WHAT A WICKED WORLD Episode 2- Nigeria Story

 WHAT A W!CKED WORLD

Written by Raphael’s Creative Pen 

Episode Two

“Stupid woman! Make sure you wash those clothes until they’re as clean as snow, or I’ll kill you myself!” Mr. Ken shouted, his voice sharp and full of anger.

Miss Annabel’s eyes filled with tears as she stood on her toes, trembling. Every day was a battle, a fight to survive her husband’s cruelty. But no matter how much she suffered, she still loved him deeply. The thought of leaving their marriage never crossed her mind.

Her voice cracked as she tried to explain, “I’m sorry, my husband. I only wanted to rush to the market and sell the oranges. Buyers come from a town far away, and they buy in large quantities. If I don’t go now, I might lose the chance to sell them, and then we won’t have money for food.”

Mr. Ken’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know why your brain isn’t working,” he sneered. “I told you to go inside, wash all my clothes, and then sell those stupid oranges! Do you think I have time to wait for you to waste time?”

Miss Annabel carefully gathered the remaining oranges, placing them in a corner of the room. She dared not argue, knowing it would only make things worse.

Juliet’s heart ached as she watched her mother cry. When will this stop? When will my mother be free from my father’s cruelty? she thought silently.

Miss Annabel began washing the clothes immediately. The pile was huge, worn and stained from days of neglect. Juliet joined her mother, trying to help in any way she could. The two women worked in silence, the weight of their troubles heavy in the air.

It took nearly two hours to finish the laundry. By the time Miss Annabel was ready, she hurried to the market, hoping to still make some sales.

But when she arrived, the buyers were gone.

“The buyers came, but they didn’t find you,” a woman said kindly. “They waited for a few minutes, but since you didn’t show up, they bought the oranges from the second lady.”

Annabel’s heart sank. The buyers are gone. How will I sell my oranges? How will I get money for food? she thought, overwhelmed by fear and sadness.

“Why are you late today?” another vendor asked. “You’ve never been this late before. You always come early to sell your oranges to the buyers from another town. Why so late now?”

Annabel swallowed hard. She didn’t want anyone to know the truth. “I was busy today,” she lied softly. “I didn’t expect to be this late.”

With no buyers from the distant town, she was forced to sell the oranges one by one at the market. It took hours of effort and energy, and before she knew it, darkness had fallen. This was the first time she had stayed so late.

After selling most of the oranges, she bought a little food and prepared to head home. Since it was already dark, she decided to take a shortcut, hoping to avoid her husband’s anger.

As she walked through a narrow, quiet road, she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned to see three groups of boys smoking cigarettes, their faces shadowed by the night. Her heart pounded. She knew they were troublemakers.

“Give me that bag!” one of the boys demanded, his voice rough and cold.

“Please, don’t take my money,” Annabel begged, falling to her knees. “It’s for my family—my daughter and my husband. My daughter is still at home because I couldn’t pay her school fees. Please have mercy.”

“Give us the bag! Stop wasting our time,” another boy snapped, pulling out a gun. “We don’t want to hurt you, but we believe there’s money inside.”

Tears streaming down her face, Annabel dropped the bag. “Take it. Please don’t hurt me.”

“Good woman,” one of the boys said as they grabbed the bag and the food she had bought. They disappeared into the darkness, leaving her alone and frightened.

Annabel wept quietly, feeling the weight of her loss. The money she had been saving for Juliet’s school fees was gone.

She walked home slowly, her steps heavy with despair. “I came to the market with plenty of oranges, but I’m returning empty-handed. What have I done to deserve this?” she whispered to herself.

Back at home, Juliet sat nervously in the living room, wondering why her mother hadn’t returned.

Where is she? Why is she so late? she worried.

Mr. Ken was growing impatient. His anger simmered as he waited for an explanation.

Suddenly, Annabel walked into the room, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

“Where have you been coming from at this time of night?” he demanded angrily.

“My husband, please let me explain,” she began.

But Mr. Ken cut her off. Without warning, he splashed cold water on her face and slapped her hard.

“You’re a mad wife!” he shouted. “What explanation do you have? You went out to see another man and came back late!”

Juliet watched helplessly as her mother stood there, hurt and broken.

To be continued…

Read next episode 

https://raphaelcreativepen.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-wicked-world-episode-3-nigerian.html

Nigeria story, drama, folktales story, Raphael’s creative pen,