Life was perfect until we left Lagos! Beauty had turned twenty. I was eighteen and Christy was just fourteen. We had had our share of Lagos even to the fullest. We shared from the cool ocean breeze, we had fun many times at the beaches, we played in some of the many broad streets, we also slept in the bunk beds peculiar to the children’s rooms in the many block of flats in Lagos famous Housing Estates before father latter erected our family house. We shared from children’s parties, we spoke Queens English, shared from fabulous holiday trips but never to our village. We played at the back of the car while mother sat at the passenger’s side and father behind the wheel, we went to the cinemas and shared from the pleasurable aspects of ‘Lagos life’ but it all changed when we moved to Abuja. Abuja was quite different. Though its fields were green and its foods were much more satisfying, we couldn’t fit in as we had expected. Its rocks were too stout and it streets were too narrow. There were no cinemas, no beaches, no fun and no nothing. That was the beginning of our lives.
Father was a management consultant at New World Consult. They had transferred him to Abuja to make arrangements to open an office in Abuja which he was supposed to head. New World had been reliably informed that the ‘Aguda Panel’ recommendations were soon going to be implemented and Abuja would be declared by the Head of State as the new capital of Nigeria and as a consequence, many companies where in a mad rush ahead of others to gain the advantage of winning most of the government’s developmental contracts for its new capital. It was the later part of 1987. At first, father had refused the offer, but the pressures of his responsibilities as a father and a husband had made him to reconsider. He moved to Abuja leaving us in Lagos and after several months, he began to complain of financial pressures of having to travel between Lagos and Abuja at least three times in a month. New World was not ready to absolve some of those expenditures he had had to make as a result of his posting. Initially, he didn’t know why they were so hard on him. It was later he realized that they wanted him to move to Abuja with his family so that they would be rest assured that they have a strong operational Office in the capital.
Mother didn’t like the idea of relocating to Abuja because her company did not have a branch in there and it could mean she would lose her job. She did not like the thought of that but having been con
vinced by friends and associates that it would be much easy to get a federal government appointment when everything finally takes shape, she had accepted the idea. However, she was not very happy about the decision. Mrs. Itoto, my mother had wanted to raise us in Lagos because she believed that Lagos was Nigeria’s Centre of civilization. Nothing much was happening in Abuja. She wanted us to be able to compete globally. That was her desire! But later on, she had to succumb. We all moved to Abuja and everything changed. Our house changed, our clothes changed, our language changed and our fortune changed. Father could not understand what was happening to his finances. The only thing that did not change was our memory of Lagos and our wishes of a better life!

Five months after we all moved to Abuja, father had become very sick. The Hospitals in Abuja could not compare with the ones in Lagos in terms of hygiene, professionalism and everything, so father had to go to Lagos for his treatments. Mother was worried, and all of us! She wanted to go with him, but father had insisted that he would be fine, moreover, the illness had already eaten into the family fortune and happiness, in which case some costs were saved. Dr. Imoi was the only one we could trust to take care of father in Lagos with the premise that if things turned out fine, father would return in matter of days and if there was no change, mother would move over to Lagos to give him some care.
Father called through the telephone of one of our neighbours the following evening to let us know he was fine. He spent an unusually long time on the telephone discussing so many things with Mother; the same things that had taken me my entire life to find out. When they finished, he asked to speak with me. I collected the handset stretching its coilly wire from the desk to where I stood pushing my lips against the mouthpiece when I spoke and pressing the earpiece hard on my ear when he spoke.
‘Hilary, how are you?’
‘I’m fine Papa. How is your body Papa’
‘I’m fine! He responded. ‘Your Mother told me that You have been driven from school for not enrolling yet’
‘That’s true Papa’
I held myself. I was pained by the development that I could be a drop out unless Father did a miracle. I didn’t want to talk about it! I could see all my options looking sternly at me while I blushed in an awful manner. Emotions were rife with strife and I could see it from the way Mother perched on the terribly sturdy upholstered Sofa of our neighbour, her hands folded on her chest, her eyes looking up above where I stood towards the ceiling. When she was happy, her eyes were brown radiating the ecstasy of each passing moment. When she was angry, her eyes would produce sparks like electricity as though an incredible incandescent had been surged into her eyes, but when she was sad, you could easily tell for her eyes would glitter with fluid like a mongoloid suffering from a flu. That was Mother!
‘But Papa, you don’t need to worry. You just have to get well first. That is our concern for now. You know as you have always said “Once there is life, there is hope” I summoned some courage to speak on
‘Yes, once there is life, there is hope! Once there is life there is hope!! Once there is life there is hope …..’ He kept repeating until I called softly and slowly ‘Papa’
There was some silence along our line of conversation as if at a point, both of us did not know what to say to ourselves, but he was still there at the other side of the telephone while I held the handset listening to nothing but his thoughts, wishing that his fears; our fears were nothing but some moonlight fairies! I looked at Mama, her sharply pointed nose was now pointing at me, and her eyes were beginning to glitter. I knew the meaning although she had said nothing but we were wasting precious telephony time
‘Papa, how are you feeling now?’ I broke the silence
‘I’m fine’ He emphasized. ‘very soon I would be leaving the hospital’
‘Ok! Thank God Papa’ I said. But I only said that for courtesy. I knew Father was not fine. Our discussion was similar with the one he had had with Mother or rather, they had something in common. They were dry! I didn’t know if mother noticed it, but her face was blank without a reflection when she had finished speaking with him. Although father said he was fine, I knew he was not, from the way he struggled to speak, from a few of the groans I could hear even through the telephone, from the passion that was squeezing me into compassion, I knew Papa was not fine! When we eventually said bye to our selves, I held mine to take home with me. Myself and Mother walked back to our house. We didn’t say anything to each other on the way, but when we got home, she had turned to look at me and I was losing my comfort.
‘Someday, you would have to learn than when you are allowed by someone to use their property, you must use it in a way that if you come next time, it would still be available for your use’ Mother spoke softly and calmly. At first, I thought she was talking to Beauty or Christy because she was not looking at me, so I did not respond.
‘You spent too much time on the telephone! I’m talking to you Hilary’ she exclaimed. I was petrified.
‘But Mother, I thought Father called with his telephony card’ I objected strongly holding unto the table to help myself up from where I sat.
‘No son, you must have realized that it was the hospital’s phone and unless he loaded it to use, he couldn’t make a call
‘But Father always has telephone cards in his wallet’ I retorted
Mother was quiet for a long time making me terribly uncomfortable. When she noticed, she turned to me in a whisper
‘Hilary, the time when your father used to pile telephone cards in his wallet has passed’ she turned and walked away from me. I was sad.


The evening came with a dull breeze making the few trees many of which were of turtle height to rejoice at its advent. There were many of them surrounding our house. The environment though serene it was but lacked the brilliance of happiness, the sparkle of joy and the excellence of warmth. The sun was then shining with a dullness carrying the rue of its midday violence. The audacity of my hope had waned very fast. I could not explain how father could not afford just N2000 to get me enrolled for WAEC. Then also, I could not understand what kind of sickness it was that had made him so incapacitated that he had to stop earning money the way he used to. I just sat out side looking at things go by.
It was a very long time before I realized that twilight had passed and it was already dark. Though the darkness covered the air, I did not realize it until Christy stood beside me and said mother needed me to get inside for dinner. When Mother was happy, she didn’t send any body to any of us. She would call out and then we would appear from wherever we were. Mother did not like to raise her voice when things weren’t going well. She could pass by easily even without being noticed.
I walked into the house without feeling my feet against the Terrazzo floor. I knew I was hungry but I was not sure if I had the appetite. I never believed that it was possible to be weak from hunger and yet lack appetite. I sat at the table and raised my head to look at Father’s enlargement photo hanging on the wall of the dining room maintaining the same height with the level of drop of the Butterfly ceiling fan which he had bought the last time he travelled to Singapore for training. I was examining the picture as though I had not known my father. His side buns were thick and very masculine. Father had very bright eyes and bushy brows that could silence any evil. A smile was hanging on his face in the picture, the same smile that he carried with him wherever he went. His lips were very think, yet his words were very smooth. Father was a perfect gentle man.
Mother asked Beauty to say Grace and she did. We all started to eat after she prayed. No one talked to another. The table was cold and quiet and gradually they all retired to bed. Once again, I was left alone. I looked at the shelf that housed our 14” colour television and VCR machine surrounded by father’s several big Management books, then I looked below the books. There was a free space, exactly where father had planned to install our phone in the previous Christmas but later stopped due to financial pressures. I began to wish he did. If there was a phone in the house that night, I would have stayed awake all night listening to father’s pains and groans.

The following morning came unannounced! It was some bright rays penetrating the louvers that chastised me out of bed. I jumped to my feet. The next thing that came to my mind was father. I looked to the other side of the room where Christy was still sleeping on her bed, but Beauty had gone out. I knew Mother would definitely go to speak with him again but I was not sure if she was going to call me. The previous day, she had accused me of wasting air time. A sonorous tone suddenly started to filter through the mosquito nets that were on our window and I wondered who was singing. For a very long time I had not heard someone sing so beautifully. I walked through the door that led to the balcony and to my amazement, I saw Beauty sitting on the pavement and leaning on the firewall. She was the one singing! At first I judged her to be heartless to sing so happily when father was being ravished by illness. But I didn’t need to worry. I knew Beauty better. She is never moved by anything. I was stupefied! The awry feeling I had immediately I noticed she was the one singing had made the ‘Good morning’ I wanted to say to her to freeze in my mouth. I was sad, Christy was unhappy, Mother was distressed, but Beauty was different.
Suddenly, she stopped singing
‘Oh boy you cannot greet?’ she beamed at me
‘Good morning’ I responded with a cold smile ‘Where is mother?’ I asked
‘She has gone to call papa’ she responded as she was still humming the song
‘Oh, I see’ I pinched myself. Possibly, Mother is still angry with me, I had told myself. She may not have asked Beauty to follow her because Beauty is never a soft person. Since Father became sick, she had only gone to call him once. I felt she was thinking I was the one at a loss since she had already done her WAEC and enrolled for JAMB, but of what use was the WAEC and JAMB if father could not afford to pay her way through a University? I couldn’t tell but I knew in one way or the other, we all had something to lose from the situation.
Suddenly Mother entered and the moment I saw her face, I knew something was wrong! Her eyes were wet and her nose was runny as though she had flu. She walked in a somewhat awkward manner. Although mother was not slim, she was not very fat and she always maintained a good posture unless she was under stress. I ran to her.
‘Mama, how is Papa?’
She didn’t respond. I saw she was overwhelmed. Even Beauty had stopped singing and was also keen to hear from her.
‘Mama, how is Papa?’ Beauty asked with a higher volume
‘He’s fine’ she responded at last ‘But nobody is picking the telephone.’
There was silence! I would look from Beauty to Mother and then the clothes Beauty was washing. Even Beauty was doing the same
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. It was Mama Ngozi, our neighbour
‘Nne, Imoi called back and said your Oga is fine but he is sleeping. If you want to talk to him, you can come back later lets try.’
We all exchanged relieved glances as mother heaved a heavy sigh.
‘Ndo! Bikko, I have food on fire! She said quickly and started striding away. The remaining part of the day was very boring. Mother went back three more times to try to get father online but all to no avail. We had our hearts in our mouths. We didn’t know what to expect. We thought the anxiety was going to last for a few more hours, but it exceeded the day into the next until mother had to think of an emergency journey to Lagos.

Towards evening of the following day, Dr Imoi entered our apartment. We were all surprised that he had not called to tell us he was going to come. But that was not necessary! We all wanted to hear from him desperately. We all wanted to hear that father was fine. He obviously knew what we wanted to hear and what we didn’t want to hear. He didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear but he had the courage to say what we didn’t want to hear.
We were all devastated! Father was dead!
Mother passed out immediately. There were terrible wails in the house. All the neighbours had to come. The whole attention shifted to mother. She had to be resuscitated. We were lucky to have her back after some time. We couldn’t contain it. It was difficult for us to come to terms that father was gone. There was nothing we didn’t do and there was nothing more we could do.
It was not just father’s death that had made us so depressed. As usual preparations were being made for his burial. Mother seemed helpless and we didn’t know why. She didn’t have any plan of her own. No relative had come in to express condolence or any form of concern. We could understand with mother’s relatives. We were told that some of them were so poor that they could not even afford the transport fair to come to us. Dr. Imoi had called from Lagos informing mother of some developments. Father’s remains was not going to be taken to the village for burial as it was supposed to be! The villagers had rejected his corpse. A burning desire lurking in all our minds was to know why the villagers had been so cruel to us, but much more than that desire was a strong wish that we all woke up from the long nightmare that was scaring us all. We could then understand a few things that we had not bothered to press so hard on father to tell us.
Two years earlier, there were so much political tensions after another successful Coup D`etat. Everybody was afraid that there was going to be some unrest in the Country as a result of political disagreements. Whenever there were tensions in the North, there would be distrust in the south due to alignments along certain orientations. Nobody trusted anybody! Muslims and Christians alike, everybody was scared especially those that had witnessed the horror between 1967 and 1970. Those who had been friends or brothers were now divided based on tribe or religion. It was that bad!
As a result of the insecurity, many sojourners began to send their families home pending when it was all going to be over. Father had called Dr. Imoi informing him that he was going to send us to his village to stay in his house. We had a lot of questions to ask! Why Imoi’s village and not our own village? Father had explained that he had not built a house in the village yet and that he wanted our stay to be comfortable. That is why we had to go to Dr. Imoi’s village since where he lived was a little more secured and he was not going to send his family home. That was at least logical and we accepted it. We went to the village and spent six weeks before we returned to Lagos. The villager’s decision when he died had made us to know that he had stronger reasons why we didn’t go to our own village. I didn’t know any reason, but I had once heard father said that their own display of witchcraft in the village was in the afternoons.
And not the mythical nights!
Finally, the villagers position when father died had made me to know that he had stronger reasons why we didn’t go to our own village. There we were with the wretchedness of loneliness, the crookedness of helplessness and the awkwardness of desperation all stretched before us like gallows we couldn’t resist!

Just chapter 1 of my new book!

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2
At first, we didn’t know that father had been excommunicated from the village. We only knew that he or any of us never went home for many years from the time we started learning how to say ‘Mom or Dad’ but it never really occurred to us that something was terribly wrong. Father was aware of imminent doom but could not help it! It was evident from the many choices he had made in his life that we were doomed to certain deaths. It was Dr. Imoi who first told us that we were alienated from our people. As harsh and rude as it sounded, it was helpful because we had known our true condition although it had been a little too late.
Dr. Imoi Ikemelu was Father’s friend. They had known themselves from the time they schooled at Ikike Grammar School, Agbona. Father had started two years ahead of him. Imoi was from Igoda, the next village after our village on the way from Benin towards the North where the River Niger has a gulf! Several times he came visiting, he had told us some interesting stories surrounding the Niger River. He liked to disprove the fact that Mongo Park discovered the Niger as is already a common knowledge. One of his favourite narrations was the Izanama Invasion of the Midwest. Dr. Imoi was a wonderful man. He had a pleasant personality that that makes anyone desire his presence, but he also has this frankness and honesty that one may not appreciate at first. He had this typical Chinese look with the shape of his head where some curly hair stood gallantly and also the colour of his eyes, but he was a full blooded African!
‘How can they say father would not be taken to the village? I was asking myself. I will know when the time comes who that person is that would say that father would not be buried in the village.’ I had complained when mother dropped the phone. It was the first time I had had the courage to involve myself in real talk since father was no longer there! Mother was surprised too! I couldn’t wait to be a full grown man. I needed to be a man to fight. Most often when I needed to stand my ground, something had always whispered to me that I was just growing up exactly the same way father had always told me each time I out stepped my bounds. Mother was happy that I could speak up but she was scared for me probably because I was lacking in experience especially in the act of villainy as often demonstrated to depict bravery. I saw a resolution by every member of my family to stand by me if I had to fight. But we all didn’t know where to start from. We had not come to terms with the reality of our predicament. It was beginning to dawn on us when we all had to go to Lagos for the preparations. I remember so well, we had packed our things in one of Father’s bags and a few other baggage and headed for the expressway to Lagos at about nightfall. We were going to take a night bus and on attachment! I had many questions to ask mother, but the answer to each question I conceived would stare me in the face even before I had the courage to ask them although I could still mutter some courage to ask a few questions in spite of the fact that by intuition, I had known that she didn’t have the answers to most of them.
‘Why are these people always this wicked?’ I asked again though it was mere rhetoric since I was quite sure nobody could explain. I knew Mother once told me that when Itoto, my Grandfather died, Father was made to did the grave himself why the able young men folded their arms and watched. I was wondering what sort of humiliation could be more than that. I was succoured with the thought that Dr. Imoi who was waiting in Lagos would just be able to give me the answers I was longing for.
We got to the park just towards the end of twilight. The agbelo said we just missed a bus by a hair’s breathe although we didn’t need to worry because many buses were going to Lagos that night.
I closed my eyes and leaned on the many baggage that obviously belonged to many of the traders and transporters that were all waiting for the bus. I was thinking of all our miseries. Our survival was depending on others’ attitude towards benevolence. We had only two possibilities and like the tossing of a coin, we were either going to live or die!
I was forced to open my eyes when something hit my leg- An elderly woman probably in her fifties had hit my leg with a basket of tikko she was dragging by. I knew she was also waiting for the bus!
‘Sorry my pikin, pele,’ she apologized. I knew she was talking to me because I had opened my eyes but my mind was too far away to mutter any response. I looked around. Everybody was busy preparing themselves for the journey that lay ahead of them. Close-by was a caravan made of wood. A woman probably in her forties was outside with some aluminum bowls of assorted food. Some of the drivers that had just arrived were already there munching mannerlessly as they feasted on the delicacies from the ladies’ aluminum bowl. From perceptible distinctness, we were the only one sad!
Suddenly, I heard the ringing of a bell and someone shouting at the top of their voice from a distance, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Gbigin! Gbigin! The bell goes again. My attention was shifted to some indulgent moment. I got up and looked towards the palm tree behind the park where I felt the noise was coming from until I could hear him clearly. He was a Pastor!
‘Re-p-e-n-t so that you willi noti go to hell faya! Re-p-e-n-t’
I was wondering what he was talking about. What hellfire could be worse than the one we were already in? I hissed and went back to where I had sat down. For the first time in my life, I treated a Preacher with disdain!
I turned to look at mother as she sat beside me – she lay her cheek upon her right palm with the elbow of the same hand pegging on her lap. I believe her mind was very far away maybe that was why she didn’t ask me any question because I was restless. Christy rested her head on the other lap and I knew she had slept off. The phone call mother had answered two days earlier slipped back into my thoughts to terrify me. If father would not be taken to the village, then, where are they expecting him to be buried. I couldn’t tell!

