₦airaland Forum

xtanlee:
nice update......best story on nairaland

Thanks xtanlee

sheycrown:
Daz how you didn't mention me o....ngwanu kwantin you hear??
Mama Akunna is suddenly changing for good. I don't trust the Kain look she dey give Papa Efe o. When will our calabar boy get a job now? He needs to get busy Jere.
Btw Irikefe is not cut out for this carpentry work, his father is not seeing that.
Thanks for the update centino

Na true I didn't mention you o. How terrible. No vex

True about the calabar boy. But if he gets busy how will we know what's happening in the compound

jade14:
U came up wid Mama Akunna being a bad ass and a torn to d flesh,with resent update she's becoming good n one of the best alliance in d compound....u ask me?? “I prefer her being the evil n kill joy she's supposed to be”


2ndly Mama Akunna was against the calaber boy friending maya cos according to her she needs to be spiritually cleaned of the taboo wid her father of whc she strongly belivs ws premeditated by both parties...she bein a core traditionalist wod stand by her points concerning maya n not jst advising her new ally to go on with maya.

To me Mama Akunna character is really not well defined anymore,well it could be a twist we neva can tell...good work boss,am enjoying every single turn of ur work

Brilliant observation man. Usually, I don't give away much but I will make an exception this time. Remember that she was bad to the point of risking being forcefully removed from the compound. Seizing Akunna's baby really should have been her Waterloo. Her remaining in the compound depends on these alliances but as you know, a leopard never changes its spot. For the time being, she is doing whatever she needs to do to remain in the compound. I doubt that it will always be so

I appreciate your appreciation man. It's all we do this for

YINKS89:
Mama akunna nd papa efe..... Hmmm. I Kant wait... Anyways centino u b ma man m gona surprise u one day.

Guy, I can use a surprise this Christmas

Preetiex, Thundhay, Jesutourmewer, MichaelBlake40, Jekonmor, xamiel4, Grendel, adealaric, Shesweetdie, ibro2much, Dhavido, sheycrown, aragonchuks, menace001, olumose001, Hundreddegrees, efeteb, Emzyme, Fabulouski, DiegoNakel, yormhienerd, eitsei, jojothaiv, bejeria101, Disneylady, Bridgetania, winkmart, nanadeeva01, AyamConfidence, drewsman, abubakarbabang7, Frankenstein, jagugu88li, do4luv14, ehmusshogun, Kimkardashain, meneski, rapsodi6, empress101, kalu61, ADECULATE, Creeza, queenitee, inkdbetty, Lawlahdey, SenatorPope, mjay05, Didov1, MariamAlheri, Louisefaye, Cjizzy, leepest, WILLIAMSKECH, Chrismarvel, HelenBee, Jesutourmewer, Criis, JustOzito, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx. xtanlee, HelenBee, Minderz, honourable356, EvaJael, cbella, classikladyk, Nahimsworld, yorhnienerd, ismokeweed Joeaz58, Sent4rina, frankline461, INDUSTRIALFAN, collinometricx, nkay2020, Pinkfeet, headmaster123, cbella, Rajosh, justOzito,kikiwendy,especially chijioke17, mynuel, alabig, SunFlow, MCEgbuna, nicholausian....

No vex if I no mention you. E no easy. I've done a midweek update now (the other page). Will try for the rest of the year and in the new year to do at least two updates a week. Enjoy...

PAPA EFE

Three strong knuckles from the corridor landed on irikefe’s head, drawing a desperate howl from him as he bundled back and fell on the floor.
I had only seen Irikefe’s dad once. It was a few days after I arrived, shortly after which he left for the village where he has been all these months. The story was that he was not returning to Lagos as he had become a chief. Irikefe believed that there was enough ogogoro and bush meat there to keep him till he was called by his creator. Irikefe survived by the stipend Alhaji Sirika was still kind enough to hand him, as his father was the caretaker of the property and lifelong associate of the Alhaji’s.

