Chapter five

He thought, ‘what drastic change of emotions.’

  ‘JT, you have brought back my glory.’

I’ve actually waited for this break all through my life. Yes, I’ve made it in life. I have money, fame and prestige but I wouldn’t be happier than now. Thank you my dear.’

JT was surprised and elated the same time. He had never been more informal with his boss than this.                                               

  ‘Are you here?’ He asked.

He shook his head and answered.

  ‘Yes sir, I’m here it’s just that I’m short of words, I mean words seem to elude me.’

  ‘My boy, finally we’ve gotten the contract; the long awaited contract to build the Miami tunnel. And as a matter of fact, the deal would not be concluded without you flying down there and giving the presentation yourself.’

  ‘Wow! Wow!’ he jumped and fell on his knees and thanked God who had made it happen.

He could see a lot of skirts and trousers moving up and down. There seemed to be seriousness in every corner. He removed the sunshade he was wearing and alighted from the taxi. He brought out his wallet from the inner pocket of his jacket and paid the driver who counted the money and brought out some money to give him back as his balance but he asked him to keep the balance. The driver drove off after thanking him and left him alone at the middle of the airport and this gave him the ample time to browse through the airport.  

Something caught his attention and it was actually a bird hopping past him and flying straight to the top of a building which majestically stood facing the entrance of the airport.

His gaze followed the bird and rested on what was designed on top of the building.

  ‘Murtala Mohammed International Airport.’

  ‘What do you mean that I won’t be going with you?’ A girl in a navy blue suit asked a man with her.

 ‘You are really not going with me because you’ll mess up things for me, said the man.

Their conversation caught the attention of Justice and as he was trying to adjust his clothes he noticed that time was ticking fast, he hurried down into the departure hall.

He checked his booking and was told that his flight would be leaving in an hour’s time. He went to sit in a comfortable position in order to give him room as to view what was happening.

After few moments, he felt dizzy, he held his head in his hands to seek support, immediately he noticed that a figure passed him but it was too late for him to get a hint of that person. Something in him told him that the person was familiar. The fragrance of the person’s cologne was familiar as well but he couldn’t make out where he had met the person and who that person was.

All her life, Sharon had lived to be admired.

She had lived a better part of her life in Britain.

She had schooled in Prime gate College for almost five years and after then, she moved to pursue her higher education in Manchester University where she read law. She had this attitude of placing herself first before others because she believed she was the best even during her university education.

She could actually pass for a black American.  However, she had all the features attributed to them.

She cat-walked straight to the departure hall and she momentarily brought out her sun shade and wore it. This gave her a distinct and endearing appearance. As she cat-walked back to find a comfortable seat for herself, eyes rolled towards her and she could see desire in those eyes.

She sat down and reminisced about her experience in life as she thought, her eyelids became heavier and she couldn’t help but close them.

  ‘Sharon, don’t be so fast with the swing.’ Her mother called out to her.

  ‘I won’t mum, I’m actually enjoying it.’

There were two seats on the swing and as she swung as usual, her mother came and sat on the other seat.

  ‘Sharon, you know, this reminds me of my childhood just like you.’ She fantasized.

  ‘What about it mum? I can’t wait to hear it, mum.’

  ‘You know, I grew up in a family where the children do not have the opportunity to get all the luxuries they wanted. I remember so vividly this experience. I was a little older than you are now. I think I was ten years then, two years older than you are. My father always promised to buy me a swing just like this one but he never did. His inability to buy me a swing was not because he never wanted to but because he had no money that could afford that. He was a polygamous man. It affected him seriously financially because each wife wanted the best for her children just like the other wives would want. It sounded like a competition for them. My father loved me the most amongst all his children. You know why? She asked.

  ‘No mum, Hmmm…wait a minute. I know why.

He loved you the most because you were just like me. You were quite intelligent.’

She allowed a faint smile to show from the corner of her mouth.

  ‘You got it my angel,’ she teased her by touching her long smooth nose.

 ‘My father would do anything for his family to be happy but they never would be happy.

One day, my older brother, my half-brother from the second wife created history. He was a very mischievous boy then.’

Sharon cut her short.

  ‘You meant Uncle Femi, mum? She asked.

  ‘Yes my dear,’ she continued.

  ‘He would come home from school each day with his clothes torn and he would be so un-kept all the time because of his incessant fights at school. One day he came home with a different story. Not only was it that he fought at school, he was almost expelled from school but for my father’s good image which he had created. He was known for his honesty and simplicity all around his environs.

The head teacher after scrutinizing your grandfather’s personality and weighing the effect on the other party concerned, decided to give your uncle a two week suspension.

  ‘Wow mum! That must have been hot for uncle.’ She gestured with her face by puckering it.

‘Of course, it was my dear, but what could he do? The deed had been done already.

That’s why your grandfather did what he did.’

  ‘What did he do mother?’

  ‘He told him a big story he would never forget in his life.’

  ‘And what was the story mum?’ she asked in enthusiasm.

  ‘You sure you want to hear it?’ She asked.

  ‘Why not mum?’

  ‘You grandfather told him this story….

There was a boy who lived with his grandfather in a country side. He was sent to stay with his grandfather by his parents as he was a very mischievous boy. The punishment never had any impact on him because he still went on living his rough life.

This boy would always play with crackers and he was always warned by his granny many times to stop that but he wouldn’t relent. He would always say ‘I’m sorry’ to his granny. One day, his granny went out for a walk and the boy was left alone at home.

He thought if he could play a little cracker his granny wouldn’t know. But on his way for the walk, his granny felt a little drowsy and decided to come back home through the back door. He went to bed immediately. The boy threw the crackers up in the air but he was unlucky that day. One of the specks from the cracker fell inside the house through an open window and he did not realize that.

After few minutes, the house was set ablaze. He didn’t know what to do as nobody was around to help him. The fire burnt down the whole house. Eventually people came to search the house and found out that his granny was burnt to death from the fire incident, he was actually charred. The boy loved his granny so much. He wept uncontrollably but it was too late for him. From that day on, the boy stopped saying; ‘I’m sorry’ because the fire made sure of that.’

  ‘Wow mum, that was a very touching story,’ Sharon said amidst tears.

  ‘Yes my angel, it was. You know what? Your uncle changed after a rapt attention to the story. Just the same way the little boy stopped saying I’m sorry, after every mischief, your uncle stopped being mischievous because he believed something bad may happen to your grandfather if he didn’t change and he would be held responsible for that.’

  ‘It was actually a life changing story and I know you would tell that to your children when you grow up,’ she shook her with her elbow and giggled simultaneously, but there was no response from Sharon.