It was actually my first time to travel on a night bus! Mother had said she preferred Ekene Dili Chukwu line to come in as she preferred them to any other. That was why she was not worried when we missed the bus initially. It was coming from Kano. We had to wait patiently and at about 11 pm, my eyes were almost closing when we heard the blast of the horn.
‘Madam, Oya, wey your picken? Bus don come oh’ the agbelo boys had announced. We all rushed to the door, but the Conductor was not going to let us in unless he had received our money. The agbelo had collected money from mother earlier on. N150 from each person. But later, I was not happy when I learnt that he had not given the whole money to the conductor. I was furious! The man had cheated mother and I needed to fight for mother to get the remaining money back. That is what father would have done if he were around. I needed to grow up quickly to take father’s place in the family.
Mother was scared for me. She shouted out
‘Will you stop that Hilary!’
‘Mother, I must get the money back. This man has cheated you, can’t you see?’
‘No son! You have to understand this. He has not cheated anybody. The balance is simply his gain for getting us into the bus. Please, you just have to understand. This is real life now. I know you have never experienced this before but in real life, a lot of things like this abound. If you do not understand them you will join others to say that life is not fair’
I was so embarrassed. Sometimes I could be very shy and I do not like open rebuke. The agbelo guy understood quite well. He didn’t even bother to look my way. It was as if he understood my predicament, but he certainly didn’t know why I had been a boy the previous night and forced myself to be a man next day. He just looked at me with a smirk which suggested saying ‘boy, you are becoming a man!’

The Tarzan Passenger carrier zoomed angrily into the unfamiliar darkness with an ire which the driver converted into speed that made us thud forward into the night. A few minutes after we left Gwagwalada, we had all slept off. We were all very tired as a result of the long wait we have had to endure.
Suddenly the bus galloped and a few persons woke up including me but no one spoke to anyone! Many were asleep. I looked at Beauty, she was still deeply asleep. Christy had managed to stay awake after the gallop. I looked at my wristwatch. It was 1 am! I was so surprised. I never knew we had travelled for so long. I needed to talk. I had always wanted to talk, always needed to be heard at least by someone. I was not on the same row with Christy. If we really needed to talk, it meant we were going to wake up everybody
‘Hey, Christy!’ I whispered
‘Hilary, I thought you are asleep’ she had bent towards me. We were lucky. Although we paid for attachment, we were given comfortable seats because the bus was not filled up. Situation had just been fair to us once, and that was that once! I had told myself.
‘Can you tell where we are now’ she had asked me.
‘Well, am not so sure but I think we have just passed Ibilo in Bendel State.’
‘Have you attended a funeral before?’ Christy had asked me. I looked at her. I could see a very worried little girl who had just lost her father. She was so pale especially as she also battled with the cold night we were travelling in. She spoke in a trembling husking tone which suggested that she was afraid.
‘Well, I think I have only attended once. That was when Deacon Tolu died. I went with father and he was one of the people that organized the programme.’
‘You mean Opeyemi’s father?’
‘Yes, Opeyemi’s father’
She looked at me blankly with some vague expressions thinking of what next to say to me. She was already very weak and feeling sleepy again as she dangled on her oversized seat. Christy was a skinny girl although her tinny stature had been compensated by nature with an extraordinary height. I was older than her, but she was taller than me. Mother said she took after Theresa, my grandmother.
‘What happened after the wake keep? Was his body taken to the village’ she spoke up again
‘Yes it was taken. They left the following morning for Ondo State where he was buried.’
‘But, Uncle Imoi said father would be buried in Victoria Garden City and Mother seems worried…..’
‘Don’t worry, when we get there, we will see if it’s true. I know father would have loved to be buried in his village.’
That was what I had told Christy and I had expected her to believe me which she did. At least she was just fourteen but I had always quickly forgotten that I was just a few years older. That was not important somehow. I also had this confidence that I was the man of the family. Father had always instilled that in me long before I even turned ten! I had always wanted to prove that I am a man although it had only become visible when father died.
The 40-seater bus continued to tear the air apart as it found its way into the far-far west were our fate stood waiting for us! I started feeling sleepy again. I never knew that even as we were talking, Christy had been half asleep and half awake. I called her again
‘Christy’ but there was no response. I touched her lightly yet she didn’t wake up. She only turned her head from one side to the other on the head rest. I was now the only one awake. I felt a little lonely as the only sound I could hear was the roaring sound of the engine as it ate the distance away. Very shortly after then, I slept off.

I didn’t know anything again. I only slightly felt that I was inside some container that was conveying me somewhere in the middle of the night. The constant swaying and galloping as the night rolled by was almost becoming a midnight dream. Suddenly, I heard somebody scream
‘Conductor, abeg’
‘wetin?’ another voice asked
‘ab-e-e-e-e-g’
‘Oh boy na wetin na?’
‘I dey pressed’
‘hum’
‘hum’
‘hum’
‘haba’ different responses began to rise from different seats. Even those that were fast asleep began to wake up one after another.
‘na who be dat’
‘Conductor abeg tell driver now’ he shouted again. This time he was greeted by an early morning roar of laughter from the bowels that had slumbered all-night. I managed to look at my watch. It was 3 am! ‘Is this guy joking or what?’ I had asked myself.
‘Oh boy take paper, do am put, make you troway am for window. Driver say e no go stop oh! This place danger well well oh!’ Someone suggested. The suggestion was greeted with a terrible laughter. More persons were now getting awake and letting go the slumber in their minds as they brought the entire plea of the apprentice boy to total ridicule.
‘Eggroll come, you buy chop. Buns come, you buy chop, banana come, you buy chop, Suya come, you buy chop. Only you! How you no go purge?’ Another voice from another seat responded and another round of laughter erupted. At first I was scared for him but I soon realized that almost everybody was comfortable making mockery of him. I began to wonder how cruel adult life was. Nobody cared about his predicament! But it was as if luck was on his side for after about another ten minute drive, we got to a park where there were so many vehicles and normal business was happening as if it were daytime. Mother had told me that we were in Akure. It was an opportunity for us to stretch our legs for about ten minutes after which we had set on our way again. This time, the tension had died down and everybody soon slept off as we were driving towards Ibadan.

1

Interesting,keep it coming.

Missmossy:
Interesting,keep it coming.

Yeah! On its way Missmossy

W

[quote author=Nextonline post=43647821]‘eh, woman, I need not tell you that these are the people of Ogwa community! Our son, Thomas has gone to rest!’ he looked round and others chorused ‘may his soul rest in peace!’
‘We have all come to let you know of the arrangements we have finalized to take his remains to the village and also what will be required of you in the process.
He cleared his voice again. ‘Our sons are not known to die young. Idana, my father died at age 102! So was my grandfather at age 105’
‘Yes even Ugididi my grandfather’ another man said.
‘It is our proven belief that if a man dies young, then his wife is most likely responsible for his death’
‘Wait, wait, my elders, I hope you are not insinuating that I killed my husband or that I am a witch?’ Mother asked.
‘Will you listen woman? You don’t interrupt an elder’ one of the hefty men cautioned.
‘And there is only one thing you will do to prove to us that our son died a natural death, and that is by swearing on his corpse at his burial rites!
‘Yes! Well-spoken elder’ all the others chorused as a very loud silence emerged from behind the walls. Eyes began to look round. Even Mother’s friends were terribly surprised as she froze in fear! There was so much tension as she didn’t know what to expect from the men. She didn’t have any relatives in Lagos, only friends dominant among which had been father’s. When father died, she had sent a message through Uncle Uze’s wife who had retired to the village when her own husband had passed on two years earlier. Grandmother was well stricken in age and was not in any position to travel although she could move around her vicinity.
‘What do you have to say? Woman’ one of the elders broke the silence. Mother wanted to speak at first but through body language, one of her friends had cautioned her not to say a word.
All the whiles, Christy had watched the drama from behind the curtains separating the living room from the dining section. ‘Mother needs help now!’ she had said to herself. She remembered Mike who was one of her classmates in Lagos. Mike’s father is a hero! Several times, Mike had talked about how his father used to deal with people who trespass their rights. Christy set on her way to Mike’s house without even telling anybody.
‘Are you going to disrespect our elders again’ another man spoke
‘Woman, you will pay for this! It is said that when a he-goat throws a stone at a man in the dark, he can deny it later but if he mounts a cliff, he won’t be able to deny it. You are mounting a cliff woman!’
Already, the hefty men were quaking in anger. All they were waiting for was an order to descend on mother and any other person that would stand in their way. It was not a taboo to beat an erring woman especially a witch! They were furious. Terribly furious that one of their sons had died but much more furious that father had not been in fellowship with them!
It was only an inch away from terrible chaos when Christy arrived with Sgt. Popoola. Mike’s father was actually a police officer. With him were four hefty policemen, well-armed. They had arrived just in time!
The elders were disappointed. How could an ordinary woman hold them to such contempt and go scotch free? They were all enraged but for the intervention of the police, the whole wrath on earth would have collapsed on the sorrow-stricken mother of three. Christy was praised for being proactive, something even the adults in our midst could not think of.
‘We will see in the village’ one of the men had boasted ‘I bet you will never go away with this. Since you have started to dance naked at the village square, don’t cry when the able young men chase you around.’
‘We will see you at the village. If you like, decide not to go and burry your husband’ another one boasted. The battle line was drawn. Truly, we could not decide not to go and burry father. If we could, that would certainly have been a better choice! Then our options were limited among numerous possibilities and impossibilities. It was a tie between the players of good and evil in a supposedly tough world.
The following day was Ekhue. In Avianwu, A week is made up of four days, Ekhue, Evhia, Eomhi, and Ewo with each of them controlled by different spirits responsible for both the fortune and misfortune of each day. Normally, after interments, proper burials are done on Ekhue. Ekhue is the market day and it is believed that the spirits of the ancestors also come to trade on those days, so that after the burial, the spirit of the dead can follow the ancestors as they return from the market to the spirit world.

The Ekhue day had come and caught me unawares! It was unlike me. When I have important things to do next day, I hardly catch an hour of sleep. But on the night before father’s burial, I had been forced to stay awake because of some sullen thoughts. I had to stay awake into late night and when nature finally took its course, it was already few hours to dawn! I had paid for the night watch by oversleeping into the morning. I quickly got up, washed myself and prepared for the journey ahead. I wanted to witness everything that was going to be done so that I could have a clue at least into what was happening to us. I must never allow mother to have any clue that I had heard part of her discussion with Dr. Imoi. She wouldn’t take it lightly with me but I was beginning to suspect a lot of things ‘could mother have actually killed father as the elders had insinuated a day before?’ I just couldn’t see the light in that. I only had to use that information as a clue to what I was looking for.
All preparations had been made to take Father’s remains to the village. The developments the previous day had made them to change some of the plans, Christy had made them to remember something they had not considered. It was security! With the help of Sgt. Popoola, four hefty police men were attached to the convoy that was to leave the following morning to Bendel State. Their charge was to make sure that Mother or any of us received no form of assault from anybody all through the program
Dr. Imoi arrived in his Mercedes 230 and we were all told to enter. He sat at the driver’s seat and instructed me to seat at the passenger’s side while mother and my sisters sat at the back. It was a long convoy involving different kinds of people. Some from father’s company, some from our church, a few from mother’s company where she had worked before she left Lagos and most from father’s Tribal Progressive Union who were all carrying long faces. It was later I learnt that had it not been that they had collected almost all father’s entitlement in the name of a fine, they would not have been a part of the burial rites for according to them their ancestors would be angry and kill them.
We all sat down quietly in the car with heavy faces watching everybody fix themselves into logistics until the whole vehicles around formed into a long convoy.
Finally, the driver that drove the luxurious bus was given signals to start the journey. Gradually, each vehicle moved out of the house and pulled into the road. Sgt Popoola who was our neighbor followed us behind with four policemen heavily armed in his car. We had to pass through Ikeja to connect with the ambulance that was carrying father’s corpse and the journey was slow at first. There were a lot of maneuverings on the way. The drivers all knew we had a long way ahead of us to travel. Finally, we entered the expressway and everyone was calm.
At some point in the journey, it became terribly cold. The vehicles had gained much speed and the heavy torrents of breeze blowing against the convoy as they tore the air apart to find their way made everyone to take cover under some special clothing which a good foresight had admonished them to take along. Christy was held in mother’s bosom as a mother would especially in the times we had found themselves. We were most uncomfortable. We had never had to live under an atmosphere of tight security. Each time the driver looked back into the car at some points when we were not at speed, Christy would be forced to look away in fear. She had never had to be close to such hardened individuals, but the ruggedness of the policemen was mother’s confidence that we were in safe hands.

The day was drawing gradually to a close though we were just a stone throw away from our destination. The tension in the air had risen a great deal in the course of the journey. Nobody knew what to expect. Mother was afraid, I knew. The little drama she had seen in Lagos a day before was enough warning that the worst could happen if we didn’t take extra precautions. Suddenly, a quarrel ensued in one of the buses. It was so bad that the ladies in the vehicle screamed the driver to a halt. The passengers were divided some for mother and others against her. The entire convoy came down except the occupants of the Mercedes 230 as they were not allowed by the policemen. Even the Police did not intervene. Their charge was taking care of us. If they meddled unnecessarily with issues outside their orders, they could be in serious trouble! They had been warned.
‘Uh uh, uuuuuuuuuuh’ one of the villagers booed
Uh, uh, uh, uuuuhhhhhhhh’ another one joined in.
‘It is in your quarters that these things happen most. I tell you’
‘All of you that planned and killed my cousin, by the time we get to the village, we shall know. Just get ready’
The quarrel continued almost endlessly. After a while, one of the elders came forward and addressed the people and his speech seemed to be in consonance with the contenders. Gradually, the quarrel began to reduce until some peace returned to the journey and as we set on our way again mother exhaled loudly but could not utter a word.
If it were possible, Christy would have disappeared from the car as her tender mind could no longer contain the miserable times. The entire attitude of the people got her traumatized and her heart began to throb painfully as she later told me.

Finally, the convoy entered the village. All the villagers showed so much empathy! They all came out and stood at their corridors watching the travelers drive on the only major road through the linear settlement town as some of them shed tears and others who could afford the strength followed the convoy. It was a taboo to play any music at the burial of a young person. Premature deaths are not celebrated and anybody who did not have grand children was counted as a premature death. Everybody understood that! Our only mission was to bury our dead, mourn our dead and go our away.

Everything had gone smoothly initially although a lot of people were carrying long faces all the way but that was not supposed to be our problem. After some time, things began to fall apart. Some young women came and lamented over Father’s remains as it lay in state in the palour of the bungalow he had built in the village for his father years before. I knew mother’s heart was beginning to pound in anxiety. It was almost dark, but we could still see ourselves although some of them had to use the ugburi, a local lamp. The young men had already sunk a grave below the ground were his remains were to be laid. It was only out of luck that the whole process was fast and it was all to our advantage.

