<p> </p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>NEESA’s Story</p><p>Would NEESA be left outside, crying and calling for help? But no one paid attention to her. Meanwhile, Madam Bose was enjoying herself because she had received a new child. This orphanage was not truly a place for orphans; instead, it was a cover-up for drug trafficking.</p><p>(Oh Allah, protect our orphans and the less privileged because now they are being used for money-making schemes.)</p><p>Most people in Lagos knew what was happening at Bose Orphanage. Complaints had been made several times, but the government took no action because her customers were powerful, and influential figures were involved.</p><p>NEESA continued living in sadness, crying every day without happiness. She barely spoke to anyone, and when she did, no one understood her because of her strange foreign accent. The only time she moved was for prayers.</p><p>She barely ate because she was not used to Nigerian food.</p><p>However, there was a little girl named NABEELA, about twelve years old, who shared the same room with her. NABEELA was troublesome and mischievous, always looking for ways to annoy NEESA.</p><p>Every night, while NEESA was asleep, NABEELA would put something in her ear to disturb her, but NEESA ignored her completely.</p><p>One day, NABEELA laughed at her because NEESA was always clean and well-organized for prayers.</p><p>NABEELA was attending secondary school inside the orphanage.</p><p>One day, NEESA was sitting and crying, thinking about her home, when NABEELA walked in with water in a plastic bag. She opened it and started sprinkling it on NEESA’s body.</p><p>In anger, NEESA shouted at her in Hindi.</p><p>But since NABEELA did not understand her language, she simply laughed and said, “Oil oil!”</p><p>NEESA kept yelling until she got tired and left her alone.</p><p>A year passed, and the two still did not get along.</p><p>That day, NEESA and some other girls were about to be sold off to Italy for prostitution. They were selecting girls within her age range.</p><p>At night, they lined them up and started putting them into a vehicle.</p><p>This puzzled NABEELA because, during her two years in the orphanage, she had noticed that men came at night to take children away. Some returned, but others never came back. Those who returned were always sick.</p><p>At that moment, she realized that something was seriously wrong. NABEELA was smart and had good instincts.</p><p>As they tried to put NEESA in the vehicle, NABEELA ran out. She had tricked the security guard into opening the gate earlier.</p><p>She rushed to open the van and screamed, “Run!” grabbing NEESA’s hand.</p><p>They ran for their lives while people chased them.</p><p>When NABEELA saw that they were being pursued, she quickly hid in the bushes. At dawn, they came out of hiding and found themselves in the city.</p><p>They sat crying in front of a large house.</p><p>A kind woman came out and took them inside, asking them questions.</p><p>NABEELA was the one who answered, saying:</p><p> </p><p> </p>
