Protecting Tam-Tam 2: Madam Cynthia’s Girls

I knelt beside Chief and placed my head close to his nose. Small tufts of air hit my face, and relief, like I never knew it, filled my bones. I sat back on my knees, feeling suddenly very tired. Chief was still alive, though barely.

The balled-up paper caught my eye from the corner Chief had thrown it to. I crawled over to it, picked it up, smoothed it, and then read its contents.

Chief,

This is the girl you said you liked. Treat her well. Thank you for the deposit. I’ll be expecting the balance when you're done with her.

Madam Cynthia.

The words began to blur as tears filled my eyes. I  knew Madam Cynthia pimped me out to Chief, but it didn’t take the edge off the sting of her betrayal. A sob escaped my throat, and I clamped my hand across my mouth to stop more from coming.

I needed to leave. I stood up, the abrupt movement almost twisting my ankles in the deathtrap heels I had on. I pulled them off, deciding instead to trust my bare feet.

I walked towards the door and tried to open it. Surprisingly, it gave way, and I was suddenly in the hallway. Thankfully, there was no one else outside. I knew anyone who saw me in this situation would be tempted to check on the room I stepped out of. My dress was in disarray, my shoes were in my hands, and my cheek was starting to swell up. It definitely called for suspicion.

As I descended the stairs, I prayed fervently that the receptionist and Chief’s driver wouldn’t see me. I had no explanation to give them. My prayer was answered when I got to the reception, and no one manned the table. The huge wall clock behind the receptionist’s table said it was well past midnight.

I went towards the main door. I was surprised but relieved to find it open. Almost half of my problem had been solved. I now needed to leave the hotel compound with no one seeing me.

I stepped out into the starry night, the chill night air cooling the sweat that rolled down in beads on my body. It even soothed the sting of my swelling cheek. Chief must have had a ring on the hand he had hit me with. I saw the black car that drove me here. I tiptoed around it and peered into it. It was noticeable because the engine was still running. It was probably because Chief’s driver laid across the backseat with the windows wound up. I was sure he had the air conditioner on full blast.

I passed by the vehicle and made a beeline for the gates. Fate was working on my side as the gate was open and unmanned. I took off running in the direction of Madam Cynthia’s house. I know she wasn’t expecting me back this early, and I had no explanation for her, but it was the only place I felt safe.

I walked through these streets early when it was still bustling with activity. Now, it felt like a ghost town. I saw no one. My heart, however, was in my throat. Memories of the first time I was raped threatened to resurface in my mind, but I pushed it down. I had no need for such distractions.

I alternated between walking briskly and running until I reached the familiar street leading to Madam Cynthia’s house and slowed down. I needed to come up with something to tell Madam Cynthia. It was early in the day, but I knew Madam Cynthia would still be awake. She never slept at night, especially when all her girls were out. She loved being wide awake when they returned and placed her cut of their income from the night’s activities on her outstretched palm.

I stopped in front of the gate, hoping it wasn’t locked. I had never stayed out this late and had no idea if the gates were locked at night. I pushed it in gently, hoping it wouldn’t make a noise that would wake our old landlords. The gate swung in gently, and I stepped inside, moving towards the staircase before I heard it swing close behind me.

I was so familiar with the staircase leading to Madam Cynthia’s house that I did not need a flashlight as I climbed up the stairs. I stood before Madam Cynthia’s door, the first one locked to me since leaving Chief’s hotel room.

I raised my hand and gave the door a tentative knock, then another and waited. It didn’t take long before I heard the door bolts click open and saw Madam Cynthia’s head peek out. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. She opened the door wider and let me in.

“Tam-Tam? What happened to you.” Madam Cynthia said as she took in my physical state.

I could say nothing but burst into tears and collapse on the floor in the middle of Madam Cynthia’s parlour as all the adrenaline came crashing down. Madam Cynthia knelt beside me. I shrunk away from her; the familiar sting of her betrayal throbbed constantly in my mind.

“Was it painful?” She asked. “But it isn’t the first time. Did Chief do this?” She touched my swollen cheek, and I winced in pain.

I nodded. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

She stood up, said, “Let me help you clean it,” and entered her room.

I was calmer when Madam Cynthia returned with a washcloth and a water bowl. She knelt beside me again, soaked the cloth in the bowl, and touched it against my face. I shrunk away from her instinctively and winced at the pain. The warm water, though, soothed it.

