Striving For Knowledge- Episode One: Created By Sandy
FEMI`S SHOP
It was 7:30am on Monday morning. The roads had started to get busy has usual and most tradersaround that location had unlocked their shops for business.
Mr.Femi, a young dark man about the age of 32 years was seated inside his shop where he usually sells Dangote’scements. He was very engrossed gazing at the students that werepassing by. He admired the students as they walked in groups to school. He continued to stare until an elegant andyoungwoman came inside his shop.
‘’Boo! I caught you there!
“Hey! You startled me.”
“You didn’t even notice my presence; you were busy staring at those female students passing by.”Rita mocked.Rita was Femi’s fiancée.
‘’Hmm!Someone is sounding jealous here. Just admiring their school uniform.’’ Femi teased.
“Come on sweetheart! That is not true.’’Femi replied with a grimace.
“That is because I have been nursing this idea of going back to school, replied Femi.
Rita burstinto wild laughter and then she sat down close to him.
“Do you know that you are older than me? To do what if I may ask?” She asked disdainfully.
“I want to acquire knowledge.” Hereplied.
“Excuseme!Don’t forget our traditional marriage is supposed to be in fourmonths’ time and we need to plan towards that for now.” She paused and then swallowed hard. “Ican`t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,”shelooked into Femi eyes and sniffed.
“I know about that, but we could still get married whileI’m in school. My schooling will not stop the marriage preparation. All I need from you now is your support because I wouldneed you to always help me watch over my shop during school hoursplease.”Hepleaded.
“What! So you want to make me your shop girl now because you want to go back to school?” She asked jokily.
“Alright I will do anything that makes you happy my love, provided you do not chase those secondary school girls.”She concluded.
“Hurrah!”Femi leaped for joy and carried her up from the chair, which she was sitting. He dropped her down gently and took some money from the drawer. I am going for the registration now; please help me watch over the shop. “I will be back soon, so that we can celebrate my admission.” He bragged.
“Hey! Wait a minute before you go, I saw your father on the way whileIwas coming here. “Shesaid softly.
“I saw him on the way while he was going back to Ekiti state. He didn’t say much, he onlytold me that you failed to give him the money that he needed to furnish his apartment and topurchase a gun,”she said.
“What!That old man is beginning to piss me off.” Did he furnish me with the right knowledge to excel?Did he equip me with the right weapon to succeed in life? Why then must he expect money to purchase a weapon from me even after I bought him a motorcycle and married a new wife for him?Hehad vehemently refused to train me in school and expect me to lick his nose, that’s not going to happen.” Femi said in massive rage.
“Whoa! Take it easy my dear….”
“Don’t tell me to take this easy.” Heinterrupted. “That man is a total failure, a big loser in life. Hecouldn’t build a house of his own, can you imagine that a man of his age would still be living in his father`s mud house? Now he expect me to give him money to furnish his father`s house.” He said gazing directly into Rita`s eyes.
“Well! I have made up my mind not to give him any more money. All the money I’m saving now is for the pursuit of my education and our conjugal.”
“Hmm! what does he even need a gun for?” Rita investigated. “Good question.According to him, he needs it for protection due to the recent attacks of herdsmen on our neighboring community.”
“Awful!That’ssad, our government should do something about those herdsmen that are attacking innocent farmers. Most times women are often the victims of such attacks.Anyways please be careful you know how fetish your father is.” She cautioned.
“Thank you dear Rita, I passed through a lot to raise the capital for my business. I will not end up like my father. That man is a big failure to his generation. How can a man be working all his life and still hehas refused to sponsor all his children to school and now he expects us to build him a palace and buy him a chieftaincy title. It was me, who sponsored my sister in a nursing college. I also enrolled my step−brothers in order for them to learn different trades, and now he expects us to applaud him for a role well played as the leader of the family.”
“Sosad, you have really passed through a lot,” she said in a low whispering tone.
“Don’t worry about that man; I will be more successful than him.” He bragged.
“Phew!”She heaved a sigh of relief.
“Time to go now, “hesaid. He gave her a peckon the left side of her face.
As he was about to exit his shop another female trader stood on his way.
“Femi abeg nor vex oh, this my phone language don change to Chinese.Abeg help me remove am from Chinese back to English. “She begged and complained bitterly.
“Give me the phone for checkup.”She gave the apple product phone to him. “Ooh−la−la!” he exclaimed. “Who bought you an iPhone?” He inquired.
“Nah my husband oh!” She answered.
“Ah−ah−ah,” laughed Femi. “You have an expensive phone that you lack the ability to operate. I wonder why your husband wasted his hard earn money buying you such expensive gadgets. Heshouldutilize his money for something more profitable,” he bemoaned.
”Abeg nor be waste of money, check am for me nah.”
“Okaymadam!” He handled the phone for some minutes and then he announced, “There is no way of changing the language back to English from this country, unless your husband takes it to China.”
“Haba!Wetin I go do now? I nor want my husband to know oh! “She panicked.
“Calm down, there is always a way out of every situation.”
“Abeg how?” She asked without hesitation.
“I will send the phone to china through a courier agent.” She looked bewildered.
“I know you don’t understand. What I mean is that, I will send the phone to China through DHL courier service. They will change the language and send it back, so you will get your phone tomorrow morning but it will cost you 15000 (fifty thousand)naira only.” Femi explained.
“Chineke!ọbụeziokwu?(God! Are you serious?)I nor get that kind money oh. ”Shepleaded in igbo.
“Alright have your phone and give it to all those road side incompetent phone repairers that will exchange your new phone parts with old ones.” he said and hissed.
Rita was engrossed watching them.
“Jiriyanwayọọ.(Take it easy )i get only 10,000 naira,” she begged in igbo language.
To know is to know that we know nothing. that`s the meaning of true knowledge.
Socrates
“Ahem!”Rita cleared his throat and said:
“That was a fast one you just played now. You victimized her”
“Hurrah! When Mugufall, guy men go chop na, ”he jubilated. I have already changed the language back to English but I will give the phone back to her tomorrow morning,” he said as he jubilates.
“Whoa! I want my own share of the money,” she said as she reaches for him but he quickly ran off.
He kicked his motorcycle and revived the engine, as he zoomed off.“Come back here Femi,” she commanded. However, it was too late; the sound of his motorcycle fadedaway leaving only the noise of the other traders as they solicited for customers. Rita glanced at him confounded and flabbergasted as he drove away.