C4 PUSHED TO ADOPT A GIRL - 2

A while later, the hair stylist who has been listening to their conversation without interruption while she worked on Bridgette hair suddenly said, "Madam, what madam Bridgette told you just now is the present realities of our society,most of the rich people like you now hire young girls as maids, because it is too risky to hire those ladies with hungry appetite; even most of our political leaders do so; since most of the young ladies out their are now like wolves, seeking for homes to devour!"

"But to hire a girl of ten is against the law in this country, I am law abiding, I can't do it"

"Then adopt a girl and raise her as your child if you really need one, that was what one of my client who is law conscious like you did recently"

Hearing this Grace said, "hhhmm, what you said just now really make sense, I think I will discuss this with my husband when I get home. But if my husband agree that we should adopt a girl, how do I get a girl to adopt; will I need to go to an orphanage?"

"You may and you may not if you can ask around, there are so many poor people who will gladly release one of their children for adoption, because they could not cope with the financial burden needed to raise all their children; most especially those among the poor who senselessly gave birth to too many children!"

"But I do not have poor people in my vicinity" Grace replied and added, "even if I know of a poor family, how do I just walk across to them and tell them that I want to adopt their child; what if they don't like it?"

"If you wish I can link you to a woman in the place where I live, she have an orphan girl living with her. The young girl lost her parents in a motor accident when she was a baby. Due to this she has been thrown from one family member to another and non of them really like to retain her."

This my neighbor alone have interest in her, but her husband doesn't want the girl and he often complain bitterly over her stay in his home. He even used to fight his wife so that she can send her away, saying she brought a girl no other family member want, to add to his already heavy burdens.

Apart from this, a new trouble just hit this girl aunt, they have three kids and they lived in one room with this girl, it means they are six people living in a room..

"What?"" Grace shockingly asked, you mean six of them sleep in a room, how are they managing? The room must be stuffy as hell!""

"If that shocked you, then you don't know what life in the slums look like and you better not go closer to a slum, because you will see a room with seven grown ups!"

"My God! How will they sleep!"

"Anyhow they can!"

"You seemed unmoved by this gory thing!"

"I am used to it because that is where I lived"

"Talk no more about it then, it pricks my heart to hear it, by the way you said the aunt was hit with another problem, what is the problem?"

"Mysteriously, the woman gave birth to a triplet recently!"

"What!!!"Grace unconsciously stood up because she was too shocked to hear this. "My God, how will they cope?"That is nine people in a room!""

"The husband ran away the moment he was told that his wife gave birth to triplet, he just disappeared off the face of the earth!""

"What a life! Grace exclaimed, how is the woman now?"

"She is really suffering, she cannot go out to sell the things she used to sell again, now she depends on the goodwill of the neighbors to feed herself and her young children. Because of this she told me that she wanted to send the girl I am talking about away to their village.

The worst thing about this decision is that nobody in the village is ready to receive the girl and be her guardian. And if you get to know this girl you will see that she is a hard working wonderful kid, all our neighbors like her"

The stylist talked on and on passionately about the girl, but her words were like flame burning in the soul of Grace. Though she is yet to see the girl, but she knew instantly that she won't have peace if she do not do something about her and also help her aunt. With this decision she sigh and said, "Please stop talking about her, hearing these things is giving me headache! However, you must do something for me"

"What is it?""

"Tell the aunt that I want to adopt the girl, I will come on Monday after I have discussed with my husband and I will take her home to be my daughter; but are you sure she is a good girl?""

"Madam, if she is not a good girl I will not tell you so; she is a wonderful kid, suppose I have a big place myself I will take her under my care and make her my apprentice in this shop; but I live in a single room too with my husband and two kids""

When Grace heard this she shockingly asked, "You too? I don't believe it, you mean you, your husband and two kids live in a room? The way I see you dress everyday, one will believe you are living fine"

The stylist laughed and replied, "madam I dress for the job, but you should know that good dress does not mean a person is a big shot! If I don't dress well people like you won't step into my salon"

"You are right in that" She shook her head and she began to think of how to help her because she has been her stylist since she moved into this area. Before she left she asked the stylist for the girl's name and the stylist said her name is Itunu.

When her hair was done she went home and sorrowfully related all that transpired in the salon to her husband. When she finished the story she told her husband that she do not want to hire a maid again, rather she want to adopt Itunu and raise her as her daughter.""

