A LETTER TO MY WIFE by Siloko Oyintari Ben

 

A LETTER TO MY WIFE

                by Siloko Oyintari Ben

(SOB BOOKs production)

 

The rains had started on a beautiful Saturday morning with dark clouds. I peeped through my window, hoping to have a good view from my apartment on the three-story building along Liverpool crescent in St Abz mini estate. Growing up with dreams was the best part of my life.

The day I moved into my apartment, Flat 5, block A, I fell in love not just with my flat but flat 6, which housed a banker, Nene.

Nene was light-skinned, beautiful, and a figure eight, about 5.9ft tall. She was just a perfect figure of the picture for a woman of my dreams.

The moment I slid my curtains and looked towards the gate of our mini estate, my eyes caught Nene running in from the entrance towards block A, directly opposite the gate.

The buildings were painted in white colours as white colours had always been a beauty to behold. Immediately I sighted Nene, the good Samaritan in me ignited as I left the window for my door, hoping to render any service Nene wanted.

I heard her footsteps approaching as she was climbing the third floor. I had already summarised a way to initiate communication with her.

Nene was already soaked from the rain as the water was drizzling from her gown, and Nene was shivering.

"Oh, sorry, Nene," I began to say those crammed words, and the response returned as anticipated.

"Thank you, Tee," Nene responded, as she called me a different name for the first time. I remembered telling Nene my name was Tenny, and since then, she has been calling me Tenny. However, today, I got a different name. I was joyful because it was a dream becoming a reality.

"Fine geh," why did you return under the rain? What happened to your car? I inquired.

I summoned the courage to call Nene' fine geh' because she had already called me a different name, so it became a situation of preparation meeting opportunity.

"My car developed a fault by Romeo Spot," replied Nene.

(Romeo Spot is a jazz bar by the junction leading to our estate.)

"Don't worry. 

(Tony is my mechanic, a dark fellow skilled in fixing Toyota cars.) After the rains, I'll call Tony to look at it."

"Can I assist you with anything," I asked Nene.

"Not really. If I need your assistance, I'll ring you." Nene responded as she unlocked her flat and entered, leaving me behind.

"Now them never leave me......., they have left me...."

I said to myself as I looked at the gate and developed cold feet, which indicated the mission failed because I had so much fantasy in my head as I had always admired Nene.

I returned to my flat and sat on my blue three-seater couch in my sitting room. This time, I turned on the music player and connected it to the Bluetooth on my phone as I began to play a selected fantastic mix from my phone.

Sunny Neji was playing, and the title was "Still The One...."

Ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was Happiness calling as I looked at my phone.

"Wetin Happiness deh call me for na? shey she say she no want me, why she deh worry me?" I muttered to myself as I allowed the phone to ring without answering.

Happiness is a colleague of mine in the Nations Development Organisation. She serves in the Protocol department, while I do in the Documentation department.

She called again, and I ignored her call for the second time as I continued my music.

The thunders were rumbling, and the rain still poured heavily as my phone beeped. It was a text message, and I opened it to see the sender and the content.

It was Happiness.

'Are you home, Tenny? I want to stop by and say hello in the next hour. Kindly respond.'

I responded immediately, 'Sorry, Happiness, I can't take calls right now, and I'm not home. I went to visit my uncle in Bolton Avenue.'

(Bolton Avenue is about 1hr drive from my house. )

'OK, noted. Some other time then,' came the response from Happiness.

Thoughts of Nene were just all over my mind.

Ten minutes after the conversation with Happiness, a call came into my phone. This time, it was Nene calling.

Watch out for the next episode.

Soti : The man & his choices.

The Banga boys are respected across the communities within the river banks.

The boys were instructed by General Pick-Two never to enter any community except recruitment period, and they are not supposed to harm any individual from those communities.

“Kipu, stop this boat”

Weni ordered the boat rider as he anchored the boat immediately at Pina-ama jetty.

Indibala, raced like a cheetah the moment he sighted Soti and Weni. Soti chased him immediately, with Weni following behind.

Weni had a type two AK 47 milled receiver rifle so his pace was slow, unlike Soti, who was carrying a 1911 commander pistol, as Indibala ran in the direction where soldiers were guarding a federal facility.

Aunty Tare’s sickness had worsen. Inetimi was now living with us at Garden City, leaving our energetic grandpa who was seventy eight years to take care of aunty Tare with herbs, as grandpa said the English man's chalk isn’t effective on aunty Tare.

“Indibala, stop there”.

