Short Story Collection

          

                                             The Betray of Political Brotherhood 

                                                             and Other Stories

                                                                            By

                 

                                      

   

                                                                 Lene Ododomu

                                                         Cried for the Abandoned Sacrifice

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Because Dimini was born on Monday, so he had the African belief in the law of nature about birth that children born on Monday are raised by a single mother and struggle to achieve what others have achieved. He grew up to know only his mother who goes to the rain forest to fish with her local canoe. Because of her poor background, she couldn't afford to buy a good canoe for fishing, so she manages a canoe that was abandoned by her fellow fisher woman who also helped her with paddle.

Dimini was originally born with the Ijaw blood. His skin is darker than any glancing touch of the sun. His skin sometimes could be described as a starshadow-black with a white colourful eyes.  He was born with an electrifying smile that deceives a thousand of girls in the village. He was born with puffy, pouting lips and they are blossom soft. His hair is dark like a black charcoal and he is elegantly tall with slim body and a charm looking Ijaw boy! He is a dream of many girls in the village. He love playing with friends and because of this he do forget the assignment his mother gives him sometimes. But one thing that he never fail to do is to always remember his background. He doesn't care to hawk fish in the streets after his mother returns from fishing. For her not to be stranded because of bait to fish, he will go to the bush where the villagers digged out baits for fishing and dig for his mother. Sometimes, girls will full the place without a mixture with boys but only him but he never ashamed to stay in their midst to get what he wants for his lovely mother.

Dimini attends a very local primary school but still his brain wasn't affected by the poor environment of his education. He always comes first in class and was promoted from primary 3 to write his common entrance exams. Also, he attends the same local junior secondary school but still was promoted from JSS 2 to write his junior secondary school final exams which he had As in all the  subjects.

             "Dimini, I am so proud of your good performances in school. I know you very well that you came from a very poor background and that was why you were put in a very poor school with low level of teaching, but still you are breaking a record that my children who are in standard schools cannot break. I will support the remaining part of your education, from your current class to the university level. I am proud of you, boy! Keep it up" said the school principal.

                                                                    1

Dimini became so happy and was singing from the school to his poor home. When the mother saw him from afar, she started dancing without knowing about cause of his happiness.

        "What could have make my son this happy from school? Because I always know that he comes back home sad because of school fee payment. So let the cat out of the box, let me see him" said the mother who stopped dancing to get his response.

            "Mother, you can't believe what I am about to tell you. Infact, the people of Dougbini won't believe it" replied Dimini.

           "Tell your mother about it, she will believe no matter what" said the mother.

          "OK mother, I will tell you" replied Dimini.

           "That's my son. Your mother is waiting like a farmer waiting for rain" said the mother.

Dimini dropped his school bag and demanded for a cup of water to break the news to the mother which she gives to him immediately and he thanked her.  

        "Mother, guess what...." said Dimini.

        "I am not good at guessing, you know too" replied the mother.

        "OK. Let me not stress you, mother. I passed my junior secondary school final exams in flying colours and my principal awarded me a scholarship to the university level" said Dimini.

The mother jumps up crying with joy but stopped and started steering at Dimini with a very sad look on her face.

          "What's the matter, mother? Are you not suppose to be happy forever?" asked Domini who moves closer to his mother and holds her right hand.

         "How I wished, your father was still alive to see your success because he always wanted you to go to school, but he is now a spirit that we cannot see" replied the mother with tears.

         "At least you are still alive with me. What I know is that father will always be proud of me wherever he is. So stop crying, mother" he comforted the mother.

           " You said so but nobody is rich enough to buy tomorrow, Prof.

 Wole Soyinka once said. What of I joined him after seeing me today?" asked the mother.

          "I am lost, mother" Dimini replied.

                                                                                2

           "You will understand my voice when you stopped hearing it, son. Go inside, your favorite meal is served" said the mother.

           "Thank you, mother. But before I take my meal, could you tell me the cause of father's death?" Dimini insisted.

          "It's a very long story, my son" replied the mother.

           "Cut it short, mother so that I will be aware of it also" replied Dimini.

          "Well, your father was a kind hearted man who loved to help other people. He was a powerful local politician of Dougbini village, this village you are living and was born from. He was the party leader of Peoples Choice Party (PCP) which produced the current local government chairman, Dr. Akpodiwoni. The last local government election was very tough and brutal because the opposition party brought violence to destruct the voting process. Meanwhile, your father, being the party leader of ACP,  he confronted the thugs that were brought by Mr. Koluwei, the chairmanship candidate of the opposition party. While trying to stop them from snatching  the ballot boxes, he was shot on the neck and died after he was brought to the hospital, but soldiers came immediately the incident happened, so the thugs couldn't go away with the ballot boxes but ran to save themselves from being arrested by the soldiers" replied the mother.

         "Then what happened after the election?" Dimini asked.

         "Dr. Akpodiwoni won the election and was made the chairman" replied the mother.

           "Then why are we suffering after my father sacrificed his own dear life for his success?" asked Dimini.

The mother hesitated to give him a reply and he becomes curious and pressurizes her with the same question.

             "He abandoned us, my son. Anytime I go to his house to beg for his support of your education, he keeps on making promises to support you. The sun was dawn and now it is set, still nothing is fulfilled. I am only trusting God. Just go inside and enjoy your meal, my son." replied the mother.

After the death of Karawei, Dimini's father, Dr. Akpodiwoni promised to take care of his family, especially the education of Dimini will be prioritized, but abandoned his promises. He comes to his village every weekend. He visits almost every house in the village to render them help, including his political enemies, but he never have the thought of visiting his helper's house to at least say a greeting to the wife. One day, when Dimini was selling fish in one of the village streets where he was inspecting projects, he saw him and stopped to greet him and he knows the boy as the son of his late helper but still pretends as if he doesn't know him. Dimini couldn't hold his tears after remembering the story his mother told him of how his late father sacrificed his dear life for this very man. Infact, he continues crying until he gets home.

Few days later, the mother fell sick and was expected to be taken to the hospital, but no enough money to take her to the hospital. Maybe women are simple to access, so Dimini ran to the wife of the chairman to seek for her financial support for his mother's treatment, but the woman ended up making a promise like her husband. Dimini suspected that they had the plan of not helping his family so he decided not to bother them any longer. But the condition of his mother was getting worse. So what will he do? He decided to sell the family land just to buy the life of his dear mother. The worse of selling this family land is that, the chairman who refuses to help him and his poor mother was the one that ended buying the land with low price. Dimini does not have a choice than to sell it and his mother was treated in the hospital and brought home after few days of recovery.

Dimini returns from school, expecting to meet his mother from fishing as usual, but surprised to find out that she was not back. He went to her friend's house to confirm if she was back from fishing because they usually go for fishing together, but met her home. He hurriedly asked the woman while his mother is not back and she told him that she wasn't feeling fine so his mother went alone. The woman became worried too, so she decides to inform men in the village to accompany her to the bush to look for her friend. Gotten to where they usually fish, it was already night. So they started beating rubber as used by Ijaw people to look for a missing person in the bush, but they couldn't get her. Then the friend takes them to where they usually eat before checking their hooks, the fishing traps because the place has a clean water to drink garri with smoke cat fish. Gotten there, they saw the canoe and saw one of her legs tired on one of the seats of the canoe but the remaining part of her body was under the water. Leeches already full her body and fell off when they brought up from the water because they have shocked her blood that they could not clip her.

Dimini started crying like a new born baby when his mother's corpse was brought home and buried immediately. He had nobody to run to for help because all his relatives that his father helped when he was alive abandoned him. The only hope that left for him was his education that the school principal promised to help him. He loves the man even when he has not committed to support him. But still there's something that makes him to hate the man and it is because of him marrying four wives. To him, many of the Ijaw men involved themselves in polygamous family because of ignorant. They usually married four to twenty wives at the same time and produced many children. He studies this their behaviours of marriage and find out that the well educated ones are only involved in monogamous marriage and also have family planning to have a limit of children they will born. Then expecting the principal to have the same character because he is well educated with sound brain, he sees him among the first group whom he considered as illiterates.

Chief Alawei, the school principal had forty children with four wives. Because of the expansion of his family, he builds each of his wives one house to accommodate peace. Others used bamboo to build their wives kitchens, but he builds his with concrete block building. The daughters live with their mothers while the sons live with him in his big apartment. He loves taking dry gin and palmwine, so he always keep five or six bottles in his room and take a cup anytime he feels like.

Dimini started living with Chief Alawei after the death of his mother. He passes his final o'level exams in flying colours and immediately got admission in the university of Lagos to study computer engineering. 

Dimini was made the course representative in his class after he was discovered by one of his lecturers, Prof. Bamidele. Because of his intelligence and brilliance, many students come to him for tutorials and some of them took responsibility of his up keep, so things became easy for him. He also do projects for final year students without a single support of internet to plagiarize and they all have As and Bs in their final grades.

After Dimini graduated from the university with first class upper, another journey of life began for him. Unfortunately, he lost his helper, the principal while in final year of his studies. The journey he was to start he is a journey of getting a job to provide for himself and plan for marriage since he is now a graduate and no longer growing younger. He always loved to marry one of his course mates, Ene, his besty who he loves but doesn't know how to express his feeling to because he is a very shy person. Some of his course mates know the truth that he is dying inside with love for Ene, but couldn't not open it up to her. 

Like destiny works, group anonymous was held after their final year exams and one of his mates who noticed his love for Ene writes........"That Demini is dying inside of love for Ene because he is a shy person, he couldn't open it up to her. Must he die all because he is shy to confess his love for her? If it were I, I can't die ooo instead I will confess it to her. But that Ene self knows but she dey pretend. Ene wetin dey zuzu..... don't frustrate the life of our dear course rep na. I rest my case".

He started laughing when he read the anonymous message in their school group. He sees this as a way which destiny works, so he decided to make the confession to her. But before then he forwarded the message to her, asking her if she was the person that composed the message which she says no and started laughing at the message. She agreed to his request of wanting her to be his girlfriend.

Destiny still brought Dimini back to the chairman to beg for his help for job. Dimini had visited all the offices in Lagos with his first class certificate which many of them ignored him because he doesn't have what they wanted him to bring. Many demanded for huge amount of money before giving him the job which he could not afford. Some promised to help him but in later discovery, they changed their words because he had first class and might end up becoming their bosses. While others employed ladies because those ones pleased them with sexual advancement.

Dimini remembered the story he read about the origin of corruption in Africa and the novel title is Devil on the Cross by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o. He becomes very angry and found Africa hopeless after he discovered from the story that Africans were infected with corruption because of their callous and ambitious behaviours. There was nothing like corruption that demand for money before getting what a person  wants in office so far he or she is qualified. He narrated from the story that when the Europeans were ruling Africans, the African elites who are the neo-colonialists complained that they have being oppressed by the Europeans, therefore seek for freedom from these people. What then the African leaders did? They crucified the Europeans on the cross who are referred to as the devil. This was better explained in the story that they chased the Europeans out of their countries in form of independence just like this saying 'Ghana must go'. What did these leaders do after sending them away? They returned to them and begged to wear their cloth and return to their own people, showed them and asked them to worship them the same way they worshipped the strangers. This was best explained that the African leaders copied the mentality of the Europeans and started using it on their own people that's why bribery is everywhere in the country and best leaders cannot be selected in the political offices because bad leaders buy the choices of the people. Then he becomes more angry by seen a character of his people who sell their happiness for a day survival. These same people cried over bad leadership in the country and thinking that they will make a right choice to elect good leader in office, but when the time for election to make the right choice comes, they will end up still selling their votes. He wondered within himself that since he cannot get a job with his first class certificate, he will end up becoming a yahoo boy or doing anything that will survive him.

While returning from a job interview where he was rejected, a company where his local government chairman owns in Lagos, he meets his university old friend called Ade who dropped out of school because of his unseriousness with studies. Ade was an occult member on campus that intimidate lecturers and students. He was a member of Black Cat Confraternity. Whenever there is a cult clash, the Black Cat Confraternity will be  found involved. They have a symbol of a black skull with two crossed bones underneath and often tattoo this symbol on their bodies. As members of a confraternity or cult, they are recognizable by their clothing: They wear black pants, a long-sleeved black and white shirt, black coat with the cat insignia on the front and back, and a black beret with a red ribbon tied around it. Members are also known to use charms which is called "fetish rituals" to gain supernatural power and protection from rival members and police. 

Their initiation ceremonies take place in forests or in cemeteries, usually around a bonfire, and involve dancing, singing, drug taking, the drinking of human blood and the rape of women. They usually initiate new members on Saturdays at midnight. According to them it is calls the "test of manhood," which involves being flogged, kicked, and hit with belts and sticks while stripped to the pants, before being taken to the "island", or initiation site. The initiates take an oath of secrecy around a bonfire and put on their fraternity clothes; they are then given a new name and made to sign a membership scroll and provide their thumbprint in blood. Drinking, dancing, drug taking, and drumming begin when the new members are presented to the larger group and end in the early hours of the morning with a procession called (the jolly by the Black Cat) to the new members' lodgings. When Dimini was told of everything about these things while interacting with Ade in their school days, he told him that the place he came from forbids it. The oracle in his village will kill the person instantly, especially one that drinks human blood.

Because Ade was disgraced by one of his female lecturer in class, he decides to punish her. He arranged some of his gang members to ambush her while returning from office. They took her to an uncompleted building and rapped her. Because she could not live with the shame, she decided to commit suicide by drinking six snipers which cut off all her intestines and killed her instantly. Ade was arrested after investigation was made and traced him as the culprit. Then he was brought to court and released after the judge was said to be bribed with huge amount of money by his gang members. 

Remembering how Ade was released because of bribing the judge and some police officers, Dimini becomes more confident of becoming successful by any means. He remembered vividly that Ade was expelled from school not because of his bad ways of life but because of his poor performance to build his CGPA but now he is better than him in everything.

When Ade saw him, he started laughing and with electrifying smile on his face, he asked Dimini why  is he a poor boy in the street walking like a homeless madam.

              "E no easy my brother. Nigeria hard like stone" replied Dimini.

             "Wetin make am had na?" Ade asked with mimicking voice.

Dimini laughs because he knows that Ade asked him a rhetorical question.

               "I no suppose dey tell you na because you know already" replied Dimini.

            "I gat you bro. You no go jakpa because we are the hope of this country" said Ade.   

              "Guy na you know that one ooo. Country that a first class graduate like me could not get a job because I don't have connection or money to do bribe? Me I go jakpa oo if there is a means. This country don suffer me na. Just take a good look at me"............. showing him the stain of his shirt, "because I have been moving from one office to another but still I couldn't get what I want because I don't have colanut to feed the gods" replied Dimini.

         "That's Nigeria for you bro. What I want to tell you is that there is no need to go out of this our dear country. Having you present with us in this country can change one or two things for  her betterment. I will teach you how you will become successful without running out of the country" said Ade.

          "Aha baba, show me the way na" replied Dimini.

          "Not yet. I will credit you five million naira to take care of yourself for now till the time comes" said Ade.

          "Aha, you mean it?" asked Dimini with curious voice.

            "Yes, just send me your account details" replied Ade.

Dimini surprised to see that Ade credited him the five million immediately he gets home. His account was blocked because the money entered the account was above the maximum amount the account suppose to carry because it was a student account until he went to the bank to upgrade it before it was opened for him to withdraw part of the money, but mysteriously he becomes sick. He went to hospital for medical check up, but nothing was detected from him. He had to treat himself with the money till the money got finished.

Dimini went back to Ade to explain the whole thing to him but surprised to get Ade's response that he will continues to waste any money he gives to him to solve problems except he involves himself to know the root of the money and plant his. Because Dimini was so desperate because of his past experiences in life, he accepted to be part of whatever thing that produces the money. However, Ade brought him to a dwarf in Benin where he was asked to pick one of a covered small stones. Unluckily, the one he picks demanded him to be sleeping with corpses to get rich. The more he sleeps with the corpses in a month, the more his  money comes to him everyday. He accepted it because he was left with no option and also desperate.

Dimini became a billionaire overnight and started building houses everywhere. He was happy for becoming what he has becomes but still sad of a fact that he is forbidden to get married and build a house for his dear parents whom he always wanted to make proud.

Dimini arranged mortuary attendants in all the states in Nigeria and paying them millions of naira every month just to sleep with the corpses that produce him money. He makes this arrangement so that if he is in another part of where he permanently lives, he cannot be stranded to get a corpse to sleep with and they must be fresh corpses that are newly deposited in the mortuary. He lives the most sinful life which against the gods of his land by sleeping with different types of women and licking their private parts. Any woman that he licks on private part cannot survive but start by seeing blood and worms till she dies. Sometimes after making sleeping with the woman, a big python will appear in the room and swallowed her and after that his cupboard will be loaded with dollars that he cannot count. Also, contract calls will keep on coming and he will be the one to decline some because the load was too much on him.

During the time of his village festival which is celebrated on every 28th of September to mark their victory with their enemies in war, and it is usually celebrated to honor the oracle called Eru, the god of war and justice, he visited home for the festival and spends millions of money. The Eru forbids sinners. It is a primordial god that was believed to be ascended from heaven. The Eru forbids what God also forbids. It forbids killing of innocent people, oppressing people, stealing and licking woman's private part and breast. Anyone that is found committed these sins, will confess and ask for forgiveness and cleansing will be made on the person. If it has not put eyes on the person, the person can still live a sinful life but it won't spare once it discovered the person.

After Dimini visited home for the festival, he returns to Lagos but could not get himself any longer because he became terribly sick. He went to his master to find out the cause, but surprised to find out that the dwarf died in his strine with blood all over his body. He becomes so scared and ran home. He called Ade but his number was not connecting until he saw a post on facebook that announced the death of Ade. He died on a ghastly accident while returning from his brother's wedding which he was warned not to attend. 

Dimini's sickness became worse and he could not renew his wealth, so his incomes started crumbing everyday. He went to the hospital to do check but nothing was detected out of him to tell the cause of his illness. He becomes very lean like a piece of broom and HIV patient. When the elders of his village visited him they discovered  that the oracle has visited him, so he need to confess and undergone cleansing. So they brought him to the village to do the confession.

Dimini became so angry when he sees Dr. Akpodiwoni, the chairman that caused part of his wayward life. He joined his late mother to cry for the sacrifice of his late father for the success of this man, but he ends up abandoning them which caused him to commit the sin that brought him into this present condition. 

