The Sanctuary #1

Ngozi’s smile grew wider as she was given a tour, if it could be called that, of the shop space. She had wanted to get a shop space for quite a while now, and though it had seemed like a herculean task, Ngozi knew that everything was possible.
She was a teacher of that belief.
“I go take am,” she said in pidgin, turning to the ‘agent’, Mr. Kolawole, who she had employed to help her search for the space. The space was just what she needed, which was why she had convinced the former tenant to move to somewhere else.

Ngozi acted unaware of the lust in Kola’s eyes, she was well aware of how he must view her.
She stood at a height of five feet five inches, and sometimes had to wear heels so she could stand tall enough to be taken seriously, even though she knew that whoever took her at face value would either be disappointed or impressed. There was more to her than met the eyes, she knew.
She had a way of getting what she wanted without using force or even her powers. She had mastered the art of persuasion which some people might call manipulation, early in her time on earth. She saw that she was petite, and people tended to take her for granted, so she learnt what she termed ‘skills for survival’ which included reading minds from facial expressions, since she was not allowed to use her powers ‘unnecessarily’.
Her hair was whatever colour she decided it to be for the week. She could not really be called beautiful, but nether could she be described as being ugly. She had a magnetic aura which she knew people could not explain, but could feel.
She knew Kolawole felt drawn to her for no obvious reason which intrigued him the more. She was something he could not explain, but wanted all the same.
Men. She had studied them, and found most of them wanting. They were too predictable.
“You sure?” he asked her, in reply to her decision to take the space. “The place good, but the money no be here o!”
“I go take am. Just carry me go the landlord,” she replied him, still acting oblivious to his attraction towards her.
She would have laughed, but this was no laughing matter. This was exactly how it starts, and before long, someone gets hurt and the chain reactions start. There were too many of such cycles.
Mentally shaking her head to focus, she looked Kola in the eye, and with steel in her voice told him “Make we dey go.”
Kolawole quickly nodded as he led the way. “My money na ten thousand o, I no dey comot anything from inside,” he informed her. She could tell that he had decided that she was not worth his time. She thought about searching his thoughts to see what went through it, but decided otherwise; it was not worth it. Besides, from experience, she knew she could rightly predict the train of his thoughts: she was not so beautiful. He had seen better looking ladies. She was not worth his time.
No there was no need to check his thoughts, she needed to focus on her mission.
“No wahala,” she said to him, allowing herself to be amused. He was obviously angry at her silent rebuff. If only he knew it was for his own good.
She forgot about him immediately the deal was struck with landlord. She paid them in cash and left them, acting unaware of the look in their eyes, the look of wonder which was becoming very familiar.

The next few weeks saw Ngozi very busy. She had a plan, and wanted every detail to be exactly as it was in her head.
She was particular about colours, shapes, and sizes. She was detailed to a fault, making the marketers at the shops she visited for her wares a little tired, but they smiled through it all because she was one of the few customers who didn’t bargain the prices.
She decorated the shop with lots and lots of light bulbs, she wanted it to always be bright in the shop.
She also had the walls painted white. Her tools where either in red or white.
She had the signboard done with the Gabriola font, because the name reminded her of her friend and brother Gabriel, whom she missed so much, and because she just loved it. The words ‘The Ladies’ Sanctuary’ were written boldly in red light, against a white light background.
It took six weeks for her to get satisfied with the shop. She was excited, despite herself.
She allowed herself imagine that she was just like any other woman starting her own business, and not a superwoman with a mission.
She knew what could happen, but she hoped the other possibility came to be.
Her final touch in the salon was a few words on the partition, which she put up to create an inner room, which she hoped would serve as a warning.
The words, ‘There is a silent listener in every conversation, words are life.’, were written in red on the white paint. They could not be missed, as the were in the direct view of whoever entered the salon.
The opening day was quite interesting and busy, as the few friends she had invited whoever they could to support, and Ngozi felt like a part of something other than someone living a life full of missions.
She was smiling and working on ‘steaming’ a spirited lady’s hair, when her first employee entered the shop.
Ngozi felt her presence and turned to look at her. She noticed how uncomfortable she looked, standing at the doorway.
“Come in,” she invited with a smile. “You want to do something different with your hair?” she asked.
“No Ma,” the young lady who looked no more than twenty years old replied. “I have been waiting for you to open up shop, so I could work for you.”
“Oh! Come on in then, and work with me,” Ngozi invited. “When the day is less busy, we will talk about other agreements.”
The young lady was obviously happy to comply.
Ngozi watched her through the day, and was impressed with her hand work, and told her so when the day was less busy.
“Thank you Ma, does that mean I get to work for you?”
“No, you get to work with me,” Ngozi replied. “But bear in mind that I will start you on just ten thousand naira as your salary, and then as time goes on, it will be increased. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes Ma.”
“Good. Let’s close up quickly before someone else comes for a service. It has been a long day.”
As her new employee, Amaka, cleaned up, Ngozi smiled. It looked like she was going to be a good worker. She liked her already.
She only hoped she would not be involved in what was about to happen.