Chapter 6

Broken Dreams 

 

Francis tried hard but he could not force himself to sleep. He stood up from the bed and paced his small room. He was not sure why sleep would not come and he also was not sure what else he could be doing at the time. He was worried.

He picked up the book that he had been trying to read. When he had perused a few paragraphs, he closed it and dropped it on the bed. It was useless trying to do anything.

He lay down on the bed again. The clock on the wall registered quarter after four.

Three weeks ago, he went to the market with his younger sister. The market was crowded. People were moving to and fro in different directions. There were road side merchants trying to sell wristwatch or belt or whatever it was they peddled. The place was very noisy. Francis rarely went to the market. It was a chore for him.

“Francis, watch your pocket very well. There are lots of pocket pickers around here” his younger sister called out. “And don’t act like you have money with you. They somehow can detect.”

Francis felt his back pocket. His slim and almost empty wallet was still intact. “Thank you”

They had turned around the market twice in search of a material there mother wanted to sew for a function the coming weekend. Francis could not understand why his sister would not buy what she wanted from one shop. She would check all the available shops and finally settle for one.

“Ebube, why are we going in circles? I thought we have been here before” Francis pointed out. He nodded in the direction of the shop as they approached it.

“If you come to the market alone, let me teach you something. You must make sure you get what you want at the best possible price. If you buy it in one shop, you would surprise that you can get the same thing at half the price in another shop. So you have to keep checking till you find the best price.” She said smiling and nudging him with her shoulder

“Ok.  So they do not sell things at the same price?”

“Most times. But not all the time. And secondly, I often use it to check for original materials”

“How?”

“Sometimes you might have to visit a couple. You might be lucky to find a shop where they seel both fake and original. And they would tell you.”

“You mean it?”

“Sure”

Then she turned to the shop attendant. “So how much is this material?”

“Its two thousand five hundred per yard. ”

“Haba. I see somebody give me for one thousand eight hundred?”

“Na fake. I get that one thousand eight too. Come inside come see am”

Ebube looked at her brother. He smiled back. They followed the attendant into the shop.

There were different array of beautiful materials hanging from a long rod hung somewhere up the wall. There were white and orange patterns on a material that hung almost from the top of the wall to the bottom. It was beautiful. There were also blue and silver designs of the same pattern. Francis could not believe what the shop owner had put together inside the shop.

The attendant took a long stick and pushed aside some material that were hung and she carefully pull off a golden material from the rest of the hung materials. When she finally got it down, she said, “Oya come and see wetin I dey talk”

They moved closer to her. She explained how to differentiate an original from a fake. Explained to them the thread lining and the finishing. She showed them another piece of the same material that was the original. She showed them how to feel the material and how they could trace the thread work to determine its authenticity.

Francis left his sister to negotiate the price while he walked around to feel other materials. His eyes were glued on the orange and white.

“Hello” a rather distant but yet familiar voice called.

Francis turned around to see a young pregnant woman standing behind him.

“Oh sorry. I was just checking the materials…”

“Francis, it’s me Victoria.”

Francis looked at her and then, the face began to look familiar. It was his ex-girlfriend.

“Oh really? Look at you, you’ve changed a lot” Francis said.

They hugged.

“Yeah? Obviously, you haven’t” She replied.

“Well… What have you been up to all this years?”

“I went to the US to take my masters. It was there I got married. I’m work with BlueLane Consulting now. What about you?”

“Long story jare. Not had a job all this time. Been searching for one though…” he let the words trail.

“This country is such a terrible place. If geniuses like you don’t get a job then I wonder who should.”

Francis shrugged.

Ebube joined them.

“Hello”

“Hi. Oh you came as well?”

Ebube did not recognize the face.

“You too don’t remember me?”

Ebube cocked her eyes as if to look at the face with more attention. She shook her head.

“You mean it? Jeez, I must have changed a lot…”

“Sorry, please pardon me. Can you remind me?” Ebube asked.

“It’s me Victoria”

“Victoria…” Ebube tried to connect the name and the face. It still did not connect.

“I used to date your brother…”

Ebube eyes lightened up. “Oh my God, look at you? You’ve changed a lot”

They hugged.

“Same thing your brother said. But how now?”

“You added weight for starters. And you look smashing mehn”

Victoria smiled. “Thank you. I guess it’s because I’m pregnant. ”

“Maybe… So what have you been up to?”

“I’ve been here and there jare…”

“I can see” Ebube smiled.

“You guys came to pick up some materials?” Victoria asked looking at the bag Ebube was carrying.

“Yeah” Francis cut in quickly.

“I saw you from afar off but I wasn’t sure whether you were the one. So I came into the shop to be sure and viola, here you are” Victoria had some excitement in her voice.

“I have not changed much I guess cos I won’t have recognized you, honestly.”

