Survival 31 – Two Mothers Chima: Hey, what’s up? Guy: I dey. How fa? Chima: I am cool. You wanna hang out? Guy: As in? Chima: Hop in, let’s go chill. Guy: Ah ah, omo were ni oo. Like me ke, man guy, enter your car go chill? I look like woman or gay? Chima: I will pay you. Guy: Your father! Oloshi! Olori buruku! He drove off fast before the guy threw three stones at his new car. Chima: Omo, it's like I will drive to the school environment oo. These touts are not smiling at all. But school people already know me, I will be identified easily. If not, I like some of my coursemates that will bend so fast. His phone rings. Chima: Yeah? My Gold: Come to the house, please. I need you. Chima: OK, I am coming. He drove to the place. At the Engineer’s House Oke: Hello? What?! How? When?! OMG! Why?! I will come and see you right now. Me: What’s wrong? Oke: My sister is gone. Me: Gone where? Oke: She died. Me: Eh? How? When? Where? Oke: From an abortion, she said. And she said she is leaving him. I have to go to her. Me: What? Well, are you sure it's not a trap? Engr Van: I also think so, ooo. Oke: It can't be. She can't lie with her daughter's life. Barrister Santos: If they try getting info out of you, try saying nothing. Oke: OK, I promise. I won’t hurt the only brother I have. And he left. Oke: Mum, what happened? Aunty Amaka: Your father has killed me. Oke: How? Aunty Amaka: All of you... I have none now. Oke: Where is Chima? Aunty Amaka (cries): Since I sent him to meet your father at the hotel, he has not returned home. Oke: What?! Aunty Amaka: My son, please forgive me for not fighting for you. I am very sorry. Oke: Mum, where is Chima?! Aunty Amaka: I don’t know. The last time I heard about him, they said he was driving a car in the city. I don’t know… She breaks down. Oke: What are you doing now? Aunty Amaka: I am packing. I am leaving here. I told you so. Oke: But where will you go to? Aunty Amaka: I still have a father and a family. Oke: Haba, Mama. Marriage is for better or worse. Aunty Amaka: Excuse me, I married the wrong Okoye. Oke: Oh, you just realized that, right? Aunty Amaka: What do you mean? Oke: You had me in your stomach. You should have gone back to him. But you liked the attention—the Lagos, and the abroad he took you to. And you stayed back. Now you’re running? Well, it fits you. Aunty Amaka (cries): Please don’t say so. I am sorry. Oke: You liked all he gave you. That’s why you stayed with him. Aunty Amaka: No, no, no, no. Oke: How did your daughter get pregnant and no one knew until she died? Aunty Amaka: I don’t know. Oke: She was always left out. No one paid attention to her. Aunty Amaka: I am so sorry. Oke: Best you tell her that when you bury her. At the Police Station Inspector Isa: Sir, we have good news. DPO: What’s the good news? Inspector Isa: That woman, Madam Esther—we have found her son. DPO: Wow! After 10 years? That’s interesting. Inspector Isa: It was through the suspected boy, sir. His master. DPO: Hmm... Any updates on that? Inspector Isa: We have enough evidence to arrest the perpetrator of the crime. All we need is your go-ahead order. DPO: Order now comes from above. Let’s wait for those above to tell us what to do or give orders. Inspector Isa: It seems they will never arrest that man. DPO: The moment they come for that boy or my son, do me the solid by arresting that man on my orders—and go with the press. Leak the information to the public. Let’s see what they’ll be up to. Inspector Isa: Yes, sir. At Mr. Gold's House Mr Gold: My sweet boy. Chima: You want to have me today? Mr Gold: 😂😂😂, why can’t I just see you when I want? Chima: I am not happy. Mr Gold: What’s wrong? You want more money? Chima: I wanted to bang. Mr Gold: I’ve heard of your activities. What’s that all about? You go to town, pick straight guys, bang them, then pay them and throw them on dustbins? Chima: It's my signature. Like you. You like them young, right? In a few years, give or take one or two, you’ll dispose of me and have a new person. Mr Gold: Hmm... You might be right. But why? Chima: There is no "why." Mine was taken by force. You paid because I was sweet. I pay these ones. There are many you didn’t pay. Mr Gold: OK. Why the bins? Chima: Puff... Nothing really. Just shame and— Mr Gold: So you were on your way to pick someone but I called? Chima: Yes. Mr Gold: Do you have a type? Chima: For now, I just want any guy that attracts me—from their face or body physique. Mr Gold: But you were never attracted to guys before. Why now? What changed? He looked at him. Chima: Why now? What changed? It’s you. You changing. You made me into what I am now. I was never into guys. But it’s as if this feeling has been inside my body, trapped for a long time. Whatever you did that night, it's all out—and it’s rushing through my veins. I cannot code it inside anymore. It’s pushing out of my body as if it has been locked there forever. But it was Pakistan. I’ve never felt it. I didn’t know it existed. Mr Gold: What do you want right now? Chima: I just want to have somebody. Do you have somebody for me? Mr Gold: You’re the only one I have right now. There’s a lot of heat in the country. Your father is in a lot of trouble. That’s why everybody is laying their head low. Even the president has warned us to stay away from him. The chances of saving him are getting slim every day. Chima: He can go to hell for all I care. Even if they arrest him now, it’s his