Previous Episodes, episode 1 CLICK HERE, episode 2 CLICK HERE, episode 3 CLICK HERE, episode 4 CLICK HERE, episode 5 CLICK HERE, episode 6 CLICK HERE, episode 7 CLICK HERE, episode 8 CLICK HERE, episode 9 CLICK HERE, episode 10 CLICK HERE, episode 11 CLICK HERE, episode 12 CLICK HERE, episode 13 CLICK HERE
Bobo was barely at home these days. When I asked Debbie about it, she teased me first, before informing me that her cousin actually owned a lucrative haulage business. With a nod, I understood how he could have thirty thousand at hand for a few moments of debauchery.
The guy was keeping malice with me though, and he should, what I’d done was unforgiveable. I liked it that way, but it was increasingly becoming difficult to pretend that all was well in Debbie’s life, as she was determined to believe.
After the pleasant discussion with Daniel, I had come out to meet an empty parking lot. Daniel offered to take me home, but I declined and took a Keke NAPEP. I got home to find a tipsy Debbie, claiming to be celebrating the end of her marriage.
I noticed the permanent ring on her finger was missing, and then she told me of her run in with Paul. It was a sad development and the fact that Debbie was refusing to worry about it was cause for alarm.
Anyway, from my thirty thousand naira windfall and my first salary, I was feeling pretty wealthy. I got myself a cheap phone, and tried my best to stock Debbie’s kitchen with food stuff. She seemed embarrassed at my act, but showed appreciation anyway.
I decided that it was time I visited my first ever girlfriend, Alero, at the female penitentiary and I didn’t go empty handed.
Unlike the calm and collected Alero that I remembered, this one squealed loudly as she ran to embrace me. The hug was stifling but I endured it, for I had missed her too…terribly.
“If anybody had told me that I’d be seeing you today, I would have scoffed,” she laughed between sobs.
“I wanted to surprise you,” I replied, sobbing right back.
“Consider me duly surprised,” Alero said emphatically.
I passed the bag of necessities I had packed to her, she gasped when she looked in, and immediately reached for the beef burger at the top. Basically, there were just things I had needed when incarcerated.
“Was this searched?”
“Is the sky blue?” I asked her and she laughed, choking on a piece of burger bread. I unscrewed the plastic bottled soft drink for her, and watched with satisfaction as she gulped it.
Then I proceeded to shock her further by informing her that I had deposited five thousand naira spending money at the bursary for her use.
“What’s going on, Wana…you robbed a bank?” she asked in a curious whisper.
This is the thing with people in prison, they all assumed, once a criminal, always a criminal, especially if you’re spending as much as I was just few months after my release. Even the pious Alero, obviously wasn’t above this stereotypical reasoning.
So, I told her about Debbie’s help, the job, but not about Daniel’s offer. Then I told her about Bobo, and the money I got from him.
“So, you tied him with the scarfs to the foot of the table,” she wanted confirmation.
“Yes.”
“Naked?”
“Naked.”
“Bent over with his…man bits, in clear view,” she stated, with her face almost bursting with laughter.
“Alero, I already told you this part, why are you stuck on it?” I laughed with her.
“Because, I plan to make this the first thing I remember every morning from now on. It’s so funny, I’ll be laughing about it all the days of my life,” she pronounced breathlessly.
And like all good times, it came to an end before we were ready. My one hour lunch break was over and I had to return to the boutique. Our goodbye was as sad as the first time, but I dropped my number and asked her to call me when she needed anything.
I arrived at the Lady G, just before I was needed.
“Ma, you asked for me?”
“Yes, there’s a laborer at the back, please see to the best price possible to clear the grass.”
“Okay,” I said and left the office. Of course, I’d been acknowledged as the best haggler in the business; I thought and went to the backyard.
I stepped out fiddling with my brand new phone, when I glanced up, I saw the laborer, a teenage boy, leaning tiredly on the fence, with his cutlass on the ground.
“Small bros, come make we talk price,” I said, looking back at my phone.
“Wana,” he called in a tired voice but I still heard the surprise there.
With a shocked frown that he knew my name, I looked up. “Richard? Richard!” I exclaimed and opened my arm to engulf him in a hug.
And for the second time that day, I was sobbing on the shoulder of a loved one; Richard at fourteen was almost as tall as I was.
The grass was forgotten; I wouldn’t let him do it, if I had to pay for another laborer from my pocket, so be it.
I dragged him to a shop across the road and bought him four packs of gala and a Fanta. He gobbled the snack as though he’d not eaten in days. Tears sprang to my eyes when I realized this was probably true.
“When last did you eat?” I ventured, after making sure that my tears won’t fall again.
“I can’t remember, maybe yesterday morning,” he shrugged and opened the last pack.
