At night the two maids retired to their room. Daytime they were donkeys. Nighttime, they were masters of themselves in their own room, where they could fart and sleep naked as they pleased, and eat whatever they could sneak out and buy. Or, if they were broke, confine themselves to whatever their Madam served them.

It was a miserable life, but they tried to make happiness grow on the barren land they found themselves.

Here in this rich neighborhood, girls like their types had no place. The only place they fitted were every place in their masters’ houses where cleaning, scrubbing and mopping were needed. If their bosses considered them clean enough, they were allowed to be nannies in addition to being soldiers policing dirt in the house.

This evening Madam had traveled. Less noise in their ears. Less work in the house. It was evening. And for a maid that was sexually active before taking up her new job, Jango was restless and bored. No guy. No one to talk to. No messages. No tv in their room.

There are days she has no money for internet subscriptions. Those were evil days. For all she can do is stare at her stupid phone which stared back sadly at her.

Her colleague with whom she shared the same room was lucky. A new boy called every night in addition to the regular guy, the one who called everyday. The one she said was the One.

Jango was prettier than her colleague Maria but she didn’t understand why Maria magnetized new boys in the hood and she was unlucky.

Jango tried a number that had stopped calling her. It rang. And rang. And rang.

“Pick up, please.” She begged in a whisper. No answer.

What had happened to her new catch? She had boasted about this new friend to Maria. How they would lay on their beds at night after a hard day’s work and listen to Jango’s tales of how she met him in her former workplace. How this boy called Sumaru would bring her gifts concealed in a paper and hand it to her when no one was watching.

She was maltreated by her former boss, even whipped by the old lady for petty offenses.

She can beat up that old lady, easily, but out of respect she silently takes in the beatings and let it all go. She doesn’t tell her mom when she calls at night to find out how she was doing in her new home. If her mom knew about it, she would immediately ask her to stop working and come back home. After all, her uncle who helped her secure that job could help her find another.

This boy Sumaru has been so helpful. There were times she was too broke to afford sanitary pads when she had her period. It was Sumaru again who was so useful in times like that.

The day she finally gathered courage to leave her former boss and her prison cell she called a home, she had wanted to go to Sumaru’s place where they could make love all night. He deserved it for all the kindness he had shown her. They’ve never had time for a long one on one talk.

But unfortunately, Sumaru was living with a friend. He was planning on renting his own place but it will take a few more months.

Jango then had to go to her Uncle’s place for some weeks before moving to her current place of work as a maid. She visited Sumaru once during her stay at her Uncle’s place. But they couldn’t go beyond a kiss. The only place they could meet was the beach. And in Jango’s hometown, it was a taboo to have sex at the beach. She said evil spirits roamed there.

Sumaru’s friend with whom he lived was unemployed. So he was always at home, watching TV and sleeping. Occasionally, he went to train with his team. They couldn’t go to that room hoping Sumaru’s friend won’t be around. That friend of his was always in that room, like a family god.

Finally, in one of their conversations, Sumaru broke the news to Jango: he had moved out. It was such a relief!

Sometimes Sumaru’s friend brought girls to the room and made love with them while he was asleep on the same bed. It was so embarrassing, and such a nuisance.

Now, he too had his own place and couldn’t wait for Jango to pay him a visit.

Unfortunately Jango’s new Madam hardly give her off days. Sumaru was beginning to get disappointed. At some point he became suspicious that perhaps Jango was seeing someone in her new rich neighborhood.

Then one day Jango called Sumaru.

“I’m in your neighborhood.” She announced.

It sounded like a joke. Sumaru hesitated before speaking.

“You’re serious?” he asked, sounding very serious.

“Why would I lie to you? “ she said, sounding annoyed.

” OK. Where are you.” Sumaru asked impatiently.

” At the junction we first met. Where we sat on that old rusty car. ” Jango indicated, bringing up fresh memories of how they first met one night under moonlight by the old vehicle.

He hurried to the spot and truly she stood there. Unbelievable!

What did she say to her Madam?

” I can’t believe you came.” He confessed, after hugging her.

He was dying to kiss her but they were in public.

Holding her hand, he led her to the part of the neighborhood that he stayed. It had rained that day and the entire neighborhood was flooded. At some point, he had to carry her on his back.

How happy she was sitting on his back like a new born baby. She couldn’t wait to recount it all to Maria when she got back home.

Because it had rained, everyone was indoors when they got to Sumaru’s house. Sumaru was glad no one was on his compound. Gossip. He was glad not to cross its path.

Finally he was in his room, where he hugged Jango tighter and kiss her all over, the happy Jango giggling and giggling.

There was no food in his room. It was getting dark and he had to get something before the rains started again.

“Stay here, I will be back.” he told Jango.

“Don’t be long.” She replied.

He was off in a flash. Off to the nearby market, buying fruits, vegetables, rice, oil, yam, soft drinks and other petty items.

When he arrived at his door, it was locked. He tried the doorbell and waited, wondering where Jango had gone. A few seconds later, she was at the door, half naked.

As he entered, he noticed lots of changes in his room. Jango had scrubbed his bathroom, swept his room and mopped everywhere including the kitchen. She also put the clothes scattered in his room in their proper place. He felt humbled.

“Thank you!” he said in amazement, drawing her close.

She pulled away.

“I’m famished.” She told him, yawning.

In no time, they put together a quick meal and ate. While they were relaxed watching tele, she put her arms around his neck, from behind.

“So you will just sit there and stare at me?” she teased.

He feigned not knowing what she was talking about. Rising, he gripped her firmer and kissed her hard. The kissing prolonged as their clothes fell off as leaves on a drying plant.

The sex was not as he had anticipated. In her clothes, she looked pretty and attractive. Naked, she was a different picture. Because Jango had bleached her skin, she had lots of stretch marks and black spots on her buttocks and thighs. It looked ugly. But what can he do? It would be rude to tell her in her face how ugly the bleaching had rendered her skin.

Why couldn’t she be herself? Black skin is beautiful just the way it is. Why couldn’t Jango see that?

The rest of the night, Sumaru had to act like a pleased man, a happy man. But acting happy was a difficult job he had to endure, especially around someone who was his lover.

The next day Jango had to go back to her Madam.

Not wanting her to go back to her roommie with nothing to show that she had visited her boyfriend, Sumaru bought her items and many gifts. And gave her some money for her upkeep.

It was difficult to tell if he could continue with the relationship. He didn’t want it to sound like he had used and dumped her. He thought hard about what to do. Keep her and hope things improved? But the bleaching she had started was at a stage where her skin was permanently damaged. What could be done about it? How could he live with something he didn’t like? Besides, he had a weakness : pretending wasn’t one of his skills.

As Jango kept calling and getting no response from Sumaru, she wondered if he too was going to be like the others. She thought he was different.
Could it be that when he went to church they preached that premarital sex was evil? Could that be why he’s stopped picking her calls? Or was it that he dreamt she was a witch?

She kept guessing and guessing, turning to look at Maria on her bed making calls to several lovers. She had none. She couldn’t tell what Sumaru was to her now. An ex? Or a boyfriend in dormancy?

She had no stories to tell when Maria will be recounting all the things she sneaked out to do.

Boredom and Jango were one.