I traveled home the next morning and spent three days in the village preparing for my traditional wedding in April. My dad ensured I walked the length and breadth of the village in my NYSC uniform and with him by my side, he said by so doing, none of them would come up in future to doubt the fact that I am a confirmed Engineer recognized by the federal government. He mentioned a couple of families whose Children were purported to have gone to school but no one saw them in their NYSC uniforms, he said they did not graduate that was why.
Baba wanted me to return to Jaji with a Nissan path finder but I declined. I did not know how to
drive by then. He also started calling me by my professional name instead of Mobolaji that he calls me. I had no input to make towards the wedding except to be there physically.

I returned to my place of primary assignment and worked as a general purpose staff as well as a graduate assistant until the Easter break of 1999. I came back home for my traditional wedding with my heart throb Yemisi.
The whole pages of this book would not be enough to narrate what took place on my wedding day so I will simply summarize it. It was ASP Fapohunda’s day.
After paying the bride price and fulfilling every other traditional rite at the home of the Adegoke’s, we moved to the reception ground which was the football field of the Holy Trinity grammar School, Agodi in Ibadan. We used the school hall as well as the foot ball field to accommodate our guests.
Baba invited the Nigerian Police Band to entertain guests with music, the popular comedian Gbenga Adeboye A.K.A ‘fun wan tan’ was the master of ceremony rendering rib cracking jokes. I simply arranged for security from the Eleyele Army Barracks. Gun wielding Soldiers where deployed to the venue.

Coca cola and a Nigerian breweries retailer took care of the non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages respectively. Every thing was contracted out. My elder sisters and families invited their various club members and each had a large canopy on the field to carter for their guests, again it was competition among them as per who has the largest number of guests and what quality of souvenirs were they giving to their guests as gifts. These Women made sure all their guests purchased and wore the Aso-Ebi that was chosen for the occasion. Baba chartered five Coaster Buses from the state transport company to convey my Village People to and from the event.

When it was dancing time by the couple, the occupants of each canopy took turns in dancing with us and spraying us money. My father repeatedly warned our Village women not to come to the dancing floor to help us pick money. He physically chased them away with treats, but some of them whose face he could not recognize sneaked in and stole enough money. Aunty Esther, Akin, Tunde and Gbadebo packed up eight full ‘Gana must go’ bags of money.

It was Baba that gave the vote of thanks for me. He talked for almost one hour until people were getting bored with his speech. It was Auntie Esther that went and collected the Microphone from him and called me up to say a word or two. I simply went and thanked the crowd and wished them journey mercies back home.
Daddy told me not to take a dime from the money that we realized from the wedding, he told me they belonged to Yemisi my wife. I did not have a problem with that, so I told her mother to take all the bags home and pay the money into Yemisi’s account.
Almost all the beer drinkers that attended the wedding were drunk. The Police Band at one time lost focus and started playing a dirge at my wedding, I guess they were used to attending burials. My dad screamed with rage and warned them to stop the music and put them selves together, he insisted on them changing the lead vocalist as he was obviously drunk, how could he be singing song made for the dead at my wedding ceremony? They apologized and changed the man.
I was very happy when I saw my old secondary school friend and class mate at my wedding. Hakeem came with his fiancée all the way from Eket where he works with Mobil oil. He had grown tall and huge and looking very handsome. I used to protect him from bullies way back.
At 6.00PM, it was getting dark and we left the venue for the hotel, Akin drove us in the brand new Toyota Prado Auntie Debora’s husband gave us for the wedding. He did not collect the Car again, it was our wedding gift. All my sisters paid varying amount s of money into my bank account as wedding gifts. All the gifts we received for the wedding were taken to Uncle Adogoke’s house pending when we would need them. We got two Motorola mobile phones from Tunde’s mother who flew down from London for our wedding. I did not have a house to keep all the wrapped and unwrapped gifts or so I had thought.
We slept off immediately we entered our room at the Premier Hotel Ibadan. We were exhausted from the dance.

























CHAPTER 27

The first move we made was to rent and furnish a three bedroom flat at Ife, a bungalow house with a gate and other necessities like light and water, I bought two male Alsatian puppies and I recruited an Igala man as security guard, he lived in the security house by the gate. We also enrolled at a driving school and in two weeks we were driving around Ife. Gbadebo gained admission to study Law at the University of Ife; he was to live in our house too.

Bro well done, ride on.

Abandoned child turn most sought after child. It's only God that can change story.

Why do I feel this story is about to end.
OP Thank you very very very much for this inspiring masterpiece.
God bless you.
Meanwhile whenever you r arguing with slam in ur head it always got me cracking up.

Nice n intersting. Ride on bro

Was having phone issues ....now am back.....