I touched his head tenderly, “Where have you been staying?”
“Shop verandas, mainly,” he replied through a mouth full of gala. My throat tightened at this information.
“What of the other boys?”
“I don’t know, we all scattered when the police came. Big mama thought you died. We all cried for days…”
“I’m sorry, Richard, I was arrested for stealing and…Christ, I should have been there to help,” I expelled in frustration.
Richard nodded knowingly; he’d been my confidant then, when I wanted to hide the stolen items from Big mama. I looked at him and saw how scrawny he’d become, I knew then that I had some making up to do, I wasn’t letting Richard out of my sight again.
Who knew, the other boys might turn up and that would entail serious money. This also meant that I had to accept Daniel’s offer to live in his house. He’d said that would give our relationship more credibility, but to me, that meant more money.
I had been skeptical about the move, though Debbie had prodded me on, now I was going to his house with all amount of seriousness. I was going to do my best for Daniel and his daughter, get paid and then do the best for Richard.
I sighed as we crossed the road, back to Lady G. I could breathe better now that I had a plan.
I had left Richard at a road side restaurant, with enough money to buy him three days worth of food.
Debbie hadn’t returned home yet, so I stood in front of the mirror practicing how to break the news about Richard, when the door suddenly opened. She worked in with a suspicious look, I knew that there was a possibility she might have heard my mutterings.
But just incase she hadn’t, “Ha, Debbie, you’re back,” I greeted enthusiastically.
Her gaze was steady on my face and I was reminded of Big mama’s stare when she wanted to get a confession from the kids.
“It would seem so,” Debbie replied slowly while stepping into the room. “Are you prepared for the move to Daniel’s house?”
“I…my bags are…yes,” I was flustered. Sighing deeply, I look her in the eye and asked, “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” was her clip reply.
I grimaced, “Did you hear anything?”
“For the love of God!” she exclaimed in exasperation. “Yes, I heard everything, but I don’t understand, Wana, what’s going on? I thought we’d passed this point.”
“What point?” I asked, alarmed.
“The point where nothing is hidden between us; I tell you things, you tell me things, we all tell things,” she exhorted in exasperation.
My legs gave way and I sat tiredly on the bed, “I wanted to ask a favor, but was worried that it would be too much, especially after all you’ve done for me.”
“Seriously, Wana, we’ve come a long way. I expect by now, there be a line of trust between us,” she said, looking hurt that there wasn’t.
“There is Debbie,” I rushed to convince her. “But this isn’t really about me…it’s about Richard.”
“Who is Richard?” she asked and then got a sudden gleam in her eyes. “Wait o, is he like your boyfriend and you’re reluctant about going to Daniel’s house?” she smiled excitedly, warming up to the idea.
“Debbie!”
“What?!”
“Why would you even think that, and what’s this new obsession with boyfriends?” Seriously, I was beginning to be worried for her, she’d been talking non stop about getting a boyfriend, preferably, someone younger than Paul.
“Because my ring is off, and I’m sooo searching.”
“I told you he’d bring it back,” I said soberly.
She shrugged nonchalantly, “I’m not holding my breath for that day, life is too short. So, Richard…?”
“He’s the baby I’d found when I was at the orphanage. Big mama use to call him my son, and I feel that way towards him. I found him today.”
“That’s good news, right?” Debbie asked with an uncertain smile.
I didn’t smile back, “He has nowhere to stay Debbie. And I didn’t feel it was right to impose him on you.”
“How old is he?”
“Fourteen.”
“Ha, he’s just a child o. Where has he been staying?”
“Mostly shop verandas,” I replied choking on the word, but managed to hold back the tears.
“Eya, a child shouldn’t have to go through that,” she murmured sympathetically. “So, where is he now?”
“He’s down the road at the ‘food is ready’ place. I found him at the boutique, he was going to clear the grass for a sum,” I explained.
“At least, he’s being handy, that’s a good thing…”
“And please, I don’t want you to judge him based on my past. I taught him every good thing I knew; that I stole was my choice. I never roped him into it, then I told him I was begging to get those things. It’s just today, a few hours ago that he knew that I stole…”
“Wana, there’s no…”
“I know what you’re going to say. There is a need for it…you remember how you didn’t take my word at face value when I first came to your house?” I answered myself. “This is the same scenario. Please, don’t trust him totally…assuming you allow him…”
“Richard is allowed here, Wana…”
“Oh, God, thank you. Thank you so much,” I enthused gratefully. “I swear, I’ll make sure he understands that he’s working for his upkeep.”
Debbie shook her head then, disappointingly. “Did you work for your upkeep?” she scoffed. “The way I see it, God is just providing an alternative, so that I don’t die of loneliness in this house.”
