The man looked at Amiwa and said, “I saw your pictures online. You are very beautiful.” Then he added, “If you listen to me and do what I say, you will truly enjoy life.” Amiwa smiled widely. She was so happy to be sitting beside such a rich man. She quickly nodded and replied, “Yes, Chief.”
He gave her a new phone and a bag full of money. “Use this to buy beautiful clothes,” he said. Amiwa could not believe it. She felt like a real slay queen. “Thank you, Chief, you are too kind,” she replied. Once she got home, she ran to her room, clutching her new phone and bag of money.
Her eyes were shining. Her mother saw her and asked, “Amiwa, where did all this come from?” Amiwa lowered her eyes. “A rich man gave it to me. He likes me. He says I am beautiful.” Her mother’s face changed. “No, this is not safe. You don’t even know him.” Their father came in, exhausted from a day of farm work. “My daughter, listen to your mother.
Return that money. It is not clean.” But Amiwa cried out, “No, I am tired of being poor. You work so hard and you have nothing. I want to live big.” Her mother began to cry. “We gave you everything. We sacrificed so much to send you to school.” “I don’t care!” shouted Amiwa. “I want a new life.” She packed her bag and slammed the door.
Her father heard her mother crying. “Let her go,” he whispered. “She will come back.” That night, her mother cried into her headscarf. Her father sat in silence, praying for her safety. Amiwa slept at Denny’s place. “Wow, you’re brave, Amiwa!” Denny said with a smile. But deep down, Denny was not happy. She was jealous.
She envied the freedom and small fame Amiwa had gained. But she did not show it. She simply smiled. After Amiwa left, her parents were sad and worried. Her mother looked at her husband, her eyes lost. “What did we do wrong?” she whispered. Her father shook his head.
“I don’t know, but I am worried about her.” He felt helpless. He did not know where she was or what she was doing. All he knew was that she had left in anger, without saying anything. They hoped she would come back and that they could fix everything, but she did not return.
Amiwa used the money to rent an apartment in the city and buy new clothes. She had two roommates, Lola and Ront, who quickly became good friends. From time to time, Denny, her stylish friend from back home, visited them. “I’m going to become famous,” Amiwa said, smiling at her new clothes in the mirror.
Amiwa felt like a queen. She wore shiny clothes, took pictures, and posted them on Instagram. People loved her new look. She had more followers than before. “I am a star,” she told herself. But no matter what she had, it was never enough. She wanted more followers, more attention, more money.
“I have to be perfect like those slay queens,” she told one of her roommates one day. One day, Chief Ola sent her a message. “Amiwa, you are magnificent. I want to give you a challenge. If you do not wash yourself for an entire year, I will give you 50 million naira.” Amiwa was shocked. “A whole year without bathing?” she thought.
