Tears Of An African Child

EPISODE 8

At exactly 4;50am the next day my alarm rang, i got up went to the bathroom took my bath hastily put on my gear and came down to the reception, on getting there i met the receptionist, gave her the keys she smiled at me i dipped my hand into my pocket and gave her a 1000 naira note she smiled again and asked when i will be in town again, i told her i don't know but that anytime am in Abuja i will surely come around, we exchanged contacts and i left.

Meanwhile the " business trip" i went for paid me handsomely James gave me 250 thousand naira and the guy i delivered the parcel to gave me an extra 100 thousand naira making it a cool 350 thousand naira, i felt so happy, now my target was to get home the same day and prepare for the harvest the next day. I entered the road sped like someone running away from the police in broad day light, overtaking cars, Sport Utility Vehicles, Lorries and heavy duty trucks, the only thing on my mind was how to get home to see my family, at around 3;56 pm i got to James house greeted him, he gave me a pat on the back and thanked me for a job well done, i parked my bike, removed my gear and left, got a bus heading home , i called my adoptive parents that i was on my way home, they started looking for what to prepare for me to eat, my sisters were so happy cos i could hear them giggling.

I got home before 5pm and i was giving a hero's welcome, the three twins were around and my adoptive mum has just finished preparing a local delicacy for me, the twins gave me a perk and a warm hug, same applied to my sisters, i went to take my bath, after taking my bath i joined them in the sitting rom and asked them if the harvest and bazaar was still holding the next day, my sisters said yes and i asked the the time, they said service starts by 9am, i told them to get their clothes ready cos we are shaking the place tomorrow, i told my sisters where to get my senator suit and iron it for me, they did it hastily, i checked the clothes and they were well starched and ironed.

The next morning my sisters woke me up by 8am and asked if we were still going for the harvest i said yes but that we will be going around 11am, they agreed, called the twins too to pass the message across, the twins were happy too, by 10;45 the twins were already at our house i got prepared and we left the house my, adoptive parents were already at the church premises and they were looking out for us, sooner than later we arrived, an usher directed us to a seat we sat down and after the church service all the guests were asked to wait outside to buy the various things that people brought to the church for thanksgiving, i sat at the back with my sisters and the twins, the twins on my left and my sisters on my right, the first item brought out was a big goat, one of the richest men in the community made a bid of 20 thousand naira, another person made a bid of 40 thousand naira, at a point it was locked at one hundred and twenty thousand naira, i got up and made a bid of 150 thousand naira, everybody turned around and looked at me the rich man made a bid of 160 thousand i made a bid of two hundred thousand naira, everyone was surprised, everybody turned around to have a look at this little boy and if he knew what he was doing, at the count of three the bidding ended they brought the goat, i put my hand in my purse and gave the the sum of 200 thousand naira cash, the announcer said it immediately that i paid cash and everyone was flabbergasted. another item on the list was 2 big fowls we started the bidding again and i bought the two fowls for 50 thousand naira, handed one to my my adoptive father and one to an old woman i knew from the time my mum was still alive, she gave me a hug and thanked me. i left with my sisters and the twins, the rich man sat down hapless not knowing what to do, cos this was the first time he has been challenged and beaten in the harvest and bazaar. By the time we got home news has gone round town that i disgraced Chief Okenchi , people trooped in to see the little boy that disgraced the Chief, i went inside and refused to come out after my adoptive mum advised me to do so, my sisters and i suddenly became a celebrity in town, two days later my adoptive father new pharmacy was opened, people trooped in to see the new pharmacy and buy drugs, my adoptive parents were full of smiles that their source of livelihood has been restored, i went out with the twins, and they told me the want to gain admission into the institution i was into, i told them the requirements and they went back and told their parents, their parents came to see me and we discussed everything, i told them i will help them secure the admission and then call them to send their kids over.

 They thanked me, made a transfer of hundred thousand naira to my account for the processing, in two weeks their admission letters were ready i came back and gave it to them, they were finally happy that they have gotten admission, and most important was that they were with me, so i told them to prepare that in two days we will be heading back to school to begin their new lives as undergraduates.