I couldn’t say anything. What was there to say? I was both grateful that she was taking Richard in and was sorry about the uncertainty of her marriage. I didn’t know how to express what I was feeling. Debbie was a good person; she didn’t deserve what she was going through.
So, in my speechlessness, I got up, rushed to her and hugged her.
And for the third time that day, I was sobbing on the shoulder of a loved one.
The story continues…
The guy was keeping malice with me though, and he should, what I’d done was unforgiveable. I liked it that way, but it was increasingly becoming difficult to pretend that all was well in Debbie’s life, as she was determined to believe.
After the pleasant discussion with Daniel, I had come out to meet an empty parking lot. Daniel offered to take me home, but I declined and took a Keke NAPEP. I got home to find a tipsy Debbie, claiming to be celebrating the end of her marriage.
I noticed the permanent ring on her finger was missing, and then she told me of her run in with Paul. It was a sad development and the fact that Debbie was refusing to worry about it was cause for alarm.
Anyway, from my thirty thousand naira windfall and my first salary, I was feeling pretty wealthy. I got myself a cheap phone, and tried my best to stock Debbie’s kitchen with food stuff. She seemed embarrassed at my act, but showed appreciation anyway.
I decided that it was time I visited my first ever girlfriend, Alero, at the female penitentiary and I didn’t go empty handed.
Unlike the calm and collected Alero that I remembered, this one squealed loudly as she ran to embrace me. The hug was stifling but I endured it, for I had missed her too…terribly.
“If anybody had told me that I’d be seeing you today, I would have scoffed,” she laughed between sobs.
“I wanted to surprise you,” I replied, sobbing right back.
“Consider me duly surprised,” Alero said emphatically.
I passed the bag of necessities I had packed to her, she gasped when she looked in, and immediately reached for the beef burger at the top. Basically, there were just things I had needed when incarcerated.
“Was this searched?”
“Is the sky blue?” I asked her and she laughed, choking on a piece of burger bread. I unscrewed the plastic bottled soft drink for her, and watched with satisfaction as she gulped it.
Then I proceeded to shock her further by informing her that I had deposited five thousand naira spending money at the bursary for her use.
“What’s going on, Wana…you robbed a bank?” she asked in a curious whisper.
This is the thing with people in prison, they all assumed, once a criminal, always a criminal, especially if you’re spending as much as I was just few months after my release. Even the pious Alero, obviously wasn’t above this stereotypical reasoning.
So, I told her about Debbie’s help, the job, but not about Daniel’s offer. Then I told her about Bobo, and the money I got from him.
“So, you tied him with the scarfs to the foot of the table,” she wanted confirmation.
“Yes.”
“Naked?”
“Naked.”
“Bent over with his…man bits, in clear view,” she stated, with her face almost bursting with laughter.
“Alero, I already told you this part, why are you stuck on it?” I laughed with her.
“Because, I plan to make this the first thing I remember every morning from now on. It’s so funny, I’ll be laughing about it all the days of my life,” she pronounced breathlessly.
And like all good times, it came to an end before we were ready. My one hour lunch break was over and I had to return to the boutique. Our goodbye was as sad as the first time, but I dropped my number and asked her to call me when she needed anything.
I arrived at the Lady G, just before I was needed.
“Ma, you asked for me?”
“Yes, there’s a laborer at the back, please see to the best price possible to clear the grass.”
“Okay,” I said and left the office. Of course, I’d been acknowledged as the best haggler in the business; I thought and went to the backyard.
I stepped out fiddling with my brand new phone, when I glanced up, I saw the laborer, a teenage boy, leaning tiredly on the fence, with his cutlass on the ground.
“Small bros, come make we talk price,” I said, looking back at my phone.
“Wana,” he called in a tired voice but I still heard the surprise there.
With a shocked frown that he knew my name, I looked up. “Richard? Richard!” I exclaimed and opened my arm to engulf him in a hug.
And for the second time that day, I was sobbing on the shoulder of a loved one; Richard at fourteen was almost as tall as I was.
The grass was forgotten; I wouldn’t let him do it, if I had to pay for another laborer from my pocket, so be it.
I dragged him to a shop across the road and bought him four packs of gala and a Fanta. He gobbled the snack as though he’d not eaten in days. Tears sprang to my eyes when I realized this was probably true.
“When last did you eat?” I ventured, after making sure that my tears won’t fall again.
“I can’t remember, maybe yesterday morning,” he shrugged and opened the last pack.
I touched his head tenderly, “Where have you been staying?”
“Shop verandas, mainly,” he replied through a mouth full of gala. My throat tightened at this information.
“What of the other boys?”
“I don’t know, we all scattered when the police came. Big mama thought you died. We all cried for days…”
“I’m sorry, Richard, I was arrested for stealing and…Christ, I should have been there to help,” I expelled in frustration.