“You actually have a little. You don’t keep your beards before”

“Yeah abi”

“Vicky. Vicky.” A voice called out from outside the shop.

“I’m coming Jennifer.” Then Victoria turned to Ebube. “I have to go. I came with my friends. It was really nice to meet you guys again.”

She waved them goodbye and then, almost as quickly as she came, she disappeared into the crowd.

Ebube looked at her brother. He had a sullen look on his face.

“Francis, she looked really great.” She tried to start a conversation

“Yeah…” He managed to say.

She rubbed his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He rubbed his palm over his head looking away. His face looked a little swollen.

“Something is wrong. It’s written all over your face. If you don’t want to tell, that’s fine but I can tell.”

“Really?” he managed to pull a smile.

“Francis, I’ve known you all my life and I know when you are worried.”

“Don’t worry teddy chums.” That’s what he calls his sister.

He thought about the vent that just happened. Victoria has been out of the country for her masters, she back working with the same company that turned him down. And on top of that she’s pregnant and happily married. He wanted to choke. He wondered what would have been going on through her mind while they spoke. She must be thanking her luck that she had not gone ahead with him. Maybe she would be in a deplorable state as he was. She’s better than him now in every way. God but why?

“Francis, Francis.” Ebube nudged him with her shoulder.

“Sorry jare.” He jolted out of his thought.

“I knew it. Something is bothering you. Is it because of Victoria? You are thinking how well she had turned out?”

“Not that…”

“Then what exactly is it?”

“You worry too much my dear”

“See who is talking. I know it must be tough seeing her and all buh… you have to pull yourself together and get strong.”

“Whatever…”

“Can you imagine what the fake of this material was like? The resemblance is striking…” she wanted to change the subject.

“Yeah. I learnt something new today.”

“I did ooo. I hope mama like this material sha..?”

“Why?”

“I dunno…” She said, feeling the material.

“She definitely will. Would you like some ice cream?”

“I don’t mind ooo.”

                                                *   *   *               

“Who was that guy?” Jennifer asked her friend.

Victoria was looking for something in her bag. “Ohhhh. Where did I keep this phone now?”

“You can’t find your phone?”

“I’m still checking. I remember putting it in my bag” she emptied all the content on her laps. Then, she started to comb the contents. She found it.

“Oh thank God. I found it”

“You know for a second, I thought maybe it had been stolen…”

“I thought so too.”

“Ok, I was asking you who that guy was.”

“I use to date him”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it like five years ago now”

“Wooow!”

“Abi. How time flies”

“I thought he was an old colleague of yours”

“Well, in a way he was.”

“How?”

“We met during our youth service.”

“Hmmmm. Interesting. So, what happened?”

“Long story…”

“Na so.”

Jennifer was at the wheels. She was driving at close to 50km/h. The road was small and there were lots of cars parked along the sides of the road.

Victoria continued, “This life is funny sha...”

“What happened?”

“I broke up with that guy after two years.”

“Why?”

“Well, the guy wasn’t forth coming financially. I had to move on...”

“You see. That’s why I don’t date all these young shall grow fellas. I’m not from surulere. I no get time abeg. If the guy no get money, fashy quick quick”

They both laughed.

“We really loved each other at the time... Thinking about it now, I a little emotional”

“Ehya, keep the love story for your kids. Abegi. The thing about some of these guys; they say they love you, you patiently wait for them to make it. When they finally make it, they go and meet somebody younger and ‘better’”

“Abii. Honestly, I’m glad I did not stay with him. He had not changed much from the time we used to date. ”

“You see how this useless boys end up ruining our lives as ladies? They have no ambition. No future. And yet, they want to get married. God forbid. I am going to marry a rich man, I tell you. I no get time to waste abeg.”

“Hmmmm. Rich with a richer future.”

“Yes ke”

“But you should settle down soon ooo jenny”

“Very soon. And its going to be big”

“So who is the lucky man?”

“One very rich lawyer. He is a SAN. The guy hold money abeg. Rich. No, very wealthy. You need to see his office at Ikoyi, its awesome. This place is furnished to taste. Mehn, this guy is a super big boy.”

“So, is he married?”

“I think so. But what’s my business with that. Abegi”

“Jenny, you can't be running after married men. You will get burnt badly.”

“Me? Impossible. It is the man that would get burnt badly I tell you” She said, smacking the steering with her palm.

“There are lots of rich unmarried men out there. Why are you after rich married men?”

“They have something to loose and they are more careful. The unmarried ones are unrepentant randy chauvinist. You can never trust them. They have nothing to loose compared to the married men.”

“So what's the story with this man?”

“The man has began to whine lately. Telling me, his wife this, his wife that…”

“And…”

“I told him I’m pregnant for him.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he’s not the father of the baby. He said he’s so sure of that and I should never call him again…”

“Are you… preganant?”

