Baskadia

Once upon a time a time in a particular domineering kingdom was a very wealthy king. His kingdom was so great that the acquisition of many servants became a necessity. The recruitment process for his servants involved a training stage on Leadership and Entrepreneurship. After the training the individuals who qualified to the final stage were assigned responsibilities in different position according to the abilities of each. In the most recent recruitment exercise that was conducted, he employed the services of a chef, a shepherd, a gate keeper, a domestic driver, a janitor and a personal assistant.

Owing to his enormous contributions in upholding the economy of his nation through agriculture and industrialization, his influence transcended his kingdom and as such he was a very relevant and an outstanding leader. His relevance warranted his appointment as the ambassador of his nation to a foreign country by his president. He was to travel to his new country of residence and would be away for many years – as long as the administration lasted. He wanted to sack all his servants and retain only the services of his advisers and personal assistant. 

After a wide consultation he resolved to leave behind the janitor, the chef and domestic driver. One phenomenal thing was his good will of setting them up with his money even after the all important training given them. So, he gave everyone of the three monies according to the degree of their relevance and ability.

He travelled to his new residence with the personal assistants and special assistants. The three who were left behind had different mindsets and reasoning abilities and these were revealed in the different ways they handled their monies.

The Janitor, Nkay, decided to set up a laundry business but unfortunately, the money she had was so paltry that she could not set up a standard laundry outfit. She resolved to start with buying and selling of used clothes. She would travel to Ariara market, pick grade one “okirika” and return to sell these to people in the remote areas. In most cases some would buy on credit and pay after sometime. She later waited patiently to have the floating money remitted back into her accounts and would return to Ariara market to purchase another set. 

With consistency in sharpening her skills, she gradually mastered the art of selling and could practically sell anything. People loved her for her sound integrity and the genuine nature of her wares. She stood out and was known for excellence. She had consistent referrals and was a formidable foe to all her competitors who traded on similar products. At times, hers were a bit more costly but she never watered down the quality of her products.

He little success aroused serious envy on the side of Mr Sunday, who ran a boutique in her neighborhood. It was so bad that Mr Sunday arranged for assassins to take her life. 

It was about 10pm on a Friday evening. She had planned to travel to Ariara market the next morning to restock her wares. After arranging her list of things to buy at the market, she took her bath, observed her night devotion and was heading to her bedroom when she heard a heavy knock on her door. ‘Who is that?’ She asked. “Nkay I’m the one o!”…that was the voice of her neighbor. She opened the door to discover four, all hefty armed terrifying and dangerous young men in the company of her neighbor. They had three AK-47 riffles pointed on her head and the first instruction she got from the leader of the gang was, “keep your mouth shut, if I hear any shout I’ll kill the two of you”. She shivered and never knew she had urinated on her pants out of fear. She kept praying in her mind and the gang leader instructed one of his men to shoot her. 

He cocked the gun and was about pulling the trigger when the gang leader shouted “wait” wait! No shoot am” he walked closer to Nkay and kept staring at the young lady with his swollen red eyes and all of a sudden called out her name, ‘Nkay!” pointing at the shivering lady whose eyes were blinded by rays from the bright torch lights. “You’re Nkay, the kings Janitor?” She managed to nod her head in affirmation. “You don’t deserve death yet”…he said and signaled to his masked men and they tied up the two ladies and left the compound.      

The leader of the gang Jerry, who was being referred to as Jerico by his men, had saved up some money and wanted to travel to Dubai on a business expedition but needed a letter of identification submitted to the Consular of United Arab Emirate Embassy directly by the king who vehemently refused. His refusal bothered on the questionable integrity of Jerry. 

Jerry sat under a big mango tree sobbing when Nkay who was sent on an errand by the king was coming back to the palace. She approached him, encouraged him and promised to speak with the King whenever the atmosphere became favorable, but she left Jerry with the line, “success is not about where you are, it is who you are. It is not abroad but “inbroad””.

Of course she fulfilled her promise. Jerry was offered visa but faced another challenge with funds for his flight ticket. He returned to thank Nkay and also asked if there was any way she could assist him financially. Out of an evergreen kind heart she gave him, a strange her lifetime savings. Jerry was so excited and told Nkay that, “I am forever indebted to you”. He left the country and upon his arrival in Dubai he was disposed of all he had and he took to the streets and got involved in crimes and all manner of criminalities and was later repatriated before he formed his gang.

When the gang left Nkay’s compound, the gangsters drove straight to the agreed spot where Mr Sunday was to stay and hand over the balance of their loot. They got there and Mr Sunday was already waiting and upon arrival the first question he asked was “Jerico have you killed her?

Jerico: Guy calm down, plans changed

Mr Sunday: What do you mean? I am paying you my five years savings in this harsh economic to kill that stupid Nkay of a girl and you’re here telling me that plans changed. What dirty plan is that?...he said shouting.

Jerico: Guy shut up “No de chop nonsense give me” (cocking his gun). You sabi who you de raise voice for? After all wey my balance?

Mr Sunday has a record of promiscuity, people kept feeding his wife with all sorts of information which made her become very suspicious of her husband but she had never been able to catch him red handed. That same day she noticed that her husband was much tensed, so she monitored him closely. The moment Mr Sunday sneaked out around 11pm she followed him but from a safe distance. He left his car behind but stopped a motor-byke driven by one Aboki, she did same too and followed at a distance. She ended up behind a room divider in a classroom of an unfenced school where Jerico and her husband planned as the venue for their ugly meeting. She was shivering, her mouth open, a tape recorder was in her hands as Jerico and her husband shouted on top of their voices at each other.

Mr. Sunday: Give me an evidence that you have executed the contract and I will hand over your balance to you. I have it here with me.

Jerico: Fuck you! Which kyn talk be that? Evidence for your Papa head. Your Papa de shit for en trouser big time. Fuck you again. (He fires at a close range pointing his gun at Mr. Sunday who fell lifeless on the ground. He reached for Mr. Sunday’s trouser pockets and grabbed every dime in them, left the room and together with his gang they drove into the night.

Behind the room divider Mrs. Sunday fainted when she heard the gun shot. She recovered at the hospital with two police officers on both sides of her bed.

At Nkay’s compound, neighbors rallied around, untied the two ladies. They narrated their ordeals, though confused at the manner at which the bandits left, they went straight to the police station that night and made entries. They came back and life had to go on.

The next day in Ariara market, she bought many clothes – shirts, trousers, shoes…both masculine and feminine. She resolved to start making sales in banks, hotels and other co-operative organizations. She decided to upgrade her own personal wardrobe since she was upgrading her clientele and had decided to relocate to Abuja.