Just in Time

Episode 3

         “I promise, I will pay up your money before next year, please just give me small time” Henry, Williams dad begged.

         “That’s what you’ve been saying, I’m tired. I need my money today” the lender insisted

         “Business have not been moving, I beg of you. Just give me a little more time”

         “Time, how long do you need after giving you two good years. What more time do you need?”

         “Biko, abeg, mbok, I’ll pay up. Just a little more time please”

         “I respect you so much ikpa, I respect you. When I come back next week and my 50 thousand naira isn’t ready, you will not like me at all” he added and stomped out of Mr. Henry’s shop.

Sometime last two years, Mr. Henry’s roof was leaking. On rainy nights, he and his family will not see sleep because everywhere in the house will be dripping water. They have to keep buckets in all corners of the house to collect the water and they will be leaning on the corners so as not to get soaked. It got so worse that he went borrowing 50 thousand naira from his friend Chief Emma to get the roof done. He promised to pay back the money, but it’s been two years and he couldn’t pay back. He sat on the table he was working on and felt so embarrassed. He began to ask himself why he has been such a failure. The carpentry work he is doing isn’t getting him enough to feed his family and spare. He barely gets work from people and when he does, they pay him meagerly. He began to look around his shop. He saw the furniture piece he did for a client who haven’t paid him till date. The furniture was a reclining chair which would have fetched him a minimum of 5,000 naira, but the clients refused to pay after taking the chair home. He had to go to his house and bring back the chair to his shop. He turned round and saw a kitchen stool he did for a market woman, the woman ended up abandoning the chair saying it was too heavy. He sighed, stood up and picked up his saw again. He has decided to take the bull by the horn. He will carry the stool to the market and try selling it on his own. He remembered the rich business man in the village who had shown interest in his daughter. Benedict Okonkwo has been disturbing him for long now, to give him Beatrice to marry. He hasn’t been taking it serious, but he just reasoned what that singular act could do to him. How it can change his life and change his family, how he would get the 50,000 to pay Chief Emma. He smiled deep within him and decided to discuss it with his first daughter when she returns from school. He saw his wife coming out from the backyard and he comported himself.

         “Baba Williams, this one you’re smiling this way, hope everything is okay?” She asked

         “My dear, everything is fine. In fact everything is beautiful”

         “Thank God o” she exclaimed and lifted her two hands to heaven.

         “Come, come and sit down. I have something to tell you”

         “I was about leaving for the market o, hope what you want to say is important?” she asked

         “Ahh ahh are you trying to say I don’t always say important things?”

         “No o, why would I say that. No” she replied

         “I have good news” he said smiling to reveal his yellow stained teeth

         “Thank you Jesus. What is the good news?”

         “Okay, see ehh you know Benedict”

         “Which Benedict” she asked?

         “Benedict okonkwo na. That rich Igbo man that owns that big supermarket in the market”

         “Yes yes I know him”

         “He wants to marry our daughter” he concluded smiling

         “What? Over my dead body” she replied and spit to the ground.

Henry being shocked by the response asked her what she meant.

         “I say God forbid me sitting back to see my daughter marrying that old arrogant man. Tufiakwa”

         “I’m very sure you don’t know what you’re saying.” The husband replied

         “No, you must be joking on this case. Ette, tell me you’re joking”

         “How can I be joking, my dear don’t you see this is an answer to our prayer of many years? Can’t you see how God loves us?” he went on and on, to lecture the wife how giving their daughter out in marriage will be beneficial to them. He told her of Chief Emma’s visit. He told her how they’ll be respected in the village because they’ll also be able to afford what their contemporaries are buying. He also told her shell have the latest cloth and also be able to show off to her fellow women in church. Still the wife wasn’t moved. She kept saying she would never allow her daughter to marry the old man.

         “Come to think of it Baba William, that man should be your age mate. Please don’t do this to our daughter please”

         “This is one thing I don’t like about you. You’re making me look bad now. This is for our own good Nne”

         “No, it isn’t for our good baba. Beatrice loves education. Giving her out don’t you think it will stop her schooling?”

         “No, her husband will make sure she continues schooling. Nne don’t discourage me. Please, this is our turning point. Chief Emma has threatened to deal with me when next he comes. Where do you think I’ll get the money to settle him?”

         “I’ve been saving from my proceeds, we can give that one to him and promise to pay full soon please”

         “How much do you have” he asked

         “7,000 naira. We can give it to him”

         “My dear you know how that man can be, anyway since you say so, no problem. We will give him that.”

         “Thank you for agreeing with me. Thank you very much. What should I get for you from the market?”

         “Save the money Nne. We need it more”

He went back to sawing his wood with mixed emotions as his wife bade him bye and left for the market.

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The scorching Monday afternoon sun didn’t spare anyone, as it shone so brightly above the earth surface. Market women had to take shelter under their umbrellas. Hawkers took shelter under shades in the market stall. Primary school children coming back from school were seen with cocoyam leaves above their heads and the few privileged ones were spotted with umbrellas. The rat poison seller was heard singing away in his jolly merry tune, advertising his products.

Despite the fury of the afternoon sun, some school children were playing ball along the dusty road path. The big well to do men were relaxing under Ette Kamba's drinking parlor, drinking their lives out and enjoying dog meat. They were seen with radio on their shoulders enjoying some old jams. It is on such afternoon that the village stream is always dreaded with the fear that the goddess will be going to take her bath, and no one is expected to near the stream, and it is on this afternoon that I want to go bush meat hunting.

I love going for hunting after school. If luck is on my side and I’m able to catch enough bush meat, I’ll sell it and save up the money. I have been doing that for years now, and I have about 6,000 naira in my savings. I want to be able to establish myself in the university after my secondary education, as I don’t want to bother my parents. I am going to get to the house, take my bath. (I love bathing a lot that’s why my mum said that in the morning), then head off to the bush with Eric my friend and neighbor.

We got home from school, my sisters and I. My dad was working in his shop. We greeted him and went into the house. Mama wasn’t back from the market, and we sure didn’t expect any afternoon meal, as 101 was our routine. After bathing and changing up, I took my small knife and cutlass and headed out of the house. Joy came to remind me of my promise, and I told her to pray for me that I should be lucky to catch meats, she assured me I will as I stepped out.