OGA DOM I postrate for you ooo...welcome back sir.....you went on vacation abi..welcome again ooo...



But dis our story is already coming to an end *sad* ...anyways I will console myself with KUMALO when you start ....
Oga dom thumbs up and carry on with the good work GOD BLESS YOU sir ...amen

kikayboss:
Was having phone issues ....now am back.....

OGA DOM I postrate for you ooo...welcome back sir.....you went on vacation abi..welcome again ooo...



But dis our story is already coming to an end *sad* ...anyways I will console myself with KUMALO when you start ....
Oga dom thumbs up and carry on with the good work GOD BLESS YOU sir ...amen

Thanks bros. Yes o. Kumalo booting.

CHAPTER 27

The first move we made was to rent and furnish a three bedroom flat at Ife, a bungalow house with a gate and other necessities like light and water, I bought two male Alsatian puppies and I recruited an Igala man as security guard, he lived in the security house by the gate. We also enrolled at a driving school and in two weeks we were driving around Ife. Gbadebo gained admission to study Law at the University of Ife; he was to live in our house with Tunde who was admitted into the university staff college for his secondary education.

The next two years happened so fast with a lot of activities, I was so overwhelmed with my new family especially Baba. Let me try and highlight on the major happenings within this period.

Baba ensured I went to court to obtain affidavit for change of name as well as getting it published in the Guardian newspaper, he bought several copies of the newspaper when it was published and gave to the people that mattered in the Village and in his life. He highlighted the paragraph that announced my change of name to Mobolaji Fapohunda before giving the papers to those that mattered.

I was always traveling to and from Jaji and Ife because of my wife. My place of assignment was a school and so whenever the school is on break, I am also free. I was always with my wife who was in school. I ensured all house chores are done and the likes of Obiora are kept at bay.

Another thing I did during that period was a tour of my sister’s houses except for Tunde’s mother that was based in the UK with her husband and three other kids

I visited Auntie Esther on my way from Kaduna; I stopped at Asokoro in Abuja and spent two days with her family. The husband made my stay enjoyable by taking me out to cool joints to drink and feed my eyes. The Guy is a chronic womanizer, even in my presence; he was flirting with the waitresses at the joints we visited. I was not surprised when he introduced a girl to me and advised that I enter the chalet of the hotel where we were drinking for a ‘short time’ rendezvous with the girl. I declined. I know his type. He will be the one to go home and tell my sister that I had a short time with a call girl and I will not be there to defend myself. After spending two nights with them, I understood why the man flirts. My sister is one heck of a company, she nags endlessly.

I left for ilela in Sokoto to visit Auntie Sumbo, Baba’s third daughter whose husband happened to be a custom officer, he was away on duty at the border between Nigeria and Niger republic, The husband is from Kano state and theirs is a Muslim family. I could not drink beer here, in fact I planned to spend at least two days here but the atmosphere was too holy for me. My sister covered her body totally except for her face, even the way the husbands relation were staring at me as if I was one randy fellow in their midst. I was the only different person there by my dressing and disposition. My nieces could not play with me freely unlike Auntie Esther’s Children. I received an emergency call in the presence of Auntie Sumbo and I told the caller that I would be around the next day.

I am needed back at Jaji tomorrow morning I lied to her
Haba mana! This your work sef! They can’t even allow you to drop your bag before calling you back? She was disappointed.
Don’t worry ma, I will be back as soon as possible.

I traveled to Lagos to visit AUNTIE Deborah and her family at Lekki Plase 1. I have heard so much about Lagos that I was disappointed by what I saw when I got there. Lagos had been over hyped by every Lagosian I have met in my life that I was expecting to see a city made of marble, a city where people mind their own businesses and a city liken to the streets of Paris that I see on movies. I was greeted by the display of madness by warring factions of motor park touts at Ojota Motor Park. I saw men wielding machetes with blood stained bodies chasing each other, I saw another holding his amputated arm in the other hand while running away from an assailant, I saw a man chanting incantations and urging the other to cut him very well, the other was actually cutting but the machete did not inflict any injury on the voodoo man, the voodoo man pulled out an object from the pouch around his neck and touched the head of the man cutting him , then he walked briskly away while the cutter went on all fours running and barking like a dog. People in the night bus that I entered were shouting that only the urine of an old woman administered directly from the source into the man’s mouth can restore him, while this was going on outside, we were locked up in our bus waiting for the intervention of the Army. The Police had been there for hours but they kept a safe distance as they too awaited the back-up from ikeja military cantonment. Meanwhile a lot of drama was going on in the bus I was locked in. An early morning preacher had entered our bus at Ojota to preach and at the same time a drug peddler was waiting to advertise his products to us. The peddler ran out of patience when the sermon of the preacher was taking too long. He went and told the preacher to wrap up and allow him advertise his product too. A squabbled ensued and the two of them were pushed out of the bus only for another preacher to start another session of praise and worship. That was how Lagos welcomed me. We left Ojota at 1:00PM when the Army arrived and chased the miscreant away and removed the barricades on the road.

