Vengeance Mission

Chapter four (The envy)

Chapter Four

The envy

Naturally, one would have felt that our uncle who was the only survivor of our father's family would assume the duty of ensuring our welfare within his means.

More so that he had benefited so well from our late father's wealth, but unfortunately, the contrary was the case with him.

From our mother side we never grew up to know any of her relations and she never spoke for once of them. The little help requested from our uncle like the need for salt, matches pepper and the likes were the only things he ever met.

He never attempted for once to pay any of us school fees. As a matter of fact he saw us as burden to him. But as you can see God is helping us and we were moving ahead.

One day, our uncle could not hold exercising his envy, since things changed for us.

Very early in the morning he came to our house and as he approached our house he shouted Lanre, Lanre, drawing the attention of everyone to us, as if there was danger around us.

His call attracted our attention and we all came out in fear. Yes, Uncle, Lanre answered.

When have you suddenly become proud that you no longer have respect for me?

I can see that you no longer come to our house to beg for matches and stew to eat your rice. What has suddenly come over you?

Either, you like it or not I still remain your only uncle.

He pointed at us and said, you have gotten new school uniforms, new school bags and you now eat good food.

By the way from where did you get all the money?

I guess you have sold the plots of land. May I tell you if your father did not tell you before he died that I have long bought the land from him.

Uncle, that's not true Lanre and Babatunde replied him.

He shouted at both of them shut up your trash!

What do you know about your father's properties?

We thought that if things get worst, that is the only property belonging to our father that we can sell and get money for sustenance.

Thank God, no one told him that we received help from our father's friend.

He peeped into the house, saw the food in the pantry and asked from where we have gotten such money to get the pantry stocked with assorted food items?

He rattled: I must not see you on that land again. And as a matter of fact, I promise to take it back from whosoever you must have sold it to.

Do you all hear me? Lanre and Babatunde answered, yes sir!

While we all busted into tears, what sort of wickedness is this? Since there was no one to fight for us, we allowed him to go without resistance to his proposal.

We got inside, dressed up for school and Lanre got out because he had the intention of going to the bank to make withdrawal from his own account to buy more food items before the one Mr. Lambe bought for us get finished.

We all left home at the same time, three of us went to the school and Lanre went to the bank and from there he promised to go for shopping.

The school today was so interesting because the three of us were rewarded for our hard work, punctuality and neatness.

The school authority promised to give us scholarship for the next class. So we were very happy as we sang on our way back home.

We met our brother at home looking dejected and frustrated. We asked him what the matter was with him.

He pointed at the door, that thieves broke into our house and carted away with our food items, like rice, yam, beans and groundnut oil.

While we were crying at our predicament, neighbors came and told us that they saw our uncle matched his children to our house after we left in the morning, forced the door open, took away food items, and sang as they left that children have not eaten, dogs are well fed.

It was unbelievable, but they can't be lying against him.

Lanre decided to go and confront him. He asked him why he broke into our house and made away with our food items?

Yes he answered confidently, I did. He added if you don't take care I will drive you out of the house you are staying.

At that point, Lanre said he was sorry and came back home.

They must have feasted on the food items for just one week for the size of their family.

People in the neighborhood confronted him too and told him that what he did was wrong. But he threatened everyone that he would use charm on them if they don't stop poke nosing into the affairs of his brother's children. Everyone kept mute and would not talk on the matter anymore.

About two weeks later, in the midnight we noticed footsteps around our house, people passing by and chanting songs. We were all scared.

In the morning there was a loud cry around my uncle's compound. Lanre and Babatunde went to confirm what the matter was.

Behold uncle's ban and farmland had been razed down by fire.

Uncle and his family members were crying.

The question at the back of every ones’ mind was who did this and for what reason?

The loss was much.

My brothers sympathized with them and returned home, to get us ready for school.

Before we returned home, my uncle and his family members were busy spreading rumors that the burning must have been done by my brother Lanre.

It was only his family members who believed it anyway.

Lanre therefore had to go to him that he never had hand in it. He took out his cutlass and drove him away.

From then we started living in fear of not knowing what he could be up to.