Soti ordered as he fired two shots in the air from his pistol. Fear gripped indibala whose feet got stuck to the ground, as he heard the shots. He never processed the stop signal, but the shot signal.

The soldiers, upon hearing the shots fired, advanced towards the scene. Weni was four hundred meters from the scene when Soti shot Indibala three times, killing him instantly.

Just then, Soti sighted the soldiers and opened fire on them as he fled for the jetty thinking he was still fortified. The soldiers returned the shots as they pursued and their bullets penetrated him.

Weni saw Soti falling to the ground as the shots hit him. He dropped his AK rifle and sprinted as fast as his legs can carry him towards the jetty.

The Banga spy for the mission had tailed them and seen what happened. He knew the soldiers will capture the team if they decide to wait for Weni, so he ordered Kipu to ride the boat back to the camp.

Soti and Weni had disobeyed commanders order and they had no choice than leave them to their fate.

Weni got to the jetty and the boat had left. Immediately he turned back, he saw the soldiers who told him to stand still, but he disobeyed and was still trying to run towards the river when they gunned him down.

Aunty Tare was still hoping her Soti will return back someday, but Soti was never coming back home. He drank too much power and died from the overdose.

SOB BOOKS

SOTI ARRIVES CAMP VICTORY

The holiday lasted for another week which I enjoyed every single day. These moments were times I wish the government will declare one month of extra holidays for students just to prevent us from going to school, but that was not going to happen, as I made up my mind that I will be leaving soon for the garden city.

Aunty Tare had not been feeling too well since Soti left Buru – ama with the Banga boys, having no idea where her heir was taken to.

Daily, her condition worsened, as she continued to blame herself for not paying attention to the attitude of Soti, until Soti left with the Banga boys. An incident she tagged, the horrible event.

Soti arrived Camp Victory the following day at 04:00 hrs. Central African Time.

Boys were chanting when the new recruits arrived. On sight, were various types of gun. A fourteen years old boy was handling a FN rifle, another was with an AK rifle, while a boy about fifteen was mounting a GMP rifle from the top of a van with an inscription, ‘Victory for Crusade’.

Soti, on sighting all these became excited because he knew at some point he was also going to bear arms. This was the kind of life he wanted all these years. He had always looked up to violent people as mentors and now he hopes to grow in this line to have mentees.

At one session of Camp Victory was a sacred place fenced with a thatch. The sacred place had a little stream for fortification and cleansing. Soti and the other recruits were taken to the sacred place and they had their cleansing and fortification.

This got Soti more excited as evil thoughts ran through his mind.

‘Attention everyone’, Commander Kuro ordered as General Pick-Two stepped in.

“How una dey my boys”, General Pick-Two asked.

“Fine general”, the boys echoed.

Soti and the new recruits had been briefed about the general by the commander.

General Pick-Two still speaking,

“I welcome una to camp victory, I hope say Commander Kuro don tell una everything una need to know for now, and him don also give una the

commandments for this camp?”

“Yes general”, the boys shouted at the top of their voices.

“Impressed, I must say, welcome to the Crusade family.” The general concluded.

“Thank you general”, the boys responded.

General Pick-Two left as Commander Kuro stepped in to give further directives.

It was the twelfth day of September, two thousand and ten, as Mr Koffi drove into grandpa’s compound from the Garden City in his black Toyota Corolla 1.8 GLi. My dad worked with Forex Mortgage Bank, and that was his official car.

My father, Mr Koffi was born in Senegal, he was ten years when they returned back to our country.

“Bodi, how are you enjoying your holidays"?

My father asked me, even though he didn’t feel too happy because his only sister, Aunty Tare was sick. After an hour of his arrival, he went inside Aunty Tare’s room with grandpa, while Inetimi assisted me in packing my belongings. I knew they were discussing about Soti and Aunty Tare’s health as they spoke in low tune.

Thirty minutes later, Dad called inetimi and I inside the room so I can say farewell to Aunty Tare.

Grandpa and inetimi walked us to the car. Dad opened the trunk for me, and also opened the pigeon hole and brought out a white envelope. I knew it was cash, as he handed it to grandpa. I wouldn’t need anyone to inform me that my father was a giver, as he makes other peoples need his priority. I had learnt so much from Mr Koffi.

Inetimi and I carefully loaded my blue box and black school bag inside the trunk of my father’s Corolla, after which I hugged Inetimi and walked to the front seat.

My fourteenth birthday was approaching as I was born on the twenty fourth day of November, nineteen ninety six.