It was only a few minutes to the end of the burial when a very strong argument ensued again. The whole village was gathered together now and everybody was ready to air their opinion whether anybody was ready to listen or not.
‘I have said it before. This is how you people spoil our culture and allow strangers to do us evil and get away with it!’ One of the elders lamented. You now sit down and let us settle this matter amicably
All the villagers finally listened and sat down. Those who didn’t have a seat stood behind with their hands folded on their chests. They were all in grief!
‘An elder cannot sit at home and watch the rain beat the coals.’ One of the old men began to speak again. Now that we have buried him, it is time the other part of our culture is done.’
‘Well spoken’ the crowd chorused and the man continued ‘It would be totally unfair not to allow the woman to talk. At least let’s hear her out. If she agreed that she is responsible for the man’s death. We may decide to spare ourselves all the troubles
‘Yes, well spoken!’ some people from the crowd responded again. Tension once again seized the atmosphere! The men that had visited us in Lagos the previous day had all gathered some energy to repay the spite they had received from mother. She was not going to speak! Suddenly a handful of young men swooped into the stage with some fury to do justice to a terrible situation. No stranger can come here and make a fool of them in the name of a witch wife.
‘Hey, all of you stay back!’ One of the policemen ordered as the rest held mother and Christy making sure nobody got close to her. At least Beauty and myself could take care of ourselves though all behind the policemen. They had all cocked their guns waiting for any eventuality although they had been instructed not to shoot at anybody unless absolutely necessary. The young men knew no fear. At least, not of guns. Their ancestors had done it in the 18th century in the land of the Binis and they would do it again!
‘I said stay back else we shoot you all now’ the policeman shouted again but much louder this time. His eyes were terribly red as he issued the threats. His mood was a mixture of courage and fear as he began to sweat profusely. It was as if the threat even got the men more angry as the number and the speed increased. Then, those who were on our side began to pull their shirts. A terrible fight ensued! However, there were some whose only targets were mother and the rest of us. The police had to save our lives! Immediately, they pulled us backwards into the car and threw two teargas cylinders at the mob. Gunshots erupted and bullets began to fly around as they shot into the air.
The villagers were terribly stubborn. They were obviously not scared of the bullets. As some were gasping for breath under the power of teargas, the few that were not affected immediately continued to rush at us. They were very close to their victims now. It was terrible for the policemen although the gunshots had deterred our attackers from advancing for a while, but after sometime as if they all communicated through body language, they all started advancing again chanting some words the policemen could not understand. The villagers continued. The police didn’t have a choice anymore. They had to disobey their orders by releasing tear gas at the advancing enemies!. There was terrible confusion, but they took care of us!
Instantly, as if beckoning on the last resort, mother knelt down and began to pray for God’s intervention and suddenly there was terrible confusion among the attackers as a free for all fight ensued. It was our opportunity to escape. It was only after the two vehicles started zooming off that the villagers all realized they had allowed the prey to anger to slip away. The anger in the village increased as those who even spoke for us at first had turned against us because of the many people that were wounded. It was Dr. Imoi’s suggestion that we returned to Lagos in order to recover fully from the Trauma before we went back to Abuja, where we belonged!


PLEASE COMMENT AFTER READING. THEY WILL HELP ME IMPROVE. THANK YOU SWEET

Chapter 5

It was in January 1988 that we finally returned to Abuja after all the ceremonies. We had returned empty, without the means to live except Mother’s salary which was meager enough to make us continually poor. We were coming to terms gradually with the situation we had found ourselves. There was no plan by the Government to increase the salary of ministry workers. We just had to believe the best of everyday to move on. At first, Dr. Imoi lived up to his promise. It was during father’s burial ceremony that he told us that father’s dying wish was that he should not abandon his family. Dr. Imoi had promised father that he was not going to abandon us. He had paid our school fees for the second term that we resumed into and Beauty was enrolled fro JAMB. I was in SS3 and Christy was in JSS2.
Initially, I didn’t know why Dr. Imoi was so loyal to father even after father’s death. It was later mother had told us that father was Imoi’s school father in Secondary School. Father had an intimidating stature and a compelling presence as a stark contrast to him. Most times when he got into trouble, father went for his rescue. That was not all. Imoi did not start working immediately he left the University. He had continued schooling until he obtained a PhD in Sociology. He was only underemployed until father helped him to secure a lecturing job at the University of Lagos because father was a consultant deployed there at the time. Initially, we were a little comfortable.
I was not really moved in spite of what we were going through! Although I always felt bad, but I was much more concerned with what would become of our lives? How we had been perceived and who we were! I suddenly remembered the discussion Mother had with Dr. Imoi on the night before we left for father’s burial in the village. I was getting one or two things together. I felt an urgent urge to engage mother in some sort of discussion to that respect but she had gone out of the house. I waited patiently for her to return before I launch myself into some indulgent inquiry.
It was towards midday that mother finally returned home that Saturday. I walked past the shelf which shielded me from her view and from the way I moved, I knew I was sending some signals around
‘Mother! What tribe are we’ I asked softly but firmly
‘I don’t understand what you mean Hilary’ She chuckled and smiled a bit.
‘I mean what tribe are we from? Father, you, me, and all of us. I asked again
‘Is that not a question a seven year old should be asking Hilary? She asked again with the smile on her face disappearing slowly.
‘Mother, when you are treated like a seven year old, then you ask the questions of a six year old.’ I maintained
‘Why are you talking to me in riddles, Hilary? Remember I’m your Mother and I deserve some respect from you! What have I done that you now consider me so vile as to address me the way you do?’
‘No mother, I do not consider you vile at all, rather I think the opposite is the case. You consider me so naïve and impressionable that you never stick to my opinion or consider my feelings when taking important decisions that concern our family’ I moved away from the shelf where I was able to look directly at her as she stood still dumbfounded!
‘Oh now I see! I should have allowed you to fight with the villagers over your father’s corpse, or I should have said no to the fine they imposed at his death. I did your father and all of us a favour by making sure his corpse was taken to the village. I have been faithful to my husband the way I should even in death! Now, Hilary do you want your peers to look at you in the future and call you a bastard or that your father was buried in a foreign land’
‘That’s my point exactly! Mother I have heard more than that already. I keep hearing rumours and hearsay that we are a forbidden people. I never heard of this until father died. Whatever I need to know, you are the one to tell me not some outsiders? ‘Mother, is our entire existence just a myth? Something less than the likelihood of a fairy tale?’
‘Shut up! Just shut up!!’ She hushed as her eyes began to emit some flames! ‘In as much as you are my son, I have always given you the regard of a man. Not that I do not realize that I gave birth to you and gave you my breast to suck. Not that I do not remember that I nurtured you and brought you up from infancy to make you the man standing right in front of me but because I know that to you I owe everything, I mean everything, …..everything, every……’ She broke down and began to cry. I was moved but I was not moved! I felt a very strong empathy from the inside of me but I was not going to be blackmailed by a woman’s tears. I once read in a book that all women are the same whether they be your sister, your wife, your friend or even your mother. What they do not want to say, they cover with tears. I moved to where she bent down and held her while whipping her tears.
‘Mr. Yunusa told me Beauty can actually go to the University with the result she had in WAEC if she can also pass very well in her JAMB’ I stopped and looked at her face. She did not respond and her eyes did not blink. It was obvious that she was still very angry with me or her mind had wondered very far away. I felt sorry and then, I walked away.
I was taken unawares when father died. I knew that the villagers had not treated us right but I respected mother’s disposition and I also knew that nobody had the right to treat us the way they did and I was never going to let it pass unnoticed. when father died, though my thoughts were of impressionable essence as at then, I had come to realize that unless I became the man that I’m supposed to be, the answers I sought would never come though my beloved mother was at the receiving end of my untamed disposition. I had become a man of two minds, one for mother and that identifies with our misery, another against her that was searching for something I believed so well she had the answer but was unwilling to let me have it. But I promised myself that I was not going let Beauty know of the many things I was thinking of especially the discussion between Mother and Dr. Imoi on the eve of father’s burial. I was beginning to wish that the Legend of the ‘Secret Angels’ in the story were real.
I remember I sat outside thinking about all that was happening to us and Beauty had come to join me staring at the vehicles that ply the road at the front of our house. In my mind, I was counting the number of ash coloured vehicles against the red ones. It is a game myself and Christy had always played when I was much younger. As the pains of adulthood was gradually taking away the innocence of my youthfulness, I realized that the gap between Christy and me was widening to my regrets. She is a wonderful small sister I would have always loved to hold her by the hands wherever we went.
‘Hilary, what are you doing’ she had asked me
‘well, nothing – just trying to make myself happy’
‘Of course you have that responsibility of making yourself happy. Nobody is going to make you happy especially if you don’t want to be happy.’ I stopped, turned and looked at her. I believe she could read the look on my face by what she said.
‘When did Mr. Lekan said your result is going to be out?
‘Hopefully by November or December’
‘See why are you looking so sad? Think that this my result thing bothers you more than it bothers me.’ She shrugged
‘Beauty, how can you talk like that? In fact, it should bother all of us’ I chided
‘I am not bothered at all. The worst that that will happen is for me to get enrolled again next year!’ she shrugged again and I was getting annoyed
‘Have you considered that mother may not be able to afford to register for both of us?’
‘And so? Then she can register for one …..’
‘And who might that one be?’
‘Me of course’
‘Kai, Beauty you are very selfish!’ I had looked in her direction with an ire I did not know where to direct.
‘How dare you accuse me of being selfish? Now tell me who is not selfish. Everybody thinks about themselves before they think of anyone else… is that not so?’
‘Hey, Beau, you are taking all these too far. Why not just calm down and be yourself’ I had cautioned
‘Imagine the other time, Dr. Imoi was talking about taking up an NCE instead. Is that the education he had promised father that he would give to us. Now, I’m sure he is considering the cost so he can save some money to send his daughter to Germany as his wife boasted the other time…

‘Beauty!’ I had interrupted ‘ I hope all these are not in one way or the other about Dr. Imoi?’ I had asked with some concern’
‘Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Hilary, you are the biggest fool if you believe that man. Why do you think I don’t involve him when I talk about anything? He can fool you and Mother but he definitely cannot fool me. When Mother comes, ask him why she couldn’t relocate us back to Lagos to pick up a job that would have put an end to all our sufferings. Ask mother what happened to that job.
My mouth was agape. I couldn’t find enough courage to respond to what she was saying. I had thought of Dr. Imoi as my hero, now Beauty thinks otherwise. Father had always said a proverb that a person could be carrying a lamp to show you the way with one hand and using the other hand to cover the lamp. I couldn’t see Imoi in that light!
‘How dare you talk about Dr. Imoi like that’ I had faced her with all fury. ‘Dr. Imoi has always been there for us ever since father died. He is practically responsible for our livelihood and now you accuse him of insincerity.
‘Hey! Hilary, I am not accusing him. He is an insincere man. That is what I will tell you’ She maintained.
‘I am ashamed of you Beauty!’ Mother entered looking much more surprised than I had been. Had I known that she was standing by, I would have quickly walked away from the argument because I knew what Beauty was capable of doing.
‘You need to listen to yourself. You do not even bring to bear that you could not pass a simple JAMB examination. The young girl you talk about was able to pass all the examinations that made her to meet the requirements to study in Germany. Don’t you forget that!’ she warned
‘Moreover, you should remember that your name is not Beauty Imoi. You are Beauty Itoto. No matter the closeness, a man will never give the same treatment to two children of which one is from his loins except he is a man of excessive means or extraordinary virtue! You better put that in your thick skull’
‘You see, you have said it all mother. We all know he is not a man of excessive means and I doubt if he had extraordinary virtue either, in which case I do not expect the best from him. I told you before that that man wants us to become less of what we hope. With him around, your dreams could never be within you reach let alone surpass them.’
‘If I was a man, I would have denied that I am your father and accused your mother of infidelity. How helpless I am now! Who is there to accuse me? Remember that this same Dr. Imoi has been responsible for the little comfort you have been able to get out of life since your father died.’
‘I am not going to listen to you anymore! I must let you know that Dr. Imoi doesn’t care for us as he claims. I have evidence. If you need to know, then find out from him what happened to the job for which you went for an interview in Lagos three months ago.’ She snapped and went out of the room.
Mother was taken unawares. After a slight pause as if to reassure herself, she went after her and grabbed her by the collar of the satin blouse she wore ‘whoever told you that rubbish?’ she had demanded with some suspicion
‘You don’t need to know mother. That is all I can tell you for now’

I just stood speechless as the drama unfolded. It was not my first time to hear of Beauty’s opinion about Dr. Imoi but I was definitely surprised that she had the guts to say it to everybody. I was not comfortable so I couldn’t make any contribution. Everybody was getting confused. That day mother was very sad and she had been very sober ever since. Her greatest worry was the kind of a lady Beauty was gradually turning into. In her opinion, a young lady who has a good upbringing like Beauty only loses respect for her elders when she starts to go out with men. Her biggest confusion was whoever was feeding her precious daughter with such lies because she still belived that Dr. Imoi was a saint! One thing was very clear to her. Whoever was responsible for the erosion of Beauty’s virtue was also responsible for feeding her with all the lies she was harboring within her. In our neighbourhood, there had been several ugly incidents where mothers and daughters fight. I had always thought it could never happen in my family but that thought never lived long within me. Beauty had to kill it before long. The tensions were increasing. My self and Beauty hardly talked to each other. Sometimes she could just get out of the house and never resurface until after three days. She had simply gone beyond mother’s control.
I wanted to make sure I took control of whatever was happening under my roof as father would always say that a wise man does not sit back when he sees that the thatched roof is on fire. I went after Beauty into her room and there she was looking at me with some reservation
‘What is it’ she queried ‘have you come to fight for your mother as usual? Just keep playing the good boy and very soon, you will realize that mother is not who she claims she is’
‘Beau, keep calm’ I advised ‘ I do not know of anything you talk about, but don’t you think we would be better off if we deal with this together’ I asked looking at her from the corner of my eyes. Then she hissed and sat on her bed
‘Oh o, I have told you before now, but you wouldn’t listen to me’
‘Beauty, please, I beg you! Can you bring me into the picture? Let me at least know what you have been told then we would know where to start ’
‘Mother is a witch!’ she screamed. I was alarmed at the promptitude with which she had accused her own mother in answering me. I was most uncomfortable lest mother should hear from where I knew she sat outside. So, I jerked up to close the door more tightly. If it were possible to cover the ears of the walls, I would have done that because every bit of what she told me got me irritated and I had wished I never asked her because I was never the same again from that moment. After I had recovered from the shock,
‘How did you get to know of this?’. I asked her very calmly
‘You think I am like you? “Sidon look”. I have people who are talking to me and I know that what they tell me is true. When the villagers insisted that mother must swear at father’s grave, I felt pity for her, but that pity now is gone because I have evidence that she actually killed father. How could she? A man that took care of all of us and was so good to her. That is what their tribe do. Mother is from a forbidden tribe! She remarked with terrible wrinkles on her forehead
‘Ok, can you give me a strong evidence to support what you have just said?’ I had asked her again still very calm. I just needed to be calm to get what I wanted because given Beauty’s kind of person, you could never get anything meaningful from her once she knows you are angry.
‘You want to hear the truth? Now listen. The night before father’s sickness started, he came home from Lagos agile and very strong. So the suspicion that he was poisoned at a party he went in Lagos cannot gather enough evidence. That very day, he had just finished eating the food mother had prepared when he started complaining of stomach upset and we had to take him to hospital. That was the first time father had ever gone to hospital since I was growing up. When he left the hospital, he had complained of back ache and that was how the process continued even when he went back to Lagos. All through the time he went back to Lagos before he died, he was never the same again. He later met a prophet who told him that somebody had poisoned him the last time he went to Abuja and father did not eat out all through that weekend because he was in door
‘There was no more spirit in me when she finished. I couldn’t arrive at any conclusion and my mood was terrible hatred for myself and the entire world I lived in.
‘But you were not with father in Lagos, so how did you get to know all of this?’ I had asked again’
‘I have told you I am not like you. I’m smart with information and if you ever need to know, there are people you just need to talk to’ She hissed and walked out of the room
I was not myself for some time and I didn’t know what to believe. Beauty obviously was not ready to tell me the source of her information.
Unknown to Beauty, I had been apprehensive of Mother right from the night I caught her in the middle of a discussion with Dr. Imoi. Then I didn’t think it was necessary to bother anybody with any questions because the times we were in were difficult, but I knew Mother had something to do with father’s demise based on their discussion although I knew she was never going to accept. First it was the villagers, now it is Beauty, and I could tell the next development. On the other hand I could not deny that every evidence and every finding was getting mother indicted and I started feeling the urge to get away.

a gud story . kip et up

T

Emmyphey:
a gud story . kip et up

Thank you for the comment On its way

W

I appreciate your comments pleeeeeeeaaaaaaazssssse

Captivating,thumbs up.

[Thanks Missmossy, your comments are a big encouragement to me quote author=Missmossy post=43701755]Captivating,thumbs up.[/quote]

Chapter 6 : Harmatan of 1992

After Beauty left for school, we were all left to the reasoning of our minds as we battled with her convictions about Dr. Imoi, about father, concerning mother and all of us. It was another Harmatan that reminded that it had been almost a year since she left. I didn’t need to bother myself too much about her. I had my own problems to contend with. My quest about father’s life had not faded. Although Mother had told me much of what I needed to know, I felt that she could never have told me the crude parts. At least that is what a responsible mother would have done! Beauty would have been my most trusted partner in my quest to unravel the mysteries that had pushed us all to misery. I didn’t have any doubt that although her campus was less than forty kilometers from Dr Imoi’s house according to mother, she was never going to honour him with a single visit. Beauty had her mind made up about Dr. Imoi.