I actually planed spending two days with Auntie Deborah but I ended up spending one week.
Auntie Deborah has four Kids through caesarian sessions; she has three girls and a boy. Her Car dealer husband wants more male children, Auntie’s doctor had warned her against another pregnancy since she could not deliver her children naturally, and consequently the husband was threatening to marry a second wife. That was the scenario I met in Lagos. I warned my sister against another pregnancy but she said she would rather conceive and bear the husband another son instead of the man to marry another woman, I told her that she already had both sexes of children, what if she takes in again and it is a girl? All efforts to make her see reason fell on deaf ears that I had no choice but to call Baba and tell him that his daughter was contemplating suicide.

Baba was in Lagos the next day in the company of Akin and the DPO of the lekki-Ajah Police station, the man was in plain clothes but has his pistol tucked beneath his shirt.

Immediately he entered the gate, Baba ignored all the greetings and summoned every one to the sitting room. There he bore his mind out to all.
Look! Josiah or whatever your name is! If anything happens to my daughter, I will kill you! I swear by Ogun the god of iron! I will shoot you accidentally! Bet wit me! Bet nah! Uncle Josiah shifted away from Baba as he approached him hand outstretched for the bet. I was a police man and I have killed criminals like you in the course of my career!
Haba Baba! Kilode na! Uncle Josiah protested.
You are pushing my daughter to have another baby abi? Even after the doctors have advised against it! After four operations? Ha! Josiah! O fe pa mil’omo! Baba was talking on top of his voice. You want her to die so that you can bring in your concubine abi? Look! I have investigated you before coming here! Bring the woman home! Marry her and let her give you all the sons in this world but I promise you one thing, you and your stupid wife here! The day I hear that she is pregnant mistakenly, ha ha ha, Sango will bath wit your blood! Bet with me! I have brought the Police as a witness today! Baba went on venting his anger while my Sister was crying.
You are there crying! Baba faced Auntie; can’t you read between the lines? Can’t you see the hand writing on the wall? Didn’t you have a male child for him? Are these not his children? Baba pointed at the kids in the sitting room as they surrounded their weeping mother.
See their heads like their fathers! Yet he says he needs more boys! Don’t worry, you will get more boys! But not from Deborah!
Excuse me sir! Sir please let me explain things to you! Uncle Josiah was raising his fingers to be heard.

Okay speak! Baba said and paused

Sir, I did not force her o! It was her that said she wanted to give it another try because I said I was going to marry another woman to give me more sons! He said. Baba, the truth is that I need more sons, at least two more! A man of my stature should not have just one heir! I have worked too hard that what I have is too much for only one boy!

Ye! Ye! Ye! Baba screamed jumping on one foot. I was shocked but I know Baba with his drama. So all these ones are not Children? Simply because they are girls abi? Ha! May they use you to sacrifice to Ogun instead of a dog for you are not better than a dog! Look at Josiah o! Look at Josiah talking of stature! Baba was prancing about the suiting gesticulating as he spoke on top of his voice.

You are a very wicked fellow this Josiah! And you! Deborah, are a very foolish woman! This man wants you dead! And when you die, he will bring in his concubine. No one will blame him then, we will all blame you for not heeding your doctor’s advice! My daughter let him marry ten more women if he likes! Thank God for the ones he has given you and live your life to the fullest! Don’t allow another woman to come in and maltreat your children when you have gone! If you are pushed to the wall in this house, my dear come back home! Or look for another house and start afresh if you do not want to leave Lagos! I am there for you and you know it! Nonsense!

The Police DPO went close to Uncle Josiah and started talking to him but Baba’s voice would not let us hear what he was telling him.
Baba interrupted: is it not this same boy that had only a pair of jumper trousers and rubber slippers when he married you? He was talking to Auntie Deborah, was it not after your third child that you people came and paid your bride price and he married you properly? Was it not me that introduced him into the ‘faya wo’ smuggling business at Ilorin? The first set of cars he smuggled into this town was by my assistance! I financed it Deborah! Is it true or false? He asked.

