HumbledbYGrace: So Blessing and her man are staying together?

'Mashlalisane tings' smh

Yes boyfriend and girlfriend things
The above bolded means?

Neduzze5:

Yes boyfriend and girlfriend things
The above bolded means?

'let's stay together.'

zinylizzy: Eheh!!! Nedu now d story is making sense!! New dawn things really! Ride on,okay? u're doing good

Hmmm, I wish her the best

Neduzze5:

Yeah, sorry. I had to rush it up cos I was travelling.

travellin 2 wia?safe trip

Who attended 2 henry? I tot it was veave, how come it was michelle that got d tip?

Nice. One nedu

wow,what a story, nice 1 dude,keep it coming,I gat ur back.

follow this story: HOPE AND THE
ISLAND OF GREATNESS...answer
questions based on d story nd win lil lil
prizes : www.nairaland.com/1224953/
hope-island-greatness-fiction-allegory
We are on d thirteenth question for this Week.
Question 13
Who advised Mother Witch to dump Hope in the pit of pit vipers?

Nedu, wetin hapn nah

Nedu haba na? Ave u gone on anoda french leave again? U promised u would stick around. Ooo

Na Nigerian leave him dey go.

I will not read ur story again

pearl123: I will not read ur story again

Hahahahahahahahahhahahaha......

This your comment is so funny, to the extent that it brought me out from my shell. Where did you go and dig out this story from??

Lol... Are you annoyed with me??

Or vexed?

Sorry dear... Was quite busy.. but I've been writing... but I have not written much... Maybe you should check out my short stories thread or my new website.

I will try and continue so as to be able to finish this up but I'm not promising oh

Please Pearl, don't forsake me... come bacccckkkk

Neduzze5:


Hahahahahahahahahhahahaha......

This your comment is so funny, to the extent that it brought me out from my shell. Where did you go and dig out this story from??

Lol... Are you annoyed with me??

Or vexed?

Sorry dear... Was quite busy.. but I've been writing... but I have not written much... Maybe you should check out my short stories thread or my new website.

I will try and continue so as to be able to finish this up but I'm not promising oh

Please Pearl, don't forsake me... come bacccckkkk

Na u sabi? *unfollows thread*

Blessing came back late that day because of the new goods that had come into the store. They had to arrange them neatly into their various components so it took a lot of time for them to finish it. She was tired and hungry but she didn’t have enough money on her to go over to the Mr. Biggs eatery that was situated a few miles from her boutique so she went straight back home.

On her way home, she silently prayed that Michael and his friend would not finish the soup she had cooked the day before so that she could just enter the kitchen, boil water on the gas cooker, make garri, warm the soup and settle down to the food.

Somehow, she found herself wishing that he would even make the garri and warm the soup for her before she got back but only if wishes were horses…

“That lazy boy! It would be in my dream that what I just wished for now will happen and if it does happen, I would have to go outside the house and check for the signs of end time in the sky” she muttered to herself

Soon, she was at the entrance of the house. She tried on the door handle but the door didn’t budge. It seemed as though it was locked from inside the house. She sighed tiredly and knocked repeatedly on the door. There was no answer from anyone. She knocked again, only this time, she knocked harder.

Still no answer. The window of the parlor was in such a way that you could actually see what was happening inside the parlour if you looked in and if the curtain and the louvers were unlatched but you can’t put your hand through it because on the outside, it was safeguarded with a strong metal protectors with small square holes which could only accommodate a finger at a time.

She went towards the window to peep through it. The louvers were unlatched but the curtains were brought down thereby blocking her view from the parlour. But now and then, the rotating standing fan at one corner of the parlour blew open the curtain for a moment thereby giving her a moment view of the person’s inside the parlour.

She could see Michael clearly sitting on one of the small armchairs in the parlor with his face raised up towards the ceiling. It seemed as though he had fallen asleep. The fan turned towards the other side of the room which made the curtain fall once more thereby blocking her view again.