Dr. Imoi called from Lagos and told mother of some more developments. The villagers had insisted that since mother refused to swear at father’s grave, they were going to exhume father’s corpse and carry out autopsy to prove that he was poisoned. They already had people who were willing to testify that they saw mother poison father and then mother would be sent to jail! I couldn’t understand why these people were bent on making our lives miserable. When Mother got back to the house, I saw she was upset.
‘What is it? Mother’ I had asked with some passion

‘They have come again, they have come again ooo, Jehovah, save me!’ she continued to cry. At first I thought Christy was thrown into a feat again. At least that was gradually becoming a part of our lives, maybe the part we would never had wished we would share with anyone except those secret angels by the corner of the house – when no one was around, they kept watch over whatever was good, part of my indication that some sort of fate was in subtle control of our actions and inactions until she began to explain to me. I was terribly worried. ‘If what Dr. Imoi told mother is true, then we are doomed’ I reasoned.
We had lived a few months after the demise of father sometimes without the necessities of a church mouse holding on to the most miserable of all existence like what even the most wretched would have we didn’t have, but mother had been our hope, not that she had the necessary things to make things better but she had the necessary wish to make things wishful. Taking her away was like taking our lives away. I was not going to let that happen!
‘Why are you looking like that? What’s this scowl on your face? I hope you are okay. She had asked me. She looked tired and stressed up. A part of me suggested that I should spare her all the troubles but the obsession I had struggled with for two years was just too strong to overcome.
‘Mother, I had asked you when father died that I didn’t understand why the villagers had been so cruel to us and …..’
‘Son, I thought I told you that you don’t need to soak yourself in the past’ she interrupted with a look on her face which suggested that she was surprised I had not given up on my quest.
‘Mother, I need to know what father had done wrong so that I don’t repeat the same mistakes. Dr. Imoi had just told you that those people have not given up on their plan to make our life miserable’ I pleaded
‘Whoever told you that your father suffered for his mistakes? I know not of any mistake you talk about but your father to me was of all men most noble
‘I quite understand that mother’ I got up with some annoyance. ‘He had been honourable but not enough to make us popular in his village. At his death, they had rejected his corpse and made us to pass through an unfathomable hell. Now you tell me about nobility?’ My anger was rising – mother got up and shouted at me with all her strength. I was scared! I could see stress written all over her face where some two eyeballs stared out to look at me. Mother had been a little older than I already knew! Her eyelashes were gradually turning grey. I had never seen anybody display such anger!
‘You insult my very existence, Hilary! How dare you talk about your father like a common unpopular criminal? I had given birth to you noble exactly the same way your father was.’ Mother spoke with such a passion that I felt very guilty I ever brought up the issue again. She had started to sob. I couldn’t stand to see her cry, I resolved I was going to be as frank as possible but I never knew tears had begun to drop from my eyes too. I was happy that Beauty and Christy were not at home. Christy wouldn’t have been able to bear to see mother cry and Beauty would have definitely attacked me.
‘Mother, you do not understand what we go through being fatherless. That is not enough - the news that we have been excommunicated the same way father was is spreading very fast and you seem not to show any concern – How long will that continue? Mother’ I retorted.
‘Hilary, you must understand that as at the time these things happened, it would have been of no use telling you because you would not have been able to understand the reasons that followed.’ She explained, her nerves beginning to calm down as she moved a few steps away from where we had stood.
‘Mother, I agree I was young then, but now I’m a little older at least by two years’ I went to where she stood and held her hand and squatted ‘Please mother, I need to know. At least I’m twenty-two now’ I begged. There was a pause. She was staring at me and I was becoming a little uncomfortable
‘Ok, sit down. I will tell you’
I sat quietly. I was so happy and felt like one grown up man. I had won. It was like a miracle!
‘I believe you already know that Uneme-gba where I came from is just a little distance from your father’s place’
‘Yes Mother’ I replied and she continued
‘A few centuries ago, the Hausa and the Fulani people were out to expand their kingdom by attacking other lands and they were very successful in it from up North to the Midwest and they were having a fill day with the entire citizenry. The tribes were so overwhelmed that they had to convene a meeting in order to form a cooperation to resist this humiliation. So, all the tribes gathered together and held a meeting and certain strategies were agreed upon which included ambush. All those strategies never worked. It was later they discovered that the Uneme-gba ’ had betrayed the entire people, and more disheartening was the revelation that most of the weapons used by those invaders were manufactured by them. In simple terms, they were their allies. In the midst of their agony from these revelations, they all came together and excommunicated the Uneme-gbas laying heavy curses on whoever will ever have anything to do with them and that included taking and being given in marriage!
When Mother finished, I sighed and there was a little silence. I was beginning to get things together; mother is actually from a forbidden tribe! Beauty was right after all.
‘But were you and father not aware of all of these before you two chose to get married?’
‘It’s like asking me if I had the privilege to choose where to be born. Listen my son, you are now sounding like them. That is against what your father stood for. Your father deliberately breached that common attitude. Do you know how many ladies have been denied their right to marriage just because of where they come from? Your father believed in fairness, he believed in equity in every area of life. He believed in the right to self determination.’ I could see that the more she talked, the more angry she became ‘where ever you go, you find an almost equal number of good and bad people. It is not about tribe or ethnicity. They have held unto that for decades limiting the lives of others. Your father asked me to marry him, and I couldn’t give less of what he is. Come to think of it, The Uneme-gba people where only out to protect themselves. Now, is it not funny that these same tribes freely marry the house and furnished who were their arch enemy but will easily claim that the Uneme-gba are under a curse. I could see that mother was getting more angry. So, I was stylishly looking for how to withdraw from the discussion I had been so eager to start! I was afraid lest my facial expression should betray my suspicion. I was not used to controlling my facial expressions.
‘Moreover you must never question the circumstances of your birth? Listen my son, a man that questions the circumstances of his birth will find the true answers in his grave for all births are noble because they all bear the same significance, life!’ she looked at me again and smiled ‘I have observed you for some time now. You need to let go of whatever has happened before because no man looking back can move forward without a fall ‘she had cautioned as I nodded in despair before she wore her slippers and made for the bathroom.

It took only five minutes for her to exit the bathroom and there I was still looking as confused as I had been when we talked.
‘Hillary!’ She called ‘I can see you are still not looking happy’ she paused and turned to look away. I was becoming nervous again. ‘or is there something you wish I had known’ She asked again getting very uncomfortable
‘Mother!’ I called. ‘It’s about Dr. Imoi’
‘What about Dr. Imoi’ she had asked getting unusually interested
‘Many people have this opinion that he has a hand in father’s death’
‘Oh! I see. By the way, who are the many people? Beauty and all the many Beauties. Is that not? What an ugly thought in the mind of Beauty.’ I was feeling disappointed. I had expected an objective answer but mother was taking out calculated assault on my opinion. Sit back my son, she ordered.
‘Beauty is my daughter as much as you are my son. I can tell you that she has every right to be suspicious but I guess she is taking it too far. Imagine the other day, I even heard her accuse me of killing your father, my own husband. I have only been patient enough because I do not want to join her in her cot for a play.’
I felt terrible when mother spoke! I had never imagined she was aware of the opinion Beauty held of her. To me, I almost begged the ground to open so that I could enter.
‘And concerning Dr. Imoi’ she continued ‘I have had reasons myself to be suspicious of him. One thing is certain. Your father did not die a natural death. It is something I wanted to keep latent until you are all grown up, but your attitude these days shows you have grown up and I must not deceive myself. I knew Imoi before I even knew your father. He knew our predicament as a tribe and I do not understand what he gained if at all he was responsible except for one thing. They bought a piece of land together in Lagos with which they wanted to start a company of their own. Your father once told me of it, but to my surprise, since he died, Dr. Imoi has never made mention of it. But of what value is a plot of land that would make a man give his friend away? So, I have decided to lay low until the truth finds itself out. However, I strongly believe that the same people that want our marriage found a way to kill him. I believe he fell into their hands because as you know, he was a very liberal person. He could not really separate his friends from his enemies ‘
‘Mother ‘ I had called softly when she finished. It took you four years to finally tell me what you feel I should know ‘ She paused1 and looked towards the window

‘I wanted to make sure that when ever I would be talking, I would be talking to a man not a boy. By a few things you have done of late, I can now conclude that I have a man. ‘ she stopped and called, ‘Hilary, you must never betray what you father stood for’
When she finished, she noticed I was more or less confused, but she left me in that state and walked away probably for me to decipher everything myself. I was not going to continue my quest. I had concluded within me but the urge to get away was only getting stronger.


I galloped to Silvanus’s Boutique and luckily, he was there. He was the only person I could rely on although I had not trusted him fully.
‘I think we have to consult a lawyer’ he had suggested calmly
‘But mother said Dr. Imoi is already contacting a lawyer just in case everything turns out to be what we are envisaging’ I had told him
‘In that case, you do not need to panic. Do you consider that all these could be mere threats?’
I paused and looked away into the sky ‘Perhaps what Silvanus suggested is true, then we would have no cause to worry’ he looked at me for a pretty long time until I believe he noticed I was getting uncomfortable. ‘you need to do something for yourself, man!
‘Like what?’ I had asked him softly
‘I mean, forget about all these miserable life. Is this all your life is about. You have not done anything for yourself and here you are spending your entire life trying to find out something that will profit you nothing. If they say your mother killed your father and they can prove it, fine, let her go to jail, but you know, money rules the world and that is what you have not equipped yourself with. No matter the crime, if you have money, you certainly get away with it’
‘I do not understand what you mean’ I objected
‘Ok, see go and look for ways you can make money and if you succeed, all these stories will cease on their own because then you would become a threat and no ordinary being can take you for granted’
At first, I thought he was joking. It was only after the discussion persisted that I learnt he wanted me to get something doing that would yield me money.
‘But mother wouldn’t have that’ I complained to him
‘Then, get away from her’ he barked and I was shocked. It was as if he was more passionate about my future than anyone else including me! Although, I was already conceiving getting away, I was no longer comfortable with the discussion and he knew and tactically, I noticed he was looking for ways to excuse himself until I finally had to tell him I needed to leave.
It was a hot afternoon, and trekking home was not that funny except you had someone walking by your side to keep you talking while you covered the distance without knowing. I managed to move from shade to shade until eventually, I had found myself at the back of our flat. Surprisingly Beauty had come on her first holiday ! . At least I was happy! Although herself and me never really got along. I was comforted each time I remembered that the barrier to my education would soon be removed.

Chapter 7

Thank God for you, Christy, you are back’ ‘Where are we’ she had asked. Then, I began to explain to her everything that had happened, but funny enough, when she was fully recovered, she remembered every details of what had happened including her nightmare. In the dream she saw father pointing at the man she had always seen in her dreams trying to kill her – father was accusing the man of being responsible for his death – shortly after father left according to her the man started chasing her and that was how she woke up and stated running –
Christy had described this man to mother several times but mother could not really reconcile her description to any of father’s friends or acquaintances back in Lagos –
As the nightmares continued to hunt Christy, one thing was very clear in my mind – At least Dr. Imoi was not in the description – after all, Christy knew him too well -. There was a day a prophet came to our house and told mother that the spirit of father was hunting Christy but we couldn’t reconcile that to father’s personality – why would father’s spirit hunt Christy. When he was alive, she was his favorite – another Pastor told us one day that she was possessed!
It was as if each day that came plunged us into another misery before we could recover from one – we never recovered from any of them! I always wondered each time I heard someone said that they were having the best of everyday – I didn’t believe it was possible. In our lives, sorrow was prevalent and fear was the monitor – I always thought we were behind another fence of life –
Naturally, Christy was a very good girl with a good heart; she couldn’t hurt even a bug let alone a fly! That’s one of the reasons mother was so devastated when this whole problem started –
Mother had struggled to enroll for JAMB for Christy – The exams were to come up in a week but she had too much to worry about that she could not concentrate in our studies – I was becoming more worried than I had ever been about Dr. Imoi and concerning the promise he had made to father. Beauty was not as surprised as we were. Each time our hopes were dashed, she would only respond by a refrain ‘I told you!
It was a sweet December everybody was out to still make the best of their worlds before another year was to come to an end. Never had I seen passion play in a midst of a tiny community of hopefuls amongst a larger community of pessimists waiting to see the worst happen; longing for the reach of accomplishment but ending in anguish; looking in the direction of whatever offered succor and yet nothing was succored. It was a time of desperation, a time of inspiration, a time of intimidation yet I would not be moved. I would still take time to have fun especially with Silvanus. We would go to play football every Sunday when Silvanus didn’t go to his shop and after wards , we would slope down to the nearby river to wash ourselves before going back home. As the mayflies whose route-less flights hardly catch the fascination of serious minded people got us fascinated, we would be carried away and spend more time than we had planned. Many things got me excited, and the major one was that Beauty was going to come on holiday after spending about four months away. I was surprised though that Beauty’s return was getting me excited even when we had not been best of friends. Initially, depression almost took over my life as I could not go to school as I had expected. Several things have all worked together to deny me admission for two years. I had passed JAMB eventually, but mother was not able to secure the money for registration. It was really frustrating. I had already deferred my admission from the JAMB that Dr. Imoi had enrolled for me when we returned to Abuja and I was considering going for another deferment if the University was going to agree. I didn’t blame mother that much! She had had so much on her shoulders- She was practically responsible for Beauty’s expenses and she couldn’t take any more! Things had been so rough for Dr. Imoi – It was obvious. At least Aunty Shogo called mother and told her that Dr. Imoi had a lot of problems and was in doubt if he was going to be able to meet up. I was getting apprehensive of him and gradually getting convinced that Beauty had been right afterall!

Few months earlier, Dr. Imoi had visited and after listening to our tale of woes, promised to take a loan from his Staff Association to take care of some things. It was later we learnt that he was denied the loan he took to send his daughter to London – We were all very sad- He too was very sad. We could hear it in his tone each time he called. Mother had always consoled me that Beauty would soon finish school and that when she did, she would be able to pick a job and then she would help with some of our expenses. That was how Dr. Imoi had planned it. Christy too had finished secondary school and a lot of challenges were piling up ahead of everyone and he was no longer living up to his promise!
Beauty finally arrived on her first vacation. At least I was happy! Although herself and me never really got along. I was comforted each time I remembered that the barrier to my education would soon be removed. But Beauty was not her usual self.
On the morning of 10th December, Beauty woke up with swollen chicks and face – she was ill! We didn’t know exactly what was wrong. Mother was confused. She suggested that she may have had constipation over the night since she ate very late the previous evening. She kept telling us that she was observing some things unusual about Beauty’s appearance but we didn’t understand.
‘Beau, we must go to the hospital’ mother had told her.
‘Mother, I don’t want to go to hospital. I told you before now. I will just be fine even without a doctor’s intervention.’
‘Nobody falls sick and suddenly becomes fine without the doctor’s intervention, Beauty! Please we must go to the hospital.
‘Go to the hospital to do what? I have told you I’m not sick. What is all these hullaballoo about?
‘Fine! Am now hullaballoo because I’m trying to save your neck. Any way I don’t blame you! If what I sent you to school for is to go and learn big words to frighten me, it is all still very okay. But if you must know, we have to go to the hospital. Mother had protested with an air of humour. Beauty was not interested in the joke. All her responses were very Frank until it turned into a big argument.
I was no longer comfortable with the very hot argument that was almost leading to a fight. It was already almost turning into a fight but mother had to let go to show some maturity over her.
It was not too long after the argument that mother left for the market. Then, Beauty splashed vomit all over the place – We had not been in talking terms but I was forced to passionately ask her what was wrong and she responded with some emotions. Then we fell into phillia love again. I felt I had to be very protective of her but against who? That was definitely not going to be against her own mother, at least I tried my best! It was another evening!
Our evenings were always surrounded with anxiety because at any point in time, we could not account for the moment. Not even the near future was certain. So, when a day was stepping out for another, we wondered what the next held for us!
However, one evening was different. That was this same evening we had all realized that none of our projections had gone to plan. Then we were certain that we were all doomed. Mother had tried to find out what was wrong with Beauty all to no avail, although Beauty herself had promised that she would tell me what the problem was, I was not sure if she was going to fulfil that promise. Even if I could not predict anybody on earth, I sure could predict her I knew her quite well.
I had just returned from the field where I had gone to play football and as I sat outside, I heard mother call the way she used to call when she was angry – I didn’t know exactly what was wrong but I knew she had not been very happy with Beauty.
‘Hilary! Hilary!’
‘Yes Mother’ I had answered calmly-
‘Where is that Beauty of a girl?
‘Mother, I think she just stepped out to the supermarket’
‘To do what’ she queried
‘I have no Idea mother!’
I was just very calm responding to each question as they came. I knew she was under a lot of pressure. I didn’t want to be a part of her problems although in some way I already was!
‘Today, she must tell me what she did to herself at Ijanikin, and it must not pass tonight! Who is Beauty to hold all of us in suspense for two whole weeks? Today, I will break that jinx!
‘Mother, calm down. I think you are overstressing yourself. I believe she is just trying to seek attention which is normal for many young ladies’
‘Hey young Psychologist, I don’t care! She must tell me what is wrong with her and it has to be tonight.’ I was so surprised. I had never been hushed by mother in such manner- I knew she was really angry
‘Do you think I am as naïve as you? It is said that what an elder sees when he is lying down, cannot be visible to a child even if he climbs a tree. I think that stupid girl has got herself pregnant’ she said looking at me with her eyes sparkling like a forest in flames. I couldn’t find the courage in me to respond to what Mother just said- I was definitely controlling myself because I knew the implication of what she just said for us all! I was dazed! Mother looked at me expecting me to say something at least to console herself as well. It seemed she suspected Beauty had been talking to me.
‘I think Beauty is smarter than that mother’ I had responded vaguely without taking time to examine my point. I didn’t care to find out if she was speaking with some evidence in her hands, but I needed to encourage myself that it couldn’t be true.
‘I don’t think she is that smart! I mean look at this girl very closely. I know you are still young. You may not understand what I am talking about. That girl is most likely pregnant’ She had said blankly as she turned back to pick a stool to sit in front of the house. ‘I will know how she will enter this house today without telling me what she had done to herself’ She said with her eyes still very red although it seemed she got some solace in what I said.
I stood for at least ten minutes after mother sat down without any form of coordination! How could Beauty be pregnant? Is that what Mother had sent her to Ijanikin to do? When she came back home, she used to talk about subjects like GNS 101, 103 and the rest. I began to wonder if there was any subject like Pregnancy 204! If Beauty was actually pregnant, it meant we had not achieved anything since father died and it hurt me to my bones.
I was just lost in thoughts all through the evening- Christy had gone to the church for choir rehearsals – one thing I knew mother never gave up on in spite of all our challenges was service to God. Christy was much more addicted to going to church than anyone else. In that respect, she took after father!
Christy came into our room to tell me that Beauty was outside crying. I got up in haste. Mother had waited for her all evening-