Baba faced Uncle Josiah: so now you have stature abi? And your stature needs sons abi? Ha ha ha! Oloshi olori buruku! Koni da fun stature!
Look Deborah! If I hear that you are pregnant again for this big headed idiot ehn? I will kill him and then disown you before you die! I will not bury any of my children! Lailai! Look at his head like Olumo rock! No woman can deliver a child that looks like him normally! All the children are having his head shape and that is why you could not push them out naturally! The heads of your babies alone weighs half of their entire body weight! Olori nla! Akin! DPO! Let’s leave this stupid house joor! Baba marched out with his entourage.
I quickly ran inside and carried my bag and joined Baba without saying good bye to my host of one week. We dropped the DPO at his office; Baba gave him an envelope and spent about ten minutes with him talking. Akin drove us back home.

I was shuttling between our farms just to please Baba and make happy that I was taking charge of the agro allied companies.
Baba was also visiting us intermittently during the year 1999 at Ife. In the year 2000, I rounded up my NYSC programme and came back fully to the west to think of what next to do. My wife was in her fifth year in school, Gbadebo was already in second year and Tunde in JSS 2, My dogs have turned to giant dogs that keeps neighbours awake when they start barking at night. Whenever I walked them through the streets of Ife, children follow me about while other Bingo dogs scurry away with tail tucked between their legs. I lock them up during the day and let them loose at night.

Yemisi and I started building our own house along the University road Ife; it was a block of two flats separated by a common wall. Yemisi did not know that the second flat was her Hospital to be.
On the 3rd day of August 2000 Baba paid us a visit at Ife, he drove himself. Akin was not around as he went for a Cocoa dealers association conference in Accra Ghana. Akin was the biggest Cocoa dealer in Ekiti state.
Baba came with a keg of herbs for my wife.
My dear wife! He said after all greetings and pleasantries. This herb is from the best ‘Iya elewe omo’ in our village. It is very potent! Take a cup at night before going to bed and first thing early in the morning! Anything blocking your womb from conceiving will be washed away in one week!
Jesu Christi o! I exclaimed; haba Baba!

Kilode? What is the matter? He asked me looking surprised
What is this nah? I asked irritated by his encroaching attitude.
What is what? He fired back.
Yemisi immediately started to cry
Baba you see now? You see what you have done? I asked angrily
Ha! What did I do nah? He asked looking exasperated; I am only acting as a concerned father nah! He said; you have been married for close to two years now without any sign of pregnancy! Kilode? I should sit down without doing anything? He looked sad.
Yemisi got up and left our presence in tears
Baba we are okay!
No! No! You are not okay! Else you should be getting ready for your second baby by now! You people are still very young!

Oh my God! I said sadly; I looked at him sternly; Baba I will run from you o! I will just relocate to the east and change my phone number! Are you a woman? This is what a woman should be doing nah!
My dear! He said: I am a man as well as a woman! My wife died over thirty years ago and I single handedly took care of your sisters until they all got married. When they were having similar issues in their marriages it was my call to help out and I did!! He continued; I did not come here to stay, I simply came to help.
Baba! My wife is a medical doctor! I said
Medical student! He corrected.
Okay! Yes medical student! I concurred; but we have our own plans. We are not ready now; my wife is still in school!
Oh! Why did you think I wanted you to marry and settle down quickly? Do you even know your own age now? You are above thirty! Or you want me to die before you start having children?
Daddy at least you should have discussed with me privately before spilling everything out before her like this nah!
No! No! No! That is not my style! I don’t indulge in gossip! That would be gossiping! He said
Ha!
Yes ke! I don’t do hide and seek games even as a child. I have been and always will be very blunt. I did not come to stay, I am going back home now, I will leave the herbs with you. When your wife finishes shedding her tears ensure she starts taking them today and if you like, pour it away after I have gone, I will be back in three weeks to know how far. He stood up and left my house.


That was when I made up my mind to relocate and leave familiar environment. I started looking for a job. I went through the internet and Tuesday Guardian newspapers applying for jobs and before long I started getting invitations for examinations and interviews, this took me severally to Lagos and I stayed in the house of Auntie Deborah.

The new wife of the husband gave birth to a set of twin girls through caesarian operation. The woman almost died during child birth. Auntie Deborah has a fabric shop at the ‘Eko Idumota’ market. My sister was always very happy whenever I visit her house; she said I saved her life for telling Baba about her plans.

I got job offers from Nigerian breweries Plc and Diamond Bank at the same time so I opted for the Breweries partly because of my love for Gulder beer and the fact that it was an engineering job.
I resumed at the company’s technical training school at Ibadan breweries on 15th of November 2000. I was accommodated at the company’s guest house inside the Brewery, my feeding and laundry was free for six months. I changed my SIM card because of Baba and Yemisi’s mother’s incessant calls about Yemisi and pregnancy.