“Hope you satisfied Chief?” Madam Cynthia asked as she continued her ministrations on my face.

I looked at her sharply from the corner of my eyes, unable to believe that that was what was going through her mind. I still didn’t forget this was a woman I trusted who much but sold me out for a few thousand. She gave me a steely glare, and I knew she didn’t want me to pursue it.

“No, I said, clearing my throat. “Chief passed out before he could do anything.”

“Passed out? How did you now get this?” Madam Cynthia asked, gesturing at my cheek with the cloth.

“He got angry,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. Madam Cynthia had stopped working on my cheek, and it started to throb slowly.

“How did you now get home?” She asked.

“His driver brought me back,” I said, unable to look at her face as I lied.

Madam Cynthia was quiet for a while before pushing herself up. She turned her back to me and riffled through a bag on the parlour’s couch.

“Here,” she turned to me and handed me two white pills. “Take them; they’ll help with the pain.” With that, she took her usual position, facing the door and waiting for the more victorious girls to enter.

I threw the pills in my mouth, swallowing them without water. I pulled myself up and went to the back towards my room. I needed to sleep in the comfort of my bed. When I entered, I saw Mercy curled up on her side and resting on half of the mattress. I sighed and went through the process of pulling off the cursed dress I had on and putting on a long shirt I usually wore to bed.

I crashed on the bed, jolting Mercy a bit. But she was a deep sleeper. She rolled over, burrowed into me and went back to sleep.

The pills were working. The headache that had started earlier was beginning to dull, and all my senses seemed far away. In fact, the events of the last few hours seemed far away as something seemed to lull me to sleep.

Soon, I was out like a light.

Someone was shaking my shoulders as I came to.

“Wake up.” The person said urgently.

I jolted awake. I wasn’t as deep sleeper as Mercy, but I still felt drowsy. I wanted to roll over and continue my sleep.

“No, wake up.” The person said again, shaking my shoulders for good measure. My blurry eyes focused on Uche’s freckled face. “Wake up.” She was looking at me with concern in her eyes.

“Wha- what’s going on?” I asked. My tongue felt heavy, and my breath smelt acrid. Uche reeled back as it hit her face. She waved a hand across her face as if chasing the smell away.

“Madam Cynthia just got a call from Chief. He is furious, Tam-Tam. He said he’s going to make you pay. What did you do to him?” Uche asked, curiosity and urgency warring in her tone.

The events of the day before and earlier this morning rose unbidden in my mind. Tears sprang up as I thought of the danger I had escaped.

“I- I- I hit him with a bottle,” I said, barely getting the words out.

Uche gasped. “Why?” She asked. “Because he did this?” She pointed at my swollen cheek.

“Yes,” I nodded, “and he-he was crushing my throat.” I managed to get the words out with a few hiccups escaping me. I put my hand around my neck to demonstrate.

“Poor baby,” Uche said, pulling me in for a hug. I held on to her tightly and let the tears flow.

Uche was the nicest to me at Madam Cynthia’s house. She said I reminded her of her sister, whom she left behind in the east, and she treated me like I was her. She was the only one I was going to miss when I left with Mercy later that evening.

The thought of Mercy brought back my plans for our escape. She would be in school now. I needed to leave Madam Cynthia’s house before Chief and his goons came.

I pulled away from Uche’s warm embrace, “what is the time?” I asked her.

“When I came to wake you up, it was almost 4 p.m.,” Uche said. Mercy’s school let out by 3 p.m., but she waited until 4 p.m. to attend extra lessons for her common entrance examination.

“4 p.m.?” I asked, my eyes widened. How could I sleep for that long? My mind flashed back to the pills Madam Cynthia had given me. What were those pills? I pushed the question away. It wasn’t a priority right now.

“I need to go,” I said, standing up from the mattress with renewed vigour. Uche stood up as well.

“Madam Cynthia has gone to meet him at the hospital. You must leave the house before she returns, probably with Chief and his goons.” Uche said.

I nodded mutely, unable to meet her eyes. I busied myself with stuffing some clothes into a backpack. I wasn’t going to come back.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Uche said, and without waiting for a response, she left the room. I watched her go, sure it was the last time I’d see her.