Papa Efe lived at Number 225 with his son, a product of a liaison with a wondering woman who did chores for individuals and cleaned many of the compounds on Katakata Street in the mid 90’s for a fee. No one knew where she came from, she was always available in the day time to run errands and then one day people began noticing her going in and out of Number 225 care taker’s room. The woman was middle aged already. The Caretaker was an old bachelor – a status that was curious given that men from his part of the country were not only mostly married, but were also polygamous as way of life. Papa Efe was an exception to the rule. He only lived to play pool and drink ogogoro and be Alhaji Sirika’s Man Friday.

One day his girlfriend disappeared, and months later, early one morning in November 1997, a new born baby boy was found wrapped in a blanket in front of Papa Efe’s door, its mother nowhere to be found. Residents easily worked out that the elderly couple had produced the miracle.

Neighbors came together and raised Irikefe for his dad. He grew up extremely bright and mischievous. He consistently outperformed all the kids at school and also taught all the kids at home all forms of mischief. His father did not have the wherewithal to send him to the University when he finished secondary school; neither could he do much about all of his son’s delinquencies. What Papa Efe did was to enroll him as an apprentice in Josiah’s carpentry shop. That should secure his future and keep him away from trouble Papa Efe thought.
“I had this baaaad feeling that something baaaad go happen. So I enter bus and start coming. Only for me to reach here and meet this oga for road and the first thing I hear na say you carry his son go do bad tin! Irikefe!”

Papa Efe was inside the room now. Mr Zubi entered with him. He reached down and picked his son up and dug his knuckles into his head one more time. He was a towering lanky man with hands that looked like they were made of iron. His eyes were bloodshot when he threw me a wicked look but was not yet finished with his son.

“What you do with dat pikin?”

“Papa I did nothing with anybody. Ah ahn!”

“I say shut up your mouth,” Papa Efe said and gave Irikefe’s another knock on the head.

“Calm down Papa Efe. This will not help us,” Mr Zubi said. “Now, tell us Efe, what happened to my son?”

“You should ask your son sir.”

His father wanted to hit him again but Mr Zubi prevented him.

“My son is in no position to answer any questions.”

“How is he Mr Zubi?” I asked automatically.

“He is responding to treatment but is not allowed to talk.”

“Thank God,” I said.

“You should concentrate on his recovery and not come here to harass me. Did you see me with your son?”

Papa Efe knocked his son’s head harder this time. Even I could see stars’ circling his head like it was in cartoons.

His eyes seemed to have rolled over in his skull and I was sure he did not know what day of the week it was again. Papa Efe then looked at me and my eyes went to his ready knuckles. I quickly said “I’m sorry sir” without even knowing why I said it. The thought of those knuckles on my head was so frightening I could have confessed to padding the 2018 budget if I was asked at that asked at that moment.

“Zubi, no vex. I have return back. I will bend am. Efe, because you don get small bear-bear you tink say you don grow. I go show you say no matter how okra tall, him owner go still bend am to pluck am.”

“It’s okay Papa Efe. We will know what happened when my son recovers. Be grateful we did not lose him.”

Irikefe clearly was in no position to quip back. I looked at his father’s hand one more time and knew that just this once; there was no greater wisdom than in silence.

“Em, welcome back sir. Where are your bags? It must have been a hard journey” I said after Mr Zubi left.

“Who you are?”

“I live here sir.”

“In which room?”

“I live with Mkpoikanna-abasi.”

“The Calabar boy?”

“Yes sir.”

“So you dey follow and spoil my son?”

“No sir o. I actually came to find out what happened. Apparently, they were not together last night.” I did not know when I said that. One thing was clear to me. Irikefe was one knock away from serious brain damage if he did not have one already. There was nothing wrong with sticking up for a friend in the face of such danger.

“Oya go now. I no want to see you near my son again.”

Without a second invitation, I was out in the corridor and thanking my stars.

Later that morning I walked over to the shops and saw Irikefe holding a plank and a saw and looking like he was about to be executed.