“I’m not sure. I’m, just feeling symptoms”

“Symptoms? How?”

“I just know jare. Lemme alone.”

“this thing might back fire ooo”

“Back fire how? I know how to handle him.”

“What do you intend to do?”

Suddenly, “See this useless driver” she yelled at the yellow bus that almost hit her side mirror. She winds down the glass and screamed at the driver. “You are a very mad man. You must be stupid. Is that how to drive? Are you blind?”

The yellow bus driver ignored her and drove off.

She wind up the glass and looks at her friend. “Some drivers should be arrested and locked up for good. Did you see that?”

“That how they drive. I don’t often drive to the market in Lagos. I take a cab instead. This public bus drivers and sick folks.”

“No not sick. They are mad and foolish. And they need to be jailed. The guy almost broken my side mirror. I was trying to tell him. He just ignored me and drove off.”

“That’s how they behave.”

“Mtsheeeeeeeew”

“Calm down jhoor” Victoria fumbled with her hair. “I need to fix my hair”

“What style do you want to do?”

“I don’t know yet”

“I also want to do mine as well”

“What do you want to do?”

“I saw this really lovely style on Kim”

“Who is Kim? Lil Kim”

“No Ice Kim. Kim Kardashian”

“Oh really? Big girls”

“Yes so. I will show you the picture. I have it on my phone. You know Kim and I have the same face”

“I hear you. Where’s your phone?”

“It should be in my purse.”

Victoria grabbed her friend’s purse and pulled out the phone.

“What’s your password?”

“I’m stunning”

“Huh?”

“I’m stunning. Its one word.”

“I’,m as in I A M or is it with the apostrophe?”

“Yeah. With the apostrophe.”

“Ok. I’m in.”

“Just click on the pictures icon..”

“I know how to use a Samsung phone my dear”

“Ok then. Have you seen it? It should be like the fifth picture…”

“Ok, yeah, I see it. Its nice oooo. I may try it too.”

“You don’t have the face for it”

“Yeah and who says?”

“No seriously you need to have that kind of face to pull it off. You know your face matters with what kind of hair you wear…?”

“Abegi leave story jhoor. So na you come get the face abi? With this you slim long nose.”

“That’s the idea.”

“But the hair is lovely though.”

“And I’ve got the right stylist for the job”

“Hairesense?”

“No. I found this really good stylist. She works with goodlooks.”

“I heard about goodlooks. Everyone seems to be talking about goodlooks lately.”

“They are the hairstylist for many red carpet events in Nigeria. I heard one of them in in high deman. Her name is Amaka. She’s very good. Did yu watch the musicvideo awards?”

“No. Why?”

“Most of the artiste had their hair made by Amaka. I mean she’s that good.”

“She’s going t be very expensive ooo”

“Before nko. I’m not the one paying for it so why worry. Abegi”

“So wh is paying?”

“I met this handsome dude. He just came into the country 4days ago. He is rich. I mean this guy has fleets of expensive cars in his garage. His house is not of this world…”

“Hmmmhmmm”

“We went to the club the day he arrived. This guy was doling out dollars. I mean dollars mehn.”

“Be careful ooo.”

“What?”

“What does he do?” Victoria asked trying to pry.

“He is a business man. Who cares anyway? It’s not like I’m his mother or something.”

“How did you meet him?”

“He’s younger brother is a friend of mine. Used to toast me buh I did not like him. So he called me and told me there’d be a party. His elder brother was coming to town and was throwing a party. So I went and we met and the rest is history.”

“Na wa…”

“Yesterday, he called me to tell me he had wired some money into my account. The guy like me a lot. And interestingly we come from the same village in Akwa Ibom. See his village, see mine just beside it.”

“Interesting”

“I think he came back to get a wife…”

“So you think you guys can be husband and wife?”

“The kind of money that guiy has is really tempting. Buh, I don’t want to marry young rich guys like him.”

“And that’s because…?”

“he can afford girls like me ten times over and he has nothing to loose.”

“So you are bent on married men no matter what?”

“No necessarily married men. Rich and wealthy widowers and divorcees are in line.”

“Jeez, Jenny you are something else.”

“Well… I’m blessed I think?”

“Indeed.”

“Check my phone; you should see his picture…”

“Ok.”

*   *   *

Martins sat at the foot of the flight of stairs that led into the Jasper Radio Office. This was the seventh station he had brought his debut CD and was turned down. He had always wanted to be an artiste. Many of his contemporaries had moved on with their lives. He was stuck in his dream of becoming a superstar. He dreamt about it every night.

