Chapter One
Apartment hunting is not easy in this country. If you are house hunting with no help and experience, by the time you finally move into one, you would have already spent equivalent of a year’s rent just house hunting. This is not an exaggeration.
You pay an agent fee for every apartment you view whether you like the apartment or not, if the apartments you are viewing with an agent are not in walking range, the transportation bill of you and the agent are all on you and the agent’s commission thereafter when you finally secure an apartment of your choice. The pictures posted on apartment rental sites are most often far from reality and when you finally find the apartment you like, your are asked to pay two years rent advance. You’re highly favored if you chance on a good apartment in a serene neighborhood with constant water supply, ease of access to transportation and civil neighbors who mind their business.
Kuku had had her fair share of apartment hunting drama, she was at her wits end and had two options; to remain home with her family or move out. Freedom does not come cheap and so does independence. People who fought for independence had to do so with a lot of persecution while persevering. She was not about to let go of her single girl dream. Ideally, a single girl is not required to move out from her parents house, the only ticket out is when your marriage rights are performed and then you move out to your matrimonial home.
But, when would that be for Kuku? Her longtime boyfriend turned out to be a total jerk. A fine boy who doesn’t pay but has the nerves to cheat and that too with multiple girls and still be cocky about it. Kuku was not ready for a relationship after her first experience and she was sick of her parents control of her life.
Twenty-six years old Kuku was not after instant gratification, she is a well grounded young girl who knows exactly what she wants. She is a nonconformist. Why the need to move out? You may wonder. Kuku’s parents are rather strict. No visitors were allowed to visit her, neither was she allowed to visit others. She could not go out with friends or to events. Her movements were from home to church or to school and running authorized errands. Privileged to her own room, her television was her play buddy. She could watch TV all day and not get bored. She would be on her phone for hours as that was her only way to connect with her friends.
You would think this strict upbringing would ease off as Kuku started working. She always has to come up with award winning lies to go out with her friends. There is an unspoken curfew in her household; 6p.m. and on top of these, she can’t have friends over. Any young adult in her position would also want to move out for sure.
AFRO387 