fault. Mr Gold: If I was to give you a special gift, what would it be? Do not call money—because I know you always have money in mind. Chima: I pay well. The money I give those boys—it is too much. Some have never seen it in their life. That is why none of them is going to report—unless that person is stupid and greedy. You want to make me happy right now? Give me your son, Luca. I will have him. Mr Gold: He’s a man of his own. I cannot force him. Chima: But you can ask him. Mr Gold: Have you tried accessing him and he said no? Chima: I don’t know. I don’t think I’m his type. Mr Gold: He’s just like you in some ways. He has no type in particular. This was never meant to be his thing—until I brought him into it. Chima: You see? You are the devil here right now, corrupting every single one of us one by one. Mr Gold: 😂😂😂😂. Do you really think so? Chima: It’s unlike you to be chatting. Since I came, you’ve been chatting. Did you just suddenly grow bored? Because whenever I come here, I take off my clothes and it’s down to business. Clothes are off right now and you’re not even trying to do your thing. Mr Gold: How is family? How is everything in your house right now? Chima: Puff. Who cares? What happens there, happens there. I'm not there. Doesn’t really matter. Mr Gold: Your father called me earlier today to tell me he lost his daughter. His only daughter. Your sister. I think you have no knowledge about that. He kept quiet for some time and looked at his face seriously. Chima: Did he tell you how it happened? Mr Gold: According to him, she was trying to get an abortion and she died during the process. Chima: My father is evil. And every evil thing that he has done is falling back on him one by one. It’ll fall or not—we cannot escape it. Before it comes to my turn, let me be able to enjoy myself a while. Mr Gold: That was why I called you—to extend my condolences. I’ll send you some money. You could go and help with the burial and take care of things at home. When you are sober enough, come back and we could continue from where we stopped. And if it pleases you, I can ask my son to follow you. Chima: Thank you. I am grateful for your concern. I’ll call you and ask you to send your son to the penthouse by evening. Right now, I think I need to drive home. Mr Gold: I respect your decision. Since you got your penthouse, go easy on him. Like both of you are more alike than you know. At Engineer's House Me: She will be coming. Are you prepared to receive her? Philip: I don't know. I am afraid. Who destroyed Inspector to those... I think she has suffered too. We have all suffered. I really don't know what to expect. Azaman: It’s really fine, my boss. Let us just put our hands in our pockets and hope. Vic: How can putting your hand in your pocket make you hopeful? Milo: Na figure of speech. Vic: Who told you so? How did you know? Milo: I go school ooooo. Na JSS3 I finish, make you know. Vic: JSS3 boy? Philip: E don do oooo. Knock knock knock Me: Yes? Madam Esther: How are you? I am the one that you all have been waiting for. Me: Please, come in. Philip: Madam Esther, you?! Azaman: Asin, Madam Esther?! Madam Esther: Philip, na you be the Philip? Me: You all know each other? Philip: It’s her place we eat the most. Madam Esther: They’re my customers—my son and I. I did not know. They all laughed and hugged each other. This content is the intellectual property of OurStory TB and the author, Whiteman Micheal. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution without proper credit to the author or the page is strictly prohibited. Permission must be obtained before any use. Phillip: This life. Me: I'm happy for you. Philip: We will all be happy for you. In another room… Barrister Santos: Good things are happening—at least, a mother and her son that turned out to be one of our customers. Engineer Van: I hope it happens soon on our own site. The silence is becoming airy; everybody is keeping quiet, so somebody needs to make a move. Barrister Santos: If those that are in Abuja have not made a move, it's because they must have found some miscalculated steps, and they don’t want to miss their step. If they use force and all power, no one is going to be able to stop them. But they are looking at the future—and of course, the next election is at hand, so nobody wants their name tainted. There is only one enemy to be fought. Engineer Van: The uncle. Barrister Santos: It won't take time to turn against him, because they must have advised him to leave the country or go somewhere else, and he would have refused—believing he has powers—even when the powers are advising him. So they would not want to put themselves in trouble. I’m just speculating though. Engineer Van: Have you been alone all this time? Barrister Santos: I don't understand what you mean. Engineer Van: You understand perfectly well what I mean. Barrister Santos: Emmanuel, at my age and with my reputation, you don't expect me to go about looking for some young man—or any man—to be with. We just have to suck it up and wait for something to happen—or make nothing happen. Engineer Van: I understand. Having orders, power, and auto-reputation, you wouldn't want to spoil it, so you just keep quiet and sit—hoping you find your love without going to find anyone. Barrister Santos: We are more or less the same. Engineer Van: I was actually hoping that he grows up and gets a job, and I will make him mine. Barrister