I had gone to visit the Adegoke’s on my resumption an Ibadan breweries to intimate them of my employment, everything went well until Yemisi’s other started singing Baba’s tone.
It was time to start thinking about a child after all. Yemisi was twenty three years old and rounding up her fifth year while I was already thirty one years old.

CHAPTER 28

It was like a mirage at first, I thought I saw her, Modupe! I peered very well through the glass of the Toyota corolla driving me from the hotel to the office that morning. It was like I saw her amongst the crowd thronging to enter the brewery gate but she was gone, in a jiffy she had vanished. Maybe I was hallucinating I thought.

I am the automation engineer at the Kaduna Brewery, having spent six months at the training school Ibadan to familiarize my self with the company and the industry at large. My Boss, the Engineering Manager, Mr. Kelvin Chima, a huge fair complexioned humorous fellow in his mid forties took an instant liking to me when I was handed over to him from the HR department. The HR had inducted me and registered me at the Clinic and Canteen; I was given my safety vest, gloves and Boots including a safety induction card.
My Boss grew up in Ikere Ektiti with his Parents and so he speaks the ekiti dialect fluently, he also drinks Gulder as his favorite beer and when he introduced me to other managers at the bar in the evening they were surprised to see me popping the Gulder bottle, they said they hoped I will not be another Kelvin. My Boss is stubborn but very good on the job.

I was in charge of all the electrical installations and facilities in the Brewery. My job was to make sure there is no power failure or break down in the plant. Production must not stop due to power failure.
The experience I acquired during my industrial attachment work came in handy as I proffered several alternative powers generating media to the company. It was capital intensive but worthy. And for the first time, Kaduna Brewery marked 250 days without power failure. I was the man! I was celebrated at the Bar during the end of year party and my Boss became the best HOD for the year.
I got an excellent appraisal, my appointment was confirmed and new things happened in my new life.

The remuneration and benefits listed on my confirmation letter were awesome. I had moved out of the Hotel accommodation and gotten myself a flat at Angwa Yelwa along Sabo-NNPC road, close to Television Garage; it was close to Kakuri where our office is, just less that ten minutes drive.
I was entitled to a Car grant of two million naira as a young manager. Senior Managers like my Boss gets a status Car. But who needs a Status car? I have Cars at my disposal at home. By the end of January 2002, my Bank account was about to burst. I had received the payment alert for my Car grant mid January, I was still thinking of what to do with the money when another alert entered my phone on my way home from work on a Friday, I thought it was any other SMS but when I saw it was from my bank, I opened it while driving. The figures I saw confused me that I had to veer off the road and pulled up the car to park, I pulled the hand brake.
I read the SMS repeatedly and I wanted to cry. It was not that the money was overwhelming, I have seen money in my new family but my concern was that I worked for this one! It was my sweat, not Baba or my sisters. The company pays upfront of annual leave allowance, annual housing allowance, and annual transport allowance plus my basic salary for the month, I was seeing an amount in the range of over four million naira. I shouted like a deranged man in the car, a passer by fled when he heard me scream, I started to laugh and cry at the same time, the passer by stood at a safe distance looking at me and shaking his head out of pity, I had to drive on when he approached a group of Kuje boys that were discussing by the road side and was telling them something while pointing at my car.
My heart beat was racing as I was also racing to Mummy’s Villa at Angwa Television for a bottle of chilled Gulder and some thing to chew. I drank to my satisfaction and I ate every thing that came to my mind at the Bush bar. It was like I would die the next day. I called my Wife and chatted until she started begging me to go home; she said I should remember her condition.
At 11.00PM I was tipsy but not tired, the next day was a Saturday and the automation activities in the Brewery were on auto pilot so I hit the road that night. I headed for the NAF Club, I called few of my colleagues for a night out together but they did not pick my calls, it was late though so I went alone and when I was at Barnawa area, I parked at a dark spot and beckoned at a call girl amongst those lurking along the street close to Mr. Biggs fast food. Three girls came rushing but I allowed the first into the car, loud music was blaring from the car speakers and we spoke on high tone while I nodded my head to the rhythm of the music, it was a song by Tony Tetuila ’Omode meta n sere’ it was the rave then.
So what is you beautiful name? I asked
Charity! She replied
Good! And how much for the night? I asked
Five thousand naira! She said laughing
Wow! For only one night? I asked laughing too, abi na for the whole weekend? I asked.

Suddenly she stopped laughing and fixed her gaze at my face
Bolaji! She called.
Yes! It me! I said. Do you know me? I asked

Oh my God! Oh my God! She started to panic.
I switched on the inner light of the Car and looked at her but I could not recognize her. Who are you? I asked
She tugged and pulled at the car door.
Don’t bother! I said; it won’t open. I said
Please let me out! Please I beg you in the name of God in the name of God! She pleaded in tears.
I tried to hold her to look at her face very well but she kept pushing me away and hiding her face from me.