“Beauty what is wrong?” I had asked – At first, she was hesitating to speak up, but I soon realized that it was the presence of Christy, so stylishly I had sent her away –
“Mother is right” she jerked and turned away as the rate at which the tears dropped from her eyes increased – ‘What? I don’t understand – Mother is right about what?’ I had asked with so much anxiety.
‘I have been out here for some time and I – I – I – heard all you have talked about’ she stammered a little
‘You mean you are pregnant?’ I asked with so much disappointment – and she nodded as she wept like a child who returned home after being beaten up by a bully at school to seek redress at home.
‘I opened my mouth to speak but to ,my bewilderment, no words were heard, my tongue was too overwhelmed to produce any word – I just stood and continued to stare at her – “ so mother was right after all” I began to imagine –
We stared at ourselves for about ten minutes, then I asked softly –
‘Who is responsible?’
She did not respond. She just kept looking at me
‘I said who is responsible’ I had shouted and for the first time in history Beauty quivered at the sound of my voice. I was surprised! It was as if father spirit had entered me –
‘It is one of the Corpers in the school, she had responded calmly –
‘ A Corper?’ I reechoed and she nodded. Only the heavens could describe how disappointed I was! Earth, Mass, Jupiter and the rest had all gone insane –
When I was in secondary school, we had a handful of Corpers posted to serve in our school by NYSC, each time we had the opportunity of visiting the Corpers lodge, we always saw the same picture, 8 spring mattress on the floor, two pot, one very small, and the other of moderate size with their backs showing severe thrashings by iron sponge after they had gathered enough sooth from the oxygen deficient cylindrical kerosene stove normally used in student hostels –
That was what I knew of Corpers, not impregnating students or getting married– I just stood looking at her without the strength to even utter a word. In my disappointment, I walked away.

mind – At least Dr. Imoi was not in the description – after all, Christy knew him


Standing by the balcony to cry had become a normal habit for mother. Most times, I didn’t need to find out what the problem was because I felt I already knew! We had all been disappointed in Beauty’s outcome. It was just the following day after I first saw her that I noticed she was at the balcony again. I came close to her to find out where she had left the key to my box because I had handed it over to her when I did laundry the previous day. It was when I got close to her that I discovered that she was crying. I had to give her some time while I went back to the room wondering why she was crying again. At least I knew Mother had so many reasons to cry, but none of those reasons was new to us anymore. We all knew that Christy’s condition was not improving. Also, we had all accepted the situation that Beauty was pregnant, so I didn’t know which of them got her depressed that evening.
A few minutes later Beauty walked into the house from the supermarket and all hell was let loose. It seemed Mother had been waiting for her all evening
‘Hey, come here, useless girl, today you are leaving this house to go and meet whoever you said made you pregnant. When your father died, against all the odds I made up my mind that I was going to give you the best I can, but you have rubbished everything!’ Mother took off her wrapper from her waist and tied it around her bust. In Africa, that is what a woman does to let you know she is ready for a fight. But Beauty had changed drastically since she returned from School. Usually, she would struggle with mother just to have her way but she did not even respond to all mother was saying, not even with a word!
‘I sent you to Ijanikin to learn and get a certificate but you decided to bring home a baby. Since you now know how to sleep with a man, go ahead to his house to continue to sleep with him.’ It was obvious that Mother was ready to beat her up that evening. However, before she could lay hands on her, she had already stepped out of the house with her hands folded on her chest as she listened to mother’s words of anger with tears in her eyes but she never responded with a word.
‘Mother’ I called with some passion in my voice. I felt pity for everybody including myself. ‘Please I beg you, you need to have some rest. The worst has already happened and I don’t think we should spend our energy on something that will not bring us any profit.’

Chapter 7 b

No son! n, don’t just talk like that. This stupid girl has made a mess of my entire life. How long will I continue to struggle Hilary? It is you I wanted to send to the University, but I do not know how we arrived at making you sit at home. Oh my God, I was so stupid! Now, look at what had become of me, son look at what has become of me’ She stretched her hands towards me with the broom in her hands with which she meant to descend on Beauty. I was moved. I quickly held her as she began to sob. That was the only time I got so close to mother. I had grown taller and fatter than her, I was gradually taking up the stature of father. Mother’s hair had all turned grey. Then something within me reminded me that I had to take up the responsibility of father as quickly as I could. After much persuasion, mother finally decided to let go as she went inside but Beauty was still hanging outside. I decided I was going to see Silvanus the following day to seek some advice from him but providence had made him to come to our house that very night!
Silvanus entered our house just the moment I needed him most. I needed a very sincere advice from him.
‘Good evening Silva
‘Oh boy na wetin dey happen? I see Your sister for outside. e be like say she dey cry o’ He had told me but I didn’t have the confidence to tell him. I couldn’t just hide what was going on in my family anymore so stage by stage, scene by scene, problem by problem I told him everything. I had to tell him the truth, nothing but the whole truth! I felt obliged because no one else was more committed to true friendship than him, at least among all of my friends – Sylvanus is just a year older than myself but I had not achieve a tenth of what he had achieved, at least, I knew a little of his story.
Silvanus ’s mother died when he was an infant, as he grew up, his father had to take another wife who eventually did not like the little boy – he had to endure hard times at home, the knowledge of which he never communicated to his father who was not always around. At age of nine, he was taken to Lagos as an apprentice boy to learn a trade – At age twenty, he as settled by his master and he had a shop of his own – He operated a Boutique. At age twenty-three which was two years earlier, he had started a degree programme at the University of Abuja – My mind was just going through his history and how he used to chastise me.

‘Why can’t Beauty apologise to your mum?’ he had asked , and as if the question caught me off-guard – I had never been prepared to hide anything from him, but to my regret, I was beginning to feel shy in his presence lately – Sylvanus had known too much about my family and how hopeless we had become!
‘Well, well, I don’t think it’s a matter of apologizing to mother, I think mother is just angry because she is disappointed in Beauty’
‘- And that is why she has to apologise to her! An angry person needs to be pacified’
‘But apologizing to mother wouldn’t make any difference; it won’t take the pregnancy away? And it wouldn’t make Beauty go back to school either, she had said she would not return to the school – ‘
‘Boy wake up!’ Sylvanus had hit me while I was sinking into self pity for our family.
‘What has to be done has to be done!’ he continued, ‘as long as your mum is angry, there is not going to be any headway from here – This is where we are-’ I was quiet when he finished speaking and as always, I blushed-
‘Anyway, that’s not why I came, I have this problem from school and I have not been able to solve it’
‘What problem is that’, I had asked
‘Advanced Calculus’ I was so happy when I learnt it was a mathematical problem – Naturally, I love mathematics – immediately, I had forgotten all my sorrows as I took Sylvanus along the lane of Advanced differentiation and integration –
When we were done, he looked up at me and said “boy, you are very smart! I wonder why you have not returned to school’
‘In a way, I felt insulted and I was very embarrassed. My self and Sylvanus had attended JAMB classes together two years earlier – that was where we met – we were both given admission but mother couldn’t raise the money to get me registered –
‘You see we are blessed in same way and we are cursed in some other way! You have all the money to get yourself – enrolled and here you are struggling with your work while I can not raise 2 percent of the money required – I hit back at him, I felt he had insulted me – he blushed.
‘Well I guess that is the way life goes: he gained his pride” almost immediately – I was lucky I had done so much further mathematics in secondary school, and when I prepared for my JAMB, I did so much of it – I was so surprised when Sylvanus got into school only for me to know that most of what they were doing where things I had known in the course of my preparation for JAMB.
‘Boy, you need to take your destiny into your own hands – he had hit me!
‘What do you mean?’ I asked him a little puzzled,
‘I mean how long will you continue to live on good will? Try to do something to surprise yourself
‘I don’t understand’ I maintained my stand although I was beginning to grasp what he was driving at!
‘I Mean, how long will you continue to wait for your mum or Dr. Imoi to get you into school, Boy, you can do it – Now remember Christy must still have to go school and you are growing up into a man, Boy wake up –
When Sylvanus spoke to me, I was scared, I felt he was pushing into the desert where anything can happen, but at the same time, I realized it was the only option left for me,
The darkness that had covered the whole place was getting thicker and darker as the night clock thick the night away – it was 9:25 pm – No body needed to worry about late nights. I was in my house, Steven was the one visiting and he was already a man, not by age but by responsibility, by how many battles he had fought and won and nobody needed to worry about him, somehow Beauty had sneaked into the house and they had all eaten. Mum was no longer very angry, at least for the evening and they had slept off! Only mother was still awake – Sylvanus was preparing to leave, and I had gone inside to pick my slip-on so that I could see him off –
Suddenly, someone screamed from the living room, My God, it was Christy again! It took all of us some effort to hold her down. At first I had thought she was improving, but then her condition just continued to deteriorate – that was one of the reasons we didn’t want to receive visitors at night. So that we didn’t get embarrassed – Already, most of our neighbours knew Christy had a problem – Even on a regular basis, mother took Christy to our pastor for deliverance prayers, but all that had not helped – I was wondering why I had not remembered to maneuvered him out of the house, but then Sylvanus is not a bad person – He just stood as confused as a first timer witness would, then calmly, he asked what the problem was and I explained to him – He showed so much pity for Christy. With his bushy brows and long pupils, he stood as tall as he is, watching with so much sympathy - Christy managed to sleep back by then, it was already past ten and Sylvanus had to go back home –
It was like magic how Sylvanus suggestion worked as a few days later, I had told Beauty what Sylvanus said and somehow, she agreed and she did. Mother later told me that when Beauty apologized, she stopped seeing her as that impressionable girl and she was beginning to see her as an adult who knew the implication of her actions and could take responsibility for same! Things started to take shape and gradually arrangements were made for Jeffrey, the corper to come visiting -
The day Jeffery visited was not bad after-all. He was the Corper! He apologized for his misbehavior and mother some-how liked him immediately – He told mother that if she accepted, he was going to come back with his kinsmen in a few days and mother accepted. This was after a lot of tussle between mother and Dr. Imoi – He didn’t seem to like the idea of Beauty getting married, but mother had to convince him. There has also been a lot of tension between mother and Dr. Imoi. It was beginning to occur to her that he had not lived up to his promise. However, the only condition that mother gave to Jeffery was to ensure that Beauty finishes her NCE at least –
With all the arrangement on ground, Beauty was free to go with him to Lagos with him and for a while it seemed her case was laid to rest –
Meanwhile, I was beginning to think about all that Sylvanus was telling me: to take control of my destiny – I felt he didn’t understand my situation, in the part of the country where I come from; we do not go for trade apprenticeship. All we do is to go to school while our parents pay our bills until we graduate from the University and then pick up a job – my worst problem was that same old dream about father – I had spent my entire life imagining the day I has going to find out why father had to die and why we had to suffer I felt pity for my little sister, Christy and all she was going through. Mother had brought out all the pictures of father’s friends, colleagues and acquaintances for Christy to see, first incase the one who haunted her dreams could be found, but it was all useless – it all yielded no result!

The following day, I felt I needed to see Sylvanus to perfect my plans – I got to his boutique at about 7pm, he was already packing up for the day –
‘Oh boy ha naa’
‘I dey oh like ode!’
‘What of mumsie and the rest’
‘Well, them dey’
‘How far, shai no wahala?
‘No wahala sha. Just that thing wey you dey tell me, I don day consider am,
‘But mumsie would not like to hear that I’m leaving home’ I began to express some fear.
‘Oh boy, that one na small thing, he smiled as he packed the shoes from the rack outside into the shop and came out.
‘First where you wan go?’ He asked –
‘Oh boy na Lagos oh’ –
‘I thought as much’ He smiled ‘But hope you no wan go quarrel with that your uncle for Lagos oh’.
‘Oh no, haba’ I don grow pass that level now.
‘But where do you want to stay now?’
‘Oh boy, I no get anywhere o. That is why I have come to see you now’
He was silent for a while and then after taking in the last set of shoes, he came out, He looked at me.
‘Can you stay with a Yoruba boy’
Ah, why I you talking like that now. What I need is shelter and whoever can give it to me is my brother now.’
He looked at me and smile ‘But remember that people are bad o’ He had cautioned. That was the night we had perfected all the necessary plan for me to leave home! For Mother, I was only going for a test to return in the next few days. To Silvanus, I had heeded his advice at last and I was going to start up some business for which he had given me N350 as assistance. That obviously was the highest amount of money that I had ever received from anybody apart from father before he died and I must confess, I was really intoxicated!
However, for me, I was going for an entirely different reason, to continue my quest about father and the life he lived!
Silvanus knew about Dr Imoi. He also knew about the reservation we all had about him and why I was not prepared to stay in his house in Lagos. I knew it was terribly dangerous, but for once in my life, I felt I needed to take some chances. If I lived, it will be better for all of us, I would know that at least, I tried. I didn’t need to worry about mother, I was going to deceive her that I was going for a scholarship exam in Lagos of which I knew she would gladly release me.

No! son, don’t just talk like that. This stupid girl has made a mess of my entire life. How long will I continue to struggle Hilary? It is you I wanted to send to the University, but I do not know how we arrived at making you sit at home. Oh my God, I was so stupid! Now, look at what had become of me, son look at what has become of me’ She stretched her hands towards me with the broom in her hands with which she meant to descend on Beauty. I was moved. I quickly held her as she began to sob. That was the only time I got so close to mother. I had grown taller and fatter than her, I was gradually taking up the stature of father. Mother’s hair had all turned grey. Then something within me reminded me that I had to take up the responsibility of father as quickly as I could. After much persuasion, mother finally decided to let go as she went inside but Beauty was still hanging outside. I decided I was going to see Silvanus the following day to seek some advice from him but providence had made him to come to our house that very night!
Silvanus entered our house just the moment I needed him most. I needed a very sincere advice from him.
‘Good evening Silva
‘Oh boy na wetin dey happen? I see Your sister for outside. e be like say she dey cry o’ He had told me but I didn’t have the confidence to tell him. I couldn’t just hide what was going on in my family anymore so stage by stage, scene by scene, problem by problem I told him everything. I had to tell him the truth, nothing but the whole truth! I felt obliged because no one else was more committed to true friendship than him, at least among all of my friends – Sylvanus is just a year older than myself but I had not achieve a tenth of what he had achieved, at least, I knew a little of his story.
Silvanus ’s mother died when he was an infant, as he grew up, his father had to take another wife who eventually did not like the little boy – he had to endure hard times at home, the knowledge of which he never communicated to his father who was not always around. At age of nine, he was taken to Lagos as an apprentice boy to learn a trade – At age twenty, he as settled by his master and he had a shop of his own – He operated a Boutique. At age twenty-three which was two years earlier, he had started a degree programme at the University of Abuja – My mind was just going through his history and how he used to chastise me.

