20/07/2024
Happy weekend, family and friends. I presume your weekend is going on well.
Continuation from the last post.
I was taken aback by the way Chinedu reacted. ‘Why did he walk away angrily?’ I asked myself. I had presumed that by narrating the story of Uche to him, he would have a rethink of his way of life and make adjustments. But how wrong I was.
The next day, in the evening, after I left the office, I went to look for Chinedu. “Chinedu, my friend, how far now?” I greeted warmly as I approached him by his usual spot near the market stalls.
He barely looked up. “Bros, wetin you wan talk again?”
“I wan talk about your future, Chinedu. I see plenty potential for you, but this way you dey go no be am.”
Chinedu sighed heavily, clearly irritated. “Bros, leave matter abeg. I sabi wetin I dey do.”
“Listen, my friend. Remember Uche? Him story fit teach you something. He face plenty wahala before he change him way.”
Chinedu’s face darkened, and he abruptly stood up, pushing his wheelbarrow away. “Bros, I no wan hear that story again. I dey go!” he shouted, leaving me stunned and worried.
A week later, I went to look for Chinedu again. As I approached the group of wheelbarrow boys, I called out, “O boy, una see Chinedu?”
One of the boys, Emeka, turned to me. "Senior, Chinedu don travel o. Him talk say he dey go see one of him distant relatives for another state.”
I frowned, concern creeping into my voice. “Una sabi why he travel? Wetin he go do there?”
Emeka shrugged. “He no tell us anything, Senior. He Just pack him things waka go.”
A sense of foreboding settled over me, but I tried to dismiss it. “Maybe na good thing. I go still pray for am,” I muttered, moving on to reach out to the other boys.
One month later, on a Wednesday morning, I saw a commotion in the market. A small crowd had gathered, and in the middle sat a young boy on the ground, bruised and battered. My heart raced as I pushed through the throng.
“Who be this boy?” I asked a familiar face in the crowd.
“Na one small thief. Dem say he don dey run since he steal goods three weeks ago. E come back here yesterday, and dem catch am.”
I looked at the boy, relieved it wasn’t Chinedu but heartbroken all the same. “Why we dey treat our pikin like this?” I lamented. “This boy need help, not beating.”
I had to leave the scene, seeing that there was nothing much I could about it. But I only prayed within me that the boy, and other boys like him, would find the saviour.
One evening, as I walked through the market, I saw Emeka again. “Emeka, any news about Chinedu?” I asked, hopeful for some good news.
Emeka shook his head. “Senior, nothing yet. But we dey pray make him dey okay.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Emeka. We must continue to pray and hope for his safety.”
Four weeks later, as I was returning from the office in the evening, I saw Chinedu sitting alone by the market edge, looking worn and weary.
“Chinedu!” I called out, rushing to his side. “Where you don go? We dey worry about you.”
Chinedu looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and regret. “Bros, I no know where to start. The journey no be as I think. I see plenty things, bad things.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thank God you dey alive. Come, make we talk. You need rest and support.”
As we began to talk he opened up. “Bros, I follow wrong people. Dem promise me plenty, but na lie. I suffer well well.”
I listened intently, feeling his pain. “Chinedu, God still love you. No matter wetin don happen, you fit change. You fit start anew.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “I wan change, Bros. But I no know how.”
“We go do am together,” I assured him. “Step by step. You no dey alone.”
One day, as I was going for an engagement in the morning, Chinedu ran to me. “Bros, thank you for no giving up on me. I go use my life to help others too.”
the story continues #
Thanks for staying with me to this point. It means so much to me. In the near future, this story and other similar encounters would be put together into a book for your delight. I hope you would find it interesting.
NB: The story you just read is a mix of fiction and non-fiction.
PS: Pls, watch this space for stories that would move your emotions.
As a way of saying thank you, here is a FREE link https://selar.co/3121z9 to another emotional story in eBook format. The title is 'HER FRESHMAN'S EXPERIENCE: The experience of a 21 years old freshman in Crown University.' Get it here https://selar.co/3121z9 It is FREE. Thank you.
When Oghenekaro Collins and I, Efe Thompson, set foot on the sprawling campus of Crown University, it was a momentous day filled with dreams and anticipation. We were ready to dive into our respective fields—Oghenekaro in English Literature, and I in Psychology—and se...
