The scene opens at a roadside market where traders are shouting and customers are moving up and down, buying one thing or the other. The place is very busy, and everything is happening fast-fast.
Ella is there, moving quietly among the crowd. She buys rice cake and soft drinks, holding them carefully in her hand as she tries to cross to the other side of the road.
As she is about to leave, someone suddenly calls her name.
"Ella! Ella!"
She turns quickly.
It is Loveth.
Loveth walks up to her with excitement and taps her shoulder. She looks closely at her face and smiles. "Hey Ella, na you be this?"
Ella nods and smiles back. "Yes of course. Ah Loveth… oh my God, you don grow well. You look so big and beautiful."
Loveth smiles proudly. "Thank you. So why you stop school?"
Ella's expression changes immediately. The smile on her face fades a little.
She sighs softly. "My mum could no longer afford my fees, so I had to drop out."
Loveth reacts with a small laugh, shaking her head. "Chai! You're not so lucky anyway… but sha, wetin person fit do?"
Ella forces a smile again, trying to stay calm. "It's fine. Anyway, it's really nice to see you. We go talk some other time. Bye."
Without waiting, she turns and walks away.
Loveth stands there, watching her as she leaves. She shakes her head slowly and laughs to herself.
"So this girl wey sabi book pass like this don drop out of school?" she mutters. "Chai… if you no get money, wetin you go do?"
She chuckles lightly as the moment fades.
Later that afternoon, Mama Caro walks slowly into a public yard. The sun is very hot, and her face shows that she is not happy at all. She looks stressed as she moves toward Bimbo's house.
When she gets there, she knocks on the door.
"Bimbo!"
Bimbo opens the door and immediately looks surprised. "Ah! Mama Caro! Wetin you dey do here?"
Mama Caro frowns. "I no understand. So I no fit come visit my friend again? Abi na so e be now?"
Bimbo quickly tries to explain. "No o, no be like that. Na just say the weather too hot… I think say you for dey house rest, not come here come gossip."
That word makes Mama Caro angry immediately.
"Obsessive!" she says sharply. "So if I come your house, na gossip I come do?"
She turns as if she wants to leave. "No wahala."
Bimbo quickly calls her back. "Sorry! Sorry! Abeg come inside."
Mama Caro pauses for a moment, then she enters the house.
She sits down slowly.
After a short silence, she looks at Bimbo and asks, "Where your children?"
Bimbo replies, "Ella go market."
She pauses briefly, then adds, "Emeka follow him friends go play football."
There is a brief silence again.
Then Mama Caro leans forward and lowers her voice. "I hear say Pablo and him wife fight for market today."
Bimbo does not respond immediately. She just sighs and looks away, clearly not interested.
After a moment, Bimbo finally speaks, her voice tired. "Mama Caro, I no really get time for gossip today."
Mama Caro looks at her carefully. "Why? Wetin dey happen?"
Bimbo sighs again, this time heavier. "Everything just dey somehow. My children future dey worry me."
Mama Caro nods slowly. "Well… I even come because of something."
Bimbo looks up slightly.
Mama Caro continues, "I hear say one rich family dey find house girl… housekeeper work. The pay no bad."
Bimbo's expression changes immediately.
"Ah! No, no, no," she says quickly, shaking her head. "I no go allow my daughter go work as house girl for anybody."
Mama Caro tries to persuade her. "No be like that. Na better opportunity—"
But Bimbo cuts in firmly. "No, Mama Caro. I no go gree. My daughter no go suffer like that."
Mama Caro's face hardens a little. She leans forward and speaks in a slightly harsh tone.
"So you wan make she just dey house like this? No school, no work… you wan make she become nothing?"
That statement lands heavily.
Bimbo's eyes widen in anger.
"Wetin you just talk?" she asks sharply.
Mama Caro shrugs slightly. "I dey tell you truth. If you no get money, you suppose manage the opportunity wey you see."
Bimbo stands up immediately, her face filled with anger.
"Mama Caro, abeg… you don too talk," she says firmly. "If na that kind thing you come tell me, you fit dey go."
Mama Caro looks at her, surprised.
"I say make you go," Bimbo repeats, pointing toward the door.
There is a tense silence.
Mama Caro stands up slowly, adjusting her wrapper. "No wahala," she says coldly.
She walks toward the door and leaves.
Bimbo remains standing for a moment, breathing heavily.
After a while, she sits down again, shaking her head.
"This life… e no easy," she mutters quietly.
The room falls silent.