Chapter 13

The present future 

 

Four weeks after Mrs. Doris Iteru’s burial, sympathizers were still going in and out of the house. 

She had contributed immensely to the community and everyone seemed to miss her.

She had died because there was no fund to fly her out of the country for treatment. 

Francis sat outside their house.

He was devastated. His younger sister sat close beside him.

She had cried her eyes out.

“So Francis what do we do now?” She asked.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

“It seems like uncle and the rest of the family are not planning to leave anytime soon?”

“I thought so too.”

“Do you think they intend to stay here permanently?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What if they decide they wanted to stay here, what do we do?”

“Seriously, I don’t know…”

“God, because of money mama died. Money. And people could not come to our rescue with all the families that she helped when she was alive and well… people are wicked. ”

“What could they have done? Some of them are struggling to eat themselves.”

“You mean even the local government could not do anything? The state government could not help? All the rich and wealthy Nigerians could not come to our rescue… this country is pathetic…”

“Mama was not the only one asking government for money. There were other families with worse conditions too. The truth is our health system in Nigeria is meant to kill people and not save them. What’s the point of having hospitals that don’t work or can’t take care of people? Doctors are underpaid. Hospital facilities are out of date. Doctors go on strike every time. It’s so sad.  Mama just died because somebody is not doing his or her work.”

“God will punish all of them. When their mothers start dying one after the other, they will learn.”

“Mhmmmm. They have nothing to worry about. If they fall sick, they just fly out of the country on tax payers’ money.”

“Abi ooo. They will not always get away with it. One day it will be an emergency that is a thing of seconds, they will tell me how fast a plane can fly…”

“Have you eaten?” Francis asked.

“I’m not in the mood.”

“My dear, you really have to eat something. You have lost a lot of weight. Mama won’t be happy if she looks down at you from heaven.”

She looked at the sky. The sky was clear. The clouds had made a long stretch across the sky; following the wind in its wake.

“Mama, you left us here. I wish I could turn the hands of time only to see you again…”

Francis held her. “If she could, she would have stayed with us.”

He was looking at the sky too.

“So what do we do in the meantime…?” She asked

“Like I said earlier, I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you take over the restaurant…?”

He released her and looked at her surprised.

“I should take over the restaurant? How?”

She shrugged, “you know, you could start running the restaurant like mama used to do and from there we can make some money…”

He pondered over it for a moment.

Then he said, “I don’t know how that will work. There are so many things to consider.”

“Like?”

“Will the workers that used to work with mama want to continue to work without her being around? Many of them are much older than me in age. Will they want to work under someone their son’s age? How do we get money to start? We need food stuff, firewood, labor… ”

“Let’s take it one step at a time.”

“You seem to have thought this thing through.”

“Yes I have. Or at least I have done some homework. So first we give aunty Yemisi a visit. She is the one mama leaves to manage the place when she was not around. We speak with her—tell her what our intentions are and we go on from there. She’s experienced in how things work at the restaurant. She will be able to give us a head start.”

“Good. That’s good. But…” He paused.

“You don’t have to know all the variables now.”

“Yeah. But what I was trying to say was, do you think uncle and the rest of the family will agree?”

“Let’s pray they don’t put their nose in the restaurant.”

“Let’s just hope they don’t. But that’s a great idea sweets. You always have a knack for coming up with lovely ideas. You have great future ahead sweets. ”

His younger sister smiled.

“Yes we do.” She said.

“Frank, Frank!” Uncle James called out. He was standing at door.

“Uncle, I am here.”

“Come here now. Come with your sister. We need to have a family discussion.”

Francis and Christine looked at each other.

*        *        *

“So everything I was told is true?” Bolaji said looking straight into Wole’s eyes.

“No, not everything…”

“Which part is not true?” Her voice was controlled.

“She said so many wrong things about me…”

“Like?”

“Bolaji, I don’t think that relevant anymore. I just want us to get past this…”

“Get past what? Listen to yourself for Christ sake. You were cheating on both of us and you assumed it would not blow up in your face one day? You are pathetic.”

“Bolaji, please calm down…”

“Wole, there’s no point trying. The only reason why I choose to come and sit here to have this conversation with you was to look you in the face and tell you to go to hell…”

She was getting up from her seat when Wole grabbed her hand.

“Please Bolaji… please I beg you in the name of God. I was foolish and greedy. I thought I was smart but I wasn’t. I will make this up to you. I promise.”

“Don’t you think it’s too late for that now. You need to go and seek for help Wole. I loved you with my heart and you know that. But you just threw everything away because one skirt wasn’t good enough for you. Please leave my hand.”

“Please Bolaji. If you walk away, you will break my heart.”