Mama Akunna was there too with Wasiu. I could already see the disaster this alliance was going to bring to the neighborhood. Wasiu with his hard drugs and Mama Akunna with her ogogoro. May God help us.

“My friend bend down and work” Josiah was saying as I approached. “If Mama’s table is not ready by tomorrow it will be your fault. I no tell you say one day go be one day?”

“But Josiah, why you carry my work give this yeye pikin? Abi you want make hin put nail where e go dey chook my customer yansh?”

“Mama na simple table and bench. Na d first day I start carpenter work I do table. I don dey teach dis one since two years now.”

“How many times hin don come here since two years? No be dat calabar boy hin dey follow up and down since?”

“Mama he has not been following me up and down for two years. I only came here in June” I said.

“Ah, my pikin you dey here?”

“So you dey talk bad tin for my back Mama?”

“No be so na. I no know say you go don wake by now” She said and gave me a wily look and grinned. There was no guessing she knew I was with Maya all night, well, till 12:15am because after Irikefe and Castro’s drama we stayed up talking about the matter and praying for Castro’s recovery.

“Mama no just talk anything” I said.

“Okay” she said, happy to have gotten off lightly.

“So Wasiu you don turn to mama bodyguard?” I said.

“No o. I dey invite mama to church this Sunday.”

“You dey go church?”

“Dem dey invite my papa Majek Fashek this Sunday. Him play for COZA last week.”

“Is that not what Daddy Freeze was frowning against? That it cannot happen in a mosque or in a Hindu Temple or any other place of worship that a secular musician will perform on an alter of God?”

“Make dat one go rest joor. No be for people like us Jesus come? See me now dey go church, I go even carry Mama go.”

“Me? Tufiakwa! I no dey go church.”

As we spoke Papa Efe came around to check on his son.

“Josiah!”

“Yes sir!”

“So you are in this compound and let my son spoil finish?”

“But hin don already spoil before you bring am na.”

“Wetin you talk Josiah?

“Nothing sir!”

“I leave this boy in your hand. Teach him work. Make him good again. You hear me Josiah?”

“Papa Efe I go try. Make you talk to am if hin go put hin eye for ground.”

“He will put it down. He will put it” Papa Efe said and turned to Mama Akunna.

“Akunna Mama, you don come back?

“Papa Efe. Yes sah. As my pikin wife born I say make I come help dem. If to say I no come I no know wetin dem for do.”

“Okay e good like dat. I hope say no problem this time?”

“No problem at all. Dem happy say I come.”

“Okay.”

“So how home people, Papa Efe?”

“They are fine.” He then turned to Josiah and said “Josiah! Make Efe go keep water for me to baff hin go come back.”

“Okay sir.”

Then he turned and walked back towards the compound. I noticed that Mama Akunna’s eyes followed every movement of Papa Efe’s as he retreated. I could not resist giving Mama a light nudge in the rib. She turned and looked at me and covered her smile with her two hands.



TO BE CONTINUED

Patotelli:
Wow,, I'll say this is really nice..

Thanks for the constant update, even thou Na once a week... MB fall on ur phone...

���
#pattoski_patotelli...

Thanks Patotelli. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there will be a midweek update posted at some point tomorrow.

Preetiex, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx, jade14, Dhavido, chijioke17, olumose001, take note

jade14:
Boss I hail,good work..
Boss i don't mind paying to get the whole pdf copy for the full story abeg..waiting is giving me hypertension,am rili serious abt it...plz do reply

Thanks for the appreciation jade14. Unfortunately, there is no full story anywhere. As of this moment, I have no idea what will be in the next update. I write as the spirit leads. It is a pastime I engage in on weekends as I strive for my daily bread elsewhere on weekdays.

Trust me I suffer as you do too. Sometimes, the thing no dey just dey body. Last weekend I was tired and jaded and in no mood whatsoever to write. But I get peace? I was relieved when till about 3 pm I didn't have anyone reminding me it was Sunday so I assumed they were all away enjoying other stories until I checked again at about 6:30 on my way out and saw that YINKS89 had asked the question. I still went out, but had a glass of wine instead of two or three and came back and went to work on it and posted at about 9:30 or so - the latest I've posted on a Sunday.