It is believed that the oracle gives time for the sinner to make confession, and failure to meet up with the time will end the life of the person. The elders begged Dimini to make his confession for the oracle's forgiveness, but he refused, instead cries everyday. When the expected time of the confession past, he now starts to confess but ended up not listened by the oracle. He died after the confession, and according to the tradition of the land he was instructed to be buried in the evil forest.

                                                       Dulamini's Experience 

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Since the birth of Dulamini, happiness has never becomes his friend because they are always like cat and rat, and then the cat who hunt the rat like a hunter hunting in the forest. This is caused by the experience he had through the administration of president Mustapha who has occupied the throne of presidency for more than seven years. He always asks himself these questions:

                 "Am I cursed? Or is my country cursed by God because of her foolish action of removing the government from Dr. Ibediwei, the  former president whose administration was said to be the worst  the country ever had?" but he rests on the dining table where he was  served food and abandoned it for the rumination of his experiences both the past and  the ones he is yet to encounter.

 Dulamini realized a fact that the problem of his country is not just bad leadership but also a problem steered by the people and the people are even the foundational cause because it is they who gave power to the leaders before they started by ruling them. He thought of how the people take advantage of every little opportunity to inflict hardship on themselves. The issue of fuel scarcity is always in his mind and what annoys him most is the fact that the people turned themselves as retailers where they buy fuel from the main filling stations and resell it in high prices. Anytime he walks down from Wuse 2 to Banex, he will be seeing these people on the roadside doing first class citizens for motorists. The motorists don't have choice but to give them honor which they claimed that is due for them because buying fuel in the main filling station is difficult except you bribe the fuel station attendant. He became more infuriated when it happens one morning that he accompanied his mother, Beatrice, to buy fuel at NIMPCO filling station opposite H-Medix , Wuse where they waited for more than 4 hours before they were attended to but couldn't make it up to school.

Dulamini always loves Mustapha, their driver to drive him to school because he understands the language of the filling station attendants. Anytime Mustapha goes to the fuel station and meets a queue, he will pack his car far away from the fuel station maybe with Dulamini and then walks down there. Dulamini will be watching him like a dog eagerly watching his master to feed it the fish bones , when he approaches one of the fuel attendants. He always sees Mustapha folding something in his right hand and giving it to one of them who Mustapha named Kabiru and then he will walk back to the car and move ahead of the angry queue and fuel the car. So Dulamini was so eager to know what Mustapha always folds in his hands to give to Kabiru. 

             "Uncle Mustapha, please tell me the truth. What do you use to fold in your right hand and give to Kabiru and then you will be allowed like a president to fuel our car?" asked Dulamini while eagerly waiting for Mustapha's response. 

           "Because we understand each other and this is beyond the understanding of an ordinary person except one who is also part of us" replied Mustapha as he was driving Dulamini to

school.

                 "OK make me understand please" Dulamini further pleaded.

                 "You will pay then" replied Mustapha as he bursts into an uncontrollable laughter.

                 "No problem" replied Dulamini.

                 "OK then. It's called bribe. What happens in this present Nigeria is that the people take advantage of just a little problem and use it to frustrate others. It has never happened before that there is fuel scarcity and then people will pay extra money to the fuel attendants before they will get what they want. Buying fuel from the retailers by road side is the deadly part of it. Sometimes you will not have the choice but to patronize them because of fuel scarcity and those ones have been making a lot of money. So to avoid this their evil behavior, many people love to pay the extra to the fuel attendants to supply their cars, and for me, I have a special relationship with Kabiru, and that's why I always bribe him to give me high chance of fueling your car even though I meet a crowd of people. Are you satisfied now?" asked Mustapha as he continues driving.

               "Yes, I am" replied Dulamini. He thanks Mustapha and runs to class when they parked at the school gate.

Barrister Bekewei, Dulamini's father and even his mother, Beatrice, wanted him to write his WAEC and NECO at Derimobo Model College because the main aim of founding the school is to curb examination malpractice in the Ese- Odo local government area of Ondo State. It is a school where students write exams without the helping hands from teacher. They always come out in flying colours in their results. Dulamini finished his Junior Secondary school at the school before he was transferred to Abuja because he loves staying close to his parents, especially the mother.

Dulamini was so happy when his mother announced to him the news of his going to Derimobo Model College to write his final exams because he had already missed the school. But one thing that spoiled his mood was that he was to travel by road with Mustapha and his elder brother, Timiwei, and he has been hearing cases of kidnappings which are basically targeted at travellers. His mind is always disturbed by the gruesome attacks that happen at Kaduna road where bandits attacked the train and killed numberless of people and kidnapped the rest due to lack of insecurity by the current government. He always had this thought that one who accidentally meets with these people cannot have a complete life because they are devil’s agents who came to this world to destroy. Then to travel from Abuja to Ondo State is by passing through Kogi State and Dulamini always

hears the bad news of kidnapping mainly at  Kogi roads, especially Okene road. So he started wandering if he is going to end up like those that have already become victims, if truly he follows that road on his trip.

Dulamini blames the current government because many bad things that are happening in his time are caused by the irresponsibility of the government because he has never been told that Nigeria has had this experience before. Before, you can sleep in your house without closing your door but now you have to lock yourself in your house like a prisoner.

Dulamini is always happy with the relationship he has built with Mustapha and when he told Mustapha about this his news of traveling to Ondo State by road, Mustapha gave him an idea of how he was going to escape it. He idealized that he will lie to Dulamini's parents that he is sick and he knows very well that the trip cannot be possible without him as a good driver.

Dulamini became so happy when he was told by his mother that he is no more traveling by road but air because Mustapha is sick. He immediately  ran to Mustapha and appreciated him with a gift of phone which he begged his elder brother, Timiwei, to buy for him. His mother brought him his flight ticket in the following day and was booked on VP class. He was  to spend three weeks for the exams and expected to return as soon as possible so that he would sit for UTME exams.

His flight was Benin and a driver was arranged from Ore to pick him at  Benin airport and take him down to Derimobo camp. When his planne touched ground at the Benin airport, he met Adebayo, at the arrivals entrance waiting for him. Though he does not know Adebayo until he saw his name written by him on a paper, he waited for him at the arrivals entrance before he knew that he was the driver. Due to the weather, his first flight was cancelled and rescheduled for 2: pm. So his arrival to Benin was around 2:45pm and that made them got to the school camp very late in the night.

Dulamini enjoyed the time he spent at the school camp, so, to return to Abuja was a difficult thing for him but he had no choice but to return in order to meet up with his UTME examination, though he would have written the exams at the same school because it has CBT center but he was already posted to another center in Maitama, Abuja. SASCON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CBT CENTER, NO. 19 YESERDAM STREET , MAITAMA, ABUJA , FCT (that's the description of the center where he was to write the UTME exams) and this is favourable to him because his house is very close to the center.

He returns to Abuja two days to his UTME exams and he is a kind of student that is always serious with his studies because the foundation was already built by the first school, Derimobo Model College which he completed his junior secondary school. So he was not worried about the exams because he had already prepared himself.

On the day of the exams, Mustapha was the one who took him to the center and waited for him until he comes out after the exams. He came out  smiling, so Mustapha already

knew that he broke a bone,

              "No one cames out of exams hall without squeezing his or her face because exams have no friend except one who satisfies them. So what's this smile all about? Because I know you......you......you broke a bone" asked Mustapha as he opens the door for him in the car.

             "Yea. I killed the exams!" replied Dulamini.

             "Oh, that's interesting. I trust you" said Mustapha.

              "Thank you" Dulamini replied.

Dulamini surprised to see his results; both WAEC, NECO and UTME which he had first grades in all; dropped on his bed by his mother. Also, few months later he got an SMS from his first choice of institution, University of Abuja where he was offered admission to study B.A English. He became so happy because English was his dream course because he was always aspired to be a successful writer.

After Dulamini successfully became a student on campus, and was also lucky to be made the class rep. through the massive support of his course mates. He built a very reputable relationship with all his lecturers and he has never being queried by them for any unconscious mistake because he always follows every instruction given to him. But one day when he fixed 8:am class with one of his well respected lecturer and a very senior  Professor in the institution called Prof. Olusegun, he couldn't get to school on time and it was his responsibility to arrange the class before the lecturer. Twenty minutes to the class, the lecturer called him on phone to know how he  has made arrangement for the class but because he was still struggle to get to school. He lied to Prof that he was still looking for venue not knowing that the lecturer was already outside waiting for him.

The cause of his  lateness was because of the change of the old naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN). It has now created a new business for the people as usual where you will buy your own money. Most times, even with begging, one will still end up not getting it. That very day for the class, he had old naira note of 1,000 which he had budgeted to transport himself to school but it happened that both bike riders and motorists refused to collect it. He was struggling to convince them but none of them listened to him and even the withdrawal he wanted to make to get new notes disappointed him. Worse still, he wished to transfer money to whoever drives him to school just to meet up with his arrangement for the class, but he was instead slapped by one of the bike riders at Iddo junction. A thought came to his mind to call one of his course mates called Mohammed, who is very supportive to help arrange the class on his behalf but still lied to the lecturer that he was looking for venue in another location at ETF. 

Before he was met by his departmental president, Comrade Chubuzo, who supported his transportation to school, the lecturer was already in class with his mates because the time for the class was already passed. He apologized to the lecturer and he was lucky that Prof showed understanding as a man who is not just a lecturer but a father to all his students. Though the lecturer insisted to know the cause of his lateness. Dulamini eventually opened up to him that it was caused by the issue of changing of the old naira notes and the scarcity of cash and that day the class was very scanty because many of the students could not make it up to school due to this the same issue of  cash scarcity.

         "I know Nigerians but before then I will blame the irresponsible government of today who is making everything difficult for us. This was not how this country was if we take a trip back to the previous administrations. As it is now, even military government is far better than it and its actions clearly showed that it lacked the power to fix this country, instead, it break the nation into pieces the more. This particular current government promised us during campaigns that, if elected, they will make us have handshake with God and by this I mean that we were to get whatever good thing we needed in this country, whereas, they made us to have handshake with the devil who is using every little thing to frustrate us. We have had many bad experiences which I will only name few like End-Sars protest that almost took the lives of all the youths in this country because of this irresponsible government and many more, which I don't want mention again because of the pain it causes my heart. Then for the people, they are part of the problems of this country and that's why we don't need to blame  our leaders that much because they didn't make themselves what they are today. We gave power to president, senators, governors and other offices. Instead of us to make things easier for ourselves we’ll rather make it more difficult. Take for instance, if we (the ordinary people) don't take advantage of maybe fuel scarcity, selling of money and other things, we wouldn't have suffered to this extent. So I won't blame you for what happened today because I am not a stranger or alien of this country" said the lecturer who additionally postponed all his physical classes until this issue is resolved, but promises to be taking them virtual classes.

All the students in the class became so happy and prayed for new elevation for the lecturer for showing understanding for their plights. Then Dulamini with this bitter experience promised himself to keep this history for the new generation that is yet to come.

                                                           The American Dollar

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Chief Egede and his family were the most blessed people in Ofoni village. They have many farm lands and the full owner of the crude oil in the community. But happiness has never become their friend because they have no access to these properties which rightfully belong to them, rather the High Authority in the land claimed them.

The sons of Chief Egede were radical boys in the village and they formed a group called 'The Militant Group'. So they started kidnapping the whites who were sent by the High Authority to inspect the crude oil in the village, and also beat those who are hired by the High Authority to work on the farm lands. This caused serious problem and disturbance to the High Authority, so they sent soldiers to fight the sons of Chief Egede. It became so difficult for the soldiers to defeat the radical boys and they were brutally killed by them, because the radical boys were fully fortified with the power of egbesu, the primordial and supreme god of the Ijaw people.

However, Deripatei, the beautiful daughter of Chief Egede got married to Dr. Musa who became the head of the High Authority in 2007. Dr. Musa stopped the conflict between the High Authority and his brother in-laws, the radical boys, who are also called the "Niger Delta Militants". He reconciled peace by returning the properties which were caged by the High Authority. He granted freedom for the radical boys and gave some of them free education to study abroad, and he enrolled some of them who are not educated for skill work. So this brought happiness to the family and the entire community. Unfortunately, Dr. Musa became ill and eventually died of heart and kidney disease at Ukraine.

The tradition of the land accepted liveration whereby Deripatei was given the privilege to marry her late husband's brother named Ebitebe, who is a devoted christian and God fearing man. According to the tradition, Ebitebe is permitted to continue the marriage with his late brother's wife for four years before he would return with her to her people to renew the marriage which inturn makes him, her true husband.

As Ebitebe continued the marriage with her in 2009, he followed the foot steps of his late brother, Dr. Musa by bringing the same peace and development to his in-laws and the entire village. So when the four years for the renewal of the marriage came, the people accepted him and he was given the go ahead to  marry his lovely wife, Deripatei.

The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment, and losing itself in schemes of future filicity. The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from ambition to ambition.

Humans cannot be satisfied whatever thing you do for them, especially when they see something that is more higher than the present one. This was the mind of Chief Egede and his family. A man called Dankiki came to the village of Deripatei and visited her parents that he wants to marry her, that she is suffering in the hands of Ebitebe. He showed them an American dollar which they were convinced that he is the rightful one who can bring them more development and advancement.

Ebitebe tried all his possible best to develop these people, his in-laws but they turned against him, that they want change. The American Dollar was their breakfast, lunch and dinner. They dreamt of it whenever they sleep, and used it as daily song. They worshiped it like God, and even the beating of the egbesu drum was singing the name of this American dollar. They believed that Dankiki is capable of marrying their daughter and will turn the entire community into that of American city.

Ebitebe's in-laws started protesting that he must be changed, and their sister must divorce him. They abused him, and even made a cofin of him in the protest ground to bury his name alive so that he would not be seen close to their sister. But he told them that he is the most abusive and insulted in-law they have ever had, but when he divorce their sister and return her home for them,  they would remember his deeds and development they enjoyed through him and his late brother. This touched their bones but ingrate and ambition caused them to ignore him.

In 2015, Ebitebe returned his wife, Deripatei to her people in the village. But still they will have to do selection among the two men namely: Ebitebe and Dankiki who will marry their daughter as the tradition of the land demand.

However, the selection will be made by the family which would be used to know the man who is capable of marrying their daughter. So the whole village gathered in the village square and the family of Egede were asked to form a line, and also Ebitebe and Dankiki were asked to stand on the two sides of Deripatei, that is, one stand by the right side and the other one on the left side, while Deripatei was in the middle before the two men. Then, the selection started and they both made their choices which about 99% of them rejected Ebitebe for Dankiki, but the few that chose him knew that he was a good and God fearing man who brought development to the family.

However, Ebitebe did not feel bad, neither he did not hold anything against his in-laws. He peacefully handed the wife to Dankiki and told him that he should take good care of her, and then he returned to his people and settled down.

After Dankiki successfully married Deripatei, he stopped his in-laws from entering his house, not even to be seen around his gate. Then hunger started, and the worse was that, he bribed the High Authority to withdraw all his in- laws from school and stop the ones who were doing skill work, and he also siezed their properties.

The pain became unbearable, so Chief Egede visited his son in-law, Dankiki, to remind him of his promises. But Dankiki ordered his boys to throw him out of his house like a slave. He felt disgraced and insulted. Also, he became ashamed to return to his land to  tell his people what the in- law did to him. He then pretended that nothing happened as he got home.

The pain became serious and worse, so Chief Egede's sons and a few others decided to visit Dankiki despite the fact that they are restricted from entering Dankik's house. When they got to his house, a battalion of soldiers were fully armed waiting for them at the gate of Dankiki house, but they summoned courage and approached them. The soldiers refused them to enter the compound and wanted to beat them up, but Dankiki came out and stopped the soldiers. Then he told his brother in-laws that he never planned to help them with his American dollar, but he used it to deceive them to achieve what he wanted and also punish them for their foolishness for exchanging their joy, birth right and happiness with money. He told them that they were born with the blood of Esau in the Bible who exchanged  his birth right in exchange of one day food, and they can see how foolish Esau is. He also told them that he wanted them to learn from their mistakes so that they would be wise to select a good husband for their sister next time. They felt so bad and disappointed, but they said to themselves that a man who carelessly lost his golden ring in the river would not blame the river but himself. So they returned home and blamed themselves for being foolish and ingrate to their former in-law, Ebitebe who always wanted the best for them like his late brother, Dr. Musa.

Chief Egede and his children went to Ebitebe to ask for forgiveness, and if possible to beg him to re-marry Deripatei. As a devoted christian and kind hearted man, he forgave all of them but did not accept to marry her again, instead wanted another man from his family to marry her..... because he believes that if she marries from Dankiki's family again, the suffering of her family would be worse.

The tradition of the land demanded that Dankiki still has the right to continue marrying his wife, Deripatei for four years to complete, before a new day of selection would be made to save  Chief Egede and his family from this punishment. In the cause of this bitter experience, Chief Egede and his family had an important meeting to plan how to save their daughter and the family. They concluded that the only solution, is to have one voice, be wise and come out massively to choose a God fearing husband for their daughter, Deripatei, so that they can be freed from this punishment. They started waiting for the day to come like farmers who are waiting for a rain to fall.

However, when the day finally came, the whole community gathered again at the village square. Then four suitors came out from Dankik's family and while four also came out from Ebitebe's family. The family of Chief Egede were asked to queu up as usual form of the tradition to make their selection. To restore the peace for the family, they rejected all the suitors from Dankik's family and selected a man called Powei who was among the four suitors from Ebitebe's family to marry Deripatei.

Just few time after the marriage, Powei uncaged the properties of Chief Egede's family that were siezed by the High Authority, and sent the children back to school including the ones learning skill work which retrieved happiness to the family and the entire community.

                                                                        The Deadly Journey

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Bose lost her father at a very tender age. She was still in primary school when her father  died of a  tragic accident by falling down from a palm tree. He was a palmwine tapper who was well known in the whole street of Ijebode, Lagos.  

When his dead was announced to the people in the  street, mourning travels across the whole street. Bose was deceivingly brought home and was told about the news, although she was still a child that doesn't understand the pain of losing a loved one. Since after the dead of Bose's father, her mother, Modupe, has being the only one taking care of her education and well being. She is the only surviving child of her parents. She helps the mother to hawk plantain anytime she returns back from school.

 Bose wrote her final o'level exams with the money she earned from labouring work and with a token support from the mother. Also when she was in the university, she be the one to support herself by hawking sarchet water on the street. But luckily she met a young man who supported by paying her school fees and also rented an apartment for her, but unfortunately she lost him immediately after her graduation from the University of Lagos.