Santos: Are you being serious right now? You're going to wait that long for the young lad to become a man? Engineer Van: He is already a man. And he knows a whole lot of things. I believe in those exactly—that plan—and he worked towards it. Barrister Santos: So what's changed? What happened? Engineer Van: Life changed. Life happened. I think his brother has started falling for me. And he is already matured. I'm confused right now. I cannot say no to him, because I haven’t had that feeling in a very long time. Barrister Santos: I understand what you mean. At least you even got the feeling. You called somebody recently. I haven't touched anybody since I lost my friend. It's been all about work. Engineer Van: And his uncle made life easy for people like us by creating an environment where you go and find exactly what you need. All those boys in there work for him. You could go and pick one for yourself if you want. Just pay them what is due, and they will go. Barrister Santos: You and I know that for people like us, it doesn't work like that. It's quite harder and different for us—we do our things internally, codedly. And there’s a certain type of woman being—not just anyone you meet at the club. Engineer Van: You are correct. I remember going to that club to have my first time. But I couldn’t leave my car. And that was when the elder brother ran to my car. That was how I got myself into all this in the first place—by sitting in my car and thinking of entering or not going in. Barrister Santos: That is why he's with you right now. You protected him from something a long time ago. So he's kind of breaking out of his shell. Engineer Van: You know, I have to define what I have with him—to know if he's just taking advantage of being with me, or if we are a real thing. If we are not, then he has to come and ask for your hand. Barrister Santos: So my father was right—we really could be a match. Engineer Van: How on earth does a father say those things in front of his son? And how did your father know? Why is he so comfortable with it? Barrister Santos: Father grew up abroad. He saw those things. So he's aware of all this. He's not in the Stone Age like some deadbeat dad or too religious. He just accepted it. He’s a judge—a retired church man. You’d think he spent all his lifetime just playing by the books. Of course, the man had had fun once in a while in his life. And he is always happy. I want to be happy like him. Engineer Van: I hope all this ends happily. Barrister Santos: It will. Let's go hear the many things their mother and son have to say to each other—as madam and customer. Engineer Van: That's a big one. She has spent so much traveling, searching—trying to know who this boy is, only to discover that it’s somebody that comes to our house—her place of work—every day to eat. Barrister Santos: Such is life. At Uncle’s house… Chima: What is going on here, Mom? Why are you all packed? Where are you going to? I thought we had a funeral to plan. Oke: Where have you been all this time? What happened to you? What did he do to you? She told me you went to see him and then you disappeared. Like me, she told me that that white fool did not get to you. Chima: I came here to know the plan about my sisters. Whatever has happened to me has happened to me—and there is nothing any of you can do about it. Aunty Amaka: Ahhhhh! (Cries, falls down, and rolls) Chima: What are you doing right now? Why are you crying and wailing? What sort of movie are you acting? There is nothing that you could have done. Oke: I am very sorry about— Chima: What are you sorry about? I came to meet you, but you would rather protect your other brother than me. I've always been on my own. I knew that nobody really cared for me. The moment you saw that boy, you started caring for him. You are probably sleeping with him and he's giving you the good stuff. Men do a lot of shit for the good stuff. So, what’s the plan about the burial? Oke: You misunderstood what was happening between us. It is not as you have said. Chima: Right now, I don't care what’s happening between us or what’s happening between you and him. I came here to know how my sister is going to be buried. Oke: I am not your father's son. Our mother here slept with our uncle before she left with Father. He is my blood brother. Chima: Yes, Father told me everything about it. That was how he got to me—promising to hand over the family wealth to me if I did what he said. And here I am. I'm just going to hang around, do whatever I want to do, and wait for him so I can come and take over what belongs to me. Oke: It has all been taken out of his hands. It did not belong to him in the first place. It belongs to Afam. Chima: Good. But he's not going to die poor. You know all those rich fools will still give him something. I'm trying to live on my own and get something for myself. Is there any ceremony to be held for her? We need to leave this place right now. I don't want to meet him, and I don't want to see any of your faces again in my life. Aunty Amaka: Please forgive me. Please… Chima: Stop saying that. You did not do anything to me. Aunty Amaka: I think he wants to bury her in Lagos. He does not want to take her to the village. Oke: Why? Is that how things are done? Aunty Amaka: Hmmmm… Chima: Father has surrounded himself with enemies—enemies to the East, enemies to the West, enemies to the North, enemies to the South. Oke: We can go