I will scream o! I will scream o! Open this door and let me out! She let out a shrill scream that my loud music could not suppress.

I had no choice but to unlock the car from my side, she pushed the door open and ran out of my car. I quickly reversed the car and headed home. It was past midnight and that was a sign that I have had enough for the day.

I went to work on a Monday in March 2002 and during the lunch break I went to the Canteen to eat in the company of Dauda an automation supervisor reporting to me. I carried my tray of food and proceeded to look for a vacant table to sit, Dauda was beside me so he pointed to a table occupied by a lone Lady. I walked towards the table, the lady at the table looked up and saw me and continued eating. I remembered the flashes I had some months ago at the Brewery gate, it was the same dress that she wore that day so I pulled back a chair and placed my tray on the table then our eyes met.

She stared at me with open mouth revealing the yellow morsel of eba in her mouth. I cannot describe the shock on her face. I also had quick flashes of the night I was going to NAF club and a girl had run out of my car, it was the same girl, the same multi coloured hair attachment.

I smiled. Modupe or Charity! So we meet again? I asked.

Modupe.............. Hmmmmmm... Following

You've got talent bro. Keep it up

nyc update. Tnx

wow! wow! wow! wow! This story got me glued big time!! Kudos dear writer.

talented writer of our time
more grease to your elbow

What a nice one you've got here. More ink to your pen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whUhQmgMW9I

Modupe!!! See life!

DOMAWOLEYE:


My sisters try to please me one way or the other to cover up for the past years that I was alone. But I did not need their help, I was self made No gap for them to fill so they remained indebted to me some how and I liked it that way.

lol... powerful!!!

Nice

Another great update,,,,,,, weldone boss more grace to u........ I like this story so very much I wish it will continue till I get tired of and I don't see that happening yet

Ha! Oga do you know her? Dauda asked as he joined us at the table.
Yes I know her! I said as I sat down comfortably to eat my food.
Dupe so you know my Oga? Dauda asked.
Your Oga? She asked swallowing hard and drinking from the glass of water at her front.

Yes nah! He is the new Automation Engineer! Isn’t he cute? Dauda teased.
She nodded and rose up wit her tray of food
Ahan! Have you finished eating? Dauda asked her; or are we the ones chasing you away?
She shook her head as she walked briskly to dump her tray at the remnants table. She had lost her appetite.
Oga what did you do to her, Dauda teased me.
Hmm, it’s a very long story Dauda! But first thing first, what is she here? I asked
But I thought you said you knew her? Dauda asked.
Yes! That was several years ago! The last time I saw her should be about ten years ago when she just finished secondary school and I was in my third year in the same secondary school.
Ahan! Oga you mean she finished secondary school before you? Could she be older that you? Dauda asked.
I should be older than her with at least four years or so, but I did not start my secondary early. I was sixteen years old when I entered JSS 1. Guy! I have come a long way, but leave story for now and tell me about her.

Well, she works for a third party Labour provider. They are in charge of the sanitation of the brewery; they also carry out menial jobs in the brewery. She is a supervisor with the company.
So which section does she supervise? I asked.
The bottle sorting and washing section at the logistics department, Dauda said.
Okay thank you! I said.
I lost my appetite too. My mood became dampened. On one hand I was glad that Modupe had not done better than me in life, at least she would not intimidate me further. On the other hand, I was wondering at what could have befallen her and her mother to have made her to settle for such a job and to be doing ‘runs’ at night.
Memories of the past came flashing back into my head. I could not help but tell Dauda about what Dupe and her mother did to me and how Uncle Goke came to the rescue. When I finished the story, Dauda had not taken more than three spoon full from his plate of rice.

Oga I will personally see that she is sacked! I swear! How could she and her mother be so wicked? Dauda asked.
Don’t do anything to her! Leave her! I said.
She even has a son now! Dauda further offered.
A son? Is she married now? I asked.
I don’t think so! A fork lift operator that was sacked some months ago is the father of the boy. The guy is jobless now but still roams around the brewery premises looking for any job to do.

Which makes Dupe responsible for her child and her man? I asked.
Something like that sir! Dauda said.
Hmm, life, na wa o! I said.
We both left the canteen without eating up our foods, I only drank the can of Amstel Malta I had collected with the meal.

I closed for work at 4:30PM but I did not go home immediately, I went to the brewery bar for some beer and small chops. After gulping down two bottles of Gulder and two sticks of peppered Suya I went to the Logistics department to seek out Dupe. I could not take my mind off her since our encounter in the canteen earlier.