Bose met a lady called Ayomide while returning from the market. She was her secondary school mate whom she helps academically but can't compare herself with her with a difference that Ayomide came with a brand new car and while she was trekking with legs with  plantains that remained in her sales from the market. They embraced themselves after recognizing each other.

                 "What happened to you, my dear Bose? Why are you this helpless?" asked Ayomide with a mimicking voice.

                 "This is how God want me to be for now. According to predestination in the circle of life or the rite passage  in African cosmology of Oral literature, before a man was born he was already destined by God of what he will become on earth. Predestination is explained that it is a man’s first link with God, his creator. It is the first stage of man’s life, the stage before real life. It is also regarded as man’s destiny. It is hinged on the belief that what becomes of man on earth is decided before he was horn partly by him and partly by God. Man is given opportunity to choose what he wants to be by indicating before the stool of heaven, the divinities being his witness. God then bestows on him the second portion of his destiny after which he is given birth to. The portion of man’s destiny awaits him on earth and this is dependent on the circumstance of his birth and Ii is encounter with benevolent or malevolent forces. I tried want to point out a fact that every human on earth has a meaning of the day he or she was born as a child. We have days which started from Monday to Sunday  and each of these days carried the meaning of every persons destiny. It was said that a child  born on Saturday is raised by a single mother and always struggled before achieving his or her dream and I was born on that the same day. I doubted it when one of our Professors taught us this thing during my school days in the university. So I had to visit him in his office to make the calculation and it became very accurate with what he said" replied Bose.

                      "But you can change your destiny by working for it" said Ayomide.

                       "It can't be possible because destiny is inevitable just like death" replied Bose.

                        "Well, I have a very good plan for you. I will introduce you to a friend called Mr Kofi who's a Ghanian but a naturalized citizen of Nigeria after fulfilling the requirements of the Nigerian constitution by spending 15 years in Nigeria. He had helped so many young Nigerians, especially ladies. I believe your narrative will change too once you meet with him. I will take you to him myself tomorrow. I will brief him before tomorrow so that I will leave both of you to discuss, but adhere to whatever thing he tells you" said Ayomide.

                        "Oh, wow! I will be very much grateful, Ayomide. Indeed you are a good friend" replied Bose with exciting voice.

                          "You are welcome, my dear. Let me drop you home" said Ayomide.

                           "Thank you for that" replied Bose as she excitedly jumps into the car and she was dropped in her junction.

Ayomide brought Bose to Mr Kofi as promised. They arrived to his apartment at Banana high land and met him with a group of Whitemen. He gives them an eye signal that he is having a meeting, so they waited for him at the visitor's sitting room. He joins them  immediately after the meeting and Ayomide excuses them as planned.

Bose was not comfortable by sitting alone with Mr. Kofi because he's a somebody she doesn't know from anywhere. He ordered for a bottle of water for her and also insisted to serve her food which she declined. He told her that he had been brief by her friend, Ayomide but some processes need to be done before traveling her out of the country. He then asked her to bring N1,000.000.00 to process her visa and ensure her that he had already arranged with a white man in Libya who will employ her for a very good job with tangible monthly payment. She became so excited but still broke down by the amount of money he mentioned. She had this thought that since Ayomide can owns a house and cars, the money she is asked to bring will not be a problem to her. So she related the issue to her but Ayomide refused to assist her, instead told her to look for the money by all means and settled the man to process the visa.

                      "You can't expect me to initiate you into a secret cult where you will make everything you needed in life and then sacrifice for you to meet the satisfaction of the grand master who is the head of the secret society. So you are expected to do the sacrifice yourself and then enjoy your wealth with an autonomy" said Ayomide who drove off immediately she drops her at her junction.

Bose relates this to her mother but happily gets a response from the mother to sell their family land. She thanked the mother and promised to pay her back with greatness to change the narrative of the family. She sold the land in the following day and gives the money to Mr. Kofi to process the visa.

Bose was surprised to be told that her journey through flight has been changed and she is to travel by road to Libya. Bose didn't complain because her  hope was that once she arrives to Libya she will see an end to every of her problems. But Bose was still ignorant of the fact that Kofi ate the money he requested from her to process her visa.

Bose started her journey from Niger to Agadez with 40 passengers in 30 seater bus who are also traveling with the same purpose of her, and they were both male and female but the females were the majority. Because of lack of space in the vehicle, they had to lap each other for a journey of 12 years without good food. Sadly for them, their foods got finished when they have spent just 7 days out of twelve days. 

They got to a desert road where there is no water or anything for survival and they were to spend about 27 hours to pass the road. In the cause of this critical situation, about ten of them died and their bodies were thrown away for vultures to eat. But Bose was so lucky that at that moment her menstruation came out with heavy flow and she used it as a form of water to drink just to survive herself.

It was very sad for Bose that she lost one of her co- travellers called Emeka aka "Emi" from Anambra state who assisted by lapping her for the journey they have embarked so far without any complain. She cried so bitterly when Emeka corpse was thrown out of the bus like a wasted bin.

When they finally arrived to Libya, it was discovered that only five out of the 40 passengers survived and Bose was luckily be among the five that survived and she cried again for not seen her colleagues at the end of the journey.

Bose was brought to a man called  Zibiri who is a naturalized citizen of Libya from Saudi Arabia. He does not understand English to communicate with  Bose, so a Nigerian lady called Adesuwa  who is his secretary that had spent about twenty years in Libya that understands the Libyan language and interprete to Bose in English. From the interpretation, she got to know that her purpose of being brought to him is to use her for prostitution work. She had already being sold by Mr. Kofi and Ayomide before she got to his place at Libya.

Bose saw herself in a pit of hell and concluded in her thought that her life has come to an end. All what she has seen so far are a contrary to what she was told in Nigeria. She was told by Zibiri that she is not the only Nigerian who has become a victim of this situation. He has killed the ones who proved stubbornness with him and fed their carcass to his wild dogs. Some were not dead but he feeds them alive to the dogs.

Bose was told of these devil behaviors of Zibiri. He warned  her that she will end up looking like the others who lost their precious lives due to their stubbornness that's if she fails to corporate with him. She had no choice but still refused to corporate with him, so he ordered his boys to lock her in a dark room for more than four days without food. 

When it happens that she still refuses to corporate with him, Zibiri sold her to a lady called A'shadieeyah who is a successful business woman but a drug addict. Bose was transferred to A'shadieeyah's house, a house which has about 13 bedrooms and she was instructed to clean it every blessed day. Anytime the woman takes cocaine, she will beat her like an animal and one day she angrily locked her inside a cloth washing machine for two days which almost took her life.

The woman invited two giant men to her house and locked Boss inside a room with them, so they raped her brutally and also beat her when she was trying to drag with them. But this  was not enough for A'shadieeyah by just bringing two men to molest  Bose sexually, so she brings more men who came everyday to sleep with her and some without condom. She concluded by sending her to a human trafficking prison where she planned her to end her life.

When Bose got to the prison ground, she saw a crowd of people working tirelessly under a fairy sun. Then when she wanted to shout, a woman who is in charge of the day's work whispered to her not to shout since she has gotten to the land of no return, a place where her voice will be swallowed because nobody will come to her aid and she will be killed like a goat if she fails to comply with them. However, she became so helpless by seeing her fellow humans working like robot without rest and she discovered that about majority of them are from Nigeria who was deceived in the same way she was deceived and trafficked.   No option left for her than to pray for the will of God to be done. 

 Fortunately for her, the woman who was in charge of the workers on the day she came, visited her and hid a phone with a number of Mr. Koko-D funny, a Nigerian comedian who is a content creator. She called and explained everything to him. The woman also connected her to another security officer who guide their building and bribed him a part of money sent by Mr. Koko and stole her out of the prison.

Koko connected his Libyan friend named Abdul Qawi to accommodate Bose. Abdul Qawi prepared a visa for Bose and traveled her back to Nigeria safely. 

With immediate effect, Mr. Kofi and Ayomide were arrested by police and was brought to court where they were sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. 

When Bose was interviewed by Channels TV, she told the world her story of how she went through hell during her stay in the North Africa. She shed more light on her time in Libya, and how fellow Nigerians were the architect of their plight most of the time. She told the incident that happened to her during the journey of how she drank blood from her menstrual flow to be able to survive in the desert road. She ended up by advising her fellow young ladies to be contented with what they have no matter how token it is and never let the attractiveness of money to control their minds. She became so happy that the two devils who caused her this pain have been arrested and jailed, and her regrettable story will serve as deterrent for others not to fall into this dubious trap.

A test was conducted on her and luckily no pregnancy was detected  and nor mysterious deseases after being raped by the white men without protection. She was employed as a secretary by a private company in Abuja.

                                                                  The Reciprocity of Kindness

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Madam Beatrice is a good cook, well known at Suleja, Niger state. The name of her restaurant is "God's Favoured Restaurant" which is located along Kaduna road, Suleja, where customers will come everyday to buy food from dawn till sunset. Even at night, she finds it difficult to rest because customers will keep on coming.

 Madam Beatrice is employed to cook for Access bank staffs and her good hand work of cooking and trustworthiness attracted the bank manager, Dr. Afolabi to award scholarship to her only daughter, Ada who was still in primary school but very brilliant.

Madam Beatrice divided herself into two. She will prepares the food for her shop and the one for the bank staffs at the same time. But she had a sales girl named Lara who is trusted and well behaved and she put her in charge of the restaurant. So Lara would be the one managing the affairs of the business until Madam Beatrice returns from the bank service everyday in the afternoon.

One day, Madam Beatrice went to the market but surprised to see that the whole market women were discussing about her, saying that she is a woman favoured from heaven. Then some of them made a reference to PREDESTINATION (in the cycle of life or the rite passage of African cosmology in oral literature), that she was destined by God to impress people on earth with her cooking talent and that is what following her. On the contrary, no one is expected to impress the whole people on earth no matter how good you prove to them. Despite the fact that Jesus Christ came to sacrifice himself for us and carried the liability of our burdens, still he was criticized by people who hated him like a rejected sacrifice. Madam Beatrice is praised by people, but still others hated her and said that her source of popularity or public notice  is suspicious. That she involves vodoos or charms to promote her cooking talent. She heard all these things from people but surprisingly ignors them. Her believe is that she is destined by God so that is what she is fulfilling on earth.

Madam Beatrice is a well devoted member of Anglican church at Suleja. There is no day that Rev. Smith would give the sermon without using her to cite an example for otherwomen to emulate. She held the position as leader of Anglican Mothers Union (AMU), and there is no time the church would have mothers' day without having a good financial support  for the church projects from outsiders, especially the chairman of Tangidi local government, Hon. Mustapha Abrahim and it is through her. So she became the person in which the church looks unto. 

Tony, Madam Beatrice younger brother travelled to Kaduna for a recruitment of Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA). Madam Beatrice became so happy when Tony breaks this news to her about his trip to Kaduna for the NDA recruitment. She used to call him on phone to know his well being everyday. But one day, she was disconnected from reaching out to him because he misplaced his phone.

 He was a complete stranger in Kaduna because he knows nobody there. He tried all he could to reach out to his sister, Madam Beatrice but all was no avail. So he became stranded and finds it difficult to survive in the strange land.

One day, a man came to Madam Beatrice's restaurant and asked for help. He told her with a crying voice which almost shake down the sky, that he is stranded and was going to the East to meet with his family after being sacked from work in Abuja all because he challenged his boss for mismanagement of office.

Madam Beatrice became confused and finds herself in dilemma. She had the plan to help the young man but still confused by the evils happening in the society, especially Nigeria. She thought of a story that was told by her friend, that a man who was known for doing very well in his life gave money to a beggar. The result after given the money to the man was that, the beggar used the money for ritual and the giver became poor. After thought of this story, she became more confused and enslaved more by dilemma.

However, a man came and told Madam Beatrice that the young man who is in need of her help met a crowd of people in the restaurant but did not ask for help from any of them. So he advised Madam Beatrice that she should render the help to the young man because God want to use it to test her faith. But the man added that she should pray before giving the money to the young man which she agreed and gave the young man a sum of N15,000. Then the young man thanked Madam Beatrice for saving his life and left. But before he leaves, she also asked Lara to give him enough food that would last him throughout his journey back home.

The day that this incident happened whereby the stranger came to Madam Beatrice for help, was the same day Tony done with his program and made up his mind to return to his sister's place at Suleja. Because he is stranded, his journey back home became very difficult. So he made up his mind by trekking from the NDA headquarters which is about 70 kilometers to Suleja road.

A pegeot car passed him while trekking on the road but stopped and reversed back to him. The driver asked Tony of where he was going and he replied by saying that he is going to Suleja but stranded, so he decided to trek down to the Suleja road and enter a car to his sister's restaurant who is by Kaduna road. The driver buried his voice in silence for about 15minutes before he responded to Tony. Then he asked for the description of the woman, so Tony described that she is dark in complexion, elegantly tall and moderate in size. The driver smiled because he had already knew that Tony was referring to Madam Beatrice, his best and regular customer.

At exactly 4:p.m. that day, Madam Beatrice was done with her sales for the day but saw a pegeot car parked outside her restaurant. She asked Lara to inform the customer that they have closed for the day. But she surprised to see that a man was struggling to come out of the car because he is tall, and he happened to be her brother, Tony. So they both ran to each other and embraced. She thanked the driver who brought him and he left.

After they settled down in the shop and provided food for Tony, he narrates how God used the unknown driver to help him when he was stranded at Kaduna. Immediately he rounded off with the  story, Madam Beatrice's mind returns back to the incident that happened in the afternoon and it's about how she helped the unknown young man that came to her for help..... because the incident happened in the same day when Tony was helped by another man on Kaduna road.

Madam Beatrice narrated the story to Tony , but he laughs and said: "What a paradox.......Because you helped  that man, and in return God used another man to help me too while stranded in the strange land. God used that to test your faith and you passed the test.......if not I would have trekked from Kaduna to Suleja without food because I had no money on me to even buy satchet water that would have sustained me a little, and it's about 150 kilometers journey. Life is indeed, a reciprocity of kindness. Then they both went home smiling and singing songs of praises.

                                                            The Chain on my Neck

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Fatima grown up in a family of illiterate and  this was not just  her family but almost all the people in Kato village in Kaduna state. The state governor was interested in girl child education and he brought this development to the rural areas in the state, and villages like Kato was given the opportunity to benefit from the development. Before this initiative came, Fatima had finished her primary school but was restricted by the mother, Mariam from going to secondary school and insisted on pushing her into marriage. So when the state government agencies came, they visited Fatima's home and included her name among the selected girls for education but the mother against it and wants her name to be excluded from the list. 

Mr. Ibrahim, Fatima's father was not around when this happened. When he came back from his journey from Jos, he was told of this story by Kabiru, his friend who had already benefit from the development by including the name of his daughter in the list of the selected girls for education. Mr. Ibrahim became so angry and beats Mariam like slave. 

                      "You are a enemy of our daughter's progress and I will not allow it" said Mr. Ibrahim after beating her.

                      "You can't do more than a dead rat. She must get married instead of wasting her time of going to school" replied Mariam with a crying voice.

                      "Then you will tell me if I am the tale or the head in this family" said Mr. Ibrahim.

                      "That one concern you, me I have told you my own" replied Mariam with the same voice of cry.

Mr. Ibrahim been able to meet with Dauda, the personal assistant to the Commissioner of Education and linked Fatima to him. Dauda became so happy for the fact that Fatima's father wants her to be a better person in the future, unlike the mother who wants her to live a wayward life with force marriage that will jeopardize her future. He immediately called Dr. Suleiman, The Commissioner of Education and related the issue to him which he was given a direction to forward Fatima's name. 

The war continues when Mr. Ibrahim returns from visiting Dauda with the plan of putting Fatima in school.

                 "I won't let this happen. How can you send a girl of 22 years to secondary school instead of marriage? Or do you want to destroy her from giving birth because 50 years is monopose that's if I am not mistaken?" said Mariam.

                  "It is you that will destroy from giving birth or enter menopause, not my daughter, Fatima. Watch your tongue, woman. If you want to spend the rest of your life in your father's house or another man's house to produce more children, then don't serve me this issue on the table as breakfast, launch or dinner. I will not repeat myself, woman. Be warned" replied Mr. Ibrahim.

              "I rather die than watching my only daughter whom I carried for nine good moths, and a daughter who took me the pain and punishment of crossing the seven rivers of Gurara before I gave birth to. Besides we don't have any other child apart from Fatima. So why can't you just allow her to get married and give us grandchildren to multiply the family?" said Mariam.

               "Your level of illiteracy is too low even that of mine. I thought parents do pray that our children should be greater than us? We are too poor academically and if opportunity comes to this village through education and exclude illiterates and include the educated ones, the question is how can you be included among the selected ones for the education? To avoid being denied like sinners in the day of judgement, it is better we should push Fatima to understand the language of education. Woman, for the sake of Prophet Mohammed, please let our daughter free from the cage of illiteracy and fly in the sky with the educated ones to make this family proud. Education can add value to her life but premature marriage would ruin her life. Let's not make her to become a slave to all these wayward boys who don't have a brighter future. I am begging you with the names of all our prophets in Quran" replied Mr. Ibrahim.

Mr. Ibrahim succeeded with his decision by sending Fatima to school and she herself becomes so happy and promised to reciprocate this good decision of her father with greatness. She was admitted to continue her education from JSS 3 after she was given a test and passed it without failing anything. 

Fatima was immediately promoted to SS3 immediately after she wrote her Junior WAEC and passed the exams in flying colours with 6 As and 3 Bs. But unfortunately, bandits attacked the village and kidnapped all the students which included Fatima. When this news was announced to the village, Mr. Ibrahim fainted and cried bitterly after he was brought back to life.

Few weeks after, some men visited Mr. Ibrahim with guns in their hands and gave him an envelope. They passed their message to him that they were sent by their leader to give him the bride price of his daughter who have successfully got married to him  in the unknown forest where they live. They give him a warning that failure to accept the bride price will lead to the slavery of his daughter and also expect a visit from them. Immediately after this message, they left and Mr. Ibrahim remains mute till he was visited by his wife with her family members.

Mr. Ibrahim's in-laws came with a protest to provide their daughter. The helpless mother, Mariam gives him a threat of taking her life that's if he fails to provide her daughter. She blamed him of not following her advice of giving Fatima for marriage. She regretted by giving up on him to succeed his decision of sending her to school that put her under the cage of death. 