Then the question of it not being enough came back. And I promised I was going to update again before Sunday. Now I don't know where to run to

REDInks:
I have to praise the power of your pen or your keyboard..... Anyone lol
Centino you good, I've been following the story and I have to comment before we enter next year.....
U2Much

Woah man! What a year we have ahead

Pinkfeet:
centino thanks for the update

irikefe don enter wahala wit this stupid birthday .

but castro self don pass boundary .

LOLZ den don smash bottle for Big boy head.

Dhavido:
Thanks bro! More data to your phone

Thanks bro.

nkay2020:
I can't wait my love

Sure thing nkay2020 dear

Dhavido:
Sunday is too far for the next update jhoor.
You can drop something during the week as a Christmas gift to your readers

Most Def man. Expect two updates.

chijioke17:
Ok,I was bored and stumbled upon this story,and I'm in awe, keep it up

Must specially welcome you chijioke17. Just noticed how you arrived here. Another update before Sunday's dedicated to you

chijioke17:
Lol,na simple question I ask na

That's all for today but not all for the week. the next update(s) will come before Sunday.

chijioke17:
Is that all for today or there is more?

Oliver Twist

BIG BOY

We lay spent. I listened for Mkpoikanna’s breathing but it was nonexistent. He snored worse than a toad, and so if I could not hear any sound from where he lay, it meant that he was awake. Maybe listening the whole time while I made love to Maya.

“I know what you’re thinking” Maya whispered.

“You don’t.”

“Just know that I don’t mind. I understand.”

The room was pitch-dark. I made sure. Luckily it was the day they gave us light, meaning that the window blind did not have to be rolled up as the ceiling fan would be working. I had also fortified the blind with my wrapper to make sure. I knew what Irikefe could do. Also any light coming through would mean that my cousin would not only be listening but also straining his eyes to see. No need to make it possible for him to punish himself so.

He could have slept if he wanted to. Face-me-I-face-you made it easy to recognize that all the moaning in porn was fake. In this environment where whole families stayed in single rooms and still continued to procreate, if all those people, men, and women, some of whom due to their intense suffering looked in the daytime like Eunuchs and frigid midwives had to moan while having sex, I’m sure the government would have had no choice but to ban the act by now. Imagine the toothless street gateman husband of Mama Cowbell’s howling while having sex. Or the rotund Mama Tobi, whom I could only picture with her fufu ladle, yelping under her incarcerated husband. God forbid. At any rate, when you live in a compound of two hundred odd people and have to share a room with one or more persons and you still need to have sex, enjoying it with your mouth shut has to be a way of life. I turned to Maya and began to f*ndle her breasts. I felt by the beating of her heart that her breathing had quickened too. She also put her hand on my chest and began to knead. Then she brought her hand lower and found my full readiness which drew a gasp out of her. I lowered my face onto hers and began to kiss her. As her breathing quickened I adjusted myself over her and parted her legs with my knees. “Calabar boy” she teased in a whisper as I let her guide me into her. As I steadied myself to begin the in and out movement I head a rap on my window.

“Bros. Help me. Castro is dead.”

I pulled out of Maya and stood confused for a moment and then I heard the voice again. “Bros dem don kill Catsro.”

I reached for where I kept my clothes and Maya’s and quickly wore a pair of shorts and Tshirt, and then handed Maya hers. She put her gown over her head and I helped her to a standing position where she was able to pull the length of it down and also wore her panties. Then I reached for the light switch and turned it on, just as Mkpoikanna tried to hide his huge arousal. I looked at the wall clock and it reported 12:15am.

“Please come with me,” I said to him.

He stood and did his best to avoid looking at me or Maya. He was in his boxers and only needed to put a singlet over his shoulder. “You stay here” I said to Maya and she nodded and sat back on the bed. I and Mkpoikanna then hurried out of the room and rushed to the side of the building where Irikefe’s voice came from.