Richard nodded knowingly; he’d been my confidant then, when I wanted to hide the stolen items from Big mama. I looked at him and saw how scrawny he’d become, I knew then that I had some making up to do, I wasn’t letting Richard out of my sight again.
Who knew, the other boys might turn up and that would entail serious money. This also meant that I had to accept Daniel’s offer to live in his house. He’d said that would give our relationship more credibility, but to me, that meant more money.
I had been skeptical about the move, though Debbie had prodded me on, now I was going to his house with all amount of seriousness. I was going to do my best for Daniel and his daughter, get paid and then do the best for Richard.
I sighed as we crossed the road, back to Lady G. I could breathe better now that I had a plan.
I had left Richard at a road side restaurant, with enough money to buy him three days worth of food.
Debbie hadn’t returned home yet, so I stood in front of the mirror practicing how to break the news about Richard, when the door suddenly opened. She worked in with a suspicious look, I knew that there was a possibility she might have heard my mutterings.
But just incase she hadn’t, “Ha, Debbie, you’re back,” I greeted enthusiastically.
Her gaze was steady on my face and I was reminded of Big mama’s stare when she wanted to get a confession from the kids.
“It would seem so,” Debbie replied slowly while stepping into the room. “Are you prepared for the move to Daniel’s house?”
“I…my bags are…yes,” I was flustered. Sighing deeply, I look her in the eye and asked, “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” was her clip reply.
I grimaced, “Did you hear anything?”
“For the love of God!” she exclaimed in exasperation. “Yes, I heard everything, but I don’t understand, Wana, what’s going on? I thought we’d passed this point.”
“What point?” I asked, alarmed.
“The point where nothing is hidden between us; I tell you things, you tell me things, we all tell things,” she exhorted in exasperation.
My legs gave way and I sat tiredly on the bed, “I wanted to ask a favor, but was worried that it would be too much, especially after all you’ve done for me.”
“Seriously, Wana, we’ve come a long way. I expect by now, there be a line of trust between us,” she said, looking hurt that there wasn’t.
“There is Debbie,” I rushed to convince her. “But this isn’t really about me…it’s about Richard.”
“Who is Richard?” she asked and then got a sudden gleam in her eyes. “Wait o, is he like your boyfriend and you’re reluctant about going to Daniel’s house?” she smiled excitedly, warming up to the idea.
“Debbie!”
“What?!”
“Why would you even think that, and what’s this new obsession with boyfriends?” Seriously, I was beginning to be worried for her, she’d been talking non stop about getting a boyfriend, preferably, someone younger than Paul.
“Because my ring is off, and I’m sooo searching.”
“I told you he’d bring it back,” I said soberly.
She shrugged nonchalantly, “I’m not holding my breath for that day, life is too short. So, Richard…?”
“He’s the baby I’d found when I was at the orphanage. Big mama use to call him my son, and I feel that way towards him. I found him today.”
“That’s good news, right?” Debbie asked with an uncertain smile.
I didn’t smile back, “He has nowhere to stay Debbie. And I didn’t feel it was right to impose him on you.”
“How old is he?”
“Fourteen.”
“Ha, he’s just a child o. Where has he been staying?”
“Mostly shop verandas,” I replied choking on the word, but managed to hold back the tears.
“Eya, a child shouldn’t have to go through that,” she murmured sympathetically. “So, where is he now?”
“He’s down the road at the ‘food is ready’ place. I found him at the boutique, he was going to clear the grass for a sum,” I explained.
“At least, he’s being handy, that’s a good thing…”
“And please, I don’t want you to judge him based on my past. I taught him every good thing I knew; that I stole was my choice. I never roped him into it, then I told him I was begging to get those things. It’s just today, a few hours ago that he knew that I stole…”
“Wana, there’s no…”
“I know what you’re going to say. There is a need for it…you remember how you didn’t take my word at face value when I first came to your house?” I answered myself. “This is the same scenario. Please, don’t trust him totally…assuming you allow him…”
“Richard is allowed here, Wana…”
“Oh, God, thank you. Thank you so much,” I enthused gratefully. “I swear, I’ll make sure he understands that he’s working for his upkeep.”
Debbie shook her head then, disappointingly. “Did you work for your upkeep?” she scoffed. “The way I see it, God is just providing an alternative, so that I don’t die of loneliness in this house.”
I couldn’t say anything. What was there to say? I was both grateful that she was taking Richard in and was sorry about the uncertainty of her marriage. I didn’t know how to express what I was feeling. Debbie was a good person; she didn’t deserve what she was going through.
So, in my speechlessness, I got up, rushed to her and hugged her.
And for the third time that day, I was sobbing on the shoulder of a loved one.
The story continues…
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