‘Why can’t Beauty apologise to your mum?’ he had asked , and as if the question caught me off-guard – I had never been prepared to hide anything from him, but to my regret, I was beginning to feel shy in his presence lately – Sylvanus had known too much about my family and how hopeless we had become!
‘Well, well, I don’t think it’s a matter of apologizing to mother, I think mother is just angry because she is disappointed in Beauty’
‘- And that is why she has to apologise to her! An angry person needs to be pacified’
‘But apologizing to mother wouldn’t make any difference; it won’t take the pregnancy away? And it wouldn’t make Beauty go back to school either, she had said she would not return to the school – ‘
‘Boy wake up!’ Sylvanus had hit me while I was sinking into self pity for our family.
‘What has to be done has to be done!’ he continued, ‘as long as your mum is angry, there is not going to be any headway from here – This is where we are-’ I was quiet when he finished speaking and as always, I blushed-
‘Anyway, that’s not why I came, I have this problem from school and I have not been able to solve it’
‘What problem is that’, I had asked
‘Advanced Calculus’ I was so happy when I learnt it was a mathematical problem – Naturally, I love mathematics – immediately, I had forgotten all my sorrows as I took Sylvanus along the lane of Advanced differentiation and integration –
When we were done, he looked up at me and said “boy, you are very smart! I wonder why you have not returned to school’
‘In a way, I felt insulted and I was very embarrassed. My self and Sylvanus had attended JAMB classes together two years earlier – that was where we met – we were both given admission but mother couldn’t raise the money to get me registered –
‘You see we are blessed in same way and we are cursed in some other way! You have all the money to get yourself – enrolled and here you are struggling with your work while I can not raise 2 percent of the money required – I hit back at him, I felt he had insulted me – he blushed.
‘Well I guess that is the way life goes: he gained his pride” almost immediately – I was lucky I had done so much further mathematics in secondary school, and when I prepared for my JAMB, I did so much of it – I was so surprised when Sylvanus got into school only for me to know that most of what they were doing where things I had known in the course of my preparation for JAMB.
‘Boy, you need to take your destiny into your own hands – he had hit me!
‘What do you mean?’ I asked him a little puzzled,
‘I mean how long will you continue to live on good will? Try to do something to surprise yourself
‘I don’t understand’ I maintained my stand although I was beginning to grasp what he was driving at!
‘I Mean, how long will you continue to wait for your mum or Dr. Imoi to get you into school, Boy, you can do it – Now remember Christy must still have to go school and you are growing up into a man, Boy wake up –
When Sylvanus spoke to me, I was scared, I felt he was pushing into the desert where anything can happen, but at the same time, I realized it was the only option left for me,
The darkness that had covered the whole place was getting thicker and darker as the night clock thick the night away – it was 9:25 pm – No body needed to worry about late nights. I was in my house, Steven was the one visiting and he was already a man, not by age but by responsibility, by how many battles he had fought and won and nobody needed to worry about him, somehow Beauty had sneaked into the house and they had all eaten. Mum was no longer very angry, at least for the evening and they had slept off! Only mother was still awake – Sylvanus was preparing to leave, and I had gone inside to pick my slip-on so that I could see him off –
Suddenly, someone screamed from the living room, My God, it was Christy again! It took all of us some effort to hold her down. At first I had thought she was improving, but then her condition just continued to deteriorate – that was one of the reasons we didn’t want to receive visitors at night. So that we didn’t get embarrassed – Already, most of our neighbours knew Christy had a problem – Even on a regular basis, mother took Christy to our pastor for deliverance prayers, but all that had not helped – I was wondering why I had not remembered to maneuvered him out of the house, but then Sylvanus is not a bad person – He just stood as confused as a first timer witness would, then calmly, he asked what the problem was and I explained to him – He showed so much pity for Christy. With his bushy brows and long pupils, he stood as tall as he is, watching with so much sympathy - Christy managed to sleep back by then, it was already past ten and Sylvanus had to go back home –
It was like magic how Sylvanus suggestion worked as a few days later, I had told Beauty what Sylvanus said and somehow, she agreed and she did. Mother later told me that when Beauty apologized, she stopped seeing her as that impressionable girl and she was beginning to see her as an adult who knew the implication of her actions and could take responsibility for same! Things started to take shape and gradually arrangements were made for Jeffrey, the corper to come visiting -
The day Jeffery visited was not bad after-all. He was the Corper! He apologized for his misbehavior and mother some-how liked him immediately – He told mother that if she accepted, he was going to come back with his kinsmen in a few days and mother accepted. This was after a lot of tussle between mother and Dr. Imoi – He didn’t seem to like the idea of Beauty getting married, but mother had to convince him. There has also been a lot of tension between mother and Dr. Imoi. It was beginning to occur to her that he had not lived up to his promise. However, the only condition that mother gave to Jeffery was to ensure that Beauty finishes her NCE at least –
With all the arrangement on ground, Beauty was free to go with him to Lagos with him and for a while it seemed her case was laid to rest –
Meanwhile, I was beginning to think about all that Sylvanus was telling me: to take control of my destiny – I felt he didn’t understand my situation, in the part of the country where I come from; we do not go for trade apprenticeship. All we do is to go to school while our parents pay our bills until we graduate from the University and then pick up a job – my worst problem was that same old dream about father – I had spent my entire life imagining the day I has going to find out why father had to die and why we had to suffer I felt pity for my little sister, Christy and all she was going through. Mother had brought out all the pictures of father’s friends, colleagues and acquaintances for Christy to see, first incase the one who haunted her dreams could be found, but it was all useless – it all yielded no result!

The following day, I felt I needed to see Sylvanus to perfect my plans – I got to his boutique at about 7pm, he was already packing up for the day –
‘Oh boy ha naa’
‘I dey oh like ode!’
‘What of mumsie and the rest’
‘Well, them dey’
‘How far, shai no wahala?
‘No wahala sha. Just that thing wey you dey tell me, I don day consider am,
‘But mumsie would not like to hear that I’m leaving home’ I began to express some fear.
‘Oh boy, that one na small thing, he smiled as he packed the shoes from the rack outside into the shop and came out.
‘First where you wan go?’ He asked –
‘Oh boy na Lagos oh’ –
‘I thought as much’ He smiled ‘But hope you no wan go quarrel with that your uncle for Lagos oh’.
‘Oh no, haba’ I don grow pass that level now.
‘But where do you want to stay now?’
‘Oh boy, I no get anywhere o. That is why I have come to see you now’
He was silent for a while and then after taking in the last set of shoes, he came out, He looked at me.
‘Can you stay with a Yoruba boy’
Ah, why I you talking like that now. What I need is shelter and whoever can give it to me is my brother now.’
He looked at me and smile ‘But remember that people are bad o’ He had cautioned. That was the night we had perfected all the necessary plan for me to leave home! For Mother, I was only going for a test to return in the next few days. To Silvanus, I had heeded his advice at last and I was going to start up some business for which he had given me N350 as assistance. That obviously was the highest amount of money that I had ever received from anybody apart from father before he died and I must confess, I was really intoxicated!
However, for me, I was going for an entirely different reason, to continue my quest about father and the life he lived!
Silvanus knew about Dr Imoi. He also knew about the reservation we all had about him and why I was not prepared to stay in his house in Lagos. I knew it was terribly dangerous, but for once in my life, I felt I needed to take some chances. If I lived, it will be better for all of us, I would know that at least, I tried. I didn’t need to worry about mother, I was going to deceive her that I was going for a scholarship exam in Lagos of which I knew she would gladly release me.

Chapter 8 to follow soon

Thumbs up. Nice story.

mubzay:
Thumbs up. Nice story.

Thanks, mubzay

Chapter 8

finally left Abuja a month after Beauty left with Jeffrey. At first I thought I was making a great mistake. Beauty’s shadow was gone out of my way and I was sure mother was going to struggle to get me into school, but what about Christy? I was convincing myself that I was threading the right path. So, I weighing the balance between what I was reaching out for and what I was leaving behind. But I just had to move on hopping I was going to survive, although I was stepping into the unknown. It was not about Silvanus. He only encouraged me to thread the path many who found themselves in my shoes had never taken. Mother said I must never betray what father stood for, this was going to be my objective.
My journey was short, not as dark, long and torturous as the one I had made to Lagos when father died. Earlier mother had given Dr. Imoi’s address and instructed me I should try as much as possible to get in touch with him, but she did not know my reason for going to Lagos altogether. I had lied to her that I was going for a scholarship Examination in Lagos. She had asked me where I wanted to sleep I told her the company that was organising the competition had made room for everyone coming from out side Lagos, but these was all Linus’ idea. She had tried to call Dr. Imoi to confirm a few things but the telephone line did not go through – well, I had not been a problematic son altogether, so she didn’t have any reason to fear. Besides, a scholarship at that time was not a bad idea at all.
‘Osho’
‘Oshoooooo’
‘Oshodi!, Oshodi!!, Oshodi!!!’ the bus conductors continued to look for passengers. I was not new in Lagos – At least I was born there although I had stayed away for over five years! I was on my way to Oshodi from Iddo where the luxurious Bus from Abuja had dropped us – Silvanus’ friend lived in Oshodi where I was supposed to put up. So drop by drop, hitch by hitch, push by push, I found myself in Oshodi but the address was empty, Emeka had moved out. I can’t explain how terribly disappointed I was, beside the fact that I was really scared, I didn’t have any means with which to contact silvanus – I could call mother but I didn’t want to, because she had not been in the whole picture. I was going to the bus stop through a pathway. It was already getting dark. There was a phone boot close by so I had to call mother and drop a message to her, just to let her know I arrived Lagos safely. I was just about getting into the open when someone grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me into the darkness – There were two other boys there -
‘Oh boy, kile fe? Wetin you dey find for here’
‘I’m only passing my way!’ I had raised my shoulders in protest to portray nothing else but bravity.
‘Kilo so?’ one of them asked me again in yoruba
‘O ni – I’m passing my way’ another responded and they busted into laughter. Meanwhile the rough guy that grabbed me by the shoulder had refused to let go and it was beginning to hurt –
‘Leave my shirt shirt now’ I protested with an irate expression, at least still to let them know I was not afraid.
‘Leave my shirt ko, slaughter you ni’, another responded and they started laughing again. Then I knew I was in for real deep trouble!
‘Tanie, kilo soro, who are you sef’ another questioned angrily – as he opened his eyes very wide.
‘Small boy they shout’ the one that held me responded and before I know what happening, they had emptied the content of my bag and ransacked everything – that was where I lost one thousand naira, the only money I had on me and my well cherished shoes – As I tried to protest my properties, a slap landed on my face. Another gave me an elbow while the last man supported them with an uppercut. I didn’t know the evil I had done to them – I began to cry and shout for help – but help was not forth coming – they beat me until I couldn’t cry any more, I was actually dying but I was still very conscious when about ten minutes later, four young men entered the scene with torch lights – it was already dark, and immediately my attackers shouted ‘scorpion!’ and they all fled.
I didn’t know who it was that came in but one thing I know was that he had saved my life –
‘Abeg check if them never wunjure that guy’ the leader had ordered – later, I learnt he was the one they called scorpion – Scorpion was very huge man with a bearded face – He was very tall with bulky muscles that could intimidate, even those guys in wrestling wrings – when he was angry, his eyes could be as open and round as though he was an owl. He walks like a man who dances ‘agbi’ – a local dance in the mid-west – that is actually altogether, his appearance was intimidating, little wonder he commanded so much respect among all the young men that knew him.
Apart from the fact that scorpion had a very strong presence, he was reputed to be the bravest among the most daring ever known in that environment. In simple understanding the other three could be described as his aides. Musa, Obi, and Rufus were there names. Musa was very tall and skinny but he had a very strong tongue with an unparalleled eloquence. He was the one that did all the talking where ever we went. Obi and Rufus never talked or did anything unless they were asked to by scorpion. That was the group that by providence or whatever, I had found myself in –
They did not bother to go after the young men that had beaten me up. They only took me to hospital after much questioning and they instantly had to know my story. Scorpion felt very sorry –, and when I told him I had no where to go, he had told me not to worry and they take me to their house some-where in Ketu.
Scorpion’s house in Ketu was a three Bedroom flat. It was excellently furnished with all the things that one would need for a comfortable life! I was the one in charge of the apartment. I did all the chores including the laundries – Daily, scorpion would give me some money and I began to save from it. When I told them of my story, I left out same parts, and that was the part that involved Dr. Imoi, so they didn’t know anything about him – I was planning seriously on how I would go and see Dr. Imoi, at least the chance to find out all I needed to know about father was finally in my hands. I was not allowed to go out until my wounds were completely healed and it had taken two weeks. Musa didn’t live with us I was told he had his own apartment in Lagos and that someday we were going to visit him.
Scorpion and Rufus were not always around in the evenings and into late nights. Some times they could get back home as late as 3:am and I was getting use to it. At least, I was able to calculate my time to know how I can conveniently go to see Dr. Imoi without their knowledge –
Scorpion used a Mercedes 230 German spec. It was a very good car to ride in – especially given the terrain in which we lived –

It was on a Saturday afternoon. The bright sunshine had gradually replaced the golden morning that kept me company since scorpion and his friends were sleeping – As usual, they had returned at 4:am. Although I had not been too happy of late, I had also not be too sad altogether.
I was in the kitchen to prepare some food. At least I was not at a loss concerning kitchen regulations and all the necessary activities. Scorpion and his friends hardly ate at house. When he realized that I hade some pleasure in cooking, he decided to always give money to cook f…… which they ate once in while when they did not feel like going out. I was concluding the food preparation when I heard a voice beside me.
‘kekere’ I turned, and there he was standing behind me
‘good morning sir’ I greeted
‘How are you’
‘I’m find sir’
‘Abeg wetin you dey cook? I wan chop’
I was amazed at scorpions’ voice. It seems he is at his lowest ebhs, but didn’t know what the problem was, I looked up at him and I saw a bruise on his face. I was alarmed. Who could be courageous enough to face scorpion in a fight, I had asked myself but I did want to ask him because I felt he might feel embarrassed. I dished some of the rice I had prepared and he sat down to eat while I watched the television.
‘Kekere’ that was what he called me. In his dialect, it means young one. Scorpion was from Kogi state.
‘Shebi you say you wan go school, abi?’ He had asked me as he began to eat.
‘Yes, I don write JAMB already and I know say I go pass!.
‘Na how much be the school self –
‘I no know for Lagos sha’, but for Uni-Abuja na N3,500 =
‘Ah, na so the thing sheep’
‘That one na just school fees oh, hostel and other expenses like that’
Ok-a-y’ he nodded his head – as he continued eating, Obi came out from his room and also looking tired –
‘Me I go chop too oh’ he gestured so I got up and dished some food for him too, I didn’t know that Rufus had gone out, initially when I soaked myself ,,,,,,,
Suddenly there was a knock at the gate, and when I want to check, it was Musa driving in with Rufus –
‘Good morning sir’, I had greeted them
‘Okay, oh boy, how are you’ Rufus responded
‘Na wa oh, kekere don they fat oh! Musah teased! Come Rufus, don’t use food to finish this guy oh. He cautioned, and Rufus laughed as I opened the door for them to come in.
‘Boss, good morning sir’ he greeted Scorpion.
‘Hey, Musah how far!’ Scorpion responded, as Musa sat down.
‘Boss, I was just telling this guy that he should not use food to kill this boy oh! He cautioned again –
‘Ah, what do you mean? Na im dey cook by im self now! No body dey feed am. Im be oga of himself now. Abi no bi so. He asked me and I shyly responded
‘E hen, kekere say im wan to go school oh’ Scorpion had told Musa
‘Ah, that one na small thing now –
‘that was the day I knew Musa was actually a graduate himself. Scorpion promised that he would be responsible for my education. I was so happy. Immediately, I felt like talking to mother and breaking the good news –
‘Soon, Scorpion and his friends were on their way out and from the way he talked, he didn’t have any problem with my freedom to go wherever I wanted. I couldn’t wait to call mother and deliver the good news. Scorpion and his friends had gone out and from my experience; they never go out and returned until late in the night. So I had planned my expedition thoroughly. First, I went to the phone boot to call mother and I told her what scorpion had said, even before I gave her the good tidings. So, I needed to find out what was happening – Mother had told me that our JAMB slips had be received, and both myself and Christy had passed. I was so excited. Then she told me the Linus gave her money to register Christy in the University. I was happy too, but I had some questions to ask myself. Why couldn’t Linus offer any assistance to me all the while I was in Abuja – well, I didn’t need to bother myself about Abuja – I had to concentrate in Lagos and see what I could get out.
One very interesting information mother had given me was that corper Jeffery had finally come to visit and all arrangements had been made for Beauty to move in with him in Zuba. At least, to some extent, he had demonstrated that he is capable of taking care of her. That is what mother had told me; and I needed not to argue because I felt it was all for our good – and I didn’t need to create any trouble.
When I got back home, they had all gone out except Rufus. He kept pacing between the window and the bar without letting go of the bottle of wine on his left hand. Rufus had never been drunk, at least not that I had known, but that afternoon, it seemed he was not himself by the things he said and the way he moved. He wore an unusual glow with some smiles orchestration an occupation of his face although they were altogether incompatible with the colour of his his eyes which was blood shot. He was drunk!
I looked up at the wall, it was still on July page although we had already spent some days in August. Suspiciously, I moved to it and turned it to the right page.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked
‘I think the calendar is on the wrong page’
‘Hell you do that! Please take it back to the wrong page. I set it on the wrong page because you, my life, everything is on the wrong page, even this country, we are all on the wrong page. So let the calendar stay on the wrong page’ he yelled
I was reluctant to turn the calendar back to July because to me, it was weird. So, I began to draw back little by little.
‘Hell you do that’ he yelled again as he staggered across the floor in an attempt to reach out to the calendar but unfortunately, he had hit his leg on the centre table and tumbled. I felt ashamed
‘Sorry sir’ I moved a little closer to see if I could be of any help
‘Hell you do that!’ he raised his hand gesturing me to stay away. Slowly, he supported himself and got back on his feet.
‘My guy, come here’ He gestured again still staggering ‘this life we are living in will soon be over and when it is over, we will all go to heaven. All of us in this house. So says the Pastor.
I was getting amused
‘You know where heaven is’ he asked and I shook my head in response
‘It is far inside Lagos’ he continued
I couldn’t help it any longer. I started to laugh
‘This man is really drunk’ I thought
‘Come let me give you the address to heaven’ He reached his hand into his inner breast pocket and brought out a yellow card
‘Take! This is where heaven is’ he yelled. I grabbed it without any hesitation and I began to look at it and it looked so real to me. So I was surprised. It was a real address!
I wanted to ask him a few questions about heaven but when I raised my head, he had already closed his eyes and in less than a minute, he was snoring!

