Paula waited for the evening to head out to work. She carried a change of clothes because she wasn’t going to board two buses to the club where she worked in a skimpy dress. She wasn’t ashamed of what she did because it paid the bills, but she knew the kind of attention that kind of dressing attracted.
She got there half an hour before her reporting time. This was ample time to change and do her makeup. She found some of the girls she worked with already there, and they quickly started chatting as they did each other’s makeup.
It was Saturday night, and the club would be busy. They also dreaded that it was the rainy season, and the clothes they wore offered little warmth. However, they accepted the challenges that came with looking for money. Bills needed to get paid, and they’d chosen their ‘hard’.
Onyi, as his friends called him, spotted Paula from miles away. Despite her line of work, he liked how she carried herself. The professionalism she exuded appealed to him. Paula was their waitress for the night. She wasn’t exactly a waitress, but since they were serving certain brands of drinks, the drinks were served by ‘special’ girls. The drinks were served with a bit more pomp.
Paula and two other colleagues brought out the drinks to Onyi’s table with choreographed smiles and performances. It was the kind of gesture that enticed party revellers to spend a little more. Girls like Paula often made more from tips than from their actual salary, so winning customers’ favour was important.
Onyi wasted no time in approaching her. The only problem was that Onyi was acting a little clingy with her time, yet Paula needed to serve other guests at the establishment. They agreed to have a proper talk after she finished working, and he tipped her handsomely.
“Just so we’re clear, this is just a tip. I hope you know you’re not paying for other services,” Paula told him.
She said it politely enough not to start a confrontation but firmly enough for him to understand her. Paula had quickly learned how lines got blurred in her line of work. Other girls made an extra buck that way, but Paula wasn’t into that. She was beautiful and wanted to model, but she hadn’t yet caught a break; she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to leverage her advantages to get ahead in life. On a good weekend, she made over ten thousand in tips. That was enough to cover rent in her shared two-bedroom apartment.
Onyi watched her like a hawk. He meant it when he said he would wait for her to finish working. She showed up in the clothes she wore while coming to work.
“You look different,” Onyi told her.
“I’m not looking to pneumonia,” Paula joked.
“You’re still very beautiful,” Onyi told her.
They left the club to look for a food joint. Their connection was instant, and they spent the rest of what was left of the weekend together.
“You know if you agree to date me, you’d have to quit your job?” Onyi told Paula.
“How would my bills get paid if I quit?” Paula asked him.
“I’ll take care of that,” Onyi told her.
In less than a month, they were officially dating. In that month, they’d already fought over Paula’s work because Onyi was insecure about it. While Paula was initially hesitant, Onyi convinced her to quit and even sent her three months’ worth of upkeep.
She set aside rent as she adjusted to dating Onyi. It was all fun and bliss for the first couple of months. Onyi treated her well. He loved and doted on her, and she didn’t lack for anything. Then it began. There were snide comments here and there.
“Hutaki lakini unataka pesa zangu, eh?” Onyi told her as they argued about something.
That statement became too frequent for Paula’s liking. Slowly, Onyi began to act entitled because he was financially supporting her. She had little say in their decisions. It got so ugly when Onyi started showing up at her place unannounced because that was ‘his’ house since he was the one paying rent.
Paula confronted him for his behaviour. Onyi angrily told her that he knew she was only with him for his money.
“You begged me to quit my job,” Paula told him.
“I’m sure you’re living a better life now with me than you were working your little job,” Onyi told her.
This became a constant line of conflict. Paula got tired of Onyi accusing her of being with him for his money. She made a decision.
“Where are you?” Onyi asked her on a Friday evening.
“I’m at work,” Paula told him.
“What work?” Onyi asked, surprised.
“I went back to my old job,” Paula told him.
He showed up at the club where they had first met less than an hour later. He caused a scene and almost got her fired.
“If you keep working here, then we can no longer be together,” Onyi gave Paula an ultimatum.
It wasn’t that hard for Paula to make a decision. She would gladly withstand the cold and unwanted attention rather than have Onyi accuse her of leeching on him.
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