She was on her way out of the Logistics department when I walked in; she saw me and quickly turned around to take another route.
Come here Dupe! I commanded.
She stopped and stood still.
Some workers within ears shot turned to see what was about to happen.
Why are you running away from me? I asked her. I did not move further, I was like ten feet away from her. I was ready for a show down with her, so I raised my voice. I need a moment with you and that moment is now!
Workers started to cluster around us; she turned around slowly and walked towards me with teary eyes.

We went to an isolated area, an area marked for smokers alone; I sat down and told her to sit.
Modupe! I have just a question for you and I would like you to be honest with your answer. I asked you same question years ago In the presence of Akin and your mother and I am asking again! What did I do that made you to hate me so much?

She sobbed for some five minutes during which I was getting impatient:
I was naïve and immature! She finally blurted. You were the first boy to see me naked and it was in a very embarrassing situation, I expected you to have taken advantage of me like boys your age would have done but you did not! Instead you were laughing at me and looking me over with your lantern! I was naked and standing over my shit with your dog staring at me!

I don’t get it! I said: when did this happen?

Do you remember the night when I was defecating in front of your house in the village? I should be about eleven to twelve years old then. Your dog accosted me! I was standing naked and trembling over my shit! My pant was at my ankle and my blouse was above my waist, then you came with a lantern and saw me. You started to laugh at me! You really humiliated me and for that, I hated you! She said.

I can’t believe it! Just that? I don’t believe you sister! Even after that incident, you were good to me until I entered secondary school with you. When Baba Oloro’s children came for me I was in your house for over two weeks for protection! When I discovered the Alabi’s heist, you and your mother were like family to me so how could you have borne a grudge with me and still be good to me at the same time?

Not me! My mother showed you the love, not me. By then, I wished Baba Oloro’s children had killed you! She said.

Jesu Christi o! Just because I saw you naked and did not take advantage of you? Are you not supposed to appreciate me and respect me for that? I asked
Yes! It would have been better if you had touched me or done something that would guarantee me that you would not tell. You know how it was in the village. The village gossip and all that, I never wanted to be a gossip subject. I thought you would tell your friends and they will tell their friends and before you know it, boys will begin to bark when ever I walk past them.

I snapped. You gave me hell in secondary school! You humiliated me at every opportunity you had! You made me feel less than a dog! Okay, lets say you hated me because I saw you naked and God knows what else, did you ever hear it from anyone else in the village? Answer me! Did you hear of it from anyone else?
No! She admitted.
And is that the reason why you and your mother eloped with my money? I asked
She was sobbing silently, she was silent
You cannot answer that? I asked aloud
It is the devil, she said
The devil indeed! I said
So what is your story? You were in UNILAG or so I heard. You are supposed to be a graduate of secretariat studies. Akin your former guy told me, I said.

Ah Akin! She said
You still remember him, don’t you? I asked
She nodded.
He is married with Kids now; he is the biggest Cocoa merchant in the whole of Ekiti.
She flashed me a quick surprise glance and started biting her finger.
Yes! I continued; he has fleet of exotic Cars, his wife runs a complete school from crèche to secondary school in Ado Ekiti, he is also into real estate.
Akin? She interrupted
Yes Akin!
He dropped out of school after the death of his father! She said
He almost dropped! I corrected. He struggled to graduate eventually

Not much was left for him after the death of his father! She added.
Well, yes you are right, but you know, he put the pieces of his life together, he did some restitution and today, he is better off. He takes care of my dad when I am not around!
Your Dad? Or you mean to say your mum? She asked.

My mum is dead now, she came around eventually, we then discovered that Baba Land lord is my biological father! In other words you were my father’s tenant!
Jeez! She exclaimed
Yes o! It’s a long story, but the long and short of it is that I am no longer a bastard you and others tagged me.

She slowly went on her knees. Oh my God! She said; Bolaji I don’t know how to apologize for all the wrong my mother and I did to you, I don’t know.
When things started going sour for my family I thought maybe you had gone to the village chief priest to curse us or your spirit was fighting against us!

It could not have been my spirit because I am not dead. Maybe it was my grand ma’s spirit sha! I said. You know her money was involved too; the clothes and jewelries we sold were hers! And for your information, that money that had my picture with it and the note about my secondary education were actually from my mother.

