The Tales Of Laura





The Tales of Laura


Chapter one- A new place entirely


This is a fictional story written by Joshua Idowu @joshua358, joshuaidowu2012@hotmail.com.


In the noisy city of Lagos lived the family of the Jacobs, an average family living in a rented apartment in Lagos, This was a Saturday and the Jacobs were expecting a new house maid to help around the house.


The Jacobs were in the sitting room watching a local television programme with their two children, Victor who was fifteen and Mayowa their only daughter aged twelve when their neighbour, Mrs adewale came in with a roughly dressed thirteen year old girl.


They were warmly received by their neighbour who told them about the new house girl from a village in faraway Benin city who came here to study in a government public school because of her desire to be educated but since her parents couldn’t afford to take care of her little educational requirement financially she agreed to come to Lagos to be a maid for any family.


“what’s your name?” asked Mrs Bimbo Jacobs, the girl replied” I am Laura Odemena ma”.


Mrs Jacobs turned to her neighbour and asked if she would be fit to do a job as young as she is young her neighbour answering in the affirmative.


She was told that Laura clocked thirteen few months ago and she had been enrolled at St Richards government secondary school for her Junior secondary School one education (JSS1)


Their neighbour left and Laura sat on the chair looking at strange faces, wishing she was with her own family but she knew this was her best chance to get educated as the situation seemed.


Mr Jacobs who was silent all through and didn’t even greet their neighbour was fuming with a frown on his face, though he struggled to wave his neighbour bye told His daughter to take Laura round the house which she did immediately, he then turned to his wife and blasted her for bringing a young girl, younger than his son to their house,


“She may be young but the point is she would help around the house, the kids go to school, come late, do assignments so they barely have time to help me and I am not ready to die so I need her” Mrs Jacob responded sharply, walking out on her husband.


After about thirty minutes of Laura’s arrival she was shown a little storeroom where her small belongings which barely filled a polybag and her mat would be, she was asked to wash all the dishes and start the house cleaning which she did perfectly imagining how successful she would eventually be and trying hard not to think of her family.


Mrs Laura meanwhile gave the young girl a lot of work to do in a bid to see how much she could and she discovered that she could do almost everything including cooking except carrying big buckets. However her solution was to give her a smaller bucket with many rounds of fetching, Laura even did the laundry on her first day at the house of the Jacobs.


Mrs Jacobs was pleased and told her husband how helpful she was but her husband forced a smile to satisfy his wife not because he was unhappy.


At about 9pm, Laura went to store, laid down and started thinking of her family in Benin city, he Parents who wanted the best for her but had no means of funding her little educational dues, her four elderly brothers who never went to school but farmed, she thought of her mum who was her best friend and hot tears rolled down her eyes when she remembered she wasn’t going to see them soon. As she sobbed in the dark room, Mayowa the only daughter of Mrs Jacobs came to meet her and Told her to sweep her room, she stood up immediately to sweep the room but suddenly she felt Mayowa was younger and should not give her others. So she said declined.


Mayowa angrily said “ Are you alright, I was commanding you too not asking you too”


Laura replied “You have no audacity to order me except your parents if you want to sleep in a clean room go ahead an clean it, I am new here so lets be friends”


Mayowa cut in sharply” How can I be friend with you, I am even surprised you speak English you stupid fool”


Laura was agitated before her visit and now more tense and suddenly gave Mayowa a dirty slap, the girl screamed , her parents rushed from the bedroom heard both parties story and immediately mrs Jacobs slapped Laura without counting, Laura was so much in pain and she could barely open her eyes, but for Mr Jacobs who rescued her she would have received the beating of her life, Mr Jacobs corrected the girls and told his daughter never to ask her to carryout instructions, he also told Laura never to take laws into her hands, she apologised with hot tears kneeling and promising never to do that why Mayowa walked away angrily because of her father’s judgement.


Mr Jacobs told his wife how angry he was with their disrespectful daughter but she defended her as usual allowing the girl to escape her father’s punishment yet again.


Laura laid back on the mat and sobbed at how she handled the situation, she wished this never happened at least on the first day of her stay, she also wished she wasn’t living with the Jacobs, she was also aware of more trouble but she made up her mind to help the Jacobs, focus on her education and make sure something good comes out of it.


She slept murmured some prayers and wished Saint Richards Government School would be a nice place for her to learn and hoped the next day, her resumption day came quickly.





Watch out for Chapter 2, I would appreciate your comments and suggestions. You can also please help us share the Article.

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