"Oh, daddy Fatima, you are too wicked. I warned you but you wouldn't listen. Now our daughter is a beast among the breasts in the unknown forest where she was said to have married to the king of the beasts and this means that she will soon become a mother of beast. Aha, my beautiful Fati. A daughter who is blessed with the beauty of black Africa. A daughter who carried the identify of colour of Kaduna. A daughter who is blessed with the hight of one of our prophetess in Quran. Where now is the beauty? Is she now a beauty of beast? No tell me Mr. education. Aha, I am finished" said Mariam with a bitter cry while gripped Ibrahim on his trouser.

She  brought him before him before the district head and seek for justice of her daughter by wanting Fatima's father to go to the forest and bring her home. But nothing could be done to bring back Fatima and Ibrahim end by saying:

                     "May Allah protect my daughter. I believe in Him and I also believe in the prophets and they can never fail me. One thing I will say is that I was ignorant of the fate of my decision or choice but Allah was knowledgeable of everything and He let it happened the way it is now, so why can't I believe in Him with humility to protect her from the mouths of the sabertooth tigers? I am not afraid to die in the course of wanting the best for my only daughter. Everybody is now on my neck, including Mariam, my wife. This means that I am already like Ishak who is lying down on the stone of sacrifice that is waiting for Allah to replace with the substitute ram".

                                                   The Political Fate Of Senator Danzuma

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Senator Danzuma has been the people's choice for more than 19 years in the National Assembly and he represents the people of the federal capital territory, Dutse. He is an indigene of the FCT that is loved by his people. During the 2015 Senatorial election, he was accused of bribing INEC to win the election and was took to court. He was so lucky to have a lawyer named High Chief (Barr) Perena (SAN) who is an Ijaw man from Ondo state that has been a lawyer to his family started from his biological mother who introduced the lawyer to him. The case was represented by the lawyer in the Tribunal and was won for his favour.

Haven't still not satisfied with the judgement by his opponent, the case was moved to appeal court to review. He was still so much confident that his  lawyer would delivers him, so he gives go ahead to respond to the appeal. On the day of hearing, he sent his brother, Hon. Isaya, the house of representative member representating the people of Anagada constituency to represent him in the court. He was already been told by his lawyer to have hope since the allegation against him lack merit. But on the first sitting for the hearing, it was adjourned to one week time before proceeding.

By being the elected Senator, Danzuma was still the one that sit on the throne of the FCT senate. Rumours were circulating around the whole FCT that he has been defeated in the court of appeal therefore was ordered by the court to vacate the office. But soon after while still in the midst of the rumour, he addresses the people of FCT through the peoples channel television to debunk the news. 

The hearing continues after the one week adjournment and both the defended and his co-lawyer argued the case. The three men panel which is lead by Justice Okoro of the high court acknowledged the arguments by the two parties and fixed three days after the hearing to prepare and deliver the judgement.

The court room was full with people who came for the judgement and Senator Danzuma was present to see the outcome of the case and he was so confident that he can never loose the case. The three judges arrived and sat for to deliver the judgement two minutes before the fixed time. Then the court clerk was asked to call the case at hand. 

The presiding judge addresses the court and then moves on immediately after the address and announced the judgement which was clearly made to favour Senator Danzuma. He was paraded from the court to his house and some of his boys paraded the who FCT with triumphant jubilation. A party was also organized to celebrate the victory, but the battle was still not finally won. His opponent appealed the case to the Apex Court (Supreme Court) for final review of the judgement.

Senator Danzuma became so afraid this time because anything can happen to him in the supreme court since he can't predict his political fate. He was so worried that sometimes he will go to office without eating. His wife will woke up some night and finds him not sleeping,

                   "What's that that is troubling you, dear?"  asked the wife who is affected by the situation.

                    "Nothing" he replies with some much worries in his voice.

                     "Nothing? No, it can't be nothing because something is really bothering you inside" said the wife while resting her back on the head of the bed cabinet.

                     "Well, I will tell you. I decided not to tell you before so that you will not join me in the troubling shadow of thinking. My opponent is still not satisfied with the judgement of both the Tribunal and the appeal court and he has moved to the supreme court but I don't know my fate there" replied Sen. Danjuma.

                      "With God all things are possible. He started with us from the lower court and he will finish it in the supreme court too. Meanwhile, what did your lawyer advice you?" asked the wife.

                      "Well, he advised me to be calmed and have faith" replied Danjuma.

                       "I trust him" replied the wife with a smile on her face.

                       "But never can tell. He has been trying his very best but he still cannot overcome everything though I always believe in him. One of the judges advised me to feed the gods and you understand what I mean by that" said Sen. Danzuma.

                         "Feed the gods? That's you mean bribing the judges?" asked the wife.

                         "Yes and I have already made some money availabale for it" replied Danjuma.

                          "Have you told your lawyer about it? asked the wife.

                         "No but I will do that tomorrow" replied Danjuma.

                         "OK do before you do anything. But I know him very well that he will not accept the idea because he only believes in integrity" said the wife.

However, he meets with his lawyer to brief him about his plan but he rejects the idea and advised him not to give any bribe. He put it on himself that Senator Danzuma should hold him responsible if he fail the case in the supreme court. So Danzuma left no option than to follow the advice of his lawyer who has been unfailing winning cases for him without any support of bribe.

God has never failed Senator Danzuma. He won the case in the supreme court and was given the full license to complete his tenure in office. It was at this point that he remembers the existence of God and the professionalized hard work of his lawyer. So he bought a ML 500 (2020 mecedes bens) to appreciate the lawyer.

But some years back when re-election was about to start, many Senatorial candidate from difference political parties started declaring their interest on the FCT Senatorial seat. Though Senator Danzuma has no fear for any of them but still little bit fear for the candidate of the new party that was just formed. This party was already in existence but unknown until a prominent member from Sen. Danzuma's party left for it and be emerged as the party's presidential candidate and he was coming with a massive support by the people of the country. Sen. 

Danzuma made the calculation that the movement of this presidential candidate might affect him because the people will end up giving their votes for both the presidential candidate, house of rep. and Senate of the party. But he was still blinded with his political fate and could not conclude on the outcome of the forthcoming election. Though his lawyer advised him not to continue because he has spent about twenty years in the National Assembly and he initially agreed but later declared his further interest.

Danzuma begins to set plans by building a structure in the 6 area councils so that he will get a concrete support from the Area Councils chairmen. So he campaigns for them and canvass vote to sit about four of them in the Area Council. He succeeded this strategy but it's still obvious that his votes will be affected by this new party because the majority support it in the FCT. Though during his own campaigns he meets with all the traditional rulers of the FCT and almost all of them endorsed him. He became little bit confident but still can't tell the outcome of the election. He also made the foundation very solid by having hand to hand plan with party leaders and then concluded by completing his impending projects.

On the day of the election, it happens so sad that Sen. Danzuma lost his party state chairman who was returning home for the election. A source reveals that he involved in car accident as a result of being tired in the course of preparing for the election. But his death doesn't stop the election to take place so he was put in the mortuary and fixed a day for burial.

The voting starts in all the polling uint in the FCT  and people came out massively to exercise their franchise. Not that he was not wanted by people outside or within the party but because they wanted the presidential candidate of the new party to win the election, some of the party leaders work for the success of the party for the presidency but the voters ended up not knowing the different of the positions.

 What open a beginning must surely close with end, so the results were announced from different polling uint.  But it was so unfortunate that what Sen. Danzuma perceived from the beginning came into manifestation. The election became in favour of the opposition new party. This became very obvious that the support of the presidential candidate of the new party was what gave support to all the offices both senate and the house of representative. The result of the election was announced to declare the  opposition party candidate as winner who was contesting for the office for many years from different political parties but failed. This can be interpreted as her fate too because she finally got what she was striving for with just this favour. Though something was observed that there was an issue of over voting and as a result one Area Council votes were cancelled.

Senator Danzuma failed in the election doesn't mean that the people don't want him but it was a coincidence of his fate. 

It was very sad for him to lose the election and at the same time the death of the party chairman. When he visited the family of the decease, he became so emotional but later summons courage by accepting the fact that everything happens with the will of God.

People were circulating wrong informations that Sen. Danzuma failed to be re-elected because he was not doing well in the office and also greedy not to allow others to taste the red wine of the office. He was silence for a very long time since after the election but unmutes the silence and finally addressed the press.

In his address he opens to the press that he lost his re-election bid during the recent elections because people voted based on emotion and not performance and this emotion was for the presidential candidate of the new opposition party which luckily incorporatDanzuma senatorial candidate of the party too.

Speaking for the first time since the result of the election was announced earlier in the month, Sen. Danzuma said he was not defeated because he did not perform but because people rode on the glory of their principals.

                     “However, it is unfortunate that some people have allowed their emotions to becloud their judgement of our performance and thereby misleading the public with cheap utterances wrapped with ignorance even when it is clear that some of them are coming to public prominence through the glory of their principals. Though the 2023 senatorial elections came with its challenges and concerns that we hope to address legally, we strongly believe that with your continuous support and prayers for a better capital city of the country under our leadership, we will come out stronger" said Sen. Danzuma.

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Sen. Danzuma also raised concerns about the status of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and called for the territory to be treated like a state and his aim of becoming an ancestor in the senatorial seat of the FCT was to eligible the plan to become the mayor which is similar to a state governor. He lamented that while people in other states will get the opportunity to elect sub-national leaders on Saturday, the territory is left out.

                    “While other Nigerians will be going to their respective states to elect their governors and state houses of assembly members, the FCT people will be at home watching them. This wouldn’t have been so if the federal government had yielded to calls for the democratisation and second-tier government for the people of the FCT" said Sen. Danzuma with a lament voice.

He also disclosed that his colleagues in the senate rejected the Mayor for the FCT bill. According to the senator, if the bill had passed, it would have given FCT the same administrative status as New York City in the US and London in the UK.

                        The Struggle of the Girl Child

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Amara was born into a very poor family and had many bitter experiences about the difficulty of life. On the day she was born, her father, Obinna, who is a palmwine tapper was in the  market selling his palmwine which he use to cater for the family. Because of his absence, his younger brother, Uche,  was the one who borrowed money to buy drinks and little money to give to the midwives for prayers because he doesn't have a living too but also feed from the brother's pot. But when Obinna returns, he was told of his wife's delivery and the money borrowed to  do the needful by Uche and he managed to pay half of the money and promised to complete rest when get more money from his business.

Due to the situation of where they live in their own land at Akwaibom, Obinna decided to relocate to Lagos thinking that things will get better for them. He was told by a friend that the palmwine business is very lucrative at Ekpe, Lagos state where area boys reside. So he took his family and relocated to Ekpe to continue his palmwine business and make things better for his family. Before they relocated, Amara was already four years old and she also had two siblings.

Things became contrary to the expectation of Obinna and his family because the business could not sustain him to feed the family and pay house rent and the place they live is a very local area whereby the buildings are built with ordinary bamboo and plank. It happens that where they were in their own village was far better than the new resident because they were living in their own house built by Obinna's father who is late but projected Obinna to inherit the house because he is the first son.

 Amara could not wait for her parents to do everything by taking care of the family, so she decides to go to the street and hustle for money and she was just five years without education. She is a good dancer, so she will stands at the street, play music and started dancing to entertain people which makes them to  give her money. With this talent of her, she started going to one location to another, including market and entertains people with her dancing skill and every day she makes a lot of money, so she started sponsoring herself in school from the money she earns from her dancing and also supports the mother to establish little business to sell agbo. The aim of the mother to sell the agbo is because of the street boys who use it for smoking and also it is prefer to drink by the local people for medical purpose who don't have money to afford hospital medication. So the mother built a small joint where people come every day to patronize her. But due to the expansion of the family by having additional children, things were not OK for Obinna and his wife, Amarachi, to cater for the family and this was caused by the inability of Amara to further support the family because of the accident she had and was advised by doctor not to continue her dancing till one year time.

Amara made up her mind to reduce the load of the family by relocating to live with her boyfriend, Bayo who is also a dancer that entertain people to get money just like Amara. Amara believe that staying with the boyfriend will even make it easier to achieve her dream because Bayo will motivate and reinforce aspiration to achieve the feat of making it in life. The parents did not complain of her staying with Bayo but rather grateful and pray for them to have a better life.

Ayomide, Amara's friend came to her and wish to help her because Amara told her that she was in need of job and she came on the day that Amara was preparing to join Bayo on a dancing show because the time gave to her by the doctor has completed to continue her dancing. But Ayomide was not comfortable with Amara for living a retrogressive life with Bayo according to her, 

                  "Are you not tired of this life you are living? This retrogressive life style. At least you are 20 years old now and have been living with Bayo for two years with this your so called dancing" said Ayomide.

                   "But at least I am surviving with it and it is better than stealing" replied Amara.

                   "She you. Let me tell you there's nothing differentiate you from one who steals. For the fact that you entertain people with dancing without them asking you, it means that you are a beggar and a street hawker. Do you know what a street hawker means?" asked Ayomide.

                     "No" replied Amara.

                      "You see.....and you are little bit educated than me as I know you write from our secondary school days when you always have As in most of the subjects. Street hawker means one who sells in the street and sometimes collect money from people's pucket according to ghetto interpretation" said Ayomide.

                        "Is you that know that one because at least I am living in the ghetto for many years and I don't see entertaining people in the street to get money as a synonymous word with street hawk" replied Amara.

                       "Be there speaking English, I have told you my own. Meanwhile, I visited you today to tell you that I have gotten you a job that will change your life and the narrative of your family" said Ayomide.

Amara broke into silence before responding to her with excitement,

                       "Are you serious?" asked Amara as she hurriedly hugged her.

"Yes na because I am here to prank you" replied Ayomide.

                       "Thank you oo better pikin" said Amara.

                        "Oh so you remembered to use ghetto language. You ba" replied Ayomide as she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

                        "Leave me jare. At least I was not born into the ghetto, the ghetto only helped by accommodating me due to the wickedness of leadership of Nigeria. There is no place in government office that is not infected with the deseases of corruption. Just like this saying by Ijaw people which I learnt from Perelatei who is from Arogbo Ondo state that lives in the next compound that it was spoiled from above which is the celestial body to the earth. By this the Ijaw people are referring to the corrupt mind of Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit that brought the earth corrupt mind. This, however, is a symbol of Nigerian government whereby the people on top of the government infect the lower ones with their corrupt mind. You will not believe what I experienced just two days ago, that I went for an interview in one local hotel and the manager requested to sleep with me and just that he further requested that I must be given him 5 percent of my salary which I jettisoned and promised my good self never to go there again. What annoys me most is that we the commoners take advantage of many things and use them to frustrate us. I wanted to withdraw N700 naira that was sent to me by one of my friends and the POS agent asked to pay a charge of N300 because of the scarcity of cash. I cried because I was not having anything on me and me and Bayo were hoping to use  the money to sustain ourselves for the day. But I thank God that I am still alive. But let me know the kind of job you have for me" said Amara.

               "Well, a very good job with a white man in Accra Ghana" replied Ayomide.

                "Wow! You mean it?" asked Amara.

                "Yes and he wants me to prepare your visa immediately after today" replied Amara.

                "Oh! I can't wait, my dear friend" replied Amara.

Amara had a dream and was visited by her late grand mother who put a mark on her forehead when she was a baby and promised to watch over her from the land of the death. The grand mother reveals to her that Ayomide intension of giving her a job is not from her clear heart but she is planning to sell her to the whitman for prostitution. Amara woke up immediately the grand mother disappeared in the dream. She was visited by Ayomide with the traveling visa but she indirectly told her that she is no longer interested in the job and Ayomide begs her seriously but she told her told her that her mind is already made up and nothing can change it.

                   "You will die in poverty"  said Ayomide with angry voice.

                   "I rather die in poverty than becoming a successful thief" replied Amara.

                  "You will be buried by the same poor people then" replied Ayomide.

                   "I love to be buried by the poor e too because I was not even born with a silver spoon so why I'm I expect people that are born with silver spoon to bury me. But let me tell you I have hope in the future and it is my patients and not rusting into the pleasures of the world it what will take me there. We all know the story narrated by Chinua Achebe, the father of modern African literature that the elders of Umuofia advised Obi Okonkwo not to be in a hurry to rush into the pleasures of the world like the young antelope who danced herself lame when the main dance was yet to start. I learnt a lot from this and I will always follow the advice to achieve my dream" said Amara.

                   "Keep it for yourself then" replied Ayomide who walks away with anger.

Amara was not sake by her behavior but instead have more courage to do the right thing to succeed despite situation she finds herself by living in the ghetto.

One afternoon when Amara was washing clothes, Kunle, the son of the king of the ghetto called Ade ran to her informed her by using ghetto language with Yoruba that a celebrity called Mariama in the street recording the boys who have talent of both singing and dancing and plan to relocate them from the street to live a better life. Immediately Kunle done talking, Amara ran after him to meet Mariama to participate in the street display of taken to Mariama.

Mariama was dancing when the first performer called Ademola aka Jaja waa singing according to the free style played for him and she was happy for having a joyful time with street boys and girls. However, she became more happy when Amara displays her two talents for both singing and dancing and she became more interested to help Amara. So she invited her to her business center where she sells drinks, shawarma, meat pies and all others things related to snacks for interview. But before the invitation for the interview, Mariama cried when Amara sings a song that was so emotional. She sings about ghetto life of how people are homeless, dying of hunger, young ladies turning themselves into prostitution, begging in the street due to a victim of circumstances. She ended by thanking the ghetto for accommodating her to at least sustains her life.

When Amara visited Mariama in her business center, she asks her to narrate her story which she did by revealing how faces many challenges while trying to save her breath in life.

                     "Who do you say you are staying with in the ghetto?" asked Mariama.

                      "With my boyfriend" replied Amara.

                      "Are your parents aware of your stay with him?" asked Mariama.

                      "Yes, they are aware. Infact they are happy because he is a God's sent gives me oxygen to breathe" replied.

                       "Okay. But how long have you been living with him and what's his name?" asked Mariama.

                       "Two years and his name is Abiodun" replied Amara.

                      "How old are you?" asked Mariama.

                       "Twenty years" replied Amara.

                      "Wow! Which means you have been living with Abiodun since when you were 18 years, right?" asked Mariama.

                    "Yes ma'am" replied Amara.

                    "That's good. What's his occupation?" asked Mariama.

                    "He's a dancer like me" replied Amara with smiling face.

                    "That's great" said Mariama.

                     "Yes ma" replied Amara with still the smiling face.

