Poverty, First Enemy of Humanity

PROLOGUE

"How dare you respond to me like that? That's arrant nonsense!! You just need to follow my instructions or we wallow in this poverty till eternity." The silence of the graveyard invaded everywhere. They punctured the silence and cried bitterly but no one was around to console them".

Adeleke became a peasant farmer after retirement from the teaching profession. He was a popular primary school headmaster in a government school in Oke-Odo. Adeleke and his wife, Shade had three children; Toyin, Shalewa, and the eldest and perhaps the only son is known as Bayo.

Adeleke was a devoted teacher, he taught with dedication during his years as a teacher, he as always received compliments from several parents and this and other qualifications enhanced his promotion to the position of headmaster before he finally retired some years back. He opted for farming when the government didn't give him some of his entitlement as a retired civil servant. Hence, life became so much unbearable for him and his family. One unfortunate day for him, one of the people he owes money pointed on his nose, calling him "a poor man and a debtor".

He lamented "if not for this corrupt country, I should be living a better life than you" and tears rolled down his cheek.

In a sharp similarity to the life in Sodom and Gomorrah was Shade's life with her children after the demise of her husband, an illiterate Shade left with the responsibilities of three children, she became helpless. Toyin died as ulcer patient while the only son became a garage boy and refused coming back home, "a promising bright future became darkness". Adeleke had plans for you girls and your brother, but this government has failed to give him his entitlement; Shade said to her daughter one day.

On one fateful afternoon, Shade sat in the backyard of the house, smiling. Shalewa, the eldest girl who noticed her mother's cheerfulness since the day earlier decided to ask her what was going on.

-Mum, you looked happy, any good news?

"Yeah, I got you a new job at chief Bisi's house as a domestic worker."

Without waiting for Shalewa to reply, she immediately added that she would resume the next day. She argued with her mother but eventually ended up crying out their eyes. Shalewa however, realizing her mother's new job for her would fetch her and the family money but she thought it may not be worthwhile after all, but had no option than to be submissive to her mother and at least the salary should be enough to reduce their financial burden.

Chief Bisi is a businessman but his wife is constantly travelling to England to check their children. Shalewa was warmly received by Chief Bisi as a new housemaid. When Chief met Shalewa for the first time, the aura of flirtation escaped from his troubled soul. This old man is a notorious womanizer. Iya Janet who was the older maid inducted Shalewa and showed her the daily assignments, Iya Janet dropped her final tips: "you will enjoy working here if you are very loyal to Chief".

A month after she began the job, she felt at home because her boss was so nice to her, severally, he would invite her to the room, give her huge amount of money and commend her work in the house. Indeed Shalewa has always returned home every weekend with smiles on her face.

On one evening, Chief invited her to his room and they began to chat, this has been their usual habit but this day was an unfortunate one for her. In some minute after, he held her hand; she was shocked and was frightened. Chief, however, told her he would give her a huge amount if he was allowed to have of sexual intercourse with her. She initially rejected the dangling carrot but she was at a crossroad and this lecherous Chief finally deflowered her.

Shalewa laid down in her room crying profusely for getting defiled by a man she has always taken to be a father, "to whom will I relay this incident"?.She thought. Chief Bisi dashed into her room and threatened her life not to reveal the incident to anybody. However, after this warning, the old man continued to sleep with her every night.

Some months after, she broke her silence and decided to report this rape to the nearest police station in the town. An official invitation was issued for Chief Bisi and he proudly appeared before the police to defend himself, paid them bribes and the house girl was treated with contempt and admitted to being a pathological liar.

Nevertheless, she refused to return to Chief's residence, she returned to her mother to narrate the ordeal, expecting God to reward the Chief accordingly.