want? Please help me, I will do anything you want please".

"Anything I want?"

"Yes, anything, but reasonable something o".

"Okay, I will help you, I am suppose to go and wash some toilets now but tomorrow you will follow me to wash all the toilets and arrange all the rooms."

"No problem, I promise.".

Once agreed, Nneka assisted her with the laundry, clothes that had shrunk in size were restored, whites that had been colored were bleached and all was well again. At 9pm they finished and went in to rest.

Chiamaka had once again scaled through, she made up her mind never to plead in front of Gloria.

---

"Chiamaka, wake up, let's go and wash toilet".
Neeka was an early bird, it was just a quarter past 5am. She would start with the guest toilets, work her way up to the house help restrooms located at the far end of the ground floor away from their combined bedrooms. Then she would finish up with the individual self contained restrooms on the other floors.

"Nneka, leave me alone. Which toilet, abeg gatat!"

"Ewo, you promise me yesterday, wake up let's go nau." her face was a mismatch of anger and sorrow. She had forgone her own work to help Chiamaka out and now it seems she had been played.

"See, Leave me alone or I will give you dirty slap. Did I tell you that I will wash the toilet in the morning, go away!" Her eyes were still closed.

"ehen, that's what you are telling me right, I will go and report what you did to Gloria. You will see".

"Go and report, it's your word against mine. Where is your evidence? Abi you will just make a fool of yourself, oya go, Amebo !" Chiamaka taunted.

"You think say you wise ba, I go show you. You go see.".

"Please go away, you are disturbing me".

Defeated, Nneka stormed off to carry out her duty before Gloria would reprimand her.

Chiamaka got up when she left and laughed hard.

"Foolish girl, you think I was born yesterday. You have not seen anything, you are all in for a long ride".

She sat on her bed and fantasized a little more about Ebuka, she would have to make her fantasy come true. How would she make him notice her? Then she smiled. The perfect idea just occurred to her.

"Chiamaka, you are a genius". She praised herself.

The end!

Thank you for taking time to read through. Let me know if you enjoyed it and expect the next part in the comment section.