“I can’t believe you are the one saying all this rubbish. Break your heart you say. Do you know how long I cried when I discovered? Do you know how many times I hope it was all a lie? Do you want to know what you have done to my heart Wole? You should go back home look yourself in the mirror and see how much of a shameless guy you are. I thought you were different. You made me…”

She yanked her hand off and left him.

The food he had ordered for her was cold already. She didn’t even look at it.

He watched her as she made her way down the stairs to the exit door. Through the glass, he could see her walk towards her car. She stood for a moment. She was crying.

She opened the door and got in the car.

He watched her pull out of the parking lot.

The car moved gently until it joined the rest of the traffic.

He watched as the car vanished into the rest of the evening.

*        *        *

“There’s no such thing as love at first sight.” George Juga said. His voice was loud.

“There is such thing as love at first sight.” Jide corrected him.

The room was packed with young guys and ladies.

They had gone to George Juga’s house. His father was celebrating his fifty-fifth birthday.

“Jide, love at first sight is more of infatuation and lust than anything else. How can you tell me you see a lady for the first time and you already are in love with her? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You haven’t seen a really beautiful girl before. Trust me, you will fall in love.”

“So beauty for you is a good reason to fall in love abi? You got it all wrong. ”

“What are you talking about? You can’t love someone you are not attracted to right?”

George shrugged.

“You won’t admit. But truth be told, love at first sight exists. Love is simple. People who make love complex have complicated relationships.”  Jide quipped.

“Yes I agree love is simple but it should not be based on the physical appearance of a person. Love is commitment. It is not just a feeling that drops on you whenever you see a beautiful person.”

“See George, don’t deceive yourself. You and I know that beauty is the key to love. You can only love what attracts you.”

“Attraction is based on feelings and feelings are very unstable.”

Another guy joined the conversation.

“I kind of agree with both of you. Love is commitment.  Love is simple. Love is attraction and all that but you see, love goes beyond all that surface scratch that you guys have just spoken about.”

This new entrant caught everyone’s attention. He looked like a more matured man from his demeanor. His name was Jonathan.

“Your point is?” George asked.

“Love is an agreement between two or more people whether stated explicitly or otherwise, that they will walk together, fight together, live together, cry together, laugh together, play together, forgive one another, be patient with one another, be open to one another and all that. It isn’t something you feel. It’s something you do.” Jonathan said.

Everyone was listening to him

“But Joe, you have not hit the nail on the head. You are just quoting bible. Can you fall in love at first sight?” Jide asked.

“Like I said, it must be an agreement. You don’t just make agreement on a whim. You don’t make agreement predicated on beauty and physical attributes. If that’s the case, I should do better than Solomon.”
“In a nutshell, you can’t fall in love at first sight?”

“No. Not like how you mean to put it.”

“You see the problem I have with some of you guys is that, you make love so complicated. For me, love is simple. I see you and if I’m attracted to you, I fall in love with you whether for the first time or for the tenth time. I was born to love.” Jide’s voice was ecstatic.

“I think one thing we need to clear up right now is what love is?” George spoke up.

Two ladies joined in the conversation.

One spoke up, “you guys have been going back and forth about what love is. Now this is love from a lady’s perspective. Love is a form of emotion that ties two people together. It’s an attraction that makes two people want to be together.”

“The problem I have with your definition is that, your definition assumes love to be between a man and a woman…” Jonathan said.

“No not necessarily. But I thought that is exactly what this discussion is all about.” She said.

“Abi. These guys are just not been sincere with themselves. Say love is commitment. Love is agreement. For me, that is crap! If love is so complicated then what’s the point? We are social beings with emotions and feelings and these things were not given to us by God for nothing. You guys can kill your feelings and follow principles. For me Jide Ilori, love is life and love is simple.”

The other lady spoke up.

“Guys, I think love is simply a true expression of one’s thoughts and desires towards another. Whatever way you decide to express it is now left to you.”

“Nice.” George admitted.

“Yeah, I agree with Nkechi, it’s simply a true expression towards another.” The first lady commented.

“I still say love is simple. When you are asking too much, love becomes complicated.  So Nkechi, would you fall in love with a guy you meet for the first time?” Jide cuts in.

“Yeah. If I have a genuine thought and desire towards him that I think would bud, I definitely can.”

“Thank you my dear. It is very simple.”

“Love is more of an action than a feeling…” Jonathan throws in.

“It’s both. You can’t have one without the other.” George corrected.

“If you love someone based on feelings alone, you will eventually hate the same person because feelings are like pendulum balls. They go back and forth. You can love someone so much now and in another second you can hate them with the same amount of love you loved them.”

“I agree. You can’t have one without the other. Even the bible says that God is a jealous God. And I believe jealousy is a kind of emotion or feeling.” Nkechi said.

“I will be very careful to jump to such conclusions in a hurry. God is a spirit and spirits don’t have emotions or feelings. So that rules it out. The writer needed to convey that statement in such a way that we mere mortals can understand.” Jonathan stated politely.