When the fan blew towards the curtain once more again, she saw Michael’s friend where he lay on the longer settee. His position looked as though he was lying in state waiting to be buried.

“Michael!… Michael!!” she shouted

From the window where she was, he looked as though he was about to wake up but he comfortably turned his face towards the opposite side of the parlor and continued his sleep.

“Miiiiicccchhhhaaaeeelllll!!” this time, she shouted with all the strength she could muster. The shout was capable of destroying a house. Infact, she could feel the ground vibrate under her feet when she had shouted.

Her shout had the desired effect because Michael woke up with a start.

“Jesus!” he exclaimed shuddering

“It’s me Michael. Come and open the door”

“Blessing?”

“Yes”

“What took you so long?” he asked when he had opened the door for her.

At that time, her phone rang. It was a message tone rather signifying that she had received an SMS. She hurriedly brought out her phone from her bag and checked the content of the message. It was a message from 4100 which read thus
“To set Skelewu by Davido as your caller tone, kindly text the code ‘1190842’ to 4100. SMS cost #100”

She sighed and clicked the delete button at once.

“You slept off?”

“We have been waiting for you for hours. I didn’t even know when I slept off”

“Sorry about that. Our consignments came in today and we had to do a lot of offloading and packing and storing… In short I am hungry and famished all at once. I didn’t eat lunch today. Did you guys finish the soup?” she asked as she entered the kitchen and made for the fridge.

No soup in the fridge. She saw the soup container in the sink waiting to be washed.

“Oh my God! I’m going to die” she exclaimed clutching at her stomach

“I forgot to tell you that your food is in the food flask on the rack above the fridge. I prepared it for you” Michael said coming into the kitchen from the parlour.

“Are you serious?” she asked doubtingly

“Yeah, I did it myself”

She went for the food flask at once and saw the food inside. The garri was finely made, soft as though made by the hands of a woman. The soup also tasted as it should, he hadn’t burnt it or put excess water. She had already begun eating on the kitchen counter.

“You didn’t even pray before you began to eat”

“Did you poison it?” she asked while giving him a questioning look

He nodded in the affirmative.

“And you expect me to believe that. You’re even lucky you prepared this food. I would have eaten you”

“I think I would have preferred that” Michael replied smiling

“Go abeg” she replied

“Anything for me tonight?” he asked winking at her as he walked towards the door

“Wait up for me” she replied

“Yeaaaaaahhhh….. Tonight’s gonna be a good night!!” he crooned all the way to the bedroom

*lights out on chapter thirteen*

Is lyk am d only humble fan, nedu wia v u bn?

4kizo: Is lyk am d only humble fan, nedu wia v u bn?

$kizo my man. It's really nice to be back here.
I have been here and there, busy with some few other projects and another work which I will like to start as soon as I finish this but I've gone halfway with that one.

Thanks for watching out for me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The streets were dry, companies and banks closed, business and shops grinded to an indefinite halt all because of the indefinite nationwide strike the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had decide to undergo. The reason for the strike was not farfetched. The NLC wanted the Federal government to implement the minimum wage of six thousand naira that had been included in a bill that had been passed in the senate some few weeks back.

Blessing was not an exception to the cold winds of the strike. Her boutique was no longer making much money for her again. People found it difficult to buy food talk more of to buy clothes and food was more necessary as a necessity than clothes. Blessing wondered at times what it would take the government to pay that minimum wage to its citizens when the Senators and the Reps members earned even more than triple of that amount monthly.

Michael himself was also affected by the strike and was now an idle man at home. Two weeks had gone by since the strike began and what he did all day was to play different types of games with Johnson his friend, from Ludo to Scrabble to Draught to Chess and back until they were tired.

Johnson was normally the cook in the house when Blessing was away in her boutique. As usual on this day, they had played the games till they began feeling hungry. But when Johnson went to the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat, he saw that there was no food.

