"Eshal, don't make me spank you today because you don't feel like going to school." Ilham scolded her five year old daughter who kept jumping on her bed because she said school is stressing and she won't go ever again.

"But mommy, you know how they make someone tired and give too many assignment. Aunty Margaret even punished me the other day." Eshal complained, pouting her lips and folding her arms on her chest.

Ilham sighed, her daughter is growing fast and she is talking too much. Even though her mother said she takes after her when it comes to rambling, she still doesn't like the fact about her daughter is talking too much. It just didn't sit well with her for some odd reasons.

She is afraid that she will ramble to some strangers about their lives in the house though nothing is happening because they live alone with her mother. Sometimes they talk about nature things but she is not sure if she understands that or not. They should start taking caution real fast.

"Eshal, I'm asking you for the last time to get your small bombom into the bathroom." She used the word because that will bring a giggle from her daughter and it will be lighter.

"Mommy, my bombom is not small. It's bigger than Mukhlisa's." She giggled before fleeing into the bathroom and locking it because she wants to do it herself, she said she is grown.

Ilham sighed with a smile before going back to her room to get dressed for the day also. She has an interview with a tv channel today so she needs to look her very best for it. The station is very popular so any moment will be captured.

After changing into so many clothes, she settled on nude silk floor length gown, matching muffler and small golden bag with her heels and she is done. She did her usual light makeup and left the room to check on her daughter.

She found Eshal dressed in her uniform. White shirt with red bow tie and knee length pinafore and her knee length white socks ending with black loafers.

"Good girl, let's go now." She picked her dora the explorers bag from her closet and they leave the room together and walked down the stairs.

She lives in a two storey cozy house with her mother and daughter and one old maid. Her work did get her enough money to do a lot of things and provide for her family. Her father died some years back leaving her with responsibilities, more like died to them.

She is not the only child but since she is older, she is the one to do everything. Her younger siblings are not home at the moment. Her cousin brother is working and won't be back for a short while and her sisters are in university and they won't be back soon.

They descended down the stairs and help themselves to the dining room. The housemaid always help with their food and sometimes her mother also give her a hand and it looks like today is one of those days, their chats is echoing around the house from the kitchen as they try to finish the last touches of everything.

"Good morning, mom." Ilham greeted her mother as she helps her daughter sit on the dining chairs so they can eat quick and leave.

"Morning, my love and you too little biscuit." She pinched her granddaughter's cheeks before settling just opposite her, letting the housemaid do the rest of the work.

"Good morning, Ilham and you too Esh." The old housemaid, forty years old greeted and kept the other gorgeous anchor rose gold stainless food flask on the glass dining table.

"Morning, Uwani." Ilham greeted together with her daughter before they say their small bismillah and started eating their breakfast which consist of yam balls, friend egg and apple juice.

"I won't be back early today so you can keep my dinner in the oven." She said to her mother before bidding her adieu and leave with her daughter hot on her tail.

"Be good and don't talk back to your teachers, understood?" Ilham sternly warned Eshal who grinned cheekily before dismounting down the car and running out of the car to the school where her mates are waiting for her.

Ilham shook her head and smiled before gearing her car and leaving the school compound to her office. It is a short drive from her office to her daughter's school which only works in her favour because sometimes, she can't wake herself up early and they will all be late.

"You have that interview around two pm and then you will see the other women that faced a lot of problems in their marital home and are seeking for your advise." Her assistant and also best friend of eight years rambled to her as soon as she set her feet in the office.

She's known Hibba for eight years and there is nothing the woman doesn't know about her and vice versa.

They both were victims of an unsuccessful and toxic marriage which result to them having same taste in almost everything they do. Either Hibba will come with an advise or Ilham will bring the best to help their small beauty parlour.

Hibba's marriage was a secret and her husband died the day he was supposed to come on their first night.

No one knows about the marriage but before they got married, her relationship with him was toxic and so she was elated when he died. He is abusing her even before they got married, she was forced to accept his proposal and so she left the state and came to Ilham.

Lately, she's been acting all secretive to Ilham but she didn't say anything and just let her be. She is not one to push and is not so into people's life, she can do whatever she likes if it is not bad.

Though Ilham is twenty five years old, Hibba just hit twenty three and graduated college. She didn't get to start university till later after managing to get out of the marriage and was lucky he divorced her, she didn't have to do anything, takaba.

