This Day, I swear! - A Short Story

The month officially ends today. Many of my friends on campus had already left for home yesterday, even those who normally would resent the idea of going home for weekend had enough sense to go home on these particular weekends. It was not rocket science at all, on the contrary, it was simple common sense, this was the last weekend in this month which of course is the same with every other weekend except for the fact that this weekend usually witnessed the disbursement of funds into most student's accounts.

While some Parents are salary earners who usually looked forward for the end of every month, others are business people who woke up to every other day as a payday. For most students however, this has little or no meaning, whether their parents were salary earners or otherwise, most parents usually made the allowance thing a monthly affair.

Only a few parents would send their Children significant amounts of Money every other day or weeks. They would rather make the transaction an agreed lump sum which would usually be sent at the beginning of every month. Students however have little patience and therefore do not even wait until such monies are sent, they would rather go home by month end to claim what is rightfully there's.

So this weekend just like several other weekends past, I was the only left in the Hostel room, not because i had no home to go to, but because it was far better to stay back in school, poor and hungry, than to go home to listen to the loud cursing of mum and stare into the hungry faces of my siblings. These days, Dad always tried his best to stay as far away from his own home as he could. Being a man is a thing of great pride and responsibility. However, being a man is also a very risk affair, for immediately a man can no longer fulfil his numerous responsibilities to his Family, then his respect takes a backlash. If such a dire situation persists for months on a stretch, shame and disrespect begins to take over the space where honour and dignity once occupied. This is usually the fear of every man, the point where no man living or dead ever wants to get to. Sometimes i wonder, if i, a boy of seventeen could not bear to watch my family starve, then it must be hell for my Father to watch hunger ravage the lives of his family.

Six months ago, Dad had been caught in a misdemenour at his place of work. From the bits and pieces of information i got while eavesdropping on the low arguments he and Mum had in the preceding months, it seemed that Dad together with two of his colleagues had been bursted while accepting Bribes from the companies' clients.

Dad worked as a senior administrative officer at the state department for building and works. Part of his responsibilities included accepting proposals by different companies for the numerous contracts being disbursed by the commission. In addition, the Commissioner for works, had delegated the whole process of selecting however eventually got the contracts to Dad. A very plump and lazy man, the commissioner held the position not because of his competency, but as compensation for his immense contribution to the reelection campaign of the present Governor. The Commissioner had been very handy with the mobilisation of touts for the incitement of election violence and the whisking away of several ballot boxes with which the election was rigged in favour of the Governor. Upon his reelection, Mr Commissioner of works was promoted from being an ordinary motor park chairman to the post of a state commissioner.

Upon his assumption into office, Mr Commissioner, a seasoned thug and crook with several nasty scars to attest to his ruthlessness quickly embarked on a quest to recruit trusted like minds in the Department of Works. After a series of rigorous enquiries, Dad had emerged the favourite crook of the whole underground corporate criminals. I may never be able to know exactly how this came go be, but the Commissioner seemed to favour Dad,not only because he was a smart Ibo man, but also because he was a Deacon at the biggest catholic parish in the whole local government. Those two qualities would have sufficed to earn him equal opportunity for the job, but Dad was even more qualified. Out of the lot, he was the only one happily married with Six Children, he was also an extremely intelligent man who had always exhibited rationalism in each business deal, lets say that in his quest to make a few extra bucks on the side, he was never driven by the money itself, instead he was always weighed the odds to make sure he would never get caught.

Since Dad had more to loose if any deal ever went wrong, Mr commissioner was more comfortable with the actions of such a man as opposed to those who had little at stake.
For Seven months, everything went just right, Dad awarded the contracts to the companies that offered the largest amounts of bribe, he always delivered the Commissioner's shares of the booty promptly until something went wrong.

Five months before the shit hit the fan, Dad had helped a lowly Church member secure a Job as a cleaner at the department. The Father of three had been very appreciative of Dad's help at first, bit got greedy along the way. One fateful morning, while going about his daily cleaning routine he had stumbled upon some 'exhibits' or incriminating documents about the 'not so legal' aspect of Dad's Job.

That was how Mr Church member decided that he could become a hero on national TV if he reported his observations to the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC).

After investigations, Dad was suspended without pay for six months, after which he was summarily relieved of his duties. Mr Church member cum whistle blower was shown the exit door three months later.
Mr Commissioner remained unscathed, no one dared point fingers his way, not when he still had a loyal army of hungry touts at his beck and call, that was enough back up, even if the Governor's umbrella of executive immunity had not been generously extended to him.

We were lucky that the whole affair was not made public, so at least Dad was able to retain his 'false' dignity and respect, at least for a while, until six months later, when the savings had been exhausted and bills began to pill up, this was when Mum's tongue began to lash out too.

At first, my siblings had to be moved from the exotic private schools they were attending to the government run public schools that were by far cheaper and considered unfit for the Children of the poor.

I was already a first year student at the University when all this happened. Dad had always lavished enough money on me, just enough for me to buy all the clothes i wished for, and get all the Babes i wanted.
Even as a fresh year student, i was already popular as one of the biggest boys in my Faculty.

These days, the only thing that sustains me is the money i realise from the sales of my expensive clothes and accessories. This is the third month i have spent without funds from home, these days, every month end is just a reminder of how rossy things used to be. Today, marks the end of an era and welcomes the period of hunger and poverty. As i type away on my keypad, hunger bangs at the door of my head and my fingers are feeble from the new experience of lacking even food.

I have sworn, i would not go down without a fight. My life cannot be subjected under the destiny of a father who had absconded from Home. I was going to be a 'big boy' again. Yes, i would become a big boy or die trying.

Just yesterday, Tony, a notorious student on Campus had proposed a business deal to me. All i had to do, was to meet a lady at the airport tomorrow, and help her transport some 'goods' to Malaysia.

My flight had been dully paid for by the Lady, who was a Business woman and had to meet the demands of huge client for the supply of some designer clothes, the only problem was that she had no time to do so.

I would be paid four million naira if i am able to 'successfully' deliver these goods to her Malaysian customer.

Wow! tomorrow is payday! and guess what? Tony even told me that security was usually lax at the airport every Sunday morning. 'NDLEA officials sef dey go church na, nobody dey carry government work for head' Tony jokingly said, i agreed too, already spending my four million naira, even before i embarked on my 'easy' mission.