In fact we could not explain what happened to all we money we stole from you! Every business my mother we ventured into went down the drain! It was so bad that she could not see me through the university. I had to resort to hustling just to meet up and graduate. I ended up graduating with a third class degree and as such I could not get a job. Life has not been easy with me and my mum.
There is no peace for the wicked! I reminded her
Really we have not had peace! Bolaji I am so sorry!
You are married I heard! I told her.
I met Cletus in Lagos, he gave me the impression that he was an engineer with Nigerian Breweries Kaduna, we started an affair and before long I was pregnant for him so my mum and I moved over to Kaduna. It was when we got here that I found out that he actually drives a fork lift machine in the Logistics department. That was when our problem started, he could not meet up with our daily needs because his salary was meager and not regular, he got me the job I am currently on.
And what is your job? I asked.
Don’t make a mockery of me BJ please, I know Dauda must have told you everything about me.
Okay I am sorry! I just wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth, but go on please. I said.
I supervise the bottle sorters and washers; the job is out sourced to our company by the brewery, the cleaning of the brewery premises and the entire environment. We were managing our lives until Cletus went and connived with a Truck driver to steal some crates of beer from the company. He lost his job and the responsibility of the family fell on me alone. Cletus has taken to drinking and mama is loosing her health. The work is too hard for her!

Please stand up! I said. And what does your mama do? I asked
She paused as she cleaned her knees before answering me. She is among the workers that I supervise! She said.
Jesu Christi o! Your mother is among these people wearing hand gloves drenched in water washing and cleaning the Breweries! I exclaimed
Yes! She said, nodding her heads, now she is suffering from pneumonia.
Where is she now? I asked.
She has gone home! I told her that I saw you this afternoon. Her blood pressure rose and she had to go home to rest. She said she cannot withstand the fright of seeing you. If you see my mum now, you will not recognize her again, she is so thin and grouchy, and she uses every day of her life to pray for forgiveness for what we did to you years back.
And you guys think God will forgive you just like that? Did you guys ever think of coming back to Ijan to look for me to apologize? You are asking God for forgiveness when the man you offended has not forgiven you? I asked.
The thing is that even if we come to look for you, we don’t have the money to return to you nah! She said.
That is the more reason to come and beg! Well some people say life is not fair! I continued: but I think life is very fair! It is we humans that are not fair in our dealings with one another. But whatsoever a man sows, he reaps!” to tell you the truth Dupe, I am here today because of you!
Me? She asked
Yes you! You so much humiliated me in school back then that I cried when I am alone. You made me feel like a failure in life! You reminded me that I was a bastard and have no place in the world of your kind! Well look at me today! I think you were right back then when you said that water finds its level! I pushed my self hard to prove to the world and your kind that I was not doomed to failure! I went through a lot to be where I am today, but all is because I dared to succeed. Look at you today! Look at your mother! Look at me! Well, I thank you for giving me attention this evening and most especially answering my question. But the reason you gave was not good enough, I think it was more out of my back ground as a pauper than seeing you naked, I t was a class thing. That is my take on that but all in all, thank you for your time. I am closed for the day, can I drop you off? It seems you were on your way out, I asked.

No I am good. She said: I need to get some food stuff and drugs for mama before going home.
Please tell your mother that I have forgiven you guys. Tell her I thank you guys for what you have made me become today. If not for you guys, I will not be here today.

The fact is that I was happy that nemesis had caught up with Modupe and her mother and she has seen that it is not good to look down on someone that is not dead because no one knows tomorrow. But on the other hand, I felt that if Dupe had not run me down back then, I would not have taken my destiny in my hands and fought to be a man today. I felt vindicated, no more bitterness but pity and compassion towards Dupe and her mother. I imagined the once elegant mama Dupe now washing bottles and cleaning gutters in the Brewery where I am a manager, she and her daughter that denied me my only source for a good a secured life. I cannot wait to tell Baba Fapounda and my father in law of this new discovery of mine. I cannot wait to go to home and narrate the discovery to my pregnant wife, she will be due to deliver next month, Baba does not know of her pregnancy yet! I have not spoken with him for close to a year now.

Feeling good and light in my feet I went to the Car park to drive home and call my wife.



THE END

wow, ure a genius, dis is wonderful, rili learn a lot from it, more ink to ur pen,
gracias amor

This Is Wonderful.... Learned Alot From Here... #Thanks Bro

wow... Very inspiring story. Hardwork pays. Hardwork should always be backed up with passion to succeed. Nobody should sit and expect to become successful without working hard. And not just working hard, but working right.

Absolutely brilliant

Great work. Thanks.

rili an inspiration

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I thank every one of you Guys for the completion of this story. God bless you all. Your encouraging words went a long way in helping me find time to complete the work.
i am very sorry for the long break before completing the story. My hands were full. I just love the way we encourage each other on this platform.
i also like to thank Seun Osewa and the Admins for the wonderful works you guys are doing. i would love to send copies of my Published book 'Restless' to you guys. Please contact me lets discuss how to connect. i am a proud Author today and i owe it to naira land!

one love!
Awoleye Ayokunle Dominic

It was really a touching story

I enjoyed it bro. You're a wonderful writer.