“Mehn, there’s no damn food in the whole of the house”

“For sure?” Michael asked

“Yeah”

“Mehn, that’s too bad. How about we arrange garri to drink with sugar and groundnut? How much you hol there”

“Na just #50 oh. The other #2000 wey dey here I wan use am go test for hospital today”

“Okay, make we dey go buy the things wey we need na”

In few minutes, they were in action at the table over a bowl of soaked garri with groundnut and coconut. They had applied the Yeast Method technique to the garri. This method is such that you have to pour in enough water into the garri and allow it sit for few minutes. The garri now practically increases in size, and then you add your ingredients and a little more water.

“This country no follow at all” Michael chirped in between mouthfuls

“The country tire me oh”

“Can you imagine that the President’s feeding allowance for one month is one billion naira?”

“Ah ah, Michael. You don come oh. Which kin talk be that. Even America President own no even reach like that sef”

welcum bak

Dats my man nedu. Keep flowing.#adjust myself in d front seat# oya keep riding

gandyluv: welcum bak

Thanks Love

4kizo: Dats my man nedu. Keep flowing.#adjust myself in d front seat# oya keep riding

Yes oh, no time to waste

“You go Yankee now, you been no dey here to dey witness wetin I dey tell you. Even Senators, all their allowances joined together minus their salary na 35 million naira each per month”

“You mean am?”

“I dey tell you something. Dem don build house finish oh, give one Honurable, but the honourable talk say im wan renovate the house. Listen well for here; Them don build the house finish, everything dey inside, clean foam, settee, television, chair, fridge etc. But you know how much wey the Honourable talk say she go use renovate the house?”

“No, I no know”

“Six hundred and Twenty Eight Million Naira”

“Six hundred and what!!”

“Na truth be that oh”

“And we dey here dey drink garri”

“Naija I hail oh!!”

“We must do something oh”

“I don dey make some kin plans already. But this strike go spoil am”

“Which kin plans?”

“No worry, when time reach, I go yan you”

They continued drinking their garri in silence and with thoughtful heads, lost in different worlds of their own

“You are already back from the hospital?” Michael asked as Johnson walked into the parlour

“Yeah, just ran some tests and took some prescriptions from the doctor”

“Took prescriptions for which disease?”

“He said that I have Ulcer”

“Men, that’s too bad”

“Yeah, but well, I have to keep to his instructions and take my medications”

“Well, you have to do so”

“Will you help me in taking the drugs”

“Is it me that told you not to be eating?”

“Hahaha”

“There’s a knock at the door. Let me go and check it out” Michael said

“Hey buddy” it was Iyke

“What’s up Iyke bobo”

“Mikkey, hunger don finish person for here oh”

“Hey Johnson” Iyke hailed when he entered the parlour

“Iyke, how far”

“God dey”

“Guys, guys, how would you like to see 4.5 million naira in front of you right now”

“It’s not possible unless say the money na magician” Johnson interjected

“Yeah, before you eat, you must work and since government does not want us to work, we must work out ways to be able to work out loose ends so as to make food available for us”

“This your epistle long oh. Tell us the koko na”

“Today, my two ears received verified information on the alleged movement of 4.5 million naira to a destination that is as well verified as being safe to operate conducive in. All we have to do is to prepare, head out there and grab this thing”

“You are still beating around the bush. Explain in more profound terms so that we can understand. We can’t just start preparing for another operation at your behest without confirming the nature of the job” Michael interjected. It seemed as though he was very much interested in this job

“Okay guys, I overhead the Chief Medical Director of Federal Secretariat on the phone when he was discussing with someone. From the way he related to the person at the other side of the phone, I could tell that he was a highly placed official and he was talking about sending in the money the CMD had requested for the purchase of hospital equipments. The CMD asked when he would collect the money and he was told Thursday”