“Oh really?” Jide had a stretched smile on his face.

“Yeah.”

“Ok well said Joe. I still believe that love is both of actions and emotions. They are like Siamese-twins. Taking one out will eventually kill the other.” The other lady said.

“Not necessarily. Siamese-twins have been separated successfully with both babies alive. So that doesn’t cut it.” Jonathan corrected.

“This conversation is going back and forth. I think the question we should ask is, can you fall in love with someone you meety for the first time?” Jide said. He was looking at the faces of everyone in turn.
George answered first. “If my past experience is anything to go by, no I would not.”

“I could. It just depends on a lot of factor…”

“So that’s a no.”

“No, Jide. I did not say no. I said it is possible.” Nkechi answered.

“It is possible is not an option. It’s either yes or no.”

“I can.” Jonathan answered.

Everyone looked in his direction with surprise.

“You can?”

“Yes. But hear me out. I can love someone I meet for the first time. I just need to see somethings that will make me want to commit to that person.  For example, I asked my fiancée out the same day I met her sand we have been together for two year before I proposed to her last week. It just that love is an action more than a feeling. When you say you love someone, be ready to commit to that love. It’s more of action than words. Words are very free but actions are rare. People speak more than they do.”

“Well, I still take my stand, love is simple.” Jide said and left the group.

He was bored already.

*        *        *

“We need to move this thing fast.”

“What’s the hurry?”

“I have a feeling the Chief would be moving his money somewhere else.”

“Why?”

“He mentioned to me some days ago that he is expecting some money from a business partner next week…”

“So…?”

“Chief doesn’t say things like that to me.”

“I don’t get you.”

“I told you the man is a smart man. He is planning something and I believe he is telling me something too.”

“You think too much.”

“Abi…”

“All he told you is not an indication he is moving his money. And by the way, if he is moving his money, then let him move it. It’s his money abi?”

“Jenny, why are you talking like this naa? If we pull this thing off, walahi, we are made.”

“You sound so convinced we will pull it off successfully. The plan you just laid out has not convinced me yet.” Jennifer pulled off the covers. She stepped out of the bed and walked to the mirror.

“Which part?”

“Chief will never give me the combination of his safe. How?”

“You know how you women do your thing naa. Seduce him. Cuddle him. Make him feel like a baby. Once he’s comfortable with you, then start asking him questions. Ask him nicely and seductively. You know… You no get all this your package for nothing naa. Chief like you die, I tell you.”

“Martins, I’m not interested, I told you the last time. This thing is not going to work.”

“You don’t have faith. No be wetin dem pastors dey  teach us for church be that? Say make we get faith?”

Jennifer laughed.

“No be that kind thing person dey use faith for…?” She walked back to the bed but she did not get on it. She held her hands on her waist.

“So wetin person dey use faith for?”

“Good things.”

“So money no be good thing?”

“Money is good but not like that.”
“My friend, leave that thing. Ok, no use faith, use believe.”

“Na the same thing. Abeg Martins make we talk another thing jhoor.”

“Wait first… Ok let’s say we get the Chief to give you his combination successfully, how will you carry the cash? That’s the next thing we should think about.”

“Martins let this thing go…” Jennifer e was obviously not interested anymore.

But Martins continued, “I don’t know why you don’t see this thing the way I see it sha. Anyway, we will just need to come up with a more robust plan.”

“When you get that, then we can talk about it.”

“I will. I promise you.”

“Wait, did your boss do something terrible to you. It sounds more vindictive to me that anything else.”

“It’s just money that’s all. It’s business. No hard feelings.”

“You need help Martins. With all the money you are being paid, you still want to steal…?”

“It’s just for the money babie. Nothing more. Just money.”

“Greed is not good oooo.”

“See your mouth. When you are collecting five hundred thousand bucks from the Chief for your hair alone, that’s not greed abi? Which kind hair you wan do for five hundred thousand naira?”

“Do you give your wife money to make her hair at all?”

“Why not?”

“You don’t give her cos if you do, she would have told you how expensive it is to make hair these days. Or how much do you think I fix my hair. O boy, this is class mehn.”

She brushed her hair with the top of her fingers.

“That’s money for a three bedroom apartment in yaba.”

“And so…”

“Is it Brazilian or Peruvian or Bolivian? Which one? One can’t keep up with all the new names you guys come up with these days. Leave that thing my dear. Let’s make this thing work abeg.”

She bent and kissed him.

“When you have a good idea, we will talk. In the meantime, I have some other important things to attend to…”

“Nothing is more important than good money.”

“Yeah, you got that right. You come up with a good reason to get some good bucks and trust me, I got your back.”

“I will. I promise you.”

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CHAPTER 14 Coming Soon

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