In my wildest dreams, i would never have believed that the world was such a small place for Baba to have known Abdul, so many things ran through my head, what if i had told Baba that i was close friends with Abdul, maybe he would have called the Mob on me. I maintained my silence as i laid on the couch, apart from the Fufu and egusi soup, this was the next comfortable thing that had happened to me..
Baba came in around 11pm with rice and beans, i had dozed off but the banging of the door woke me up, we set the food on the table and did justice to it.
Baba cried as he ate the food and i was visibly worried for him..
"I no get anybody for this world again, my wife leave me follow anoda man some years ago with my two children, i Marry anoda woman, as she born this my only son wey die so, she sef die. My life don end"
It pained me to see Baba cry, i felt pity for him, i felt like telling him his son almost shot me, but for the fear of the unknown i kept quiet.
Baba asked what I was going to do now since i have decided to remain in Lagos.I thought about it for a while and he asked me to sleep over it.
I told him i had 25k with me and I want to go into any small business. Baba reached for his pocket and handed my 2k over to me and asked me to add it up to what i had..
I told him not to worry, but he walked right into his room, and few minutes later, he was snoring heavily.
I woke up the next morning to behold a plate of Amala and ewedu soup on the table, i called out to Baba and he came out of his room. "Baba, why did you wake up so early to prepare food for me, I'm not a stranger anymore na, and besides you should have called me".
Baba yawned as i spoke. "wetin be ur name sef, na old man like me go wake up cook food dis early morin for u? Na Bola bring d food, na so she de give me food every morning".
I swept the house and helped Baba wash some of his clothes. He offered some of his late son's clothes to me and i swiftly declined. Baba smiled as he folded the clothes to be burnt "you no wan wear thieve cloth, no worry i understand "..
I told Baba that i want to go into Gala Business. "But u go school na, why u follow all this people de hawk Gala ".
"Baba, since i graduated from school, i have not had a decent job, i have not even made 1# from my so called certificate which by now has been used as toilet paper or used to tie corn, i cannot go back to calabar like this, please this is what i want to do".
Baba clapped after i finished my speech and i was confused. I know i didn't say anything to warrant the applause. "if to sey my pikin bin get small sense like you, e for still de alive till now"
We helped ourselves to the delicious food that Bola prepared for us,Baba looked at me as i ate the food hungrily, he could tell i needed to eat consistently like this every hour in order for me to be restored to my default settings.
The Beautiful Bola came in and cleared the table and my eyes were fixated on her. She knelt down as she greeted me and i felt so embarrassed..The only time someone ever knelt down for me was in SS3 when i was flogging a Junior student for insurbodination.
"Uncle, hope you enjoyed the food, if its not enough i can bring extra oh", Bola said in her tiny yet melodious voice".
As i opened my mouth to reply, BAba cut in, "Oshé omõ ďäďä(thank you good child) we enjoy the food iyer, we don't want extra ". Bola smiled and left.. Baba looked at me as i tried to get busy. "You this omo Calabar, because of breast u go sleep under bridge, now u don de chook eye for Bola body, i see as u de look am like person wey get epilepsy, her papa na soldier oh, mä kó bämí õō(dont put me in trouble), oya go baf, u need to buy small cloth, u de smell like overnight fufu"Baba added..
Baba introduced me to some hawkers on the streets and i paid all the necessary bills i was supposed to, they absorbed me into their fold almost immediately as i took to the streets,..
Maybe, just Maybe, some of us still believe in little beginnings, i said to myself as i sold to my first customer