"Open this door or I shoot it down!" The voice was loud and menacing, echoing through the Street. Rose's heart racing, she clutched her eight-month-old baby, tightly to her chest. And with great fear, she looked at Femi, her husband.
The incessant robbery on Dajuma Street, Port Harcourt, had begun again.
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The Chairman of the Local Government Area where they resided was killed due to his stopping to wicked activities of the cult boys there.
The present Chairman cared less about the welfare of the residents.
And as such the wicked activities of killing, kidnapping, and armed robbery continued daily.
There was constant raiding of the area where Femi and Rose lived.
By now, the only property left was the box of wrappers she owned and their bed.
“We would be fine my love” Femi assured her. “I believe they remember that they've completely looted this home” He lamented, silently wishing they remembered.
The robbers were suspected to be at their neighbor's house; Mr. Ken.
After what seemed like a long while, Rose lay down the baby and dozed off on her husband's chest at the thought that the robbers would have been gone.
Femi looked at his wife, feeling all pangs of guilt.
Before their marriage, Femi had called over his fiancee Rose to tell her that he'd been told to quit his present apartment due to his inability to pay his rent because of his preparation for their wedding.
Rose had told him that he should not worry. They got married and together they found a cheaper apartment.
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They just had a baby girl and things have just been going rough for him. He lost his job; more reason he hadn't gotten a new place.
Just as he was about to lay his head, his greatest fear surfaced.
“Open this door, before we scatter it for you!!” The robbers were already at their door and there was no way of escape.
The door creaked open, and a group of rough-looking men stormed in. Their eyes scanned the room, searching for valuables. Rose trembled, trying to clutch her baby, and hid behind her husband.
"Where is your money?" one of the men growled, his gun pointed at Rose.
"We don't have any money," Femi stammered, trying to hide his family behind him.
The men laughed, their eyes gleaming with cruelty. One of them spotted the box of wrappers Rose owned and snatched it, leaving them with nothing.
"You're lucky we didn't kill you," one of the men sneered before they left.
Rose collapsed onto the floor, holding her baby tightly. She couldn't take it anymore. The constant raids, the fear, the uncertainty.
Laughing out loud, she looked at Femi
“Is this the life you promised me?!!”
At this point, she needed a way out.
Femi felt defeated, and told Rose that they had to make a choice: stay in the war zone and risk their lives or move to Delta State to stay with his aunt while he remains here to figure out something.
"Aunty Betty?" Rose repeated, her voice laced with doubt. "But Femi, she's so mean and selfish. Are you sure that's the best option?"
Femi sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know she's not the kindest person, but we have nowhere else to go. We can't stay here and risk our lives every day."
Rose hesitated, unsure of what to do. But the thought of staying in Danjuma street, waiting for the next raid, was unbearable.
"Okay," she said finally. "We'll go to Aunty Betty’s”
The journey to Delta State was long and arduous. Rose held her tightly, trying to comfort her as she cried. Femi sat beside them, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
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When they arrived at Aunty Betty’s house, Rose was struck by its grandeur. The house was huge, with sprawling gardens and a sparkling pool.
But Aunty Betty’s welcome was far from warm. She greeted them with a scowl, her eyes narrowing as she took in Rose's worn clothes and her baby’s dirty diapers.
"What do you want me to do with you and this baby?" she snapped, her voice dripping with disdain.
Rose felt a surge of anger but bit her tongue, knowing they were at Aunty Betty’s mercy.
"We're just grateful for your hospitality, Aunty Betty," Femi said, his voice placating. "We'll do our best to help out around the house."
Aunty Betty snorted. "You'd better. I don't tolerate laziness in my house."
The days turned into weeks, and Rose struggled to adjust to life with Aunty Betty. She was treated like a servant, forced to do chores from dawn till dusk, while Aunty Betty lounged around the house, giving orders.
Her baby girl cried constantly, missing her father, who had stayed behind to look for a job. Rose felt like she was losing herself, trapped in a life she didn't want.
That night, as she lay in bed, Rose made a decision. She would not let Aunty Betty break her.
Two weeks following, Femi called to say, he had gotten a job that came with a house and an official car.
Tears of joy streaming down her face, Rose packed their bags, and they left Aunty Betty’s house, ready to start their new life together.
As they settled into their new home, Rose realized that she had made the right choice. She had chosen to swim against the tide, to fight for a better life, rather than sink into despair.