I didn’t give myself time to dwell on it. I stuffed enough clothes for Mercy and me into a backpack and then pulled up the mattress, reaching for a purse I knew was stuffed underneath. The purse was filled with the money I had saved from my job as a storekeeper and the ones I made off doing make-up, running errands and doing other menial chores for the girls. Sometimes, after an eventful outing, they gifted me money. It was money I saved for more than five years. Its total amount was enough to buy passage for Mercy and me.

I removed a few bills and stuck the purse deep down the bag and beneath the clothes before changing into a pair of handed-down jeans and a top. I made a pit stop in the bathroom, brushed my teeth and washed my face as best as possible without aggravating my swollen cheek.

I slung the bag over my shoulder and stepped out of my room. I passed by the kitchen but stopped when my stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten since the previous day. I rubbed my belly and moved past. There was no time to rummage through the cabinets for food.

Uche was pacing worriedly across Madam Cynthia’s parlour. She glanced up at me when I entered.

“Tam-Tam,” she said, her gaze was filled with concern for me. “You need to leave now.” 

“Yes,” I nodded. The wall clock behind Madam Cynthia placed the time as 4:30 p.m.

“Good. Be back at night; they would have left by then.” Uche said, steering me towards the door.

“Yes,” I said, my eyes roaming the small room. It wasn’t much, but it was somewhere I had called home for the last few years. “Goodbye, Madam Cynthia,” I said under my breath.

“Huh?” Uche said. She didn’t catch what I muttered.

“Nothing,” I said, “bye, Uche.” I looked around one last time and ducked out of Madam Cynthia’s house

Back on the streets with a clear purpose in mind and a full backpack on my shoulder, I set off for Mercy’s school, hoping I’d meet her halfway. She should be on her way back now. I could taste my freedom. I felt hope budding in my chest for the first time in twelve hours. I almost smiled, but it pulled at my cheek, causing me to wince as the pain shot through me.

Through to form, I was not far from the street that housed Madam Cynthia’s house when I saw Mercy. She had her head down and kicked a pebble as she walked; the tip of her white socks was brown and dirty.

“Mercy!” I called her name, and she looked up, her eyes snagging in mine. Her face was transformed by a happy smile as she ran to meet me. She crashed into me with a hug, her arms curling tightly at my midriff.

“You were sleeping so much this morning; I didn’t want to disturb you because I know you went out last night like Auntie Suzie and the others,” Mercy said, rushing her words.

I fought the tears that threatened to show up again. I could not let Mercy see me cry.

“It is okay, I’m awake now,” I said.

Mercy stepped back and looked at me. Her eyes took in the swelling bruise on my face and then slipped to the bag I had slung over my shoulder. Fear filled her eyes.

“Where are you going?” She asked. I smiled down at her.

“Not me, us.” I pulled her hand and turned us toward the direction she was coming from.

Mercy and I walked down the road while she filled my ears with chatter about her school. I welcomed the distraction of unnecessary information. It pulled me out of my head and stopped the sound of the bottle colliding with Chief’s head from playing on a loop in my head.

“Wait,” Mercy abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. I turned to look at her, hoping she wouldn’t say anything about Madam Cynthia or her house. “Are we going to-?” She cut herself short, but I knew what she was asking. Relief filled me.

“Yes, we are,” I smiled down at Mercy. “We are going to buy your meat pie.”

Mercy and I walked into Snackhause hand in hand. She looked around in awe at the décor of the fast-food joint she always admired from afar. I led her to the counter, where she picked the meat pie she wanted, her eyes wide.

We got our snacks and went to sit under an umbrella outside. Mercy was munching happily on her meat pie. She ate the crust first before attacking the filling inside. I ate my snack slowly, ruminating on my plan.

“If I tell Auntie Caro that I ate meat pie today, she won’t believe me,” Mercy said, rubbing her tummy with a contented look. The empty wrapper of her meat pie fluttered in the breeze on the table before us.

I was quiet. Mercy was young but old enough to make decisions. I looked at her, trying to decide how to explain it to her. Mercy sobered up when she saw my serious expression.

“Mercy,” I started. “I am leaving Madam Cynthia’s house. Now. I want you to come with me.”

Mercy stared at me in silence as if not comprehending my words.

“Why?” she asked.

“Her plans for me, for us, are evil,” I said. I didn’t know if Mercy understood me, but she nodded.

“I will go with you. No one will protect me from her if you go.” Mercy said.

Tears stung my eyes again. I needed to get my emotions in check and keep a level head. But, the thought of this little girl not feeling safe in her own Auntie’s house, her last living relative, evoked sadness in me.