“That’s tomorrow!” Johnson chirped in

“Yeah, and that’s why I’m here right now. I met him at a restaurant where we sat back to back with each other. I did the job of trailing him to his office in the hospital and to his house also. Everywhere is safe except the office because we would attract a lot of attention. I mean we can’t just walk into the hospital with guns slung over our shoulders, grab the money and walk out again without someone calling the police. His house would be an easier and more preferable target”

“This one seems to be very easy. Let’s begin to prepare at once. I will call Sammy and inform him of the latest developments. You and Johnson are in charge of Information and logistics. You are to report to us on every move he makes. We have to do this”

Sleep calls... Later things

Dats my man nedu, ur humble fan i remaineth

Later that evening, when Blessing came back from the boutique, she was pleasantly welcomed by Michael.

“Hello baby, how was sales today”

“My dear, it was frustrating” she replied

“How do you mean frustrating?”

“Can you imagine that I was only able to make two thousand naira just on one pair of shoe that I was able to sell?”

“Is business that so bad?” Michael asked with a disbelieving look on his face.

“Yes oh. The strike is really not favouring the masses so when it affects their pocket, it affects us and you should know that when there’s scarcity of money, people prefer to use the little they have to purchase the food they need to eat than to use it to purchase clothes. It’s only when they have satisfied the requirements oof their stomach that they can now satisfy the requirements of their fashion and looks”

“You’re right dear. This night school you’re going to is really doing a good job”

“Yeah, they teach well. What I explained to you is what is called Scale of Preference in Economics. Very soon, I will write my WAEC and JAMB then proceed to the University”

“Wow, you have nice dreams. What course would you like to study”

“I am not a science person at all like you. I hate Mathematics, Physics, even Chemistry. But I like Economics and Commerce. I will like to study an art course like Banking Administration or Economics”

“Why not study Accountancy or Banking and Finance from there, you get your ICAN and start earning in millions”

“I hate Accountancy, I hate the lines and tables they draw, I hate the debiting and crediting system, most times, I’m confused on how to debit and credit some of the particulars there”

“Actually, I don’t know anything about Accountancy as a course but as a profession, it’s pretty easy but due to its voluminous nature as a course of study, most people actually find it hard to comprehend”

“Yeah, that’s the reason why I won’t offer it in school”

“Well, I wish you luck in your desired course of study. Iyke was here today” he said changing the topic

“Oh Iyke, it’s really been long since I saw him. I hope he is fine”

“Well, he looks hungry and lean, courtesy of the strike”

“That’s what almost everybody is suffering”

“He brought news”

Blessing didn’t ask but look shot him a questioning look so he continued

“We will be going for an operation tomorrow evening. If you don’t want to come along, you can stay back”

“I will come along” she responded confidently

“Come here”

She moved over to him and he held her in his arms and savored the sweet fragrance of her hair as he looked into the dark bleak future.

Iyke was in the hospital early enough the next day. He had been detailed to watch the movement of the CMD of the hospital. He was there with Sammy and they came in Sammy’s own car and parked in the parking lawn of the hospital.

They entered inside and looked around. The hospital was a six storey building and was very vast. They noticed that there were some nurses already at work and the cleaners had resumed for the day.

“Do you know where his office is? You don’t expect us to begin walking around into everybody we see and asking questions on the location of the CMD’s office or do you?” Sammy asked

“Don’t bother about that. I did that yesterday. Just follow my lead and everything would be fine. Let’s go” he said and walked into the hospital and towards the steps.

As he climbed up the stairs of the hospital with Sammy, he wondered what was wrong with the Nigerian system. For God’s sake, this was a Federal hospital. Why then could the Federal Government not be able to install at least three elevators in the hospital. He wondered how those with wheelchairs could make it to the sixth floor without falling. Even the pregnant women could easily miscarry their babies if they had to climb to the last floor.

They soon got to the CMD’s office. It was on the sixth and very last floor of the hospital. It had a name tag above it on which “THE CMD” was boldly written.