I had well arranged my movement. Although scorpion did not really have any problem with wherever I wished to go, I had made sure I kept him totally out of the battle I was arraigning
I moved out of the house dressed in Yoruba men atire and a pair of shoes which I had purchased from my savings. I calculated each step I took making sure I exuded nothing less than the swerve of a man. Nobody would believe I was just 25! I walked towards the bus stop with all confidence and boarded a bus heading towards Anthony, where Dr. Imoi lived. As I entered the bus, I began to rehearse in my mind how I was going to tackle this adventure I had planned for six years. Then I remembered the discussion I had had with mother on the telephone. Mother was worried I had not taken time to go and see D. Imoi. She had tried to reach him on phone with success. The last time himself and mother spoke was when Corper Jeffrey came visiting. Mother had taken him to Mama Clara’s house, where we used to receive calls on the telephone – he had given his consent for Beauty to move to his house if she wised. He was not so keen on meeting him to assess his personality as most parents would before giving their consent on such matters. It was as if he even knew that my dear sister didn’t give a damn about him.
The ‘Danfo’ bus was so slow, it stopped to pick and drop passengers in almost every bus stop we got. Well, it was not strange to me after all, but I was only gaining to wonder how I would be able to return to before it was dark, just in case by chance, Scorpion and his friends returned to the house, but thank God every occupant of that apartment had his own personal key.
The entire Lagos was so busy, so much busy that I had not known when the bus flew its way towards my destination.
Finally, I was at the address. I looked at the tall black gate with a Lion’s face design. I knocked. At first, there was no response. I knocked again and then the gatekeeper peeped through the security view.
‘Yes, na who you dey fine?’ He had asked me looking as if he was in a hurry to go and attend to something.
‘Good afternoon’ I greeted him. ‘Please am looking for Dr. Imoi’ I told him
‘You mean Prof?’ He asked to be sure raising his brows.
‘em, yes.’ I stammered a little and then nodded. Actually, I was not so sure. I had not known that Imoi had become a professor. He shifted backwards and then opened the pedestrian gate.
‘Go flat 4’ he had instructed me. I edged forward not so sure of the reception I was expecting. I got to the door and knocked
‘Yes’ a voice had responded from within. I flipped the curtain out of the way and I saw Dr. Imoi as calm as he had always been, sitting down and watching a movie
‘Good afternoon sir’ I bent down slightly as a young Yoruba man would
‘Good afternoon’ he had responded with a very strange look on his face. I knew he could not recognize me. So I began to introduce myself.


‘Oh ! Please forgive me for not recognizing you. You know you have turned into a man. How are you? and your mother? He had asked me with a fresh glow on his face as he sat up on the well Cushion sofa.
‘We are all fine sir! I had responded –
‘Did you come together? He asked while he paused the wine he was sipping from the glass.
‘No sir!’ I replied
‘You mean you came alone? He asked with a wrinkle on his forehead and adjusted his 18th century goggles looking at me from under the lens. He had become white bearded maybe out of old age or some other reasons that I couldn’t tell – I was wondering, if father would have been looking that old too, although mother had tome me that Dr. Imoi was older than father but father was far ahead of him in school. He had spent so much time doing menial jobs after his secondary school before he eventually gained admission to the university.
‘Please sit down’ he ordered as he quickly regained himself. ‘You mean you travelled all alone from Abuja to Lagos’ – he asked me again sounding alarmed.
‘Yes sir’. I didn’t have any problem on the way’ I smiled
‘Anyway, you are grown now, and at least you look it’ He smiled
‘Sola, So-l-a, please come we have a guest’.
He sat back in his chair as both of us started to look at the television. There was a reality show going on. Suddenly, he started laughing ‘olodo’ He yelled at the man on the TV. I was not laughing with him because I had not started watching the show with him and I did not know what was happening –
‘You see, my son’ he turned to me ‘In this life anything you do to anybody is always waiting for you. That is way you must not do what you cannot take to anybody.
‘That’s true sir!’ I replied as I shook my head in agreement.
A few minutes later, Sola entered Sola was Dr. Imoi’s wife and mother of his children of whom we had some-how been friends before we left Lagos –
‘Em, what is that your name?’ she asked looking surprised’
‘Hilary Ma’ I replied –
‘Otio! She creamed. What did you eat? You are grown. How are you? and your sisters? What about your mother. I was just responding with fine ma, fine ma to each question she asked –
‘You are welcome eh, my son’
‘Thank you ma’ I replied
‘What about my friends’ I asked about the children
‘Aiyaa! They are all in school – They live in the school hostel –
‘E…..! my food is burning. She begged and hurried out of the living room - Myself and Dr. Imoi were left alone –
So you said you live here now’ he asked and as he emptied the remaining content of the bottle of wine he was holding
‘Yes sir! I’m putting up with one of my friends’ I replied.
‘Your friend? He asked again as he adjusted his goggles – looking at me suspiciously, I was gradually losing my comfort as I talked to him – It seems he was not happy that I had not gone straight to his house to stay as mother had expected.
‘What is your friend doing? – I mean, what is his job?
‘He is into business, I replied with a confident smile, but my mind told me I should expect another question’ what sort of business does he do? – That is where I was definitely going to fumble, but thank God, the question never came – I had never really had the courage to ask scorpion and his friends what business they were into – In some sense, I had felt it was not necessary! –
After a few minutes, Sola returned to the sitting room with a bottle of water and a glass and served me on one of the foot stool beside where I sat.
‘How is your mummy’ she asked again
‘She is fine ma! I replied’
‘Aiy-a-a-ah. Christy must be a very big girl right now
‘Ah ma, Christy is a big girl now. You know she wrote JAMB too and she has passed as well!
E-h-eh, wonderful!
Dr. Seye has been going to Kaduna since the past six months to deliver some lectures – The other time I sent him with some money for your mother, but he said he couldn’t branch off to deliver the message, so, he still came back with the money.
‘K-a-ai!, and we really needed money sir oh’
‘Aiya-a-ah, Kpele! Sola stated feeling bad
‘But sir, who is Dr. Seye’ I had asked getting confused
‘Ah Dr. Seye was one of your father’s colleagues now
1 the That tall fair man that used to work under your father now! He stressed –
Truly, I was lost. I couldn’t remember having ever met such a person. I was now beginning to think that Christy’s horrible dreams could actually unfold some things to us some day if we actually got to know more of the people that worked with father. The last time I spoke to mother on phone she told me that Christy’s condition had not improved at all and I was very sad.
I had already spent close to an hour and I had not had the courage to bring up the topic for which I had longed to see him. We talked about virtually every other thing except father, and I was getting disappointed. Although I enjoyed his company, something much stronger than the need for my acceptance with him was chasing me where I came from. I’m the only son of my father, and I felt the onus lay on me to uncover every mystery about our existence, but most importantly about father and the life he lived.
I was surprised about something. Dr. Imoi had not brought up any issue about father. I wanted our discussing to flow freely to the centre of my thoughts. If I started short-circuiting the discourse, it was going to lead to some sort of suspicion of a pre-meditated aggression – I looked up at the gentle clock quietly ticking the time away on the wall. It was already five pm.
‘Sir I have to be on my way now’ I told him
‘Oh that’s right!’ he got up and walked into the apartment. When he left, I looked round the sitting room; it was quite reflective of a typical middle class. Dr. Imoi had not been touched by misery! Although mother’s friends used to tell her that he was not finding life funny. I couldn’t see that at all. He was living well off.
Moments later, he came back with some N20 mint notes. I was so excited when he handed them over to me. Not because I was in need of money at that time but I always loved mints even since the time I was a child. Whenever father wanted to give me gifts of money, he always gave us mint, and we would be happy all day
‘Please, use this to get something for yourself.’ Sola has not finished cooking. He added.
‘Hold on, I will drop you where you are putting up. I want to know the place – ‘
‘Oh thank you sir! I’m very grateful – I told him
He went inside and came out wearing a shirt while Sola carried a package I felt was for me.
‘Please take this eh. I have not finished cooking, and take care’ she said as myself and Imoi entered his Toyota Corolla to drive out of the compound. As we drove along, he began to raise one topic after another and I was topping his points with my own shallow opinion. I didn’t know much afterall!

My dependence on his drive to carry on with the conversation was getting me annoyed. I wanted to quickly say what was on my mind, but a little control had held me from getting over the edge as we drove through the heavy traffic. We were all soaked in sweat. Swarms of hawkers carried everything eatable and flipped it on our face, but we were used to them, unless we had not lived in Lagos. It was a normal thing. Sometimes, I could even get angry that those hawkers were contributing to the hell of the traffic.
We managed to get though the gridlock that carpeted the busy express, and gradually we started to gain speed as the Toyota corolla thud forward towards Ketu where I lived. We were no longer talking! Even if he raised any topic, I wouldn’t have responded. I trust myself because I was not happy that we had not talked about the most important thing that took me to his house. It was as if he was no longer comfortable with the boredom evident in the way he quickly reached for a cassette in the pigeon hole and slotted in one of Benji Igbadumhe’s Afenmai music to fill the boredom.
At last, having followed my direction, we pulled up by the fence of the house where I lived with Scorpion. my mind was pounding lest by chance, Scorpion should have returned and discovered that I was hiding some things from him. I didn’t want to put up any attitude suggestive of the fact that I was far from comfortable. But thank God the gate was just the same way I had left it.
‘Sir, this is the house I live’ I looked up at him
‘Oh, that’s right!’ He exclaimed and turned to look at me, some-how amazed. ‘You said your friend is a business-man’ he asked.
‘Yes sir,’ I responded and quickly came down from the car because I did not want him to ask me the next question.
‘Oh, I see come in he said’ so, I got back into the vehicle
‘I remember you said your friend is not at home. I only wanted to know this place – so I will go back now- but please, be a good boy and stay away from all kinds of vices. That is what your father would have told you if he was the one that brought you’re here! He paused.
‘Thank you sir’ I smiled ‘my father’ I said biting my lips – I was happy we were going to talk about him at last!
‘Your father was a very nice man’ He shook his head slowly in nostalgia –
‘Was he very nice?’ I asked
‘Of course, my son he was really nice! – he had responded
‘Then how come he suffered so much before he died and nobody even cared for us? I asked him, getting a little serious.
‘Your father was only unlucky’
‘My father was nice and yet he was unlucky!’ I asked again alarmed. He looked away sighed and when he had looked back at me, he patted me at my back.
‘My son’ he said ‘You are still growing and very soon you will realize that not many nice people are lucky. You would understand that it is the brutal and terrible that gets all the favours of life. That is why the best thing you can be is to determine in your mind to be brutal and be a psychophant but on the out side people will judge you to be smart!’ I looked at him, and I was short of words. I could not believe that it was the same Dr. Imoi that had always advised me to be a good boy was the same person talking to me.
I began to rush at him with question after question and calmly, he was providing all the answers and as if he quite understood that my ears were itching and longing to hear about my father, he stopped suddenly
‘You can come and see me in my office at any time. But on Saturday, my friend is organizing a little get-together of which I would like you to be a part.’ He said as he pated me at the back once again smiling. ‘Take care! Ok?’
Quietly and almost reluctantly, I got down from the car. Then, he engaged his reverse gear and began to move backwards slowly as he pulled away from the fence until he had enough space to swerve into the tarred road. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have let him drive out of my sight. He was the answer to every question I had ever asked and I needed to be all over him. I just stood waving my hands in the air as he drove away.

Captivating,keep it coming.

Missmossy:
Captivating,keep it coming.

I like your comments Missmossy!

Chapter 9

It was Friday! I sat in the corridor of the house and glanced through a hood, a seed drifting around on the water in a bowl at about another nightfall. I looked into the court and saw all the flowers blooming in their innocence as they whet the appetite of nature lovers. I looked away into the empty sky and memories of how father had first taken ill began to play back in my head and I remembered everything that happened in Abuja.
Our house was silent. Very silent! I had come down from the Volkswagen bus that had taken us to Karina, pulling along my bag and water carrier which had been exhausted of supplies in the course of the journey as I pushed myself wearily forward to find the way to the entrance of the house. I was returning from excursion which was part of graduation requirements by my school. I had not bordered to look up as most times, I never met my house empty! There had not been any communications between me and my family for the few days I had been away as we were out of contact with any means with which we could have done so. I had confidently walked up to the door and began to knock as I called
‘Mama’
‘Christy’
‘Beauty’. First slowly and gently and then harder – and harder until my knuckles began to ache. It was totally unusual! I had never had to knock too long for our door to be opened. It was totally impossible for me to tell if the doors were locked from inside because they were union locks. If nobody was at home, I would have to spend the rest of the afternoon at our neighbor’s, an idea I did not like.

A wave of freshness had embraced me from the cool breeze that was brought to me by the tall trees in the compound bowing to the gentle midday patrol of harmattan as I began to walk round the house to the place where sometimes mother had kept a special key on special arrangements. Suddenly, I heard some movements at the front of the house. I had not heard the gate opening, so definitely, nobody had come in! I listened out for the sound and when it seemed that nothing was heard again, I began to relax my nerves, and then I heard the sound again. This time, I was sure that there was somebody at the entrance of the house, the mission of whom I had not known. Somehow, I had decided to unravel the identity of this intruder as I moved timidly forward to the front of the house where I had left my bag. Suddenly, a shadow appeared ahead of me and seemed to be getting longer and longer as the person approached the periphery. Finally a figure appeared in front of me!
‘Oh! It’s Mama Ngozi’ I sighed.
‘Good afternoon Ma’
‘Afternoon my dear. How was your trip?
‘Great! I can’t find anyone at home. Where has everyone gone to? I had asked getting a little worried by the look on her face.
‘Not really’ she replied ‘as a matter of fact, she had asked that you follow us to the church until in the evening when everyone would return. I couldn’t just understand what she was explaining to me, but somehow, I had to give in.
I was disappointed! I had expected to have a long rest after I got tired from the long distance I travelled, and then I could not understand why Mama Ngozi was somehow shifty that afternoon. Although I was worried that my parents had not returned at 5pm, I was much more concerned about the Gala sandwich and a bottle of coke she had given to me because in real terms, that was what I needed at the moment.

I sat quietly at the back of the car with Ngozi, my neighbor who had immediately fallen asleep as we pulled into the traffic on our way to church. She was just one. I had remembered her birthday party when the little girl had turned one a month before. All these filled my mind. Little did I know that I was in the middle of a tragedy.
The church was not very far but movement was difficult because the path we followed was not very motorable and nobody wanted to wait.

When we got to the church, Mama Ngozi had told me to wait in the car as she rushed to the Vestry and began to discuss with the Catchiest. As they talked in low tunes, the Catchiest would turn to look at me once in a while, then I began to suspect that something was terribly wrong. Later on, she used the telephone in the Vestry to talk to someone else although I was not so sure what they talked about. The mass was for one hour. Exactly the time it would take for everyone to get back home. I had thought. I enjoyed every bit of it but towards the end, the confusion I was in had begun to stare me in the face.

