Mr. Ejiofor: Listen all of you and listen carefully, you all will take care of each other whether I am alive or dead. I know the situation will not be easy that is why, when you Ryan get a good Job, Cameron and Dylan will be your basic responsibility. In due time, when they are on their feet, they will take over by taking care of Adam. Addison has no problem because her Mother is always there for her except if God forbid, something happens which we pray against then Addison will be your sole priority. She is the only daughter we have and she must be taken good care of pending when suitors’ starts coming for her hand in marriage.
Ryan: This is too much Papa. This is just too much on me especially as the first child and the first son he complained bitterly. I do not have a job yet but I make sure that I send something no matter how little for you guys every month. I barely take care of myself. All my thought is on you people, for you people to feed fine and be well. I can’t even remember the last time I bought a shirt for myself. I am a man Papa, I am supposed to start thinking of how to get married and raise my kids not you. You are old. You have a wife who will take of you and your children who will support you. Don’t you think marrying a second wife at this time is wrong?
Mr. Ejiofor: You mean I am wrong with this decision?
Ryan: Papa If you get married, where is the money that you will use in taking care of your new wife? I am not talking about my own mother ooo. I am talking about your new wife, my step – mother to be? How can you feed her? How can you take care of her? ‘Is it with my own mothers business that is already crumbling or with the little money I send? Papa how na’ he asked with his hands akimbo.
Mr. Ejiofor: When we get there, we will cross the bridge.
Ryan: No papa, let us cross the bridge now because I know you too well. When it gets to that time, everything will fall on me. I have my own life to live oooo. What do you even need a new wife for when your first wife is still with you?
Mr. Ejiofor: I have spoken and made my decision. Errmmm… ‘Cameron and Dylan, what is the question you wanted to ask’ he said ignoring Ryan.
Cameron: Papa, when am I allowed to go to Onitsha and Join brother Ryan?
Mr. Ejiofor: When he gets a job you will join him immediately.
Dylan: Papa, you said you will give me money to write Jamb. When will that be because Jamb will soon stop selling their form.
Mr. Ejiofor: He turned to Ryan ‘When are you going to bring money for his Jamb?’
Ryan: Looking at all of them, he kept mute.
Mrs Ejiofor: Ryan, is it not you your father is talking to?
Ryan: ‘Nobody should disturb me oh!’ he shouted, ‘Nobody should just get me angry this evening’. He looked at his mother and Father. Mama! Papa! How could you people think of giving birth to Five Children when you can hardly feed one child? You produced and produced and want to continue producing forgetting that the basic necessities for taking care of a child are not there. Ever since we were all little children; we hardly have enough food or clothes to wear. We all went and are still going to public school, even when I managed to enter higher institution; I hustled and struggled through school. Now that I am finally a graduate looking for a job, I see all of you looking up to me to take care of. Why don’t you people go and learn one trade or the other and stand up all on your feet since you know the situation on ground and the kind of family you came into?
Mrs Ejiofor: Is it because of Dylan’s Jamb form that you are saying all this?
Ryan: Mama, it is not because of Dylan’s Jamb form that I am saying this. It is because you are all choking me with your problems. I have my own problem too. I want to get married and have children but how can I plan when you people keep adding more to my already unsolved problems?
Mrs Ejiofor: My son, I know it is not easy. If your father was or is receiving his pensions all this will have lessen all your burdens. Please take it easy on your brothers’ biko, Biko Nwam!
Mr. Ejiofor: Adam, what do you want to tell me?
Dylan: Ermm..Papa, you haven’t….before he could finish his statement, he was interrupted again
Ryan: Papa, they can tell you whatever it is. I want to go to bed abeg. If I keep staying here and listening, we won’t leave here today. I have to leave very early tomorrow morning because there is a place I want to go and submit my CV in Onitsha.
Mr. Ejiofor: ‘Alright, will tell you when we will be going for the payment of bride price’ he said and Ryan left them to continue with their discussion.
==
One month after the payment of the bride price to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Onwudinjo in Asaba, their new bride was brought home.
Ryan was busy getting prepared to go to Onitsha main market to hussle for the day when he got an urgent call to report to No.33 Upper Iweaka Road, Okechukwu Ventures Limited by 1pm later in the day. He quickly dialed Aria’s number and informed him of his day movement before he set off for hustling.
As he got to Onitsha main Market, he didn’t know how or what to do to get money for the day. He saw a woman who was looking for a wheel barrow and went to her.
Ryan: ‘Madame! Good Morning. If you dey look for wheel barrow I fit help you carry your goods to where you wan go’ he said scratching his head.
Madame: looking at the nice looking young man, well dressed and wondered if he is not 419. ‘No worry, I go wait till I see wheel barrow, you no go fit carry the load e too plenty’.
Ryan: Madame, I fit carry am ooo. No look as I take polish myself come out to work this morning. Man must survive and I dey capable. You see this load eh! He said pointing at the three big packaged goods lying on the ground. I fit carry am if you go pay me well with smiles on his face.
Madame: Young man, I said don’t worry; I will wait for the wheel barrow pushers. ‘I wonder where they are’ she said looking at her wristwatch.
Ryan: Madame on a serious note, I can do it. You can pay me whatever you want. Let me just do it for you.
Madame: So you speak good English Fluently? Are you a graduate? He nodded his head. ‘What are you doing here?
Ryan: With smiles on his face he said ‘man must survive since no work in naija, I come here to hustle on my own to make ends meet’.
Madame: She smiled at how he spoke and how humble he is. ‘Okay’ she said, ‘Help me carry my load to where I can get a car going to Osadebe Avenue in Awka’.
Quickly, he lifted the three loads which were heavy with the help of a passer-by, one on top each other on his head and went under the bridge with the woman trailing after her. When he got there, he spoke to one of the cab drivers in his native tongue and the fare was agreed upon. She was amazed and happy at how he made her journey easy and less stressful. She gave him her card, asked him to call her first thing in the morning the following day and handed five thousand naira to him for Job well done.
Ryan: ‘Ah! Thank you ma’ he bowed.
Madame: What are you thanking me for? You made my job easy for me. If it was before, I will be here battling and looking for who will help me carry my goods for me. Sometimes, it will take me one hour plus. You know how dangerous this place is, I am always on alert anytime I come here.
Ryan: ‘but five thousand naira is too much a fee for what I just did’ he said sincerely.
Madame: she smiled and said to herself ‘What an honest man he is’. What did you study in school?
Ryan: Electrical Engineering Ma.
Madame: Meet me up tomorrow and come along with your CV. I may have somewhere to fix you up; you are not meant to be here. ‘See you tomorrow’ she said as she entered the car and the driver drove off.
Ryan: looked up in the sky and said ‘I believe there is still hope and a place somewhere for me in this world and I will get there someday. Thank you God for making me live home today and meeting a stranger who I pray will be a stepping stone to my greatness. I thank you God’ he went on his knee and raised his hands up in the air with passers-by looking and wondering if this is fresh madness in Onitsha.
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