Daddy handed inetimi one thousand naira in one hundred naira notes. You could see the joy on inetimi’s face as we were driving out of grandpa’s compound, he was holding ten mints of one hundred naira note.

Soti and the new recruits had taken their oaths and undergone rigorous two months training at Camp Victory. He had joined other teams for several operation which they carried out successful. He had also impressed the general and here was Soti, been promoted to lead a team for an assignment.

Soti was given the privilege to lead a team due to his efficiency in training and also his contribution in various assignments. His team was given an assignment at Tonba Creek to destroy a crude liner

On their way to Tonba Creek, he sighted Indibala at one of the river banks. Indibala, a young man who had visited Buru-ama some years back with his friends during the Buru-ama festival had arguments with Soti and Weni at the beach festival, where Indibala and his friends ganged up and beat Soti and Weni mercilessly, leaving them with a huge disgrace.

Soti signaled Weni, pointing out to indibala. The rules were about to be broken…….. …………………………………………………………….

Watch out for the next episode.

SOB BOOKS.

THE LOUDEST SILENCE

As the current user of the female restroom stepped out, it became Sinivie’s turn. Floxy was still dancing trying to balance her tummy so she wouldn’t have to defecate on her body as that would be a real shame.

She looked behind, left and right and seeing that nobody was in sight, raced to the male toilet and tapped gently at the door.

‘yes, na who be that’?

asked Puluvie.

Na me Floxy. Abeg, make I come use the restroom na. Na die I dey, Floxy lamented.

This made things worse for Floxy as Puluvie responded,

‘Na taboo o for this compound, so no way for you to use the male toilet. Just endure.’

This spelt doom for Floxy, who had no choice but to say silent prayers for grace to endure her ordeal.

Floxy didn’t know Sinivie, but Sinivie knew her. On Sinivie’s part, it was wickedness and payback, but to Floxy, it was ignorance, because she never knew what was going on.

‘Madam, please, help me. Let me use the toilet, even if it is for one minute, and you will come back. Please, Madam, I beg you.

Floxy was still begging when Sinivie responded,

“Ok, just hold on a bit’.

Maybe, an angel touched Sinivie’s heart as she came out to let Floxy in.

She rushed in and soon, sounds reporting the attempts of a distressed stomach to unburden itself were heard.

Gbruuuuu! Gbruaaa! Puum! Kprakprakpra!.

Sinivie met Puluvie outside and they both burst into laughter. Before Puluvie could say anything, his upset stomach made another sound and he headed back to the toilet.

The following day, Puluvie lied to Floxy that he was traveling just to get her to leave, because he had another girl coming to visit him. Floxy had no option than to go back to Akubo in Pelepele-ama.

Get ready to grab your copy soon.

SOB BOOKS.

WHERE IS SOTI?

                                     

 “Soti ! Soti !!” wait for me.

Inetimi screamed at the top of his voice as his older brother left grandpa’s hut, heading for Kiri - Layout, to see Weni, his best friend and partner in offensive related activities.

Soti will never listen to his mother, aunty Tare and grandpa who continuously tell him to keep his distance from Weni.

Maybe, Soti is trying to boycott the farming with us.

Grandpa and aunty Tare had already sorted out the tools for which we were taking to the farm. These tools includes, hoes, machetes, baskets and paddles, because we are crossing over the Forcados River.

Soti was heading for the community playground in Kiri - Layout, which is about 3km from my grandfather’s hut.

Inetimi overheard Soti and Weni discussing something but he never paid attention to details so he couldn’t get the purpose of the meeting, he only heard about the venue, but there was no way he will tell his mum because he loved his brother so much and avoided anything that will cause harm to him.

He thought he was saving his brother from been thrashed, but he never knew there was more danger ahead.

Visiting Buru-ama right from my childhood was a thing of fun. It was the best childhood memories I had. I enjoyed the taste of the Forcados River, flowing past Buru - ama. The colour is like that of Nutri - C. or Lipton tea, but ours was natural. Sometimes, we waited for faeces to flow past before fetching water to drink.

Soti and Inetimi were the only children from my aunty, Tare. Her husband fled when Inetimi was only three years, and ever since, grandpa had always looked out for the three of them.

Soti was just a replica of Mr Egbelegbele, his absconded father with hardened heart.

“Today, me flog am for Soti”, when cry for him eyes, so me stop. Granpa said

(Today, I will flog Soti until he shed tears)

Grandpa doesn’t speak English and his pidgin was not clear. Often times, he speaks our native dialect. Listening to grandpa speak the native language was an advantage to us, because it was easy for us to understand and speak our language.