He looked at the debut CD. The case was bright green and white at the edge. There was a picture of him with a microphone in his left hand on the front cover. He had borrowed money from his friends to produce his songs.  He elder brother had to sell his Nike boots to help him raise some money. Now all that effort sat in the CD he held in his hand. He wanted to smash the little plastic on the floor till it was ruined to pieces. He was tempted as angry emotions ran through his veins. He could feel his temple pounding and his mandible tightening.

The explosion of the entertainment industry in Nigeria is giving birth to a lot of hopefuls. Many like Martins could be seem around with their big earpiece hanging from their neck.

Someone said him one day, “You better give up on this music and get something else doing. Now that Wizkid is making it big, every young boy is following his footstep…”

“That’s them but not me” he had replied that day.

He looked down at his new plimsol. It was ridden with dust from the amount of walking he had had to do. He stood up to shake the dust off his shoes. He could hear voices coming from somewhere up the stairs. He waited to listen. But the voices were inaudible. He tried the first four flights up the stairs. The vices became a little audible.

“Imagine? After all the work I’ve done on this track..? These guys are so heartless” One voice was saying.

“Guy, lets go jhoor. Let’s go to Cool FM. I heard they are better supporters there…” another voice said.

“Na the samething we go see. If you don’t have money, your song will not be played, I tell you.”

“Guy, let’s go and try abeg. What’s the worst that can happen? They would turn jus down abi?”

Martins could hear their footfalls getting closer. He ran down the short flight and went around the corner. He hid himself behind a small-unhooked door that was laid against the wall. The door was unoperational, obviously.

The two figures came around the corner. Martins pretended to make a call.

They just walked past him oblivious of their immediate environment—they just walked past him. He watched as they walked towards their car and drove off.

Then he turned around and headed home. He had his big headphones fitted to his face cap as he strutted quietly home. He was listening to his song.

*   *   *

Adora changed the path she was walking. She moved on to the next aisle where baby goods were sold. She was looking at the baby toys. She wanted t buy a toy for her niece.

She had picked two toys and wasn’t sure which would best suit. She walked to one of the attendants, “hi, please I need your help”

The attendant turned giving her her attention. “How can I help you?”

“I want t pick a toy for my niece’s birthday but I don’t know what color to pick. Should I take the pink or the green? I know pink is a female color but this green is lovely”

The attendant smiled. “You may just pick both of them” she smiled

“No. I can’t pick both of them. Haba. I’d rather not buy anyone and pick something else…”

“The pink looks much better and since you are buying it for a girl, pink should be ok.” She shrugged.

Adora inspected the two items again. She walked back to the rest of the toys and dropped both items.

All this time, Morris was watching her on the other aisle. He slowly approached her.

Adora walked back to the items and stood for a minute. Then she saw a young man walk towards the same toy and she noticed he was approaching the green toy she had picked up earlier.

“Sorry, I was coming for that one…” Adora said.

Morris looked surprised. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah, I’m so sorry”

“No that’s fine. ” He picked it up and gave it to her. “I was eyeing this green one.”

“I also was. You think its better than the pink one?” she asked.

Morris picked up the pink one and acted to inspect it. “Its not bad. But that light green color looks much cuter.”

“I thought so too. Thank you anyway.” She started to walk away.

“It’s no problem. For your daughter?”

“No. For my niece.” She replied as she walked away.

She did not hear Morris say ok.

Morris walked the opposite direction. He could not help thinking how beautiful she looked. She was stunning. Sometimes he wondered if Jide had the upper hand. He wasn’t going to give up.

He looked up to determine what direction she had walked. He could see she wasn’t far away.

He turned the corner making an almost 45 degree turn that brought him some meters away from her. She was picking up some groceries in a small cart she was pushing. She looked up to see him walking in her direction. She smiled at him and in almost the same second she was back to checking her groceries.

Morris approached.

“Hello”

She looked up. “Hi”

“I can’t help but ask…”

Adora had the suspicious look on her face.

“My name is Morris…” He introduced himself.

Adora wasn’t giving him her complete attention. She was looking a body lotion she had picked up. “Morris, how can I help you?” She tried to be polite.

“Ok, I know this might sound a little bizzare but are you married?”

That got her attention. She gave him a suspicious and almost shocked look. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, I know…”

She started to walk away. “Please, excuse me”

Morris followed her.

“I’m sorry if I scared you. That wasn’t my intention…”

“Have you been stalking me?”

“Stalking you? How?”

She didn’t reply. She went on shopping.

“Ok, first of all, I’m not stalking you. I just wanted to ask you to have drink with me…” Morris pushed.

She didn’t reply.

Morris did not push further. He turned and walked away. He did not notice Adora looking at him as he walked away. She was disgusted and at the same time amazed at how much impetus he had.  

She smiled. Guys are just amazing.

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CHAPTER 7 Coming Soon

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