The Journey Called Life

Episode 4

Friends and some indigenes, visited Nkechi and her son Daniel to see how they can contribute to the burial of her husband. After much deliberation, there was a conclusion and a date was fixed for the burial.

On the day of the burial, Paul's body was brought out of the mortuary and placed in the ambulance to be carried to the village. As soon as they entered the village, something terrible begin to happen, the vehicles refuses to move and the engine switch off. There was confusion as to what is the problem and they sent for a mechanic to check the cause but he couldn't point out anything that is wrong with the vehicle and he left. Paul's mother came down from one of the vehicles, went straight to the ambulance where his coffin is and begin to cry and beg the spirit to allow them bury him. After sometime, the mother asked the drivers to start their vehicle and they did, the vehicles were able to start and they finally got to the place where he will be buried.

After the burial rites, his body was placed six feet below the ground and covered it with sand to seal the burial, those who attended were full of sadness because Paul was a vibrant young man full of potentials.

Due to the death of Paul, the new team festival was cancelled and some villagers are not happy about the decision because many people from the far side of the city came to the village because of the festival.

Nkechi and her son Daniel stayed in the village over two months mourning the death of her husband and she told her mother in-law that she feel like going back to the city to get something doing in order to take care of Daniel and she refuses that she should stay in the village atleast six months and not to worry about the welfare of Daniel, that everything is going to be fine. Nkechi decided to stay back and help her mother in-law.

Some men are making advances towards Nkechi who is still mourning her late husband and kept denying them because she is not interested in getting married to anyone.

A day came when an old man and his kinsmen visited the home of Nkechi seeking her hand in marriage and her mother in-law attended to them saying Nkechi is not interested to go into any marriage with any man. Nkechi came back from the stream and saw the people sitting down in the compound and realized the Palm wine, yams, kolanut, etc. as a symbol of a man asking the hand of woman in marriage and when they saw her coming back from the stream they called her, she ignored them and went inside the house.

The old man and his kinsmen, were angry and left their house because Nkechi insulted them with such a rude manner.

Nkechi worked so hard to raise Daniel at the same time remembering his late father Paul whom she loves so much and nobody will occupy that space in her heart.

After six months, Nkechi and her son Daniel decided to go back to the city and told her mother in-law to take care of herself and if she wants to come over, she is free at anytime.

Fifteen years later, Daniel is now a full grown man who has ambition like his late father and his mother have tried her best to bring him up in the best way she can.

Daniel begin to hustle for himself to take care of his mother because she has tried for him so much that he can't afford to see her suffer anymore.

Daniel came back one evening to see his mother ill and immediately took her to the hospital for treatment. After the test was conducted and the result came, it was discovered that she is suffering from high blood pressure and high fever and the doctor asked Daniel to pay the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira, Daniel fell down on his knees to beg the doctor to refuse the bill that it is too much for him. The doctor refuses to listen to Daniel and told him if he doesn't get the money on time, he might lose his mother in one month. Daniel asked the doctor where can he get such amount of money? The doctor said there is nothing he can do about it that he should make haste while the sun shines.

Daniel started begging from one market place to another, street to street and at the end of the day he can't raise five thousand naira and he is very tired. He was thinking how else he wants to raise this money if not by joining armed robbers to get the money quickly or money rituals.

Daniel decided to join a group of armed robbers to raise the money and he got it, took his own share of the money to the hospital to commence the treatment immediately. The doctor assured him that his mother will be alright. Daniel was happy to hear that news, because he can't wait to see his mother back on her feet again.

Daniel continue the path of stealing to get more money to take care of his mother not minding the consequences. Anytime he comes back from the operation, he will go to the hospital immediately to check up on his mother and he was happy when the nurse told him that his mother is responding to treatment.

Some neighbors came to visit Nkechi in the hospital to check on her and how she is responding to treatment and brought some food for her and Daniel was happy to see them visiting his mother.

Daniel's grandmother came the next day to see them and how Nkechi is fairing as well. But she sit Daniel down to know how he raised that kind of money to pay the hospital bill? He first of all laughed and told his grandmother he is into marketing job where he sales to get commission depending on how he sold the goods but one of his friend gave him most of the money.