The sun was scorching as the time was approaching nine o’clock in the morning. I, grandpa, aunty Tare and Inetimi set out around thirteen minutes to the hour of nine for the Forcados River to board the boat. I was in possession of a small paddle, so was Inetimi but the difference was, he carried a basket in addition, while I carried one hoe and a machete.

Arriving the river bank, Inetimi had to bail the water from the canoe, then we boarded.

Holiday was always fun in Buru-ama. The journey from the garden city to my village was not even as exciting as my stay in Buru - ama. Grandpa had so much to offer.

The wisdom of the elders can never be overlooked, I said to myself as I turned back and stared at grandpa’s grey hair in my seated position.

The canoe had five seats and grandpa was sitting at the back extreme of the canoe, while I sat in front of him. Aunty Tare was sitting at the front of the canoe with Inetimi behind her. The seat between myself and Inetimi was empty. Had soti joined us, he would have occupied the seat.

As we began paddling from the bank, two speed boats sped past us. The men were putting on different clothes with white scarfs. Arms and ammunitions were also sighted. These were signs that the Banga boys were in town.

Paddling on the Forcados River, faeces were floating with water hyacinth escorting them, occasionally, we saw fishes but we were net-less to help carry the fishes home for pepper soup.

We arrived the other side of the Forcados River, checked the farm, weed the unwanted grasses around the crops and made our way back home around ten minutes after the hour of two in the afternoon.

(Three girls whispering) - I talk am, I talk am, that boy go follow.

“Who were they referring to?”

I asked Inetimi.

The moment the girls turned and saw grandpa, shock waves held them.

Grandpa charged them,

“wetin talk una talk, come here Ebi, wetin you talk am for?”

Then she responded,

“papa na soti, e don follow Banga boys.”

Grandpa didn’t say anything further, he only signalled us to proceed.

Kpo ! kpra !! kpa ! kpa !! kpa ! – The Banga boys were announcing there exit with gunshots in the air from Buru - ama as we were about to cross the tarred road dividing the river banks from the town. They never shoot at natives, their main purpose was to recruit boys to fight for something they desire.

Soti had it all planned out. We sighted him and Weni behind their van with other recruits, sitting at the edges of the van. He was now tying a white scarf. Soti never loved college, he wanted to be powerful and dreaded. There he was, beginning his dream.

My holiday was coming to an end as schools were fast approaching………………………………………

Look out for the next episode.

MY BEST-FRIEND CALLED MY GIRLFRIEND ‘EASY BUY’. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

 

MY BEST-FRIEND CALLED MY GIRLFRIEND ‘EASY BUY’.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

 

Tell me make I know now!!! If you sure me, make I know now!!! If you no…….. {Music by Chike playing}

Tari was still singing along when the glass cup, full of palm wine fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The moment I heard the sound, I approached the scene from the bedroom, thinking it was the new smart television I just bought the previous day before Tari visited me, for two hundred and twenty two thousand naira.

Between the room and parlour, I already had lots of thoughts all in connection to the sound from the sitting room. I wanted a first-hand account of what happened, because I no wan make Tari tell me story. My salary is seventy four thousand naira and I had to buy that television from ‘easy buy’ so they can be deducting their balance from my salary every month.

I was already thinking out loud as I was getting out from the bed {I for kukuma buy forty thousand naira television o, make e no be say na dat television fall o, before I go pay for wetin I never use.. see wetin peer pressure dey cause, everybody wan live fake life, na wa o, this life no balance at all. But if we no do like this, the girls no go follow us na, them go feel say we no be tight niggas]

Oh Tee baby, as I styled her name... Careful make you no wound o. I said to her as she was cleaning the floor. My mind was at rest as I saw my ‘easy buy’ television intact.

This one you branch Swapi market before you reach house like this, be like better dey o, because anytime you dey sing this Chike song, na belle full - I dey belle full for the end o, because the two food you dey give me dey sweet me well well.

“Didi, make I finish from kitchen, you go enjoy the first food well well.” Tari said.

I just nodded in affirmation as I took my seat to enjoy the new television I bought, as I tuned the decoder to the opening ceremony of the 2020 Euros that was kicking off.

Few minutes into the game between Turkey and Italy, I perceived something like fresh fish pepper soup. As I turned to look, my sense of smell wasn’t in doubt. It was indeed fresh-fish pepper soup and rice.

If Turkey like, make them win Italy, e no concern me. I wasted no time as I devoured the delicious meal prepared by Tari.

