Aba’s Sugar Youngsters

After two years of battling with JAMB, Aptitude Tests and admission,I decided to job hunt and blow off the hot steam and blame game coming from my parents.
In my desperate bid to stay off the house for a while, I applied for a job at a  dry cleaning firm around Faulks Road in Aba. That was where I crossed paths with Jessica.

My meeting with Jessica was just like every other acquaintance; she had this Cheshire-like face, squinted eyes, a flat nose and the small mouth of a new born.
Truth is, Jessica isn’t a head turner facially, but she  has the well chiseled body of a mannequin that could make anyone with a third leg pray to the heavens.

She got the job at the dry cleaning place two months after I was employed, and so I was instructed to put her through some company policies and the line of duty of being the counter girl. I guess that’s how we got talking and all.
Anyway, Jessica’s closeness to me, as I sensed was also due to some factors: we were seeking admission in the same school; she was a sociable person, and in a way, she understood our age difference and saw me like an elder sister.
Just like most of us can relate, Jessica’s private life was very much none of my business. But when she started receiving lustful advances from male customers- especially the married ones- I had to  occasionally wade into the situation before these Aba men turn into their exclusive VIP sex machine.
As a rule in the company, customers are not allowed to collect numbers of female workers in the company- especially when they’re on duty. But how Mr. Ejike- our reserved, soft spoken and courteous customer got the cell number of Jessica,  I’m yet to figure.
No one really knew Ejike’s marital status, so there was no way for me to be on the lookout for any warning signs that may harm Jessica. Again, I was trying to play safe, so as not to ruin a sister’s opportunity of walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams. Especially  in this century with shortage of real and adorable men like Ejike.

As fate would have it, my name appeared on the first admission list to study Banking and Finance at Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. After officially resigning from my job, I also relegated the affair between Jessica and Ejike to the background of my mind. After all, I had a whole lot of academic challenge to face.
But no matter how we tend to keep away from some things, they just keep coming to us.
Jessica’s name appeared on the third admission list to study Hospitality Management in the same school where I gained admission; so in a way, I became her eyes and ears. When she came over to the school hostel where I was staying to commence her screening, it was there she brought up the glamorous tales of Ejike and his awesome personality.
Surprisingly, Jessica was open minded about the whole thing. She told me Ejike helped to complete the money for her acceptance fee when her parents told her to do so with the little she made while working.
Also, because he doesn’t fancy the idea of staying in the school hostel, Ejike was making plans to complete the little her parents gave  her so she could live off campus-alone- and he could visit her( and also have their privacy) without restrictions.

After completing her screening process and securing a place to stay, I didn’t see much of Jessica for a while. Not because we were quarreling or anything, but I guess the hustle and bustle of school activities made us to slowly drift apart.
The next time I got to see Jessica was after the first semester exams. She was still her jolly good self, and added to her personality was this air of confidence and splendor.

Since we  were through with our exams, I had enough time to chat up with Jessica and catch up with the struggles and gists of happenings outside the school campus.
When the discussion drifted to her commitment with EJike, she was open minded about the turn out of events.

According to Jessica, Ejike is into importation of cars and engine parts. This meant that he was always on his way to Lagos for the clearance and unloading of his goods.
When he was on this trips, Jessica was always beside him from Owerri flights to Lagos. She gets to stay in his rented apartment at Surulere and play the wife role when he returns at night.
Most times, they get to spend a week or two in Lagos, depending on the time duration it took to clear his goods. These trips, most times, also ended with shopping, outings and splashing of gifts.
Jessica said Ejike had only brought her to his on a single occasion, and they didn’t even stay long for her to notice anything. So she suspected nothing.

But for  her, it all came crashing when she received a call from a lady that introduced herself as Ejike’s wife. Unlike some women who would start cursing and threatening, the wife was mature about it and even sent Jessica their family picture via Whatsapp. It sealed the whole deal.
When confronted with the truth, Ejike didn’t deny, but  apologized and kept on professing his love for Jessica. Men can be something else.
They’ve since broken up, but Ejike calls once in a while, even though he knows there’s nothing to it.

Like Jessica, most young ladies have fallen prey to the charm and allure of Aba’s married men. Due to the fact they don’t wear their wedding rings, its easy to disguise themselves and hide under the cloak of bachelors.
Most times, these men go to weddings or even house warming ceremonies to hunt down young ladies to make them feel all wanted and boyish.
But mind you, there will always be a clear distinction between ladies who want a relationship with single men and those who are down for even the married ones.
Whichever way,only God can save young ladies from the hands of Aba sugar “youngies”.