                   "Brief your experience about the ghetto life" said Mariama.

                   "Well, ghetto life has not been easy ooo but still I must be grateful to it for accommodating me. There are experiences I had and very bad ones but a hunter cannot tell everything he sees in the forest" replied Amara.

                 "Tell me just one or two" said Mariama.

                  "Well, for the fact that we faced physical challenges, there are still spiritual challenges too" replied Amara.

                 "Spiritual challenges?" asked Mariama.

                  "Yes, ma'am. What I mean is that we have witches in the street that sometimes they will come and try to attack us in our dreams but my grand mother put a mark on my forehead when I was a baby that no one born of a woman cannot destroy me, so the witches always run from me when trying to attack me. Secondly, because we don't have money to pay house rent, me and my boyfriend sleep outside the house when our landlord lock us outside. We will stay at night sometimes without closing our eyes to avoid being rubbed by other dangerous street boys" replied Amara with tears and was consoles by Mariama by trying to clean up the tears.

                   "I think I won't interview you more than this. I will accommodate you and make you one of my team as skit making. I will also support your education into ph.d level and establish business for your parents and relocate them to the city, including your boyfriend" said Mariama.

However, Amara became so excited and promised to be grateful to Mariama for changing her life for good. She visited her parents with Mariama and told them everything. So they relocate from the local Ekpe to Banana high land in Lagos state. They started their business and also started living a good life.

                                           The Tradition and the Black Whiteman

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So far you are a son of the soil of Amaseya village then you don't need to be told of the tradition of the land. The oracle called Egbesu forbids a man from licking woman's private part and sucking of her breasts like a new born baby.  Every daughter of the land  is also forbidden from puting a manhood in her mouth.

It is orally transmitted from generation to generation that the oracle, Egbesu, is a god  of justice of the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta region which is connected to Bayelsa, Arogbo in  Ondo state, etc. Egbesu is also perceived as the spiritual foundational force for combating evil. The Egbesu force can only be used in defence or to correct an injustice, and only by people who are in harmony with the universe. The symbol of the divine force is the leopard, panther and lion. Egbesu has both a philosophical and spiritual dimension, the latter of which has been more prominent during recent times due to conflicts in regions where the Ijaw people reside. It is believed to be a minister of God and He assigned duty on it to function on His behalf and He particular gave it to the Ijaw people. Most of the forbidden things of God are aslo forbid by the Egbesu for instance it forbid an Ijaw man from shedding an innocent blood and also against injustice. So the people of the land adhere it laws   and respect them as it has been done from the old generation.

Perewari spent most of his time in America for his education. He lives with his maternal uncle, Richard Bekewei, for both his primary, high school and the university in the America. He do comes home every December for Christmas but spends not more than five days before returning back and this was only when he was still young while in high school but he stops coming after he furthered to the university.  He doesn't know what his tradition  is all about and the little he was told about the tradition of his land, he sees it as a primitive and retrogressive way of life by the local people. Now being a grown up man with a very high job, he only believes in the behavior of the white man which is simply and progressive according to him.

Perewari sees the tradition of his land as barbaric and evil one. He believes in this philosophy that traditions are Cultural Inertias. He then argues on it that they were created by their forefathers which the new generation don't know about but only worship them. He always  against the forbidden of the Egbesu that restrict a man from licking woman's private part and even sucking her breasts because he argues on it that it was primitively created by the mouth piece of the Egbesu but not it that created that tradition.

By becoming a full adult who has spent most of his time in America and also turned himself to a black whiteman, he was pressurized by his parents, especially the mother, Egbe-ere, to get a wife and it must be from the village. Due to this pressure, Perewari decided to visit Nigeria for the first time since he becomes an adult. He has already made himself a black whiteman and planning to settle down in the white man's land and behave like him. But he cannot run away from his fate of returning back to the black land where he was welcomed to earth.

Before Perewari arrived to his village, Amaseya, his mother had already arranged a wife for him. He couldn't remember everybody in the village including his siblings because of his long stay in the America. So when Deripatei, his wife to be served him food he didn't recognize her but instead mistaking her for one of his sisters until his mother introduced her to him. 

                       "Is this what your tradition asked you to do too?" he asked the mother who was sitting in front of him on a plastic chair.

                        "Yes, especially when you don't live in the village" replied the mother.

                        "But that's bad because this can kill the future of the two" said Perewari.

                        "Kill the future of the two as how?" asked the mother and she moves her chair close to him.

                          "Yes. If we are not destined to be together and you imposed us to be together, the end of us will not good" said Perewari.

                        "The end will good. Our forefathers done it before us and it has never jeopardized the future of any of us. Even your father and I were arranged by our parents and nothing happened to us. Is it not the two of us that gave birth to you? Haven't you  become a successful man to change the narrative of this family?" asked the mother.

                       "I was made whom I am today because I spent my time with the white man who civilized me. Who knows maybe I stay in this village and my life would have becomes like  Akirika, the village palmwine tapper?"

                      "Keep that your mouth shut. So you are telling me that the black land is retrogressive and it can never make you successful?", asked the mother.

                     "Who knows. That's remind me. Why did this young lady kneeling down for me after serving me the food?" asked Perewari.

                    "Because that's how it is done traditionally" replied the mother.

                    "The tradition is oppressing the women then. She is a woman and what is so special about man that she will worship him like God? The white man don't do that. And besides he can cook for her and also watch her clothes because we  are both created by God to treat each other equally. So why giving the supremacy to man?" Perewari asked like a blind bat of his tradition.

The mother gave up and intended not to answer him again but reminded him to respect the tradition of his land. Since he will be traveling abroad with his wife, she warned him not to defy the tradition of licking her private part and sucking of breast because it is forbidden by the Egbesu. The distance will not matter for the Egbesu to visit him if he offend it.

Perewari returns back to America with his wife few days after their wedding. He was advised by his mother to have the honey moon in the village but he refused and decided to have it in abroad. 

Deripatei was admitted in Harvard University to study Law because she had already finished her o'level in the village and also had a degree in Mass Communication at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. She was so happy when Perewari brought her the admission letter.   

Deripatei was already carried away by the  possession of the westernized lifestyle after spending two years in the USA. She expected to be cooking with fire wood in the kitchen for her husband as it is done in the village but everything became a contrary to her expectation. They have house cook who wakes her up every morning to take her break fasts and also a cleaner whose job is to clean the whole house and watch their clothes in the watching machine. So her own is to sleep and eat.

In her final year in school, she became pregnant and she was happy that it happens that way because before she further to law school she has already given birth. Also, Perewari was happy because he would soon be called a father. He bought her a brand new car to appreciate her for being a productive wife. Although he wouldn't have bother if she fail to produce a child for him but he knows very well that his marriage will be in the lion den by his family. He immediately called home to inform them about the new achievement he had had as a man and they were so happy, especially the mother who then promised to come to USA to do omubo when the wife give birth.

Deripatei gave birth to a bouncing baby boy two days after her graduation from school. She acknowledged the fact that God want her to move further to law school immediately after her law degree. She was so happy when she was woke up by her phone and saw an alert of huge amount of money sent by her husband to further appreciate her for the productivity.

. He stopped the mother from visiting so that she will not come and oppress them with their tradition. To satisfy the mother, he bought two cars and give one to his father and one to her. 

Deripatei passed her law school exams in Nigeria and was admitted in law school Bwari.  Before she returned back to Nigeria for her law school she connived with her husband to defy the tradition. They both don't believe in the tradition due to the control of the whiteman's mentality, especially Perewari who turned himself into a black whiteman. She was told by her own mother that she as a woman she is forbidden by their tradition to put a man's penis in her mouth and drink his sperm. But she pays this advice a deaf listening and defied the tradition by putting the manhood of Perewari and drank his sperm while making love. And Perewari did the same by licking her private part and sucking the breast like a new born baby and this was not just once but almost all the time that they make love.

After some years and when Deripatei has been called to Bar and returned back to USA, they both started having symptoms like coughing which sounds very chronic with a deep vibration and also starting having different types of nightmare, sometimes a white cloth covers up the whole cloud and then a lion appearing from the cloud and turns into a giant man. Deripatei had already knew through the story her mother told her about the oracle. She then tell herself the story of how a man called Nicholas from their village killed an innocent man whom he was owning money and buried him in the bush. To prevent the spirit of the dead man from tormenting him, he was deceived by a native doctor in Ikare to bring a bone of of a lion which he did. But few days later this man started seeing the white cloth that covered up the whole cloud and a lion appeared from the cloud turned into a giant man and this was in real life, not  a dream. Then the man immediately ran mad and was brought to the village to confess. He was served punishment and joined the ikolokolowei group to undergone a ritual processes before he was forgiven by the oracle. She compares the dreams of how the lion appears from the white cloud and turned into a giant man and confirmed with the story of her mother that it is the sign of the oracle but she keep on having the stubborn mind to ignore it.

They went to the hospital for medical check up and the doctor runs a series of tests but could not detect the main cause. Before the check up, Perewari was already leaned like a HIV patient. Doctor Mark, an American qualified doctor advised them to look for other alternative by maybe going to church or local treatment because of not detecting anything despite his professional check up. He had already knew that   their problem is beyond the physical so it is good that they should prevent it from the spiritual.

Doubra, Perewari's friend brought them to the village to look for solution of their problem but immediately they got to the village, Perewari's mother has already knew that he has offended the oracle, Egbesu. So she wanted him to admit by confessing the sin but he keeps on  proving stubborn because he believes that he can never be harm by the oracle because it just an ordinary man made god.

When it happens that Perewari and his wife were already very sick critically like that of HIV patients, he gave up by confessing to the elders of the land who came to interview him to know the cause of his ailment. The wife also confessed her own part and immediately  rituals were performerd on them. They were charged with   six bottles of ogogoro (dry gin), three each, two male goats and with the some  of twenty thousand naira to appease the oracle. Three days after the ritual was performerd they started regaining their health and when they visited the king, the Agadagba who is the chief priest of the oracle  he advised: "I think this will be a deterrent to the both of you. The traditions of this land gave birth to everyone of us because they were the ones that created this land for our forefathers who then preserved these traditions and passed down to us. Tradition is tradition and no one can say it is not. I believe very well that you especifically (referring to Perewari) your parents, especially your father who is a member of the Okparan group must be singing the songs of the tradition with you. He is an elder and what he sees while sitting down, you can never see it even though you climb a tree. To you, you have known everything because you are educated and living the life style of the white man. But let me tell you that you can never dare to fight a ghost with the  knowledge of the white man, but with the knowledge of the tradition you can because the ghost understand the language of the tradition. I think you have seen it for yourself. Like I told you that your father is a member of the okparan group and these set of people are interpreted in English as ogboni group. They made me and gave me the secret of the oracle. There is nothing they don't know about the tradition of this land and I must say that they are the custodian of the traditions. So next time when your father advice you to adhere the tradition of this land, try and listen to him. I also believe that children get a soft advice from their mother and your mother must have done the work of your father. So please even though you return back to the white man's land don't underestimate your tradition. You could recall that Achebe, Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and other African writes corrected this notion in their writings when the white man was underestimating the Africans that they don't have tradition. You almost took your life together with your wife. You are a good son of this land and we are proud of you. You are a black man so don't mix it with that of the white man who doesn't have respect for your tradition and that was what almost put you in this premature dead", and the king pray for them as they thanked him and left.

                                                     The Law of Anagada

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Among all the children of Adewale, Ebiere is the only child who had the opportunity to go to school and she is very brilliant and smarter than all of them. She is currently in SS3 3 preparing to write her senior secondary school exams. Because of her brilliancy, she was awarded a scholarship by the Ondo state government. The agreement is that she will be fully supported to ph.d level and it will not just in Nigeria but in UK at Harvard University immediately after her senior secondary school. 

 After Ebiere round off with her SSCE exams, in her two  results both WAEC and NECO she had A parallel. She was travelled out of the country by the state government to further her education at Harvard University in UK. She was given admission to study her dream course,  BA English Language because she is interested in teaching and writing. 

Before Ebiere travelled out of the country to further her education, she always had this worrisome feeling about the law of her land, Anagada because her mother, Ebiye who had only three daughters for Adewale will be affected. The law stated that if a woman failed to produce a male child to her husband and his family, she will be considered as not a member of the family and will be restricted from having access to the properties of the husband if he dies before her. She became so concern about this law because her father is very old and can join his ancestors at anytime.

One year later, Adewale became I'll and was brought to specialist hospital, Ondo. His ailment grows everyday and the doctors lost hope of saving his life. So Ebiye and Ebiere's immediate elder sister, Duinba were advised to return him to Anagada before he dies in the hospital.

After accepting the advice of the doctors, Adewale was brought back home. However, a cry of the rain walks around the village when it was announced that Adewale has kicked the bucket. As a traditionalist, he was buried immediately after his last breath.

After the burial of baba Adewale whereby Ebiye has also undergone the ritual processes by mourning him for seven days, the elders of the family had a meeting. The meeting ended with a plan to arrange the daughters of Adewale for marriage according to the traditional demand. Ebiaga, the first daughter was given to a palmwine tapper from Buruku village and while Duinba, the second daughter was also given to a fisher man from Okitupupa.

Ebiye became lonely and feels the pain of not having a male child. She always has this thought that if she was blessed by the gods of their land to have a male child, the children she laboured to raise cannot be forced out of their father's house. At the same time, she argued with this thought by not blaming the gods who gave her daughters instead of sons. They gave her because they saw that both the male and female are important and expected to treat in the same way.

Ebiye makes a reference to the creation of the world whereby God created a man and later added a woman to assist him because he cannot carried out every assignment that was given to the man. God also put them in the same place called Garden of Edden. It was a Sacred place but God did not separate the woman, Eve from that place because she is a woman and He also communicated with  them generally and not by having a privacy with the man, Adam. Do why is it that humans try to change things that nature does not tell them to change? She got encouraged by this thought and decided not to blame herself for not producing a male child.

Ebiye could not believe what she saw when she returns from the farm. She met her local made box outside their house and later discovered that the house  was locked with another padlock. But surprisingly, Chief Kuro, her late husband's younger brother came out from the back of the house with a cutlass in his hand. He told her that the law of Anagada forbid her from staying in his late brother's house since she cannot produced a male child for the family.

Ebiye carried her  box and left the house without changing the dirty cloth she returned from farm with and say everything to him. She has already lost hope of living but became encouraged by her last daughter, Ebiere who travelled out of the country to further her education. She believes that Ebiere will change the narrative and then prayed for her heart desires to be granted.

Ebiere returned to Nigeria after completing her Ph.d with first class honor in BA English Language. However, she was employed as a lecturer in Michael Adekunle Ajashin University, Akongba Akoko immediately she returns to Nigeria.

She built a house for the mother in the village. To avoid stress for the mother, she employed a well educated young lady called Timi to take care of her. She gave the young lady a value by placing her in a monthly salary of N100,000.00 every month. Also, she established businesses for her two sisters who have already passed the pain of forced marriage because they are women and also not privileged to have education like Ebiere.

Ebiere did not just work as a lecturer, but she was later appointed as a Commissioner of  Information by the Ondo state government. Then the uncles who were marginalizing them because they are women started asking for forgiveness . 

                                                                  Aliya

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Mr. Kamaru has never liked Mariam, Aliya's mother for one day . He always complain that she is weak that is why he has never being recognized as a true man of Iletu village. So seeing his daughter, Aliya, is like seeing a devil who is leading him to the hell.

Mr. Kamaru's problem with Mariam is her weakness of not producing him a male child. Having put this blame on her, Aliya will always hear the cry of her mother when beats by her father and this happens everyday. Sometimes she she will hold her father's leg, but he will pushed her away and continue beating the mother.

Aliya passed her senior secondary school exams, both WAEC and NECO and she applied for JAMB that the same year and got 305 in the examination. Since education is the only hope that can save the mother from the hands of her father, she went to Kamaru and asked the money to pay her acceptance fee after she was admitted to study Law in University of Abuja. Buy sadly for her, her father declined the request and warned her not to disturb him again.

From the beginning of Aliya, Mr. Kamaru has never supported her in any way, be it education, clothing or feeding. Her mother is the only one who has been carrying the responsibilities of her well being.

Aliya went to Mariam and told her everything that the father did when she requested money to accept her admission. Then the mother became so happy immediately she heard about the admission  and not bothered to listen to what the father did. So she encourages Aliya by giving her N30,000 to accept the admission and N150,000.00 to pay school fees and other bills which include house rent, books and cloth.

Aliya did not expect this from the mother and she worried about the source of the huge amount of money that the mother gave her. Her worry is that the mother might borrowed the money from Lapo or from their village women's meeting. But to appease her worries, Mariam confirmed to her that Aliya's maternal uncle who based in London for many years when Aliya was not even born was the one that sent the money because he is interested in her going to school in order to be valued in the society. However, this gives Aliya a peace of mind and promised to do what she is expected.

After Aliya paid her school fee and others, she used the remaining money which is about N80,000.00 to buy perfumes and body sprays and started selling them in school. She able to get that huge amount of money to start the business because she economized by renting a local apartment  with single room at Iddo with N20,000 yearly and went to Gwagwalada market with N5,000 to buy okrika cloth that she will managing for her stay on campus.  She bought 3 white long sleeves and 2 black trousers for lectures according to the dressing code of her course of study, Law and not bothered to buy herself fancy cloth.  So she will wash and iron immediately she returns from class so that people will not notice when she is repeating or wearing one cloth.

Aliya became popular in the school because of her academics good performance. She is an hustler who always struggles on her own to get what she want instead of depending on boys. She feeds herself, pays school fee and house rent without disturbing the mother. And sometimes her mother will complain why she is not calling home to ask for money that she cannot do it for herself. She will add by saying that Aliya is a girl and she should not compare herself to man by claiming to survive on her own. But Aliya will smile and said: "I am a girl doesn't mean that I cannot do what a man is doing. What a man can do, a woman can do more better", then they both burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

Aliya passed her final exams for law and immediately applied  for bar exams which she also passed by having the highest grade. She spent two years in the law school at Bwari, Abuja and finally called to Bar with numerous awards. She then dedicate her achievements to her mother who believed in her from the cradle and encourages her to come this far.

Aliya was taken  by Ogundele SAN & Co. where she works as a lawyer after practicing  in the Chamber.  She was a legal adviser in the Chamber but later elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She made a record by being the first young female lawyer to have that rank in the country. 

Aliya established her own Chamber which she named 'Mariam Law Chambers'.  

