When I stepped out of the car I saw empty beer bottles lying on the lawn. The people were drunk and stumbling around. They certainly reminded me of the bottles; empty and useless.

As I continued to walk towards the door, I noticed the music playing in the background. The tunes were something else, it was Nigerian music. I felt like I was one step away from Nigeria.

When I entered the club it was hot and sticky. The people were wearing Nigerian garments, dancing like there was no tomorrow. The males were throwing money on the floor.

My eyes were everywhere, searching for my friend, the one who invited me to this party.

“Oh there you are, Catherine,” I said, as I walked towards her.

She was wearing a short blue dress and gold heels.

“I thought you weren’t coming any more, Isabella, but I’m glad you made it,” she said, with a jubilant smile on her face, while she gave me a tight hug.

“Well, I’m here. You look beautiful.”

“I know, right, darling, and you are not too bad yourself. Let me get you something to drink,” she said, leaving me standing all by myself.

Suddenly a tall man approached me. He looked like he was in his early thirties.

With all the chains and rings he had, one could tell that he was one of those rich guys.

“Hey beautiful, why are you standing alone?” asked the man.

“I’m waiting for my friend, she is getting me a drink,” I said, trying to be valiant.

“I am Oba, all the way from Nigeria. Who are you?” he asked me, with a deep voice.

I didn’t say much to this strange man. In my mind I was just thinking, where is Catherine? There she came, and I put a smile on my face.

“I see you have already met someone, let me not disturb you. If you need me, I’ll be on the dance floor.”

Before I could even answer her, she gave me a glass of wine and sprinted to the dance floor.

“OMG,” I murmured to myself, Catherine just left me here with a stranger. Such is life, I guess.

“Beautiful, I like you and I would love if you and I could meet up. Can I please have your number?”

Well, I had nothing to lose, I just gave the man my number hoping that he would leave me alone. To my surprise, he did just that.

The party went on for the whole night. I didn’t drink a lot, I just had a few glasses and left.

A week passed. I was now dating Oba. I knew he was old enough to be my father. I was only 16. He did everything for me: he bought me nice clothes, he took me to guest houses. He had never tried to sleep with me. All he did was buy me gifts and give me money.

One day he said I should visit him. I did because I knew he wouldn’t do anything and I trusted him. He had a beautiful home, big and bright.

“I see you came, darling,” said Oba, while he gave me a kiss on my cheek.

“I would do anything for the man I love.”

“As you have seen, since I met you I have never asked anything from you. So today I want you to go upstairs, in my room. Undress and lie on the bed.”

I never questioned Oba, I did as he said. While I was lying on the bed a huge snake came out from nowhere.

My heart pumped fast, I ran out of breath. I couldn’t even scream, the snake was all over me. It went inside me, eating some of my organs. This went on for 30 minutes, but it felt like it was the whole day. When it was done, it disappeared. I stood up and put my clothes on. I cried, and went downstairs.

Oba was waiting for me, carrying a briefcase. He opened the briefcase, it was filled with money. “This is 100 000, it is for your funeral. Go home and give it to your mother, the money that will be left will be for her,” said Oba, as he handed me the briefcase.

“Am I going to die? Why did you do this to me? I thought you loved me?” I said, as tears roamed my face.

“Money is the root of all evil, Isabella. You young girls love getting yourselves into relationships for the wrong reasons. For God’s sake, I am old enough to be your father. Now leave my house,” said Oba, opening the door for me.

I left with a lot of regrets. The first one was that I made a wrong friend, the second one that I sold my soul to the devil himself. When I arrived home, I immediately fell sick. I told my mother everything that had happened. I gave her the money, so that she could prepare for my funeral.

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