there ourselves and bury her. Aunty Amaka: I don't have the money or the logistics for that. Chima: So that means we are still going to depend on him? I mean you are going to still depend on him? Let's bury her here. I don’t have time traveling to that place. I'll take care of everything. Tell me how much you need—I’ll have it sent to you. Or don’t worry, I’ll just send you four million into your account. Take care of everything and tell us the day we are coming to bury her. Oke: How did you get that type of money into your account? What have you involved yourself in? Chima: Nothing. I just did the same thing that you did—but not for free. Oke: What are you talking about? Chima: I think I have to go now. See you all later. This content is the intellectual property of OurStory TB and the author, Whiteman Micheal. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution without proper credit to the author or the page is strictly prohibited. Permission must be obtained before any use. as it turned to leave their father came in Uncle ike: one big Happy Family finally when somebody dies that all the family members gathers together have you guys fixed the date for her burial. Aunty amaka: we will fix it and we will not invite you we are not invited to the burial. Uncle ike: go ahead I'll be much happier. Chima: demon in human clothing. Uncle ike: I am a demon right made you to see the type of money you have never seen in your life tell me how much is in your account like now 100 million so 200 million you have so much money account you don't know what to do with it you are going about wasting it on young men instead of you to look for something to invest in your life find a company to buy or even by yourself a property so something that is permanent that will last you long time you think the morning we continue coming like that let me tell you something you are going to get food and when you get old thou hold you think is tight and easy will become wild and porous and no matter who enters their it doesn't matter anymore make use of what you are getting right now for yourself. Oke: what ? chima? if that what you are doing please tell me that is not what you are doing. Aunty amaka: ahhhhh ahhhh ahhh ahhh ahhh ahh She fell down and collapsed Oke: mum wake up mum wake up . Chima: mum wake up mum wake up. Uncle ike: if you like faint you are all hypocrites. And he walked away while they rushed her to a hospital At engr van house Madam Esther: my son I knew you are not the real criminal don't mind those police officers they want to shoot the main course but your God will not allow such a thing to happen. Me: thanks so much. Madame ester: I'll make sure that I use my resources to help you. Me: i am grateful. Philip: thanks ma sorry mum i still can believe its you oooo. Madam esther: i thank God for this day i cant stop thanking him. She starts crying and they hugged her. Azaman: this is not a good time but it is a time. Vic: time for? Azaman: abeg madam esther who be philip papa. Philip; azaman. Barrister santos: thats not outof place. Engr van: timing. Barrister santos: what better time than now. I drew him out of the house Me: whats the meaning of that why do you want to ruin these happy moments. Azaman: the earlier the better ooo see philip na my gee i dey happy for him but me an dhim don run many matter like many men so its better to know wether his pilee follow or not and he still get clients ths night like this. Me: you are right i hope its someone better Azaman: me too At the penthouse Moses: sir you came back empty-handed Chima: some touts almost broke my car screen Moses; why Chima: i dont know money cant buy everyone maybe Moses: you look stressed Chima: lost my sister and my mum is in the hospital. Moses: sorry sorry sir there is a white young man down stairs waiting for you Chima: send him up uplease and please bring us food ask him what he will eat. Moses: ok sir. Knock knock Luka: hi Chima: please sit i didnt think you will come Luka: he is a god he says go i go Chima: I remember you preparing me that night Luka: why am i here Chima: i want to have you but i want you to make love and not just banging Luka: i have always had it rough and i havent had anyother person except him Chima: why do you have to do all he says why not steal his money and set up your life Luka: its not that easy i dont even know where the money is coming from Chima: well we will find out and we will free ourselves from them our fathers Luka: yes we will And they kissed and cuddled and entered each other By Whiteman Micheal Morals All those excess money you have right now what are you doing with it are you buying phone laptop shoe things thT re e sincexpen are expsive but will add no real value like more money to your ACC Think right now before you spend that money buy phone if you need to But things that you need and not what you want Did you notice two mothers crying one hapyy tears one sad tears one receiving a child one ossining a child Becarful the things you with your today they will define your tomorrow. Know yourself, your sex life must not be like others. If other people are having sex with more than one person you must not do the same if your body says no don't force yourself. You must have not other people's fairy tales. Try to understand yourself and know exactly how you feel. And work with yourself. By Whiteman Micheal. Please like share and follow to get the next.