“Tari come make I show you something for room”, I said to my girlfriend, little did she know I was eager to return the favour of the pepper soup and eat the second food.

As we entered the room, her phone rang the first time, we all ignored, it rang again, we ignored as we were in the process of having the second meal. At the third call, I took the phone to silent it. Just then, I noticed it was my friend Timi who had been calling my girlfriend, and he never even mentioned to me that they were communicating. I believe she forgot to mention to him that she was coming to my house. I knew the number even as she saved his name as Bros….

She reluctantly asked who was calling and I told her it was ‘Bros’, in shock, she said don’t pick, only if she knew that I had my friends number in my head.

As I picked, the first thing I heard was “baby where are you?”…..it was that moment I remembered the song ‘Omoge mi - by Psquare’. I couldn’t even feel the pepper soup in my stomach anymore. This was a girl I loved.

Could this be the reason my friend Timi had been discouraging me that Tari was ‘easy buy’ and I should forget about her because he was also benefiting without my knowledge.

It’s already past eight pm, and curfew had begun in my city, what should I do to my girlfriend?

 

 

 Copyright is owned by SOB BOOKS.

                                                                                   

THE MANUFACTURER ........................................................................ By Siloko, Oyintari Ben

THE MANUFACTURER By Siloko, Oyintari Ben.

You might have lost your appointment, your relationship, your job, money, house and you ask yourself why bad things happen to good people. It is on this scene, while looking at life in the face that you have to take a decision to define your future. Shame has never done anything great for anyone, break out from that slavery mentality and set yourself loose. If you are persecuted, you have the right to also delete the thoughts from your mind and replace it with strength.

Challenges are what makes life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful – Joshua Marine

Sometimes you feel the journey of life is easy, but realistically it is not. You may also think that everybody loves you because you are good, but the truth is, they don’t love you because wickedness and envy are some things we can’t take away from the world.

Life is a daily struggle, you will encounter tragedies which some may liken unto challenges, but we don’t know that those challenges are shaping us. Don’t ever develop any mental picture, thinking those challenges are breaking you and stopping you from reaching your dreams.

No individual have gone through life without headache. What you need to do is to believe in perseverance to enable you steer your way through the storms of life.

Don’t think that life comes from privileges, therefore you sit doing nothing. If you do that, you are surrendering your dreams to those you think will help you. What if they don’t help you till you are 50? What then becomes of your life and destiny? 

The earlier you understand that life demands struggle, the better for you. According to Ray Kroc, luck is a dividend of sweat, the more you sweat, the more luckier you get.

Have you noticed that those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the true values of life?

The things you consider difficult is molding you. Nobody reaches the full potentials of their destiny without pains. No ultimate goal is realized without struggle and pain. People will beat you, break you, betray you, cheat you, use you, batter you, but you must have a mental clay to remold yourself each time you are shattered or broken in pieces.

The reality is that pain doesn’t leave you the way it is.  After graduating from school and finishing my one year compulsory national youth service [NYSC] to my country, things were tough for me, I wanted things freely in life but they didn’t come through. I went through hard times but I didn’t let it break me. It was during those difficult moments that I realized the potentials in me.

If a friend betrays you, or you are going through any battle in life, you will definitely get over it and come out strong. Although, some people come out bitter after they go through struggle, while others come out better, but the outcome is for you to decide. Some people even blame God, while others build more confidence in God.

Character and confidence are not inherited, they are values that needs to be developed. There was a particular struggle I was going through, in the middle of it, I had to change my thinking to grow through the pain instead of going through it; after which I developed a new positive character and gained more confidence.

When you pay your dues to grow, you don’t let challenges, struggles and pains discourage you. You might have broken your knee to get a particular success, some mistakes would have cost you a lot, before you got what you were looking for, but when you finally get it, nothing will be able to beat you down.

Rich people cripple their children from being like them because their children will never be able to handle challenges when it comes. It is only the manufacturer that knows where the sensitive components in a product is located. You cannot substitute experience for learning, experience is an action, and learning is the motivation. Manufacturers are those who build, while distributors are those who learn from the builders. Most children of the rich end up becoming distributors, and once the product is finished, they can no longer manufacture that is why they end up going into extinction, but you have the creative ability in you to become a manufacturer, because things don't come freely to you in life; you need to struggle and go through pains to become a manufacturer.  

Don’t become a distributor if you want to go far in life. Challenge failure in the eyes to a point where you don’t fear to fail anymore.

Robert Stevenson Louis said, ‘Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.

Start planting today, tomorrow and every day to become a global figure.