Chapter 2: Omo Dubai for WhatsApp

"See am! Omo Dubai o!"

My stepsister jump from sofa, her eyes dey shine like say she just see awoof alert.

She no even let me rest from work. As she dey jump like fowl wey see corn, I just dey look am, dey fear for her future. This Prince from Dubai matter dey sweet her belle, she no even send anybody.

She wave phone for my face, dey show me the foreign man wey wear agbada and cap.

The man for phone try do like Naija man, but you go see say e no too blend. Him agbada no fine like our own, him cap even shift for side. But my stepsister no notice at all—love don blind her.

"See na! Omo Dubai!"

She dey almost shout, voice dey echo for parlour. Her phone dey shine, filter full everywhere. She dey shake am for my face, make sure I see everything. If you see the joy for her face, e be like person wey win sports betting.

"You sabi where Dubai dey? Na the richest place for this world—everywhere na big car, oil dey flow like water."

She dey run mouth, dey make Dubai sound like heaven. As if say, once you land there, you go just dey see money for ground, carry am anyhow.

"Abeg, you just be local girl wey sabi only government work. You no go understand."

She use style yab me. I just swallow the insult, look her with pity. If to say na another person, I for fire back, but as family, I no want wahala.

She turn, lie down for sofa, begin press lips for screen like say na communion wine she dey sip. If Mama Ogechi see am now, she for shout, “Tufiakwa! Technology don spoil this generation!”

But me, I shock.

My body cold, sweat dey my palm. I dey look my stepsister, dey wonder if she no dey fear all this Yahoo boys. For my mind, I dey plan how I go fit save her from herself this time.

I don come back to life.

I no fit believe say God give me this kind chance. My mind dey heavy, but I know say e remain small make wahala burst.

And na the most important time for my last life I return—the moment before my stepsister wan meet this Omo Dubai face to face.

I dey reason say if I mess up this time again, nobody go help me. Na me and my sense remain. For Naija, person gats use brain. I vow for my mind say I no go allow my family finish me again.

"Hey, local girl, quick cook something for me! Hunger wan finish me!"

Her voice cut my thought, bring me back. She dey act like madam of house, just because her mama get mouth for papa hand.

"Make am fine o, I wan dey shine well well, so I fit marry Omo Dubai, hehehe."

She talk am with pride. Na so she dey behave every time—make person dey serve am like queen. For her mind, food na the magic wey go make her catch prince.

Apart from work, na me dey do housemaid for my stepsister and stepmama.

No be say I like am, but if I no do, wahala go land for my head. In Naija, especially for some families, na so dem dey use person wey no get mama again. I dey do housework pass everybody, dey run up and down like person wey get hot yam for hand.

If dem say go east, I no fit try go west. If not, if dem complain to my papa, na serious slap go land for my face.

My papa na correct Igbo man—if dem complain, e go just vex, no go reason your side. For him mind, as long as peace dey house, e no care who dey suffer. Na so dem dey raise person for my place.

Fine, beauty food abi? I go cook am for you. I go make you fine well.

I say am, but for mind, I dey plan. I go add small scent leaf join, cook am with hand wey dey shake, but I go do am. I go make sure say e sweet so that her eye go cool small, maybe e go make her reason well.

"Wait, come here—I wan ask you something."

My stepsister call me. I stop, waka go meet her.

I drop spoon for hand, wipe sweat, carry myself near her. I dey expect insult, but I still go, because if I no answer, wahala go burst.

She look confused. "To go Dubai see am for real... I no even know if e go make sense. Even flight ticket sef no cheap."

Her voice soft small, eye dey fear. For the first time, e be like she dey reason say e fit be scam. I dey happy say my talk dey touch her mind small.

"You feel say make I go?"

Na this question fit kill me last time.

If I answer wrong, wahala go land. My mind dey jump, but I no fit show fear for face. Na so e start last time before everything scatter.

But as dem dey curse me, I just dey plan my own—this time, I no go let dem use me like rag.