Finally, the mass ended and it was time to go back home. I could not wait to get home so that I could tell everyone all my experiences on my excursion. Mama Ngozi came back and ignited the car engine and we started to drive away in the well scented Volkswagen Beatles. which was smelling good due to the application of some odour killers.
Gradually, the distance to our house began to reduce- and reduce- and reduce until we finally got home. It was already getting dark. The woman had driven straight to our compound and at the entrance, I saw father’s photo frame which used to hang in our living room sitting on a decorated table and leaning on the fence with some flowers and an open book with a pen beside it! I didn’t have time to look at it as the woman drove past the gate with some speed. Time was too short between when I saw the picture and when we finally parked in the compound and I didn’t have the opportunity to blast the middle aged woman with the thousands of questions that got me immediately worried. The only time I had seen such arrangements was when we went to pay a condolence visit to Kunle after he lost his father. Could it mean that I have lost my own father? I began to ask myself. The questions were still tumbling in my mind as Mama Ngozi held me by the hand and began to lead me into the house. It happened so fast that I didn’t have the time to think if I should resist or not. I was twenty and I rather saw it strange to be led into my own house by my neighbour. I saw mother on the floor and a lot of people fanning her. I looked up and saw Dr. Imoi! Yes, he had come to break some news we didn’t want to hear I didn’t need to ask any more questions as all the answers were before me. Then some gentle tears began to flow down my cheeks. Father was dead. If there was any explanation I needed, it was what had happened to father.


I was still lost in though when suddenly , I heard a hard knock at the gate and I came back to myself. Usually, Scorpion and Rufus don’t knock when they get back home because they had their own key and they lock the pedestrian gate from outside when they are going out in the night so they did not disturb anybody when they came back. I jumped to my feet and looked at the time. It was already a few minutes before eight. I moved forward timidly to peep into the security opening to be sure I knew who was there.
‘Oh Bro. Rufus’ I exclaimed with some excitement as I rushed back to get my keys because I was not with them. Finally the gate was opened and he got in.
‘Oh boy ha na?’
‘Fine sir’ we had exchanged some greetings but he walked past me with some speed as if someone was waiting for him outside the gate. So suspiciously, I had looked out of the gate and I saw nothing. I closed it slightly and moved back into the house. He was in their room and it seemed he was looking for something. I just stood by the Sofa watching
‘Kekere’ he called
‘Yes sir’ I responded getting a little confused by his mood that evening.
‘abeg carry this carton go troway for backyard’
I carried the carton and I was heading for the bin at the back of the flat when I suddenly remembered I didn’t have the key to the back door. So I dropped the carton and began to walk back into the living room so I could get the key from where I had left it. The only thing I knew next was that I had removed the curtain and hell! I bumped into him. The bag he was carrying fell off his hand and the next thing I saw was a short gun tumbling on the floor!
‘My goodness’ I exclaimed within me as my heart skipped. I couldn’t move any step further and I was too terrified to even do anything. I looked up at Rufus. At first, he was looking disappointed in himself but he quickly regained himself and he smiled. I couldn’t utter a word. Quietly, he went to where the gun had fallen and picked it up, then he smiled again
‘Are you afraid’ he asked
‘I shook my head’ but honestly I was scared beyond my bones and I was so tensed. He noticed my uneasiness in attitude though I had lied that I was not afraid.
‘This is what I work with’ He said at last putting the gun back into the bag. I was getting relieved when he had put the gun back where it belonged. ‘I know we have never told you. All of us, we are all policemen. He said with some frankness and began to walk away from the house. I had not fully regained myself. It was the bang of the pedestrian gate that finally got me alerted that someone had just gone out of the house. Then, my breath was getting normalized until finally I regained some flexibility. I was just imagining what I had seen. It happened as if it was almost a dream. So scorpion too is a Policeman and he had never told me. Well, that was not hard to explain since not all policemen wear Police uniforms. Throughout the night I had soaked myself in some thoughts I didn’t have the right dwelling in until it was dawn. I made up my mind that night that I must have to find out the full details of Scorpion’s occupation because I knew Dr. Imoi was definitely going to ask me the next time we met.


When I saw Rufus the following morning, I had saluted
‘Tchaw Sir!’ He turned and looked at me and then flashed me with his usual smile
‘Kekere, ha na’ he asked
‘All correct Sir! I saluted again
‘Ah where all this drama dey come from this early morning’ scorpion had protested
‘No mine Kekere. Na because I tell am last night say we be police
‘Oh boy na wa for you oh. Why you come dey let am see that kain thing na. This boy is a very good boy oh.
‘Omo da da ni’ Obi had agreed
‘You wan join police?’ Scorpion had asked me. `
‘Police na work? Rufus asked somehow protesting Scorpion’s question.
‘Oh boy, Police na work oh’ Obi had responded and they all started laughing.
‘Kekere, no mine them jare! We be police but make you go school first like Rufus before you join Police.
I didn’t asked them any further questions because I saw them making caricatures of everything I had said. No matter what I made up my mind I was going to insist Scorpion is a business man the next time Dr. Imoi was going to ask me. If asked me the type of business, I just could say anything. Clearing and forwarding, Importation, Whosale shop. The list is endless but I was not going to let Dr. Imoi catch me off guard again, I had promised myself.

Chapter 10
I was not going to ask Dr. Imoi too many questions. I knew that somehow, he must have known my reason for desiring audience of him. Father lived and died a good man and I must continue to build on that. Part of me had developed some fondness of him since the first time I visited him. I looked around the spacious apartment and began to wonder why I had not come there to stay the moment I entered Lagos. I began to think of alternatives to staying with scorpion.
I perceived Scorpion knew I was no longer comfortable with my stay. Naturally, he was a good man with a good heart but that was no longer enough to protect his personality on my side. One thing was clear he had a weapon, and a weapon is capable of staying where it doesn’t belong, and it can take what does not belong to it. A weapon is simply immoral unless guarded by the sheath of the law – so, any body that makes friends with a weapon out side the law is also to be considered immoral.
At a point in time, I felt terribly guilty. Why should I hold Scorpion to such contempt in spite of the fact that he had done a lot of things for me. I was getting angry at my self. I thought I had all the opportunity to just take a walk and Scorpion would never have found me, but I just couldn’t.
Suprisingly, I was no longer as churchy as I used to when I was in Abuja. Life had changed considerably and I would have rated myself on an awful performance spiritually so I was beginning to retrace my steps. I couldn’t say that I had not achieved anything going to Lagos. Dr. Imoi was working on buying a change of choice form for me so I could start school at the University of Lagos. I had told Scorpion about it and he immediately give N7,000 to pay into my bank account. He had asked me earlier to open a bank account which I did. Sylvanus had warmed me before I left for Lagos that I was going on an adventure. So there was no need staying around people I knew. Dr. Imoi’s house would have been the best place to stay!

Sola entered the apartment and screamed!
‘Eiyaaaa, so you are around and no body told me’ she held my hands ‘how are you? She asked
I’m fine Ma’ I had responded. Almost immediately, Dr. Imoi came out of the bedroom
‘Shola, you are back’ he asked ‘so how was the meeting? He continued
‘ Ha! You need to see today o. All the people that were shouting we no go gree, we no go gree last week have all changed their minds.
‘ ha ha ha ha ha’ he laughed hysterically. I didn’t need to bother my self about what they were talking about. I had bigger problems on my mind.

Finally, we were ready to go. Shola would have followed us, but she was on afternoon duty at the hospital. She is a nurse. Moreover, one of the patients in that hospital is a very important personality, I was told. He is the Heir to Ogwa throne. That’s my village.
We set off from the house to Bariga. I had never been there but once in a while, I used to hear people talk about it. It was just a developing area. My self and Dr. Imoi were the first to arrive, so our host had taken us to the upper room. They asked me to sit down while hand in hand, they went to some other part of the building, Dr. Imoi and Prof were best of friends. I sat down and began to look around. The walls were made of glass with perfect curves at every corner lined with some silver coated metal where some interior decors hung. In fact it was an architectural masterpiece! I looked through the glass walls and I could see far away from the storey building vehicles plying the close by express all heading toward the Islands; black, blue, yellow, ash, Mercedes, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, name it, all rolled along. A blend of the scanty trees, the flowers in different gardens and the deep blue sky gave the entire vicinity a perfect look. That was the day I fell in love with penthouses especially the ones by the seaside. After he took us round the elegant 6667886sitting room, he had told us he wanted to go downstairs to fix a few things but Dr Imoi followed him after he told me to sit down and make myself comfortable.
I sat down admiring silently the adroitness with which the workmen had built the interior to taste!
Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching from the stairs. I quickly adjusted the way I was sitting in order not to be caught off-guard but the next sight made me to freeze where I sat. A very fair hand which had beautiful fingers with some well manicured nails attached had plunged into my view and began to raise the curtain. As the curtain gently gave way under the influence of a slight brushing aside by the hand, an excellently beautiful lady began to emerge. At that instance, I held my breath until what I had standing before me was the most beautiful I ever saw of the generations of Eve.
‘Good afternoon’ she had smiled a little
‘Good afternoon’ I responded still carried away although I was beginning to get back beside myself.
‘Please, Prof asked me to wait for him here’
‘Why not, sit down please’ I had gestured. This time I was fully in control of myself and displaying some confidence. I had expected her to sit far away from where I sat but I was wrong.
‘My name is Nkem’ she had stretched forth her hands requesting for a hand shake, and of course, I obliged.
I’m Hilary’ I had responded and we both smiled. I could see that she had excellent social skills that I could not really afford myself. We shook hands as she sighed and brought out a little book from her handbag and began to survey it as though she just got it off the shelf. I just sat down quietly beside her. When she was not looking up, I would steal some glances off her and quickly looked away each time any part of her body moved. Her nose made a perfect half triangle with a very smooth curve at the only complete vertex sitting just above her well created lips that no man can ignore even under tension. Her walk was perfect with her curly long hair dropping below her shoulders like angels and some gold pendants hanging on her ears like almonds would on diamond trees. Then I realized that I had filled my entire youth with anxieties and my young adulthood with mysteries that I had never taken some time out to look at some beautiful things in the world.

‘Are you Prof Haruna’s daughter
‘No’ she replied smiling ‘but he is my father’
‘How do you mean’
‘Ha ha! Just take it like that’ she laughed. Her laughter was just as contagious as her smile and for the first time in my life, I was carried away by something I had never thought of in my entire life.
‘I saw you with Prof. Imoi downstairs. Are you his son’
‘Oh you know Prof. Imoi’ I emphasized in surprise’
‘He takes us Sociology in school.’
‘Oh I see’
‘Are you his son? She asked again
‘Well, not really. But he is my father’ I responded to the question at last. She chuckled and looked up from the book she was reading
‘Learn to be original’ she teased
‘What is fake about what I just said?’ I protested with some smirk
‘Fake because I already gave it to you as an answer’ she smiled.
Once again, I was getting carried away with the deftness of her speech, something I was not really gifted at. ‘Well, let’s take it that we are both trying to make out the best from a very simple conversation’ I exacted some retribution and she looked at me as though she was getting uncomfortable with the conversation. That was the only one time I had caught her off-guard.
The door opened once again and a young man entered. ‘Please, I’ve been asked to call everyone upstairs’ he announced and we both exchanged relieved glances as we stood up and side by side, I walked with a beautiful stranger into the open where all eyes were streaming in curiosity until we went separate ways.
The programme was very short but very interesting. It was an assembly of intellectuals. Beside the wisdom that flowed freely even to the most simple of us was the delicious food that was served. Where we sat was reserved and I could see a lot of people relax to different interests. Dr. Imoi had told me that they were expecting Chief Alabi Morekija to join us in the programme. Chief Alabi was contesting for Senatorial position in the elections that were to hold in the coming months. Prof. Haruka invited him for the party to regularise their friendship so that just in case, he won in the elections, he could recommend him to be a minister.
‘so that’s how things work?’ I was asking myself. ‘is it all about who is going to benefit from who?
Suddenly, the door opened and all attention was shifted. First it was a tall dark complexioned man that entered followed by so many others. The first man that entered was Chief Alabi. To my amazement, Scorpion entered too, wearing a dark long suit. I was gripped by tension immediately! I started to hide my face. What would I tell Scorpion I was doing I almost begged the ground to open for me to enter. At first, I couldn’t take my eyes off Nkem and we were exchanging smiles, but suddenly she could see I was hiding my face and the surprise was evident in her face.
The Mc described Chief Alabi as a very busy person and therefore had to give him audience immediately. As a politician, he did what he knew how to do best. Within the first ten sentences he made, everyone was already clapping. I didn’t hear the speech but I heard the ovation. I was busy hiding myself away which had become an embarrassment to Nkem. I was seated close to Dr. Imoi and I was just hoping he wouldn’t call my name.
Luckily for me, after a few more functions, they were to leave and I was beginning to heave a sigh of relief when our eyes met. I didn’t shake and I didn’t move. I knew how to do that quite well. He would look at me and then look away as if he was doubting his eyes but I just pretended I didn’t see him although my heart was beat at an alarming rate. I kept mute until they left
Prof. Haruna began to see his guests off one after the other until I was left alone with Dr. Imoi. Nkem one other young man were the last to leave and as she walked out the door with him, I felt a little jealous for if nothing else, a little ‘bye’ catapulted at me would have sufficed. After they left, Dr. Imoi gestured at me to come to where he sat and I did. A few minutes later, Prof Haruna came back and pulled out a chair from under the table preparing himself to sit down.
‘You see that man, I think he’s very responsible. He’s different from every other person I know who had had his type of beginning.’ He said as he finally sat down
‘You mean chief’ . Imoi had asked
‘Yes, the one that sang’ he replied
‘When that girl was talking, I said in my mind that these are the kind of politicians we need to make Nigeria better.
‘Yeah’ Prof. Haruna agreed ‘ and you can see happiness in him all the time. It is difficult to see young people of that age who have such a strong spirit nowadays and you might not understand the power of those words until you understand his beginning ’ he added.
My ears were itching to hear the beginning he kept talking about and as if he knew, he never said it and Dr. Imoi never asked. A part of me wanted to flow with the conversation, and a better part was still worried about the unfortunate meeting between me and Scorpion. I just had to put it behind me until I got home. I knew things would no longer be the same. At least he would have concluded I’m not whom I claim to be. I concluded. ‘but I wouldn’t have had anything to lose if I had told him all about me. I guess I was just childish!
‘I think that is true happiness’ Dr. Imoi said nodding
‘What do you mean by true happiness’ I managed to ask
‘True happiness is divine and that is why no human effort can produce it’
‘You see in 1970 after the war, I had two of my cousins who came into Lagos to start life again. One came a month before the other. I had told them that I was going to help them set up businesses. After some time, one began to give me reports that the other was speaking ill of me because I had delayed in the promise I made. Well to my regret somehow, I fell out with Uzor and we lost contact and when I had the means, I actually helped Uche set up the business I had promised. But you know what? Seven years later, Uche came confessing all the wrongs. He was no longer confessing because he needed any favour for he had been well established, but he confessed that he could find no peace for all he had done to Uzor! You see, that is exactly what I mean. Whenever a person wins, another has lost. So, no man can be truly happy who has robbed another of happiness.
‘You are beginning to sound more like a philosopher than a sociologist’ Prof. Haruna teased.
‘But you know both are inseparable’ Dr. Smiled
‘Good heavens, I couldn’t even understand what they were talking about even though I couldn’t deny that I was learning one or two things from their discussion. Their discussion was endless and at a point in time, I was getting terribly bored.
‘But your Prof. Roberts claimed that true happiness can be achieved by human effort. He claims each individual has to create his happiness from the misery of a group. So it doesn’t really matter if every other person is miserable once you are happy! That is what he came to Nigeria to popularize with your University’ Prof. Haruna objected.
‘Don’t mind Prof. Roberts. He think he can superimpose his ideaologies on already established Schools of Thought. I think he wants to reincarnate some crude philosophies and take us back to the stone age.’ ‘Now let me tell you’ he continued ‘Any human action carried out without goodwill is purely selfish. It may achieve its aim, but like all transient factors, it loses it value with time and all the happiness it brought will have melted away. That is why I tell you that true happiness is divine because it does not depend on material, social, political or any kind of achievement. Now, let me tell you, if we are still in that stage in the world, then bodies like the UN would never have been formed since it mainly strives for greater happiness for the greater number which is the fundamental moral principle.’
As they continued to talk, my mind switched off once again and I was thinking of all that we had gone through in Abuja what he was saying, it was a subtle insinuation that we ought to have been happy in spite of all we had and were going through. But he didn’t understand what we had gone through so he couldn’t be blamed even if he had misunderstood it all. When I got back to my senses, I was getting annoyed partly because I was bored and also because I felt that somehow, the only person we had relied on was judging us. Somehow, some had saved my grace as I was once again sinking into misery. The desk phone in the house tore the entire peace of the home with a terrible squealing sound and after a while Mrs. Haruna had come to tell her husband that Dr. Imoi attention was needed at the University Teaching Hospital. I sighed because I knew that at last we were about to leave. The thought of going back home to face Scorpion also got me terrified. But I had to go and face it anyway. I didn’t have a choice after all! We entered the car and drove away leaving prof Haruna to take care of the remaining guests. As we drove along, the thought of facing Scorpion later in the night dominated my mind.

Keep it coming,thumbs up.

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