STORY BY PATRICK DOMINIC
I sat down inside the keke, thinking about what my kids were going to eat when they returned from school.
After their mum died, the sole responsibility of taking care of the kids was on me and it didn’t bother me.
I was doing relatively well until I was sacked from my place of work because they needed to reduce the number of staff as they could no longer pay everyone.
I couldn’t tell my kids the bad news, I mean, they have been used to a life of luxury and enjoyment and I didn’t want to ruin it.
The money I saved, I invested it in a business that turned out to be a scam and it left me devastated.
I had to sell my car to pay for their fees and I told them that the car was bad and needed repairs.
I sat down in the keke with just #150 in my pocket, thinking of my next step until a woman carrying a sickly child on her back approached me.
I turned my face to another corner, hoping that the keke driver will just forget about filling the Keke and drive away with me and the young lady inside .
The woman came to me and began with the usual begging skills
“Oga help me, my pikin no well,we never Chop since morning ”
If only this woman knows that I have eaten anything myself and that after paying this keke man, the only thing I will have in this pocket will be just #100.
She turned to the other lady and she immediately shouted at her.
“Common getout from here with this smelling child of yours. Una nonsense skills wey una de use beg money. Idiots!! ”
She throws a spit at them and the woman walks away crying.
I felt a tingle in my stomach as she walked away, my spirit man just won’t let me be.
I tried to take my eyes off her but I just couldn’t.
I came down from the keke and gave her the #150 with me and she thanked me so much and cried again.
She went as far as praying for me, much to my delight.
Since I had no money to pay for the Keke anymore, I decided to trek home. I was about to start moving when the Keke driver called me and asked me to enter.
“Oga, I see u as u give dat woman money and I know say money no de ur pocket again, no worry, I go carry you for free”
I was shocked. I looked at the Keke driver again, he reeked of alcohol and wore a very distasteful look but underneath all that is a kind Man.
“Oga, this World na human beings de make am hard. U see dat woman wey u help so, she bin de work for post office one time. When she born dat her pikin, de find out say d pikin get one kain yeye sickness like dat. She don spend money tire, even the husband sef come die join for where e de mould blocks, d building fall ontop him body. Her work people come sack am say she too de late. Na our neighbor before oh, na landlord drive am comot say she no pay rent. Only say I never hustle today own, na me de give am food everyday”
The other lady inside the keke with me suddenly felt bad and started to cry, she instantly regretted all the words she said to the woman.
“I didn’t know, I just thought she was one of those scammers” she said.
“Aunty, if person get money e no go beg, if u no wan help person no de abuse dem, nobody go beat u if u no give”
I almost passed my house listening to the Keke driver, such a nice guy.
I learnt something valuable from him and I felt so good that I gave the woman that money.
As I was about to enter my house, I got a call that Jude my son has been involved in an accident and has been rushed to the hospital.
Since I didn’t have transport, I ran all the way to the hospital and I met my daughter crying.
“Where is my son?where is he? ” I barked at the nurse.
The Doctor, a tall handsome young man came out.
“Mr Mike, your son is in good condition. He lost a lot of blood though but a good Samaritan woman helped donate hers”
As he was still talking, the Woman I gave #150 came out, crying and massaging her hands with cotton wool.
“She brought her child here for treatment but the child died.
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