Gladys paused beside the Landcruiser. The smell of clean and wet air filled her nose as she took a deep breath and closed the door. This was her second time at The Palms in Lekki, but she still took a moment to enjoy the view before walking in. The shopping mall had opened just before last Christmas and was built on land reclaimed from the swamps. The idea of reclamation amazed her because she was used to the rocky terrain of Enugu, and also the very well designed building covered a very large space. She‘d been speechless the first time they came here for a movie; everything was so shiny and new. The driver parked the car and stepped out.

“Okon, I will give you a call when I am ready so you can come get the bags.”

The phone Aunt Isioma gave her soon after she arrived was very handy. The one her mother had scraped to buy for her when she was going off for her youth service had been stolen in the corper‘s lodge. With the new phone, employers contacted her more easily and she could call her mother when she wanted. Her aunt and the drivers also had phones on the same network and this made it possible to call each other at cheaper rates; useful at times like this.

“Okay Madam, I go wait here by the car.”