₦airaland Forum

It rained heavily through out the night and the next morning there were bitter winds, driving scattered clouds. For all that, and before the sun began to peep or the last of the stars vanished. I made my way to the back of the house, in my wanderings the day before, I had found a pool, Jacuzzi like. I had been really angry, especially when my uncle had told me to just wash my face with well water. I had a plunge in the cold water, I shivered for a bit but settled in, it was so relaxing. All aglow from my bath, I sat down in the kitchen, contemplating what I was going to eat, I began to consider my position gravely.

There was now no doubt about my uncle’s enmity; there was no doubt I carried my life in my hand, and he would leave no stone upturned that he may conclude my destruction. But I was young and agile, and like most guys my age, especially coming from the U.S, I had a great opinion of my smartness. Even though I had come here like a beggar, and very much naïve, he had treated me with treachery and violence; it would be a fine consummation to take the upper hand, and drive him like a herd of sheep.

I sat there, nursing my knee and smiling out the boarded windows, I saw myself, somehow becoming my uncle’s king, after smelling out his secrets and evil deeds. I had read from a book that one had been able to read the future in a mirror, it must have been made of other stuff than glass; for in all the shapes and pictures that I sat and gazed at, there was never a bus, never a big black man with overgrown beards, never a big cutlass for my silly head or the least sign of all that were ripe to fall on me.

Presently, all swollen with conceit, I went upstairs and gave my prisoner his liberty. He gave me good morning civilly, and I gave the same to him, smiling down at him from the heights of my sufficiency. After debating on what to eat, especially since I was not having pap anymore. We settled for rice and as soon as we sat down to eat. I asked him with a jeering tone “well Sir, Don’t you have anything more to say to me” and then as he made no articulate reply “its time, I think we understand each other” I continued, you took me for a mugu, with no sense or guts more than a dead rat. I took you for a good man or unharmful at the least. It seems we were both wrong. What cause have you to fear me, to cheat me and to attempt my life----

He murmured something about a jest, and that he liked to play pranks, seeing me smile, changed his tone and assured me he would make all clear as soon as we were done eating. I saw in his face of sign that he had no lie ready to give me, though he was hard at work preparing one; and I think I was about to tell him so, when we were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

I told my uncle, not to worry,as I stood to get the door, I had been visibly shaken at the knock, wandering what or who it could be. I went to open it and found on the doorstep a half-grown boy in some dirty looking clothes. Kedu he said, I don’t speak igbo I replied. He started doing funny dance steps with his feet and hands, then he laughed, with his cracked voice shouted Americana!!!.
I was getting irritated so, I asked him what he wanted, he began to pour out some igbo words
Well, I said , if you don’t have anything to do here, I am going to shut the door.
Stay, my brother he cried, you no know when pesin dey joke. Abi you wan make them beat me, I bi don bring letter from Mr Chidi Okoli to Chief. He showed me the letter, and please my behleh dey empty.

I was alarmed, but with what he said, I let him into the house, and gave him some of the leftover rice, which he fell to greedily, winking to me, between mouthful and making many faces.
Meanwhile my uncle had read the letter and sat thinking, then suddenly he got to his feet with a great air of liveliness and pulled me into the room of books, read the letter he said,
All I could make out of it was a list of goods, and the writer telling my uncle to make it down to the town
I was very happy at that.

You see Chima, my uncle resumed, as soon as he saw I was done reading, this man Chidi Okoli, helps me with some trading, I have a part in some of the buses he uses to lagos and back to Onitsha buying and selling goods. Your father knew him, hes a good old man and well respected
See we have to go there,
I stood a while and thought, first I would be out of this place thankfully, I was going to a bus park, I may be able to catch a ride back to lagos and surely the bus park would be brimming with people, not somewhere my uncle would try any violent or evil deed.

Very well, I said, let me get my backpack from the room. My uncle went to get whatever he was going with, I took my backpack, and couldn’t be glad enough that this nightmare was coming to an end, I also took some books, which I was highly interested in. we then locked the door and went out.

As we begn trekking , my uncle just kept a straight face, never said anything to me, I had to talk with the raggedy boy, who said his name was Sixtus, I laughed in my mind, so funny. He said he had worked with the traders since he was nine and he had been to many parts of the country. I asked him why he didn’t go to school, he just shrugged and said he preferred this life, I never felt more sorry for anyone in my life.

Awww

And I was talking about Him with one Pesin, few nights ago oooooh