Mr. Kamaru, Aliya's father was arrested for allegedly killing a woman in the bush and sent  to the prison. Aliya cannot deny her father as he did when she was in need of his help  but got denied because she was a girl child. But at this point, she is not longer a woman but a man who took his case.

Mr. Kamaru later came to his wife and daughter for forgiveness and they both forgave him which made the family to regain their unity. 

     

               

                                             The Mistake by Pressure

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Ami cannot stand the pain of not having a child, especially a male child that's mostly needed to place her among people that count in the family of her husband. She will go to the market and almost everyone in the market talks about her. A place where two or more people gathered, especially in the street, they will start discussing her immediately she walks passed them. Then in the church when other people want to do their babies' dedications, she will be ashamed to join them while going to the altar  for thanksgiving because of her childlessness. So she became so downcast and even thought of committing suicide, but later made up her mind by changing the environment they lived. She makes this decision known to her husband, Perewei, and he agreed by relocating from Kwali to Gwagwalada in order to escape the pressure.

Perewei works with Julius Berger Transportation Company as a driver, so he hardly stays and spends time with her. Some even contemplate that this can also cause her delay in bearing a child and while others, especially his people from the village believed that the fault is not from their son but from the woman who is cursed. Because of this, Perewei cannot take her home because they will tear her apart.

Ami attends Catholic Church and it's her birth church, but due to this her unproductive womb she decides to look for solution by going from one church to another. Then she finally finds a church called The Eye of God Ministry somewhere at Lugbe, Abuja and the pastor's name is Chubuzo Chidike.

Pastor Chubuzo is a well-known pastor in of Abuja because of the miracles he performs. The church is always densely populated because people come every day seeking miracles. There is no prophecy he will tell about a person that will not come to pass, so he was nicknamed as "Half Jesus".

Ami told Perewei about him and he agreed to join her as a member of the church. They came to the church the following Sunday and he declares his membership and was welcomed as a new member. 

When pastor Chubuzo was about to give his sermon, he saw a vision about Ami and decided to call her to the altar and prayed for her. Then he now announced it to the church that God has given Ami a child and her days of sorrow have been taken away. The two couple jumped up and started shedding tears of joy and were joined by some members of the church.

One week later after the prophecy by pastor Chubuzo, Ami missed her period and they decided to go to the hospital to do checkup. Test was carried out and the result also came out in few minutes. The doctor started smiling as he put the envelope on the table. He then congratulated Ami which put the two couple in suspense because they were eager to see the result. He put the result in Ami's hand and asked her to read it for her husband. 

Ami could not hold her joy when she opens just half of the test result. She stood up and hugged her husband and started jumping and singing. Without wanting to be told again, Perewei joined her started dancing and singing.

Three months after, they came back to the hospital to do scanning and be sure that the baby in the womb should be male since that is what the family of Perewei needs. They did the scanning and detected that it was a baby girl. Perewei turned down his face without looking at Ami's face since she cannot provide him the male child that he mostly needed. But the doctor advised him that it is not the fault of the wife. He then further added that God gives, and it is something that was produced by the two of them during sex. Besides, he is even the one who provided the sperm that produced the eggs. So he should not put the blame on her because she is a woman. 

Ami knows her husband very well that he is stubborn and decides not to listen to the advice of the doctor. She started crying when he walks out of the doctor's office. She was even expecting that he will be waiting for her outside, but to her surprise when she came out of the hospital,he has already gone without considering her situation as a pregnant woman. 

But thank God for Ami that an unknown man saw her when she was crying under the hot sun with her pregnancy and then decided to render her help. He ordered his driver to take her home without wanting to know her problem. 

When Ami got home, she met Perewei drinking and talking. She doesn't want to talk to him because of his mood, so she went straight to the kitchen and prepared food for him and herself. When she was done with the cooking, she came to the sitting room and met him already drunk. He vomits and the whole sitting room was already smelling badly. She managed to move him to rest him, cleaned him up and brought him to the room where he started snoring like a hungry gorilla. She also cleans up the sitting room and put it in order.

When Perewei woke up from sleep, he was surprised to find himself on the bed because all he could remember was the sitting room where he was drinking. Ami came in and served him his food which he ignored. Then he told her that all he wants is a male child. She intended not to cry again, but his persistence of wanting her to produce a male child brought back her tears.

Perewei started avoiding Ami all because she was about giving him a baby girl. Before he goes to work, he used to kiss and hug her, and sometimes cook if she wasn’t awake while leaving for work. But now she is an enemy of his progress.

When Ami could not stand this pain again, she decides to meet pastor Chubuzo for spiritual advice. She met him in his office and after telling him everything, he prayed for her and also added that she needs a spiritual change.

 Ami at first did not understand him when he said spiritual change. But pastor Chubuzo later let the cat out of the box that he has to sleep with her in her matrimonial home for God to change the baby girl in her womb to a baby boy. She ignores the message he gave to her, but he added by saying that she will lose her marriage if she fails to adhere the message of God. Still she could not give him a final answer but instead insisted to think about it.

Ami got home thinking every day and night but she keeps the secret away from her husband. When she heard that her mother in law will be visiting them in two weeks’ time, she left with no option than to conclude by sleeping with pastor Chubuzo to save her marriage. So one day when Perewei has left for work, she called the pastor and he came to their house. She took him to the room and he gave her direction to take a bath with a shop he brought for her. Then after that he lights 18 pieces of candles and stand them around the bed and instructed her to lie down on the bed naked by also widening up her legs. 

Perewei forgot his driver's license and returns home with anger for undergoing a stress of coming back. He could not believe what he saw when he opened the door of their room. He met pastor Chubuzo doing his job with his pregnant wife on their matrimonial bed. He did not do anything to pastor Chubuzo but started beating the wife and videoing her naked. Also to fulfill his tradition, he brought her home.

It was a sad moment for Ami when the whole community of Torugbene gathered and then instructed her to remove all her cloth in front of everybody, including children who were supposed to see her as a mother, watched on. Also, two women were instructed to put pepe inside her private part which made her to scream and cry helplessly. 

But that was not even enough, they took Ami to parade around the whole community before passing the final traditional punishment on her by flogging. But Perewei wept like a new born baby when he realized that the fault was not from Ami but by the pressure of wanting a male child.

                                                     The Betray of Political Brotherhood

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Counting the states of Anagada, it is counted accurately that Anagada has only 25 states and 15 f the states are controlled by the Anagada Peoples Congress Party (APCP), while the remaining 10 states are controlled by the Anagada Peoples Party (APP) and majority are from the South and East.

The Anagada Peoples Party (APP) ruled the country for about 16 years before the Anagada Peoples Congress Party (APCP) took over the federal. The APCP took over the federal when the people of Anagada decided to taste the aroma of a new government. They struggled with all their sweat for this new government to come into power by all means. So during the campaigns, they joined the APCP by singing "Change the government" and then heavily chanting "Sai baba Gadu".

The incumbent president, Baba Gadu who was the presidential candidate of the APCP and a retired chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) was believed by the people of Anagada to fight corruption in the country. He is a Northerner but the people of the South, East and the West did not care because they believed from the inception that he will change the narrative of the country, especially corruption with that of his experience of being a corruption fighting agency. But the result after voting him into power was pit of hell because his administration became worse than the previous one.

The people of Anagada suffered for good eight years. Everything in the country became things fall apart and everything is no longer at ease because issues like hunger, ritual killing, Boko-haram terrorism, kidnapping, unknown gun men attacks, etc are what the people starting seeing everyday.

After having all these challenges, the people of Anagada decided to look for alternative inorder to save the lives of everyone. They created this problem by themselves and they knew it because is their choices that created the problem. They realized their regrettable mistakes in the past general election that made them to decide by removing power from the APP. So they decided by trying to remove the  power from the incumbent government in the presidency during the last general election  but the APCP was already overpowered and the election was rigged for their favour. But they still want to try by voting for another party that will save them from their problems. 

The Southern governor's of APP had a meeting for zoning by sifting the sit of the presidency to the South and agreement was made by all of them by supporting governor Amadi in the presidential primaries.

On the day of the party's primaries, four of the Southern governors who agreed on zoning by supporting governor Amadi, the outgoing governor of Inema state denied him by given their support to Alhaji Basuru who is from the North, though four of them still abid to the agreement.

Governor Amadi became so furious and angered after failing in the presidential primaries and this was not just outside of him but it is something that touched his marrow. But a rumour later walks across the sky and also falls like a rain that Alhaji Basuru picked governor Amadi, but he later debunked the news when he was interviewed by Ànagada National Television (ANT). But thereafter, governor Amadi political brother from the South was officially picked by Alhaji Basuru as his running mate.

Governor Amadi made himself neutral and later some prominent and  influencial members of the  APP joined him and formed a group called "South South Right Movement" and then removed theirselfs completely from the campaign organization of Alhaji Basuru. The members of this group include Senator Obi from the Eastern zone, Chief Tunde  and governor Infeanyi from the Western zone and Dr. Odia, Senator Perelatei and Dr. Ofie from the Southern zone. These are the structures of the party who are expected to lead the party into its victory in the forthcoming general election but anger has taken them away.

Having prepared for campaigns, the peace committee of the party organized a negotiation committee and sent to negotiate with governor Amadi's camp. They had a meeting but the camp gave a condition to the negotiation committee that the chairman of the presidential campaign, Senator Aminu who is from the North and the Director General of the Campaign council, governor Jamiu who is also from the North should resign or quit their appointments before they will agree to join the campaign movement with the party's presidential candidate. But the meeting ended up  by not resoluting  the issue separated the Amad's camp.

The campaign kick starts and the people of Anagada expected to see governor Amadi's camp as part of the campaign team of Alhaji Basuru but none joined. Then it now came to the notice of the people that the grievance of governor Amadi's camp is caused by their South South political brothers who betrayed their brotherhood by failing to live by their agreement of sifting the sit of the presidency to the South. So it is observed that this their decision of exonerating from Alhaji Basuru's campaign team is to cut down his wings and make him structureless in the election.

The dangerous part of this their action is that they remained in the part claiming that they are among the people who suffered with the party from cradle, so no one has the right to suspend any of them. That they will remain in the party and decide to support the candidate of their choice and it must not be from their party, that is if negotiation committee fail to reach agreement with them.

However, on the commissioning day of Ebigbene flyover bridge and in governor Amadi's speech, he said that a Northerner can never betray his political brother because it is forbidden traditionally. He then further said that Senator Mohammed who was a presidential aspirant of APP stepped down for his  brother, Alhaji Basuru and directed all his supporters to give their support to him which he believes that boasted the his victory in the party's primaries.  But his brother from the South, East and West who agreed to support him  betrayed him and gave their own support to boast the votes of a foreigner.

The people of Anagada were not comfortable with the plight of the APP. Some of them will asked: "Will governor Amadi's camp allow their party to fail in the forthcoming general election? Is it not their party? Must they truely be happy if the party they sacrificed to build for the past 20-30 years collapsed? But if this truely happened, then they should not claim that they suffered with the party from the cradle. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. So let their love for the party should drive failure out in the forthcoming presidential election. It is their party as they claim. So why not appease that anger of theirs for the sake of the party. They are already been betrayed and it is not the fault of the party. Therefore, they should forgive and forget as they are even christians. Also, they should know that the peace and tranquility of the people is at stake". But governor Amadi's camp responded by saying that they are in a pain of being betrayed by their South South political brothers. So the people of Anagada should not blame them for their actions because they are fighting for South South right which is equity.

                                                                The Stubborn Fly

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Woman is a crown on every man's head when her womb is blessed with fruitfulness, and she signal to everyone in the society that they should honor and respect her because she holds the mantle of kingship. Whereas, she is also a slave when the womb is cursed with barrenness. She will be dishonored and treated like a leper because she does not deserved the pride of a crown.

Infertility couples have to deal with much societal and family pressure and stigma, especially in societies that take pride in having children. In such societies, woman is deemed responsible for the situation. In trying to find courses for her condition, society claims that the woman has been cursed or bewitched, that she might have committed abortions or questionable lifestyles. Hence, though a challenging condition for couples, infertility makes the woman suffer more. Ebiye was ill-fated in her marriage because she could not bear children for her lovely husband, Perewei, for over fifteen years of their marriage and this was a very serious bane for both of them.

However, their marriage was one leg in and one leg out because of the agitation of Perewei's family. They agitated that Perewei should divorce his cursed wife, Ebiye and replace her with a good one who can be a crown on his head and the family. 

The tension was so cumbersome for Ebiye that she could not carry it on her head. So she started going to one prophet to another, and also one native doctor to another. But unfortunately, they could not proffered solution for her problems, instead makes the load more heavier. Although her husband was not disturbed because he believes that one day God will remember them. So he advised her not to worry about their infertility, that when the appointed time comes their clock would work without battery.

Perewei is a member of the Egbesu brotherhood called "Okparans" and also the head of the Egbesu priests who fortify and install the Agadagba, the king of the Ijaw people.  However, Egbesu is a primordial gods and a Ark created by God according to the cosmology of the African belief system in Oral Literature, and it is a mini and supreme god of the Ijaw people, and a minister of God that was believed to have descended from heaven. 

According to history, Egbesu is identified as a woman in lion's form. She forbids what God also forbids-for example: she is an enemy of bias and injustice. She loves her people so much, and whoever sinned against her would be punished and forgiven when regained purity. So Perewei is also a devoted christian and loyal servant of God. He is an anointed man of God with the rank of Boanerge in a white garment church, so he always bait his faith on God.

One beautiful morning, Ebiye announced to him that she is three months pregnant. This became a great surprise to him, so he could not controls his happiness from traveling across the sky then started shouting alleluia which was heard by the entire world! She gave birth to twins in different gender, one baby boy and one baby girl. Indeed, this brought honor, respect and made her to be a crown on his head. 

Living as an infertile person is very distressing and challenging. Ebiye always remember how she crossed a thousand seas to fertile her twin babies. Ebiye mirrowed how she faced mental health issues, such as depression, suicidal ideations, insults, and even divorce. The worse was that she was alleged of a labelled witch, all by her husband's family, though Perewei did not give up on her. Because of this bitter experience, she started pampering the children. 

She provide whatever thing they need in life and gave even more  than what they wanted. You cannot dare to make them unhappy because the mother will not allow it. So they were like an egg on her palms.  But Taye, the first born takes this opportunity for granted by becoming stubborn. Unlikely, his twin sister, Kehinde was not behaved as he does, but completely different from him as she had a very responsible character that is expected from every good child.

Kehinde was very good in her academic performance  and she won a scholarship to study law in Canada. But Taye was very poor in his academic performance and enjoyed to live with the shame because he believe that his mother would not hate him for that.

Taye started school at the same time with his twin sister, Kehinde, but she was promoted from primary two to class five to write her common entrance because of her excellent performance in school. But he was busy failing and repeating classes. 

Even in the secondary school, his twin sister was promoted from JSS 3 to participate in the final year exams (WAEC and NECO) but still  he could not improved himself to be like  her. He failed several times, so his mother had to register him at miracle center before he been able to pass his WAEC and NECO. He also failed JAMB many times but later admitted in Lead City University to study Sociology through the connection of his parents.

A student cannot pass his or her school exams without attending lectures, writing attendance, doing assignments and participating in exams. Taye was busy roaming around the streets with his friends, and many times going to night clubs with girls. He has never one day attends any lecture, and he will not bother to borrow notes from his course mates, so he started having issues of carry over in almost all his courses. He was even given a notice for expel, but he proves stubborn and continues with his  wayward life.

Instead of the parents to react over his misdoings by punishing him, they encouraged his stubbornness by bribing the lecturers to give him good grades. So he feel that he had a free life, and even can achieved whatever thing he likes without struggling for it. 

Having such hope and help gives him courage and confidence to be consistent with his irresponsible behavior. But he has never had the plan or intension of involving in any criminal act and this was the only benefit that the parents had.

Taye returned home for vacation which was to last for three months. During the week he returned home, some notorious robbers robbed almost all the neighborhood in Kunle street where Taye and his parents live. The robbery used to happen two times in every week. To stop it, soldiers and local vigilantes were deployed to watch over the entire street and one who is catch a glimpse of, would be arrested and sent to prison. So all the residents in the street were warned not to walk out in both morning and evening, except afternoon by 12:p.m. to 4:p.m.

 There was a freedom given to those who go to church or mosque, but identification like Bible or Quran must be shown before they would be allowed for any movement. So no one goes to church or mosque without his or her identification.

One fateful day which was Sunday morning, Taye was preparing to go to the church but he refused to take his Bible except phone which he believed that he can read Bible from. So his mother advised him to carry it along and keep the phone at home, but he ignored and told her that he can read the Bible through his phone so there is no any single need to stress himself by carrying the Bible. 

On his way to the church, he was stopped by the local vigilantes and questioned, then he told them that he is going to church. To confirm that he was truly going to church, he was asked to bring out his Bible, but he only brought out his smart phone and could not provide the Bible which was to use to defend himself. He was arrested and alleged that he is a member and messenger of the robbers who robbed the people in the street. No single explanation can defend him, instead he was given a deaf listening.

Immediately they arrest him, he was transferred directly to Ikoyi prison and wait for his fate to decide both the present and the future. His parents tried all they could to save his life, but their struggle was no avail.

A fly that does not heed advice follows the corpse to the. Taye was brought to court and his lawyer also tried all he could to save him, but he could not succeed. He was sentenced to death by hanging. What a pain. How can the mother and his only surviving sister bear this severe pain? No amount of tears can bring him back, except his story can only be a statue of lesson for the living.

The pain and bitter experience of the mother became new as she lost her only surviving son whom  she suffered before brought to life.  Life became an hidden shadow and empty sky for her. She felt like losing the whole world for pain, so her hope was zero point. But she later increased her hope to 99% since she still survived with her only daughter, Kehinde who was projected and hoped to cover the blessing of the family.

                                                      The Plight of the Girl Child

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Chief Ogunde is a very wealthy palmwine tapper in Avon village. He has obtained three chieftaincy titles, including the highest title which has only obtained by two prominent  people  in the land. He has two children, one male and one female and it can never become a problem to sponsor the two of them in school even to the ph.d level because he has the money. He is the first person to build two upstairs in the village and still now nobody has achieved that.

Chief Ogunde only interested on the education of his son, Bamidele and have no interest on the education of the daughter, Ayomide. He got pressure from his wife, Ayomi everyday to support the education of Ayomide but he feels less concern on her going to school. The only thing he will say is that she is a girl and expected to assist the mother for her domestic works and get married.