“Okay,” I said, wiping my tears. “Okay. We would meet up with some people and go from there. But first, you need to change out of your uniform.”

I reached into my bag and brought a pair of trousers and a top I had picked for Mercy. I stood up and took her hands, leading her towards the restroom outside the joint.

Mercy quickly changed and was out in no time. We packed up our stuff and left the joint. As we walked towards the rendezvous spot, we chatted, and Mercy asked me about where we were going. Since I knew nothing about that, not even the country we were going to, I answered her as vaguely as possible.

The weather slowly changed as the day moved on and night took its place. By the time we got to the bus park, the sun hung low in the sky. It was a few minutes to 7, and I figured we were early enough.

Mercy shrank into me as we passed by a group of guys smoking and drinking. They stared at us till we left their sight, and I ignored them. Wacko had let me know they had no bite.

As we turned a corner, I tried to conceal my shock at the number of people milling around a white 16-seater bus. I knew other people were coming, but not this much. Wacko saw me before I saw him, coming over with that stupid smirk.

“There she is!” Wacko said, spreading his arms. “And she came with the little girl too. Tell me, how did you manage that?” He seemed genuinely curious.

“It is none of your business,” I said.

“Gutsy now, aren't we?” He asked, his expression turning serious. “ I bet that’s what got you that shiner over there.” He gestured at my bruised cheek. I ignored him. “Did you come with my money?” 

I nodded wordlessly as I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and dug into it for the purse of money I had earlier stashed in there. I counted out the required amount and handed it to Wacko. He counted it again as if he wanted to be sure I wasn't hiding anything.

“Good,” he said. He glanced at Mercy and then back at me. “I assume I will not tell Madam Cynthia anything about you two?”

“Yes,” I said, and he nodded.

“We’ll be leaving soon.” He said, walking off.

I watched him walk off and sighed. Wacko was brought to us by one of Madam Cynthia’s girls and introduced as a ‘street brother’. The girl has since left Madam Cynthia’s house, but Wacko remained, becoming a permanent fixture around the house. I overheard a conversation he had with Caro about taking some girls out of the country, and that was how I came to be here; waiting in the increasingly cold night, an eight-year-old’s hand in mine and leaving everything and everyone I knew behind.

Mercy tugged at my hand. I turned to look at her and saw that she was looking at something, or rather, someone. I turned in that direction and jammed eyes with Suzie, the most unlikely person I ever thought to meet here. I thought she was comfortable at Madam Cynthia’s

Suzie’s gaze filtered between Mercy and me, and then she looked away, promptly ignoring us. I wondered what that was about.

I could imagine Madam Cynthia’s reaction when she woke up tomorrow to find three of the people under her care gone, including her closest confidante.

“Get on the bus! It is time to move.” Wacko called as he banged on the body of the vehicle.

I secured my bag on my back and gripped Mercy’s hand tighter. We walked to the vehicle, where a small queue had formed. A woman beside Wacko held some green booklets in her hand.

“My name is Candy.” The woman said. “You’ll follow my instructions from now on.”

They let us in the vehicle one after the other. When it was my turn, the woman handed me two booklets. I assumed they were for Mercy and me. I ducked my head and helped Mercy in before going in myself.

We sat side by side on the bus. I sat by the window while Mercy sat on the inside.

Suzie was one of the last people to enter. Our eyes met briefly before hers fleeted away. I raised my hand in greeting as she passed Mercy and me, but she looked away. I knew then that she had made the decision to act like she didn't know us. It was fine by me. I had Mercy to look after; I wasn't going to add to my responsibility.

Candy and Wacko got on the bus last. The bus lurched to movement, and we were on the road, leaving the abandoned bus park that was Wacko’s domain behind.

Mercy leaned her head on my shoulder, and I curved my arm around hers. I looked out of the window at the passing scenery.

I was scared yet excited about the prospect of the new land for Mercy and me. Yet, I was glad I made my escape—from Chief, Madam Cynthia, and even my memories, which most of the time manifested as nightmares.

I tapped Mercy’s shoulder in a rhythm, knowing it would lull her to sleep.

As the bus moved on, the scenery outside the window slowly changed from a bustling urban area to a rural area with thick forestry and an unpaved, bumpy road. I made a conviction to build myself for Mercy and, most importantly, myself.