Lying on the ground and bleeding from the head was Castro. Irikefe had his hands on his head and was crying.

“He was still talking until a minute ago.”

“What happened to him?” Mkpoikanna said.

“That is not what is important now,” I said and bent to check his pulse. Sure enough, it was still there, though weak.

“We must get him to the hospital at once.” I said.

“Which hospital? With which money.” Chai I don die o!” Irikefe wailed.

“We don’t have time guys.”

“See, my brother. This one no be matter of we don’t have time. Carry am go give him mama and papa.”

“They will kill me,” Irikefe said. “Do you know what Mr Zubi did to Wasiu because of this same Castro?”

“Mkpoikanna is right. This is bigger than us. We must involve his parents.”

“Okay I have an idea. We take him to their door and knock hard and then run away.”

“Are you stupid?” I said.

“Bros you just came to this compound. You don’t know Mr Zubi and his wife. I warned the foolish boy.”

“We are wasting time!”

“My broad na true de boy talk. Make we do like dat. Make dem save am first.”

As I thought about it Irikefe scooped Castro and paced him on his shoulder and made for Mr Zubi’s door. Mkpoinanna and I followed at a distance.

Irikefe dropped his burden and picked a stone and hit the door so hard I knew the whole compound would to wake up. He then tossed the stone away and ran out into the night. Mkpoikanna and I also took to our heels, but we ran into our room and bolted the door. We heard doors and iron protectors being unbolted. Presently we heard a woman scream. Then a man’s heavy steps and then there were more footfalls and a lot of commotion and then quiet again after about twenty minutes.

“We should have gone out,” I said to Mkpoikanna.

“And say what? We no for fit lie. E better say we stay.”

“If everyone else was there and I wasn’t they will be suspicious.”

“Suspicious of wetin?”

“Well, if everyone was there we should have gone out too.”

“Everyone was not there,” Maya said and we both looked at her.

“I prevented you from going. And your brother did not want to stand up so he wouldn’t disturb us.”

I sat on the bed and stared at the clock on the wall. It was now a quarter past one.

“Na true your babe talk,” Mkpoikanna said.

“I will not lie if I am asked,” I said.

“You don’t have to. But it is not in your place to say anything. It is Irikefe they must first hear from.”

I knew where to find him. So at the first crack of Sister Esther’s megaphone in the morning, I went out and headed to number 35. That was where Irikefe spent his time when he was not with me - a compound known as the home of Yahoo boys on the street.

I found Irikefe seated in one of the stalls in front of the compound.

“They did not open the door for me,” he said.

He was disheveled and had blood stains on his face and on his shirt. He looked like an escapee armed robber.

“You must not be seen like this Irikefe,” I said.

“What will I do?”

“Let’s go back home.”

“Is he dead?”

“I don’t know.”

“What happened after I left?”

“I don’t know. It is you who should be telling me what happened. But first, we must leave here. The compound is quiet now. Only sister Esther is outside preaching.”

We both walked back towards our compound.

“We got there and paid the gate fees. I paid for that goat. As soon as we entered he started misbehaving. Did you see what he wore?”

“I did.”

“I don’t know where he got those things from. He was in full gangsta regalia. His jeans sagged to his thighs and he had those chains on.”

“I saw all those. How did he end up with a broken head?”

“As soon as he entered he starting saying ‘I am a big boy’ ‘I am a big boy’ and bouncing all over the place. He went from one corner to the other emptying other people’s drinks down his throat and snatching their cigarettes; all the while chanting ‘I am a big boy. Shi-shi he did not have in his pocket. When the girls started arriving Castro went mad.”

He would touch a breast here, tap a yansh there. It was when he put his hand between one girls’ thigh that a coke bottle landed on his head. Bros shey you no say coke bottle wicked?”

“I know.”

“The girls gathered him and beat him up. He was stabbed at least three times.”

“Jesus.”