However, Ayomide's mother was not comfortable with the plan of projecting her as a domestic worker. So she decides giving a support to Ayomide and make sure that she achieve what will give her value.

Ayomide is just five years old and all the time she has spent while living on the earth as a child, she is has never touch the ground of learning. The mother called her into her room and sat her down. She then announced her plan to support her education and also made an unexpected promise by supporting her education to the level of her choice. She could not hold her joy and started thanking her mother. This excitement of Ayomide motivated the mother and happy for the fact that she has uncaged her from flying in the sky like a rodent as Ayomide always wanted.

In the following day, Ayomi brought Ayomide to her new school named Federal Government Primary School, Agon and registered her. When they tested  her knowledge, it became a surprise to everyone including the mother that she has never attended a school  since her birth, but she passed all the questions given to her. 

To test more of her knowledge, the head mistress of her school gave her a question of primary six students but she also answered it correctly. Mrs. Funke, the head mistress put her on scholarship which made the mother so happy. Meanwhile, Bamidele who the father only wanted to go to school has repeated class like four times.

When Chief Ogunde got the news of Ayomide's achievement in school, he was not happy and still not in support of her going to school. So what he did was to send her out of his house and never want her to return.

Ayomide stopped going to school because she had no place to stay and eat. This happened because the mother went to her paternal home to see her parents. But luckily, the head mistress got the news from someone who is very close to Ayomide after she stops seeing her in school for two weeks.

Mrs. Funke asked: " Why are men this heartless? Is it because Ayomide is a girl child that is why he is treating her this way? Did God separate Eve from staying with  Adam in the Garden of Edden because she was a woman?", she was already crying when asking these questions but stopped when she happily saw Ayomide in her office, and she was brought by her class teacher who saw her crying in the street. So Mrs. Funke adopted her after reporting to the police.

It should have became a serious war and this would have worse than Nigerian civil war of 1966-1970 that's if the mother mistakenly hear about this incident, but sadly she died of snake bite while returning from her journey  home in Agwebe village. 

Mrs. Funke was informed about the news immediately it happened but decided not to disclose it to Ayomide so that she won't be distracted by it. She also told the staffs and students, including her household not to disclose it.

Before the burial of Ayomi, Mrs. Funke pushed Ayomide into a competition organized by Gani Fawehinmi  Foundation which she came out first  and granted a scholarship to study in Canada. So she was flied out immediately she won the competition.

After the burial of Ayomi, Chief Ogunde could not wait for like five days before replacing his late wife. He disrespected his late wife by getting married to a second wife just one week after her burial. 

Bamidele is still treated in the same way despite his countless times of failure in school because he is a male child and regarded as a first class citizen of the family. The school he attends could not keep his failure any longer because the image of the school is already tarnished, so the school authority made an execution by expelling him out of the school.

After Chief Ogunde was informed about Bamidele's expulsion from school, he sat him down and promised to establish a business for him. He gave him the sum of seventeen million naira to start up the business to sell clothes. He told the son not to have a plan by doing his business in the village, so he rented a big shop for him at Onisha market. 

Two months after, Bamidele visited his father with a news that his shop got burned and he loose everything. At this time, Chief Ogunde could not stand it but collapsed immediately he heard the news. But he was rushed to  the hospital whereby the doctor told his people that is only God that can save him because of the state of his health. He described a chronic disease which was said to have affected his heart.

Ayomide returned to Nigeria after completing her Ph.d in  Canada and with a honor of first class. When she arrives to the airport in Nigeria, she was received by the president for making a good name for her country which has never been brought by a man. She was also appointed as a Minister of Education, and numerous awards were given to her by all the states of the country.

Ayomide was informed for the passed away of her mother. This was done at the suitable time because she is already established and made herself a happy woman. Meanwhile, Mrs. Funke was already old and retired from work. So Ayomide built a house for her in the village and then also relocated her, including the family to Abuja to live in the new house she built for them.

Chief Ogunde was asked to be  transferred to Federal Medical Center in Abuja because of the critical state of his health, but his family doesn't have the money afford the bill..... even to pay the bill of the hospital he is. His second wife divorced him because she can't endure the pain of staying with him. But luckily, Ayomide came to the village just to take her brother to the city and then be told that her father is at the verge of joining his ancestors.

Ayomide at first decided not to show concern as she was badly treated by her father , but Bamidele was crying and begging her which she considered by helping the father.

Immediately Chief Ogunde saw Ayomide in the hospital, he began to cry like a rain of July. She started crying as she joined her father. She immediately paid off the bill of the current hospital and transferred him to the Federal Medical Center in Abuja where he was treated and regained his health. He then ended up saying that he made a regrettable mistake by making  Bamidele his favorite because he is a male child. Nature did not tell the difference that females should be treated inferior before men  because they are weaker venture, but expected to treat as half of a man which without he cannot be completed and that was the purpose of creating Eve.  But humans changed this arithmetic arrangement by nature and start by using it in a wrong way.

 

                                                                      The Ambitious Girl

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There are great days which will always be a renewable good time in your life that you can never forget, and there are also bad days which will be a distressing and ill-fated  time in your life that you can never fail to curse everyday. Can I ever forget that day of my Matriculation in the University of Abuja? If I could remember very well, it was during this day that I met a young and good looking guy who won my heart over with enticing material gifts, catapulted me to the top of the world, made me feel like I can swallow the whole world with pride, made me feel like I can touch the sky and play with it, promised to take me to Canada to further my education with a decent job after round off with my studies and lured me to abandon the dream of my heart whom I was managing with his sales boy job in H-Medix at Wuse 2, Abuja, and dumped me  in external mystery and bitterness.

I met this devil of a man called Kuro in 2021 last year at my matriculation ceremony in the UofA. He happened to be one of those early friends of Powei. They were in secondary school together at Saint Segun Memorial High School (SSMHS), Akure. While Powei round off his secondary school and went to the university, Kuro left for oversea through the influence of his friend whose name was  not disclosed after round off his first degree in the university . He went to Canada where he claimed to have begun his business activities.

While my fiance who I met during his National Youth Corp Service (NYC) in my school back then at Derimobo Model College which was established with the aim of eliminating examination malpractices in the area of Ese Odo local government, Ondo state, was still adjusting  his first post service job and Kuro was busy moving in and out of the country on business trips. He was importing in a variety of goods, such as: cars, shoes, phones, wears, foreign rice etc. He has nine flashy cars for his personal uses and five houses in both national and international. He had one in Dubai, one in Canada, one in Indian, and the other two in Nigeria: one in his own town and the other one in Abuja. He was a master of money, that is, he spends money the way he wish and money cannot dare to dry in his hands or accounts. Infact, he was a dream of every woman.

During the matriculation ceremony, he saw me and made passes at me. I respectfully told him that the young man who invited him to honor me on my matriculation ceremony and who is also his friend, is my fiance and that we were planning a marriage in my final year on campus. He looked at me on the face and laughed uncontrollably, and then gave me his business contact address while he said we human beings are always seeking for better life partner. He further stated......"Are you happy with the life you are living or do you want to die in poverty? Can't you change the narrative of your family background? The young man you claimed to love is a poor richest man for crying out loud.  He will ruin your future. I believe it is God that sent me to save you from the coven of poverty  and you should be happy about it. So think about it and I will remind you in few time", he smiled at me and walked away.

This became a dilemma to me because I was completely lost in confusion. So I advised myself to give a time before open up my mind to him.

On my way to class from Gwagwalada to main campus, he saw me at sultle ground and offered me a help by driving me to my lecture venue at Tetfund  and promised to come back after lectures to take me for lunch which he actually fulfilled. 

During the lunch time at Douye restaurant in Cov-Ground when two of us were together, he opened all the secrets my fiance had allegedly revealed to him about his plans for me, that he would not marry me and he wanted only to use me as sex toy and dump me later. He went ahead to open his brief case and brought out international passport and visa with my names on them. He told me that I would travel with him to Canada in three weeks time and should not let my fiance, Powei know about it because he would do everything possible to stop me. Immediately, he brought out a cheque and signed the sum of 12million (Twelve Million Naira Only) just to change my wardrobe. I became more confused but this time I said to my self......"Tonia you are not born to die in poverty. Don't procrastinate your mind this time. Reject the poor richest Powei and follow the master of money. No man can make it in life without the ambition for good life. You are a real Warri pikin na, abah. So why you dey fear to take a risk?". 

I could not hesitate as ambition controls my mind, so I agreed to abandon my fiance and travel with him.

We arrived to Canada safely. He became very fond of me and he treated me like a queen. He bought a variety of things for me and even promised to be sending money to my people in the village. I began to wonder and asked myself, what I have done for him to deserve this favour, even to the fact he wanted to marry me which he has not even opened up to me? I wasn't having this thought, but later got to know that devil does not give free gifts. So he was doing this strange favour just to use me as sacrificial lamb.

Kuro deceived me! He bought some dresses which I called "The First Class Wears" that can only be afforded to wear  by a president or minister, and arranged them in a big cargo which he directed me to deliver to one of his friend in Dubai. Unknowingly, the luggage I carried contained some peddles of drugs which I later identified as cocaine, and he sold and made money from them. Also, he is an internet fraudster (yahoo), and he occasionally renews his powers by drinking human blood to persuade his client and I was his next target to be sacrifed after returned from this very message. This drugs I ignorantly carried were banned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). So I was arrested at the airport for trafficking peddles. Before I could say a word to explain my innocent self, the NDLEA had already jailed me. 

While I was waiting for trial, Kuro visited me in the prison with his lawyer and threatened me that if I tell the court that I was sent by him, he will bribe the warder to poison me to death and even the judge too will be persuaded with money to  sentence me for life imprisonment. He then told me that I was just one of his victims who he brought from Nigeria that were doing the same job for him that he later sacrificed to renew his powers to increase his wealths. I became so afraid and regret how I end up my dear life in a premature death just because of my greediness. I cried uncontrollably but the sky laughed at me for my foolishness.

During the day of my judgement, I saw Kuro in the court room sitting as audience. When I was asked to narrate how I got to the country and involved in the business, then I told the court without minding Kuro's threat that I was brought by him, though I was still afraid to tell the main truth that I was sent by him. 

Kuro was the only Nigerian in the court, so the judge  used him as the eye of the Nigeria Ambassador who was unavoidably absent. He then used the opportunity to witness against me that I was arrested many times in Dubai for doing this illegal business, so the court should not grant me bail because I will commit more crimes by 

even assassinating the president of the country when released. I was just looking at him like a fool.  I don't blame him because I caused everything for being greedy and ambitious.

I became hopeless and helpless because there was nobody to help or defend me in the court. I don't know anybody in the country, except our house gate man, Sani. Since I cannot defend myself in the law court without a lawyer, the judge urged  me to get a defendant lawyer by all means which I know that I cannot afford. But to my greatest surprise, a defendant lawyer  came from Nigeria who I later identified as my fiance, Powei to defend me. When the final hearing round off,  I was found no guilty that Kuro, who had already gone mad by trying to sacrifice a girl who he brought from Benin and whose mother is the head of the Benin witchcrafts , was the one behind the crime, that I was ignorant and a victim of circumstances according to the judge. 

After Powei won the case and released me from the jail, I find it difficult to approach and thank him because shame shadowed me. To my greatest surprise, he said to me that there is no sin without forgiveness, so he has forgiven me. He narrated his story of how he became a lawyer. He told me that he was rescued by a lady while trying to commit suicide after I abandoned him for the devil, Kuro. 

Because he had the desire to study law as second degree, the woman sponsored him and he was signed in Gani Fawehinmi SAN & Co. after he finished his law practice. He was so skilled in the work that he won all the cases that came his way, especially in supreme court, so he was given the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

For me, I was like a poop before his eyes because I deserve nothing but worthless. But he clothed me with love and forgiveness, and I asked if he is engaged with the lady? Then he told me NO, that he was waiting for me! Meanwhile, he arranged the lady to marry his London based friend and they are blessed with two kids while enjoying life in London.

 I and Powei also actualized our dream as we got married on the 16th of January, 2022. I can't stay without seen the Angel who made it possible to actualize the dream. So I insisted  knowing her and Powei took me to London to pay her a visit which she was very much happy to welcome us. 

That period was lawyers' holiday (August break), so we spent  one month in London before returned to Nigeria. 

My womb was blessed with fruitfulness, so I happily became pregnant and gave birth to my first child in America who I named Ininifi, meaning (endurance).

      

                

                       The Caged Bird

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Modupe always campare her both past and the present with that of COVID-19 period. It was a period whereby people always stayed indoor. She vividly recalls that a state of emergency was declared so so that people will not be infected with the virus. So she always campare herself to that situation because of the restriction her father imposed on her. She always asked herself this question: "Am I a domestic bird that must be put inside the cage all the time?".

Tunde will always go out without any restriction by their father and Modupe will be looking at him while doing her domestic works with her mother in the kitchen. The worse for Modupe is that Tunde is her younger brother with two years of age, but he has more freedom than her. So she will be wondering if the father is intensionally doing it because she is a female child.  The  she will say at this same time that God did not make a mistake by creating her as a woman.

One thing Modupe love about her father is that he does not restrict her from going to school. His adherence to the tradition of their land is what made him a beast before her by limiting her from going out to meet friends apart from going to school or stream to fetch water. She had that opportunity of his love for education to finish her secondary school.

Akan, Modupe father's friend visited him and saw her when she came to serve them food. Akan now advised that Modupe has grown breast, therefore reached the stage of puberty, so she should be arranged for marriage in adherence to their tradition. Modupe's father agreed and related the plan to her mother, Fay, who also agreed.

Modupe was informed by her mother traditionally which she disagreed, but later corrected by the mother that that is the way it is done traditionally. So she conceded  when she realized that there is no option left for her.

Just three days after, Modupe was given to a man from neighbouring village who is a farmer as a wife. She was not happy about the unwanted marriage but  still left with no option than to be sold like a slave.

The father could not believe what he saw when Modupe returns back home two years after their marriage with many scars all over her body. She narrated the sad story to her father of how the husband maltreated her like a rejected sacrifice. She has been passing through this pain ever since got married to him but she endures the pain inorder to save her marriage because of the child she had with him. She only returned home with this very incident because it almost took her life.

Modupe was not like a man that will make decisions by herself. So she was still advised by her father, Ebiwei to return to her husband's house because she has already had a child with him.

Men can never understand the pain of a woman in their hands because they have this untrue  belief that she came to this world to serve them. But women does and that is why they believed in this saying that says 'women supporting women'. Modupe revealed her plan to the mother which she agreed. She came up with a plan to further her education and that will take her out of the village by going to the city.

As it is said that women supporting women, Fay supported her daughter with the sum of N3,000.00 which is her life savings without telling the father. For her, not telling him is the best choice because he will prevent the plan.

Modupe got admission in the University of Lagos to study Medicine. She carries her child, Youbaifa, who is just five years old and took her along. The neighbors in the city are very friendly, especially Iya Ibeji. So she leaves Youbaifa with It's Ibeji anytime she go to class.

Modupe changed her phone number so that she will not be disturbed from the village, though her husband has already gotten a new wife in replacement of her  whom he believes that can provide him a male child. But Modupe is no longer interested in any man because she will not be valued if she stays under the roof of a man without giving herself a value.

Modupe bagged  her first degree in Medicine in the University of Lagos and immediately got a scholarship to do her Masters and Phd in University of Abuja by the Lagos state government after coming with first class.  She also bagged her both Masters and Phd and got employed by Alliance hospital at No. 5 Malumfashi Close, Off Emeka Anyaoku street, Area 11, Garki, FCT, Abuja.

To uncage herself from the tradition, she returns to the village and divorced her husband, Tunmiyen, who is already suffering from partial stroke disease and abandoned by his second wife. She divorced him with a bottle of dry gin or Ogogoro in local meaning by Ijaw as it is done traditionally.

Modupe sent Youbaifa abroad to further her education immediately she round off her secondary school in Nigeria. For her, getting married to another man and a called wife is like putting herself back to the traditional cage. Since she has made value for herself, there is no need for her to get married again because she has produced a child who is also becoming a value in the society.

                                                                               Tears of the Ophan

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Ebi and his friend, Posiwei started their friendship journey......inception from primary school to secondary level, and they both attended the same university and graduated at the same time. The two friends lived like twins who promised themselves not to separate. They believe that true friendship is like camaraderie, and it is deeper than a blood relation.

However, Ebi is an orphan. He lost his father two months before he was born. Ebiwolatei, his mother decided not to remarry, so she rejected all the suitors in the village that came her way. She is an hardworking woman who always want the best for her son, Ebi. As the only surviving child, she is so much interested in him, especially his education. She want Ebi to change the narrative of the family since she and her late husband were not opportune to be educated.

Ebi had a poor upbringing due to the poor background of his family, but that does not discourage him to hate his parents, instead he loved to be born by them. Despite all odds, he was an industrious boy. He always goes to the farm  to help his mother when returns from school. Sometimes he would go to the farm without eating because of the family situation at stake. But to avoid ulcer, his mother struggle to be keeping food for him before going to the farm. Anytime he returns home and met food on the table, he will smile and then cover the food for his  mother because she need it more than him. But the mother was not comfortable with it because she want the sacrifice to be taken by her, not the son who has a very long way to live with his life. 

Ebi was not still discouraged by all shortcomings but rather had zeal and determination to achieve his future despite all odds. He lacked school materials and had no useful dresses to wear except his fiance, Aina, who is a pure water hawker  that always buy for him.

Aina is half educated. She lost her both parent just after she finished her secondary school. She is the only surviving child of her parent who was expected to inherit the family properties, but her uncle claimed all of them and even drove her out of the house. Aina became helpless and hopeless, but fortunately she met a friend called Kate who introduced her to the pure water business. She started the business with just half bag which was gave to her by Kate. But the profit increased to ten bags which she used to cater for herself and Ebi. Also, she been able to rent a self contain after more increase, whereby she opened a mini shop outside the house. She doesn't want to be educated, but instead wanted the opportunity for Ebi.

One sad day when Ebi was in final year in secondary school, his mother slept and never woke up. She died of heart attack. It was indeed a tempest that was enough to end Ebi's hope of living. He cried bitterly but that would not bring back the mother. He imagined the bitter and sad life he would live after the death of his parent. Infact, that was somewhat unkind to Ebi as the diaster cut him into size. His life became helpless and hopeless like a journey without end. His uncles and aunties abandoned him because they think that he is a bad luck child, and that was what killed the  parent. 

