Scars (Romola 2)

6: Sunbo's Dream

"An audition." Sunbo replied. "For Mega Max company."

"What's that?" Romola began to pace across the plank.

Inside the shop, Jumoke began work on another customer's hair while the little girl sat on the stool she'd abandoned.

"It's a film company."

"I thought we agreed that you were going to stay in school."

"I'm not leaving school."

"Sunbo, how many times have I told you that your education is more important than all these auditions? Do you know how many people audition for parts?"

"It does not matter. I'm Sunbo. They just have to pick me."

"If I talk now, they will say that I talk." Romola began. "I really think you shouldn't go out. Corona is real. Even if you don't care about yourself, think about Maami and Lolade."

"See, Maami herself does not wear masks when she and Lolade hawk bread up and down Lagos."

Shock danced through Romola's body and came out through her hanging jaw. "Did you just say that Lolade is hawking?"

"Yes na. She is now a big girl. She already has customers."

"When did this start? Why did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? Romola's brows furrowed.

"Well," Sunbo drawled. " If I call you, you will say that I am calling you too much."

Lolade's problem was something she would have to discuss with her mother. Not Sunbo. "So this part you are going to audition for, what's it about?"

"I don't know yet. When we get there, we will be told."

Romola shook her head. "Which one is we?"

"Me and Richard. We are going together."

"Richard?" She had lost count of Sunbo's endless number of friends.

"That one that his brother is a G boy."

Romola could not remember any interaction between her and Sunbo where a yahoo boy was mentioned. "Are you sure it is safe to go anywhere with him?"

"I trust him," Sunbo said.

"Just like I trusted Yetunde." Yetunde was a part of her life that was better forgotten. The pain of the end of their friendship had only just started to heal and bringing it up every now and then only severed the scab that was forming around her heart.

Pointing out the similarities between her life and Sunbo's was the easiest way to lose her sister's attention. "Madam actress. Hope you have told Maami?"

"What she does not know cannot bother her."

"Sunbo." Romola screamed. "You should tell her oh."

Her sister was practically walking down her old path. If her mother had known about her job, then her life would not have turned out as bad as it did. She would still have her mother's support and she would still be welcomed in the house

"So, she'll tell me not to go?" Sunbo asked. "I can't, oh."

"Sunbo, what if something happens."

"Egbon mi, nothing can happen to Sunbo in this life that Sunbo does not want to happen to her."

Romola had thought that way too but life had shown her something else.

"I sha wanted to tell you because the audition is happening at Aja and I don't have —"

"Money abi?" Romola didn't hide her disappointment, "Is there ever a time you call me that you don't ask for money?"

"Now, I want to go and act and make money so I don't have to ask you but you will not let me. Instead, you will be here blocking somebody's blessing. Will you send me money or not?"

"Sunbo?" The audacity.

'Don't worry. Shebi, it's because I called you to ask. I'll just go and ask Richard to borrow me. After the audition, I'll pay him."

"How do you know you will get the part?"

"I just know." Sunbo cut the call.

Sunbo's case was becoming something that she couldn't handle anymore.

Romola stared at the saloon again. The woman with the purple and red patches on her face had taken over her stool. There was no point in waiting and trying to haggle with Jumoke. She walked the plank one more time.

Jumoke's head shot out of the saloon. "You dey go?"

"Yes." Romola tried to hide the shaking in her voice. So much for making her hair. She would have to subject herself to the thing that Edidiong had plaited on her head as all back. Somebody's wig would do the work.

As she walked back to the apartment, thoughts of Lolade ploughed her mind. Lolade was too young to be walking around Lagos. It didn't matter that she worked with their mother. Lolade just wasn't fit for it.

If Romola had graduated with her set, by now, she would at least have a job that could pay enough to keep Lolade off the streets. She did not want her baby sister to suffer everything that she went through. She had danced to keep Sunbo off the street and even enrolled Sunbo in a GCE class. If only Sunbo would open her eyes and focus on her studies.

Sunbo was another cause of her constant headaches. Fear gripped Romola each time she heard that Sunbo was going for an audition. What if Sunbo went for an audition and never came back? Romola remembered all the times that she saved a drunken Yetunde. Sunbo's company seemed to be more of the type that would destroy her for a few minutes of Insta fame rather than to try to save her. And there was Jide too.

All of these people were annoying enough to make her want to cut off contact with her family but she didn't. Sunbo had said it often that she was better without them but she didn't feel so. Yes, she hadn't seen most of them in two years but that didn't stop her from caring about them. Especially her mother.

The large gates shielding the compound of the one room boy quarters came into view. She leaned against one of its walls. Real life was hard. It was nothing compared to when she was a student. If only Sunbo could see that adulting was difficult. But she would rather have Sunbo safely pursue her dreams than endanger herself for money.

The only way to stop Sunbo's irrational pursuit of big dreams was to provide Sunbo with what she had lacked. Money. She dialled her bank's USSD code before transferring the 10,000 naira in her account to Sunbo. Of course, she would have to reduce her feeding allowance for next week and make do with a wig until she was paid.

She sent a text message to Sunbo with strict instructions of how the money was to be spent. Sunbo was supposed to use 2,500 for her audition then give her mother 3000. The rest of the money was supposed to be for the family's upkeep.

Romola got off the wall and kept walking. Were things so bad at home that her mother needed an extra hand? Couldn't she take Sunbo instead? Why Lolade? The thought raised moths in Romola's stomach. She called her mother's number. The phone rang until she got to the apartment. She tried the number again, hoping that her mother would pick. Their last conversation hadn't ended well.

Her mother picked on the second ring. "Whatever you want Romola. no."