“I will never see hell,” I told him. I’ll only see heaven. Have you been to Lagos?” The almajiris had lived almost their lives in the boys home or in the almajirici. What they knew of town and cities was gathered from talk, so I wasn’t surprised when Bala shook his head.
“I haven’t been to Lagos,” he said. “But I want to be great, so I’ll go there one day.” I blinked. “Is Lagos where people who want to be great go?” Before he could answer, I said, “It must be where educated people live, people who read books.” “Yes.” “Did the person who taught you to read go there?” Bala laughed. “Who says I know how to read? No one in the almajirici know how to read.”
I was shocked. “But you said you’d teach me if I gave you money.” Bala shook his head. “If you give me money, lot of it, I will use it to find someone who knows how to read and he will teach you.” The matter was getting confusing and I didn’t like it. “How much money would you need to find this person?” I demanded.