“One of the bouncers saved us. He fended off the angry girls and hailed a keke for us. Bros what will I tell his father?”

“Tell him the truth.”

“You don’t understand.”

“So what do you want to tell him?”

We got close to the compound just as Sister Esther was finishing her sermon. We hid behind a kerosene tank at number 223 until she entered the building.

“Just hurry and go and wash up. Pray that you are the first at the bathroom. I will come to your room later.”

Thirty minutes later I was in Irikefe’s room.

“I will not say anything,” He said.

“That will not be wise.”

“If they ask me I will say I don’t know what happened.”

“Did anyone see you two leave together?”

“I dey craze?”

“I told him to meet me at Tin-Can. E be like say I know say this boy go f*ck up. I didn’t want to be seen leaving the compound with him.”

“But when he recovers he will tell them what happened.”

“He better not. This is the time for him to prove his big boy credentials. Big boys don’t cry to their mamas.”

“Mkpoikanna told me he was taken to the hospital. His parents are still there.”

“God abeg make that foolish boy no die,” Irikefe said.

“He will not die.”

Then a gleam entered his eye and he said: “But bros, you abandon your guy because of woman.”

“And I am glad I did. By now I would have been thinking of the grammar to speak to Mr Zubi.”

“Na true. Sometimes woman no be bad thing o.”

“Woman is never a bad thing Irikefe”

“Bros marry dat girl. Dis na good sign, See as she save you from trouble.”

“Na so dem dey marry?”

“But em..he said conspiratorially. How was it?”

“Gerrout”

“Chai bros” He said and put his hands in his shorts and squeezed himself.”

“You better think of where to run to if anything happened to Castro,” I said and stood up.”

At that, he became deflated again.

We heard heavy footfalls coming through the corridor and Irikefe said “Him papa don come. Castro don die.”

“Relax. We don’t know for sure.”

Then there was heavy banging on the door, just like the one Irikefe performed to wake the whole compound at midnight.

"Open it at once" I said.

Irikefe threw the door open and I watched as his jaw dropped.


TO BE CONTINUED.

YINKS89:
Centino wre u at abi ur Sunday Neva reach Ni.... I don dey refresh page since.

Shortly my guy. Loading...

nicholausian:
This is absolutely engrossing; a screen-scroller... very realistic and funny at every turn.

Thanks nicholausian

UCcrownboy:
Meehnnnnn!!! This Story dey blow my mind, Unfortunatly i have to wait till next sunday for another update, Centino for president 2019.

Abeg make una come vote

MCEgbuna:
THIS. IS. REALLY. COOL. STUFF!!!

Sorry for the mild drama, Centino. Following...

Welcome MCEgbuna. Used to the drama man. It's Nairaland. Glad you find my stuff cool

You see. We are just wondering why there are no successful novelists in Nigeria and somewhere else I blamed Nollywood.

Someone did say my Number 225 Katakata Street could qualify. You take a look and comment on the thread. It can always be remade to what you want or I give you a something fresh kpa-kpa if the money is good. I no come Lagos come count bridge

https://www.nairaland.com/3893393/number-225-katakata-street

Could be that they have all gravitated to Nollywood. I get told everyday that my story should be on the screen. I imagine others who set out to write prose too may have been coopted into the Nollywood bandwagon. Maybe the cash is there.

xtanlee:
centino...you be boss.... you too much...

Thanks man

WHIZKIDEFE:
Centino my guy! I dey feel your vibe, e dey give me joy. Bros, you fit stil com dey view my own story o, and correct my mistakes.. Thanks

Thanks man. Okay will take a look.

nkay2020:
Now centino you have made me fall in love with you

alabig:
There could be something irikife has been seeing Ndifreke couldn't see at the moment, hence the warning. It seems the outcome of the intending copulation between the duo might cement their Union.

Could be

Stay tuned.

ILLICITblood:
Wake me up when dis story is done and dusted..and im sure that will b after d general election

Lol. Chill na my guy

No be like dat na bros

Thanks guys.

YINKS89...I try na