While she was telling her husband these things, she was praying in her heart that her husband will not say no to the idea of adoption. Surprisingly her husband did not say no to her intention, rather he said, "These people really need our help and we should help them."

Grace asked him what kind of help he think they should give to them, his answer shocked her more than his first positive response, he told her that they should give both the stylist and Itunu's aunt a house each from their low cost housing estate; they are newly developing this low cost housing estate to give help to the poor people.

They have recently began to build low cost houses in different locations that are close to slums all over Lagos, their plan was to allow the poor people to take the possession of these houses and pay for it in bits over ten or fifteen years. However, he said both Itunu and the stylist should be given the houses free without paying anything.

The following week when Grace was taken to the place where the stylist lived, she almost could not breath because the stench floating all over the place was so offensively horrible!

After she saw where her stylist lived, she made up her mind that she will from that moment always pay close attention to the people doing one service or another for her; because it is too embarrassing for her that her stylist lived in this kind of hell hole!

When she met Itunu's aunt and she told her the reason she came to see her, she jubilantly agree to release her for adoption because her neighbour, the the stylist had spoken glowingly to her about Grace. With her agreement Grace told the two of them that it is a must for these two young women to follow her so that they can know where she lived and to meet with her husband; they agreed and she took them immediately in her car to her mansion.

When they got to her victorian - like mansion, the stylist, Itunu's aunt and Itunu opened their mouth with amazement at the opulence of the mansion they are beholding; but which they couldn't described in words! To them it was as if they came straight from hell to see the beauty of heaven!

They followed Grace into the building walking gingerly as if their legs will hurt the glassy floor! All through, they could not stop looking at the sitting room wall which was overlaid with ivory; the beauty of this mansion was just too much for their poor small minds! They wondered in their minds who were the people who built the place, but they did not know that Grace's husband bought it from the government.

The building was one of the landmark buildings the colonial masters who ruled Nigeria built and lived in, he bought it and renovated it to meet the modern standard, but it still retained it's victorian regal grandeur. The compound is so large and beautifully adorned with air perfuming rare flowers!

Grace treated them to a meal, the kind they have never tasted before! after the meal they began to feel sleepy, but Grace dropped a news on them that cleared the sleep off their sleep lidded eyes, by this I mean the two grown ups. But Itunu was busy with a wandering mind on the possibility of living here with Grace that she called strange woman in her mind.

Grace announced the intention of her husband to them and they were shocked to the bone when she handed the keys and documents to a building to each of them

She told them she will send a truck along with them when they are returning, which will immediately help them to move from the slum into their new house

Apart from this, she told Itunu's aunt that her husband asked her to give her a million naira which she must use to do business of her choice, so that she will be able to care for her children by herself.

When Itunu aunt heard all these, instead of leaping with joy she was apprehensive, because she felt the gifts were too overwhelming to have no motive behind it. So she cautiously asked, "Madam, you are a stranger to us, why are you doing all these for us?"

Grace sensed her fear and she knew her fear is justified, because there has been many rumours of people who paid for a child's life this way and used the child for rituals.

So she said, "I know you are afraid because of all kinds of things you have heard that people did in this kind of situation with the lives of innocent children. But I want you to have peace of mind concerning us, because we are not evil people. If you want you can get a lawyer's service on this issue,, so that he will draw out rules of adoption and safety over this girl for us.

And you are always free to come here anytime to check on her wellbeing. I told you I want to adopt her because nearly all my children have gone to colleges and this big house is becoming too lonely for me.

As for all we have done for the two of you, it is in our power to help you and we must help you. When you get to the estate you will see that we built the houses to give help to the needy people, and if we are coming into this kind of relationship it is important that we let you too enjoy the help we are rendering to others.""

When the two of them heard all her explanations, they relaxed. At this moment Emiola himself came in from his office to meet with them. He told Itunu's aunt that it is a must for her to come once in a month to check on Itunu, and they will always allow Itunu to spend one weekend with her once in three months.

With all these, Itunu's aunt was assured that Itunu is now in good hand and she began to shed tears of joy, because of how things suddenly turn out well for the girl and for the overwhelming help she received.

The hair stylist too was not left out of the tears of gratitude, the two of them thanked Grace and her husband wholeheartedly for the uncommon help they received. They left the place feeling they are dreaming, but when they got to the estate and the estate manager showed them into their houses; they knew they were not dreaming.