He was owing his school N50,000 (fifty thousand naira) before the demise of his mother. So he lost hope that the school would not allow him to write his final year exams, WAEC and NECO. Due to his excellent performance in school, the school principal paid all his fees. The principal was so impressed of him that he always passed all his exams in flying colors. This made Ebi so happy and became more determined than ever.

Luckily for him, he was freely registered by the school  for his final year exams (WAEC and NECO). He was so favoured by God that he passed all the nine subjects with distinctions. Infact, he had the best result in the whole federation and consequently, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) awarded him automatic scholarship for the rest of his education. Not only that, he equally passed his UTME with the overall score of '399' and was admitted to study English and Literature at the University of Abuja.

 It was no problem or inanition for him as a result of the scholarship he had won based on his academic performance in final examination at secondary school. Before he left for Abuja to further his education, he promised his fiance, Aina that he would come back to take her to the city after he finished his school and settled down with job.

Ebi and Posiwei had their rapprochement since when they were in primary school. Posiwei was born with silver spoon. He came from a very rich family, so things were not difficult for him, and good and comfortable life were his best friends. But Ebi was unlikely ill-fated to have this opportunity, so he suffered from grass  to grace. Both of them were admitted in the same institution but different courses, and Posiwei was not under scholarship, but under the sponsorship of his parent. He was so strict on campus, and he has never failed to protect his friend from the oppression by his fellow students who are cultists. He was given him money for his up keep, and sometimes bought him clothes.

Ebi was specialized in both Art and Sciences courses, so he helps Posiwei to do his assignments and even sometimes tutored him for his tests and exams, and this made Posiwei never to have carry-over throughout his stay on campus. Also, they both graduated the same time.

During the National Youth Corps Service (NYSC) they were posted to the same town in Ondo state called Arogbo. This gave them the opportunity of visiting each other and they also later completed their Youth Corps Services in same year.

Immediately they finished their Youth Corps Service, they both got a job at Dangote Group of Companies in Kogi state. After Ebi was employed for the job, he married his fiance, Aina as promised and she became pregnant and  gave birth to a bouncing baby boy after one year of their marriage.

One beautiful day, a later was sent to Ebi from their head office in China with the heading......."LETTER OF PROMOTION AS THE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER OF DANGOTE GROUP OF COMPANIES", he could not round off to read the letter because he did not expect to get such big opportunity as a junior employee in the company. He was later made to understand that the promotion was warranted by his commitments and efforts of contributing for the  development of the company ever since he was employed.

 He told the news to his friend, Posiwei who was employed the same time with him that has not gotten the opportunity. 

' Congratulations to you, my dear brother and good friend! I am very much happy for you. May God elevate you more and grant you all your heart desires,' Posiwei prayed and congratulated.

'Thank you very much my dear brother! I really appreciate you for always being supportive to me. Indeed, I owed a lot and promise to pay back. May this opportunity also be yours in Jesus name. Amen', Ebi acknowledged.

Ebi was so grateful to God as he remembered his story when people were abusing him because of his poor background. They will say.....'How long will you be looked good, you bush boy and ragamuffin', insulted by the people. This made him shy and sometimes refused to walk in public. But a thought came to his mind which encouraged him that no condition is permanent and his narrative will be changed one day. So he had this hope and then see nothing as they continue to abuse him. He told Posiwei......'My dear brother, as far as there is life, there is also hope. Patient, courage, wisdom and expert counseling are hasty needed whenever we loose our normal conditions or when our money entire finished. It is dangerous to loose hope in life my friend, simply because your condition is critical. When you loose hope, no more strength, everything will become impossible, you cannot struggle for anything and you will become very weak in spirit. As a man, you should put iron in your heart, be courageous, otherwise you will loose hope in life and thereby fall forever. I am me today because I did not loose hope.'

Posiwei was  happy with him for the appointment, but it was just a camouflag. His inner mind was so annoyed and bittered because he wanted the position that was gave to Ebi. He became jealous that Ebi will be more successful than him, because he had many properties than him. So he concluded with a plan to eliminate him and claimed his properties. But Ebi did not put his hands on one basket. He registered all his properties with the name of his three year old son, so it will be impossible for Posiwei to claim them  if he kill him, though he wasn't aware  of this secret.

Like a green snake under the green grass, Posiwei refused to show his true color, instead he always act like a saint.  He invited Ebi for a birthday party which was hosted by him for his fiance. It was a schedule of his plan of masterminding the killing of Ebi. He poised him at the party, and Ebi eventually died after he was brought to Viva Hospital at Bwari, Abuja.

Killing Ebi was not enough for him. He also alleged his wife that she is the one responsible for the mysterious death of his friend, so she was arrested by police but later released after she was found no guilty. Still that was not enough for him, so he drove her out of the house with a threat that if she comes back to the house, he will kill or put in prison. Life became miserable for her and the son because there was nobody to help them.

She and her three year old son were living in an uncompleted building. They only survived by begging in the street. Sometimes, Ebi will appeared  and  be looking at them, and then started crying because he could not help them due to the fact that he was a spirit. Luckily for her  and the son, Ebi been able to use a human to direct his lawyer to the wife and hand over his documents for her.

After Posiwei discovered that he could not have access to the properties, he had a plan to eliminate the woman and her son. He hired boys to assassinate them, but they could not succeed. They were attacked by Ebi while trying to drag them into their car. He possessed the driver and they all died in ghastly accident.

After killing the messengers of Posiwei, Ebi's spirit started tormenting him. Every night, he will be crying in the house and whenever Posiwei see him, he always appeared with tears to signify that died a painful and wasted death. However, his cry will only be heard by Posiwei and this was unbearable for him every night.

After he heard that his boys couldn't succeed, he also came by himself to kill Ebi's wife and her son. But Ebi's spirit appeared to him, and  hit him with a stick, then he started having chickenpox and his body was rotten until he was brought to the village to confess. He died after the confession and was burned in the evil forest according to the tradition of the Ijaw people.

Aina and her son returned back  to their house, and the son was given  a scholarship to study abroad by the Dangote Group of Companies. However, this appeased  the angry spirit of Ebi and his tears also found a rest.

                                                    The Heartless Step-brother

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Ifeanyi lost his mother at a very tender age and started living with his father, chief Uduka. His father knows the situation of him that if he leaves him with his step mother, Amara, she will maltreat him because she does not like him.

Ifeanyi is the only surviving child of his late mother, Ugochi. He was like an egg in her palms because she was barring for 12 years in the marriage and that made her husband's people, especially his mother to marry him second wife who gave birth to a son just in two months of marriage. After given birth to her first son, Ebuka, she continues giving more and that made Ugochi to become a cursed single tree that stands alone in the village. But fortunately, she gave birth to Ifeanyi and died four years after his birth.

Chief  Uduka have more interest on Ifeanyi because he is more responsible than all his children. He writes his high school final exams and passed them at once in flying colours but his step brother, Ebuka failed many times before he passed through writing in miracle center.

Amara, while trying to poison Ifeanyi, mistakenly poisoned her daughter's food which took her life. She was the only step sister who was very close and friendly with Ifeanyi. Ifeanyi cried bitterly when the death was announced to him while selling his father's palm wine in their neighbouring village called  Inewi, a part of his village, Oloni in Delta state. He insisted for justice when he returns back from the market. He refused to leave her grave while she was putting to rest and he even jumps inside the grave, wanting him to be buried with her.

After some months ago, he received a letter from a friend in Canada with the heading,

                       "LETTER OF EMPLOYMENT AS  MARKETING MANAGER".

 He jumps up shouting,

                        "Pa pa ooo, pa pa, biko come ooo, our God has done it for us. Please come and see for yourself. Dad, please come ooo" he started rolling on the ground crying and singing.

                        "What's this tears of joy all about?" asked the father.

                        "Daddy, I received this letter from my friend, Powei, who is from Arogbo, Ondo state that I helped in all his literature subjects and had a very good result like me. He was my closet friend. His mother is from this village but married to an Ijaw man in Arogbo" replied Ifeanyi.

                         "Oh, I remembered him now. Is it not Chief  Perena's son?" asked the father.

                         "Exactly papa, that's him" replied Ifeanyi.

                        "Oh! This is wonderful! I will call my sister, Beatrice to thank her. I learnt she lives in Abuja, right?" asked the father.

                        "Yes papa" replied Ifeanyi.

                         "OK. I will call her" said the father.

Amara became so angry after hearing the good news of Ifeanyi. All she needs is for her children to be better than Ifeanyi. Besides she doesn't want  Ifeanyi to progress in life.   She plans every possible way to terminate the journey of Ifeanyi. So one night she cooks food and invited Ifeanyi to her kitchen and gives the food to him but immediately he steps out with the food, heavy wind came and blow him down on the ground with the food. The step mother came out and started shouting at him that he is wasting their money and must look for a way to pay it back. Luckily for him, the father hide the money and gives to him to settle her.

In the following morning, the step mother could not wake up from her sleep and that was how she died and immediately buried in the evil forest as instructed by the chief priest of the land. All this happened for the good of Ifeanyi to actualize his dream of going to the Canada.

When the day for his trip to Canada came, he was taken to the airport at Benin and his flight took off at night by 9:pm. Meanwhile, Ebuka, his step brother was not happy about the fact that Ifeanyi want to be better than him. He somehow becomes powerless because the mother who reinforces his evil mind is dead, but still have the hope to visit her native doctor at Ikoko forest.

Ifeanyi called home immediately he arrives to Canada. He was taken to his office in the following day by Powei. After spending six and half years, Ifeanyi started sending money to his father to build a new house. He also send all his siblings to the university and send money to Ebuka to start up a business because he refused to go to school. But the wicked Ebuka used the money to visit his late mother's native doctor to destabilize Ifeanyi because he doesn't want him to be better than him. 

Although Powei perceived the evil of Ebuka and warned Ifeanyi not to help him but he refused. Just few time after he had sent him  money to establish a business, he started having an experience of disappointment in the company. First the money meant to import new goods to the company disappeared from the company's account and Ifeanyi is the only one who have access to the account as a marketing manager. He was arrested after some claims were made that he transferred the money to his private account. 

To avoid further damages in the company, he was deported back to Nigeria after being released by Powei. Powei did it so that it will not escalate to  making him spend the rest of his life in jail but he believes that it is not ordinary and he never lost trust in him.

Ebuka became so happy when he saw Ifeanyi in the village and he cries every day and night. But fortunately, Ifeanyi been able to finish the payment of his siblings school fees and they have all graduated from the university. Among the three of them, it was only one who came to acknowledge the help of Ifeanyi while others don't even care.

Ifeanyi, spending his remaining time is like a suicide to him. He also believes that what happened to him is not an ordinary. So he went to the village shrine, naked himself in front of the oracle and lay a curse on who so ever have hands in his problem. He cursed that the oracle will visit the perpetrator and kill him or her in seven days after confessing to the world. Then he returns back home after expressing his anger to the oracle to fight for him.

The oracle appeared to Ebuka in his dream and chase him with cane. He wakes up from sleep shivering like a baby. He could not stay back and wait for a mysterious dead to visit him or knock at his door, so he visits his late mother's native doctor who revealed to him that he has just seven days to live on earth. His step brother has lay a cursed on him and now the oracle of the land is angry for vengeance.

                     "What is the solution, wise one?" asked Ebuka with shivering voice.

                     "No solution, my son except you have to confess to your step brother that you are the one responsible for his problem" replied the native doctor who turns back at him immediately he replies him.

                      "Wise one, please do something. I can't approach him after the evils I have done to him. He will kill me before the seven days. Please help me" said Ebuka.

                        "I can't put my own life like a bait on the same hook with you for a fish to eat. So do what I said or else you will die. So go ooo" replied the native doctor who disappeared immediately.

Ebuka became more scared because he was hoping that the native doctor who helped him to perpetrate the evil can also help him to fight it as it back fired. He had no option than to run back to the village to save his life.

Ebuka can't approach Ifeanyi in person, so he arranged two elders to accompany him to beg for forgiveness. They came and met the father lying down on a bench crying because of Ifeanyi present condition. But he stops crying when he saw the visitors who insisted that they have a message but want Ifeanyi to welcome the message. He called Ifeanyi who was in his mother's kitchen struggling to boil yam to eat. Immediately he came, Ebuka knee down before him begging him to forgive him that he is the cause of all his problem. At first, Ifeanyi did not understand him until Ebuka confessed to him that he used the money Ifeanyi sent to him for business to do juju and destabilized him because he doesn't want him to be better than him. 

Their father got heart attack and died immediately. Ifeanyi also started crying, 

                  "But Ebuka why? What have I done to you to deserve this?" asked Ifeanyi  rolling down on the ground crying.

Then he stood up, cleaned his tears with the back of his palm and embrace him.

                   "I have forgiven you but I don't think papa does. He died because of you and I don't think he will be happy in the spirit world and forgive you. But I have forgiven you" said Ifeanyi.

But immediately Ebuka approaches their father's corpse, a heavy thunder strikes him down and he died immediately.

                                                                      Politician's Promise

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Every politician is like a white cheap who can be sighted in a dark night when aspiring for political office but a black cheep who cannot be sighted in dark night after achieving what he or she wanted. The people of Digbene village supported their son, Hon. Dimini when he wanted to contest for the office of local government chancellor in Ese Odo, Ondo state. They supported him both financially, spiritually and physically expecting that he would change the narrative of the village for being the first to represent them in the government affairs. Then he was like a new born baby or a baby bird that has not grown wing to fly, so he was always with them licking their buttocks. When the election day came, they all came out massively to vote for him and his polling uint, no single vote was given to the opposition party, so he won the election with a very far distance given to his opponents.

After Hon. Dimini was sworn in, he relocated to the government house at Igbekepou including his wife and children. Though it is not a very tangible office but at least he was still expected to help a child from the village in the primary school. He stopped visiting the village and wanting not to be seen when visited by the village elders.

                          "Please tell the security man not to allow any body in, especially those from my village", said Hon. Dimini to his wife.

The elders of the land had a meeting which also includes the youths to contemplate why they are being neglected by their son despite all their efforts to make him achieved his feat. He was sleeping in this same poor mat with them in the village while aspiring for that his post. Some of them are not financial settled but still they took loans from neighbouring villages to sponsor him. He doesn't have even N5 to do a flyer for campaigns but they do. They ended the meeting which made some left home crying. But this thought came to their minds that a domestic animal does not run to the bush and dwell forever but he must surely come back home. Ijaw people also have this saying when the water gets hot the snail must surely come out. So they started waiting for the day that would return him home.

After four years, the days of Hon. Dimini got expired and he was to contest again for re-election and this time he also upgraded to contest for the office of chairmanship. To do eye service, he came to the village uninvited and constructs a local bridge made with plank for them. He also took about five children from the village and registered them in school. He was attending every meeting with the people and took himself low like an original villager he was which he hated while in power and started helping them to cut bush in the village. With all this angelic appearance, the people forgot his past thinking that he is now a Paul who was Saul. They organized themselves as usual and canvass vote for him from the neighbouring villages. They still supported financially and backed him with prayers while church. He won again with massive support and then relocated to the government house. This time he was given there policemen by the state government to guide him.

What the people of Digbene experienced while their son was the cancillor was just a minor experience. But this time no one has the access to communicate with him on phone and to even come close to his house and office but cross like fifteen rivers before getting to him which is impossible. So they lamented again and wait for the dawn to expire.

Hon. Dimini actually returned back home after his tenure has expired.  He became like a white cheap showing himself to be sighted at night by assisting the people to bring primary school to the village. He also supported the building of their church cathedral which was abandoned for many years. To make the mothers happy, he accompanies each of them to the bush to fish and give them money for market on every four days. So after doing all this, he became a responsible son of the land and they declared their support again. 

The people of Digbene village became so happy when he declares for them that he is upgrading by going for state house of assembly. Their happiness is that he is coming up to change the narrative of the village since no one has ever being their eyes there before but strangers. So they canvass votes for him as usual and made him to win the election massively.

A leopard can never change it spot, after he was elected again, he built house in Akure and relocated with his family

                                                        From Grass to Grace

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Many people advised Mr. Okeke to do family planning but he refused. He is known for Mr no job and a grown up man that beg for a living. He has seven children but yet he is still not satisfied by  impregnating his wife to produce more children. Obinna, the third son who is just 12 years old joined his brothers in the streets to struggle for survival. The careless mother, Nneka, who enjoys the love making with her husband to get pregnancies on every  touch in the night, advised Obinna to go to Onisha market to push wheelbarrow. 

By agreeing to do the work because he had no choice due to the state of the family, he earns sometimes N2,000 and above in a day but they all go to the account of his irresponsible parents to provide for the family. Sadly, Obiora, Obinna's immediate elder died in the course of alcer.

Many of the children could not wait for the death of hunger to visit them, so some of them travel out of the village for far places to struggle on their own for survival and the kids who have not grown enough wing to fly stay with the parents, including Obinna. But one day Mr. Okeke and his wife made up their minds by putting Obinna on a public transport to Benin to struggle by himself to survive. He was transferred from Umuofia village in Anambra and doesn't understand English due to the fact that he was not given the opportunity to go to school.

To live in land that he has not even smell before since they born him, it becomes very difficult for him to settle down because he knows nobody there.

Obinna luckily found  accommodation on a very lonely place and it is a school building which people only visit during school hours. Mr. Fosa, the principal of the school became so sock when it was discovered that Obinna stays in one of the class rooms which is even abandoned. He had no option than to give permission to Obinna to stay there for the mean time. And Obinna assured him that he will be a good boy and relocate as soon as he makes little more to pay for house rent.

Obinna goes to the market to push wheelbarrow as he was already familiar with the work in the village. He finds himself in a very difficult situation but he always had the hope of becoming a breadwinner.  He cries sometimes when remember his siblings whom some are no where to be found and others staying with his irresponsible parents who decline people's advice by bringing them to the world to suffer for not having plans for them on earth. He passes some nights without taking his bath because the area he lives was like a desert. So some people started avoiding in the market to carry their foods because of his body odour. Their thought is that he might be infected with some mysterious deseases due to his situation of not taking care of himself. Because of this he was being chased out in some places in the market. 

It becomes more difficult for Obinna to survive in Benin. He had the thought of calling his parents but the more he has the thought, the more he becomes more depressed. But Obinna always had the belief that since he has life then there is hope for him.

Luckily for Obinna, Odion visits him because he always sees him in the school environment and he is a content creator. He interviews Obinna and was told of the sad story behind his purpose of living in that school environment. Odion became so sad