“Let’s wait for him some distance from here” Iyke advised

Sammy nodded and followed Iyke a little while away from the office but at a place where they could watch without being noticed. Few minutes later, they saw some people whose offices were close to that of the CMD begin to come arrive. They didn’t notice the two men that stood and relaxed on the rails that guarded the premises of each floors of the hospital.

Soon enough, they saw a young lady struggling with the key of the protector that guarded the glass door that led to the CMD’s office. She looked quite young, like she was in her early twenties; her hair was unmade and she was a bit fair and wore a purple long sleeve blouse which she tucked into her black skirt. Every time she tried to open it, the key bounced back and did not agree to enter into the padlock. She was beginning to get frustrated. The duo had been watching the scenario for a few seconds before Sammy swung into action. He whispered an “I will be back soon” to Iyke and walked towards the young lady.

“Why would the CMD be struggling with the padlock to her office?” Sammy asked as he got to where she was.

“The padlock doesn’t want to open” she replied tearfully

“Let me have a look at the key” he requested

She handed the key of the padlock over to him. It also had a name tag on which “The CMD” was equally written. He took a look at it for a moment.

“It’s bent. Seems like it’s not an original key” he said as he looked around the premises for a stone which he could use to beat it back to shape. On sighting one that lay a little distance from where he stood and which was used as a wedge to hold the protector of an already opened office, he went over to pick it and promptly began to hit the key until it was straightened.

“Let’s do it again” he said to her as he inserted the key into the padlock and in a click, the padlock was opened.

“Wow, thank you very much” she said

“You’re welcome” he replied as he opened the protector thereby allowing her access to the door.

“As she began to open the main glass door, he asked a question

“Do you equally need help with that?”

“No, I don’t think so” she replied smiling

“Okay, then I would be gone” he said and turned to leave.

“What’s your name?” she asked when it was clear to her that the stranger that had helped her this morning was not planning on telling her his name as she walked in and began opening the curtains.

“I am Samuel but my friends call me Sammy. How about you?” he had wanted to tell her a different name but he felt it could bounce back in the future.

He was also inside the office helping her raise the curtains up and open the blinds. The office was a very spacious one and the Secretary’s table was just close to the door they had come in from. There were two long settees in the office for visitors who came to see the CMD. It actually looked more like a reception room than like a secretary’s office. There was another door and that was where the CMD’s office. A tag was also written there too.

“I’m Clara” she said and proceeded to unlock the CMD’s office

“Wow Clara, that’s really the best name I’ve ever heard on the face of the earth and you really live up to the beauty of the name. You’re beautiful” he flattered and watched her as she blushed.

“Thank you very much. By the way, I’m not the CMD because I remember you calling me that” she said

“Are you…”

Before he could finish his statement, his phone rang. It was Iyke and it was a flash. Seemed like The main CMD was on his way up or there was a change in plan, he couldn’t tell.

“I really should be going now” he said to Clara

“That’s okay” she replied

“Bye” he said and began to walk away

‘Well, if he won’t ask for my number, then I won’t ask for his because I was the one that actually asked for a name first. This guy is really silly. Well that’s his business’ she thought to herself as she walked into the CMDs office.

“Excuse me” she heard behind her. When she turned, she saw that it was Sammy

“You haven’t gone?” she asked

“Erm, I don’t know if I can get your number”

“What do you want to use it for” she was beginning to form hard to get

If Sammy had replied “To cook soup” which was the answer in his mind, maybe she wouldn't have given him her number but he maintained his cool.

“You seem like a good person and I would love to have you close to me"

“Well" she began as though she was assessing his answer "that’s reason enough” and she called out her number which he promptly typed into his phone and off he went with a promise to call her later.

* * ** ** ** *** **** ** ***

Nice one. Update often please

4kizo: Dats my man nedu, ur humble fan i remaineth

Thanks man I appreciate