CHILD ABUSE,LABOUR AND EXPLOITATION

Mona and Keren frantically jumps out of bed on

realization that they had overslept into half of

midday. ‘‘I can’t believe we slept that long.

Yesterday was not the first time we stayed up so

late.’’ Keren shuddered. ‘‘We should be thinking

of how we could rush up to the warehouse

before Madam Lucy arrives, rather than bother

our head over situation we cannot change’’ Mona countered.

Madam Lucy, a stout looking woman in her early

forties, with wavy, long black hair that spreads

over her shoulders, average height and a tan

skin that had gone all bleached, owns one of the

biggest business enterprises in town and a big

warehouse filled with lots of cartoons. It is

alleged that she had sold her womb for money

since she has no child or perhaps children and

yet has accumulated so much wealth. And also

that she killed her husband. All these, was at all

never her concern. And perhaps to prove them

wrong, she however accepted the responsibility

of taking care of Mona and Keren who were

dumped by a teenage mother few hours after birth.

A neighbor had found the twin babies and

reported to the police station. After

investigations and due processes carried out,

they were handed over to the woman who

found them since she had volunteered to keep

the babies. After few months of nursing them

alongside taking care of her own children, she

approached Madam Lucy and pleaded with her

to collect the babies since she could not carter
for them as she should.

''Lucy, I do not want you to consider what

people have been saying concerning you. I know

you will be able to take care of these children

much more than I would. Consider them as

children which God has blessed you with. I see a

bright future awaiting them and all they need is

good grooming which I cannot give but you can.

Please for the sake of God and humanity, accept them'' the woman pleaded.

''When every one have been trying to rub my

name in the mud? what makes you think I will

take good care of these babies?'' Madam Lucy countered.

''I believe you will''

She hesitated for a while and later accepted the

babies. But as the saying goes, ''Time is man's best tester''.

One could wonder how young girls of about ten

years of age without education could be

involved in masculine work such as packing

loads of cartoons and trekking long distance,

such was the turn of her attitude towards the

kids as they turned a decade old. Most detesting

to her, people expressed displeasure about it

and the most concerned ones often times call at

her house to talk to her. Just to do the wish of

the people and reduce their attention on her,

she decided to enroll the girls in school. After a

couple of years and seeing that people's

attention on her had reduced, she decided to relocate.

The girls had no option but to do what she says;

at least they have their three square meals a

day. Most times, they would work into midnight

offloading vans containing cartoons and

sometimes loading them. And they would go to
bed very late and extremely tired.

Mona glanced at the clock on the wall and it was

11:02am and heaved a sigh of relieve. “At least we have gotten here be…”

''Moooooooonaaaa…''

Before she could conclude her statement she

heard Keren scream out loud from behind the

building. She rushed up and met her glaring in-

between her legs. She had been deflowered the

previous night. Mona quickly glanced down in-

between hers but saw nothing. “But how

come?” keren could not say a word but cried.

Mona led her to were she could find water and helped her clean up.

Few minutes later, Madam Lucy arrived with

some Lebanese men with a van that contains

thousands of cartoons. They alighted and one of

them had a tete-a-tete with her then entered

their Hilux and drove off. Mona wanted to tell

her what had happened but she appeared too

busy, slipped some naira notes into Keren’s

palm and exited announcing that she would see them in the evening.

Mona finds it funny that for the past sixteen

years they’ve been with Madam Lucy and

worked for her, they’ve not known what’s inside

those cartoons and each time they want to

sneak up to open them, the cartoons would

either fall on them getting them badly injured or

Madam Lucy would be somewhere close, and

that would dissuade them. But that particular

day, they vowed that nothing would stop them from seeing what’s in them.

That night, after offloading the van that was

brought in by the Lebanese men earlier that day,

they refused to go home and tried getting

themselves busy till other workers had left.

When it was all clear, they sneaked up and

opened one of the cartoons. Inside laid wraps of

papers. They got the shock of their life when

they lifted them and white substances fell off.

They carried them and tried arranging them

back. They were about opening another cartoon

when Madam Lucy’s car horn was heard and

they rushed into hiding. She came in with a

Lebanese man amidst discussion.
“You fulfilled your end of the deal but the cartoons were not complete” Madam Lucy

began
“You told me I will be having the two girls but you sent only one, which was why”

“We agreed on one”
“No, the two girls”

“Alright, no argument. I will send the other by tomorrow. And please make sure the cartoons are complete on arrival”
“Sure, as long as you keep to your end of the deal”

As soon as the Lebanese man and Madame Lucy exited, the girls came out gasping for breath. They look at each other with mouth agape.
“What was that we saw?” Keren broke the silence.

“That was an illegal drug if I’m not mistaken?” Mona expressed her own shock.
“Does it mean we were actually drugged last night?” Keren added
They were unfortunate not to hear the other part concerning Mona being the next as they discussed that part while going out.

The following morning, Madam Lucy announced

to Mona to get ready as she will deliver a

cartoon to a house couples of miles away. Keren

offered to go with her but she objected. Mona

quietly got dressed and left with the cartoon.

Few hours later, news reached Madam Lucy that

Mona has been shot dead by the police.

Immediately, she took to flight leaving Keren

behind who was already soaked in tears as a

result of the tragic death of her twin sister.

According to the report, It happened that Mona

arrived at the Police check point and was asked

to open the cartoon she held, with fright, she

did and when the police realized what was inside, she picked a race.

When all effort to make her stop failed, The

police fired at her and the bullets killed her

instantly. The Police traced where she came

from and because Madam Lucy had fled, they arrested Keren and took her away. While she

was detained they went further in their

investigation and in the warehouse, they

discovered cartoons of hard drugs and a few

guns. Fortunately, the woman who handed the

twin to Madam Lucy heard what happened and

immediately went to the police station, gave report and bailed Keren.

Fortunately, The bullet that was fired at Mona

only hit her upper arm but did not kill her. It

only took sometime before her twin sister was

able to find her. More so, It did not take too long

before Madam Lucy's evil deeds caught up with

her as she was arrested while making effort to

leave the country. Her cohorts were discovered

and they were made to face the wrath of the

law.
Photo source- from pixabay.com