It was an arranged marriage and she was just eighteen when they got married and started university at nineteen and graduated at twenty three summing up the four years. Ilham is so happy for her because she didn't get to finish university herself and she got herself married just to help the father who doesn't need help.

When Ilham brought the idea of them opening that very foundation, Hibba supported her and gave her a shoulder. It was a foundation before it became a home to them and even their guests. It's named after her daughter, Eshal's Home.

The place is a beauty parlour which offers different type of beauty services such as; hair styling, makeovers, nail service, pedicure, manicure, waxing, spa services and other beauty treatments, including traditional Hausa herbal skin beauty sessions.

The foundation was mainly because of women out there like her and upcoming teenagers that are facing depression, insecurity, lack of confidence, having problem in self love, vulnerability, mental and small heartbreaks. She helps in boosting confidence and bringing back their love for themselves.

She is no psychologist but when people see her working and encouraging people, someone might think she was a full time therapist that got so many awards from around the world but she is merely finished her secondary school.

She started the foundation when she left her husband's house five years ago. She was just twenty but with her mother's support, her siblings and Hibba's, she pushed herself to open a small office where people come to visit her. Some she help with money while others with places to stay.

The idea of expanding the foundation came a year later and she rent some money from her mother to start it. Her mother's father died –her grandfather– that same year which earned them some money that she borrowed a lot and still they have a lot to save. If she hadn't expanded it, they wouldn't have been where they are now.

Everything was a success because immediately after launching the place, people kept tripping in and out like she's some popular celebrity that they can't wait to see.

Being in Lagos, there are so many rich people and celebrities that she can't count the ones tripping in her building and she has made friends with them and her connections expanded. She is called for many things and even did makeup for some celebrities for movie or modelling.

She knew she was popular in certain places but not to the extent where she gets over one hundred people in a month. That was crazy but it changed again when she started posting many pictures and they augmented like wildfire but she is not complaining at all. She likes everything like it is.

The building is two storey and now she is going to make the top floor a store where clothes and bags will be sold and other female stuff. All she could do is thank Allah for everything! Everything happens for a reason and her unsuccessful marriage was also another plan of Allah to show her a bigger picture.

"Okay, I will see the women now if they are here." Ilham sighed, plopping on her swiveling chair in her office.

It consists of a chair, desk table and two chairs opposite her. There is another cream single sofa and brown coffee table then the pink and purple glitters Eshal painted on her walls. It makes her smile after hearing another woman's problem everyday.

There is also a cardboard paper that has their hands paint on it. Eshal asked them both to paint it with her watercolour and then pin it in her office. Her family means the world to her and seeing their handprints everyday makes her move from each problem. It has her mother's hand, her daughter's, sisters' hands, her cousin brother's and best friend's hand print.

"They are in the conference room, let's go." And they started their trip to the room they call conference room because it is where they do all meetings with her staffs and talk to women.

The room has about two hundred pink and blue plastic rubber chairs for the women because many events takes place there. Now there are about twenty women waiting for her to share their marital problems and they will look for solution together.

When a woman mentions her problem, all the others will bring their ideas forth and then they will decide which one is the best and give the woman and she will decide whether to use it or not. If she doesn't like the idea, they will give her another one and that will go on till she agrees with one.

Today, she will be talking to divorced women whom are ready to take another chance in marriage. Everyday has it's topic and so, this is the one for the day and she is looking forward to it. She always likes this day because their ideas are always good and they are all intelligent and not illiterates.

One thing she is searching for is, the light at the end of the tunnel. She likes this day because she wants to see who will bring back the spark of marriage in her heart. The idea of marriage makes her cringe in disgust and rage so she wants to see if their story will match hers and they'd still try moving on then she will do that also.

She can't wait for her sisters to come back and help her manage the place. They knew exactly what to do and what to say to the women and sometimes she feel like they are even greater than her. She is not envious though, they need to see the world before making any marriage decision.

Her three sisters are all graduating the same year because they started the same year. That was the year their money started doubling and she thought to send them all to different universities though they all have different ages.

The girls didn't feel ashamed that some of them started late and they are going together with their younger siblings, they just know that they need to study to help their future and never depend on a man to tend to their needs.

Ilham made sure to ask them to study something that will get them work immediately after finishing. She sat them down and narrate that they should never depend on a man and they should work hard for their own money. She didn't put the idea of not getting married in their heads, she wants them to find happiness and kids to look after. Just because her own wasn't a success doesn't mean her sisters won't be. She is already praying for them to have a successful one.

She sighed, today is going to be a very long day like any other one.