Collection of short stories

ng the blue curtains of the sky to golden leaves in the Western

ucated fellow to marrying any money bag who is deficient in

spect for those who are well read. He is among the first ten cocoa merchants in the village, who donated a large sum of money for the building of the village community primary school. The people of Ekiti are generally known for cherishing education so much that, if an individual is wealthy, but is not well educated, he is regarded as

prehensive Grammar School, located in Ado-Ekiti, the capital City of Ekiti State. "Good schools are difficult to find these days. It is not all schools that can be regarded

volatile Niger Delta, but the Ile-Iwes' family still profit greatly from cocoa farming even though it has been relegated to the background though it was formerly a major foreign exchange earner to the nation. Mrs. Ile-Iwe said Ojo's services will

n the habit of hiding cocoa fruits in large quantity for sale to make money for themselves at the expense of the farm owners. For this reason, it require

during the last harvest season?" O

ry discovered by Ojo during the last harvest season, which became a big news issue that spread round the whole cocoa farmers' families in Igede community. Hi

rvesters who hid some cocoa fruits in the swampy part of our farm in or

plantain leaves, while Ojo, whom they thought was asleep some metres away, peeped

he issue of Ojo's enrolment to a better school far from home comes up. But that is not a good rea

without Ojo standing by to watch the harvesters, and we lose money the next harvest season, then you

mind you, a commercial school is different from grammar school. I want my son to be able to speak heavy sm, sm, sm sounding English, and

nt typist in this village. Mukaila speaks very good English too, according to those who witnessed his interaction with t

r. If you don't know, better know now, woman. I will train my son to any educational level with my cocoa money, and that is nobody's business," he said with a tone of pride, due to the fact tha

recious money, as they thought that a girl-child will one day end up as a property in another man's house. This type of philosophy has been denying a lot of intelligent young ladies the opportunity of going to school. In recent times, it has however been discovered that most educated married ladi

e ago that people like you who attained standard six old school system are inferior to modem commercial school graduates like her son, Mukaila. Because I did not go to school, that is why you sometimes spe

I, who communicated with Bartholomew Diaz to determine how he rounded the Cape of Good Hope; I, who showed Christopher Columbus the way to discover the continent of America and later guided him to West Indies; I, who sent Vasco da Gama a map that guided him through a sea route from Europe to India; I, who helped Ferdinard Magellan, who was later imitated by Francis Drake to complete the first circumnavi

bitterly as her husband went on mentioning some notable

Commercial! Commercial! You have been saying repeatedly without allowing me hear any

is what matters in a man's life, coupled with his well-fun

een making a lot of money daily. But he is still very de

lenty money through his typing, and he is very good at it

ven know how to correct some little spelling errors made by them. Apart from that, when there were also syntax errors in some of the sentences, he c

himself? He is an illiterat

anding by his kiosk at the Cocoa warehouse, I pointed out all the mistakes in the letter to him, and he thanked me very well. And now you are here telling me his mother said this and that about

At least nobody knows everything. Besides, anybody can make mista

ncy. You have not heard the full story yet. His letter typing error

ave to say about hi

now spurring me to say the mother of all blunders committed by Mukaila last

any other thing you have got to say about our village acclaimed typi

her, while he at the same time stretched his neck towards her face, w

She an

ightened and current people like me are talking. you should listen with all your senses, in order to learn: So, lis

istening to you

returned home from the land of the white people, where some of them usually regard us' as black monkeys while they themselves are white monkeys. And

e place where we are now using as Cocoa warehouse was formerly where Mr. Ogaga's family's house was built before he sold it to

becoming impatient with her husband

simply responded with 'Mi-o gbo' (I don't understand what you are saying) to her inquiry, as she attempted to speak Yoruba language. She had lost a great deal of the correct pronunciation of many words in Yoruba language. Her attempt at speaking Yoruba to them only made matters worse, as the sound that came from her mouth produces a kind of mosquito and dragonfly incomprehensible buzzing sound. It was at that point in time that she sighted Mukaila typing a letter beside the warehouse. She felt that since Mukaila is a typist, he must be the most educated person in that environment who could understand her inquiry better. She asked Mukaila about her family's whereabout thus: 'Helluu, please there waz a Mr. Ogaga's bungalow standing on this spot sixteen years ago before 1 traveled to the States. Kin (Can) you tell mewhazz up with it, and where to meet his family members?' But Mukaila was just gapping, looking confused . Ile-Iwe had mimicked Ogaga's daughter's style of speaking, and went on narrating the story. "Mukaila being a Commercial School graduate, who is not that sound in the rudiments of English grammar, phonetics, and lacks the bank of words, had thought Ogaga's daughter was askin

had also misunderstood Ejiro's remark of 'Kin (Can) you tell mewhazz up with it?' as an inquiry about his own name (Mukaila), and he was said to have replied her in Yoruba language that, 'Ah! Oruko mi kiin se Akin-o. Mukaila ni' (My name is not Akin, my name is Mukaila). This according to Ojo's father, had further

duates as those who are only eager to make quick money at all cost, at the expense of having a sound educational knowledge. He is of the opinion that all typists or secretaries should be well educated, instead of just only knowing how to type any word written on paper without being able to make grammatical and spelling corrections in any piece containing errors. Hence, since Mukaila and Ejiro's dramatic incident became w

ts in farm work after school hours and during harvest seasons. When he completed his commercial school education three years later, his mother said she is satisfied with her son's ability to type well and she is always proud of him to date. But his father is not pleased at all with Ojo's "Mother's-boy" attitude that has denied him opportunity of attending a better school in order to further his education on a sound footing. Therefore, whenever there is a

e of those ladies who prefer to marry a not too well-read man that has money to a well-read man that has no money to spend for her. Several indigenous jobless graduates who pay regular visit to the community usually fall head over heels in love with Suzzy's smashing beauty. They usually use all sorts of romantic words in

have money to cater for her needs. The particular young man pleaded to her to be patient, that his present precarious financial condition would soon change for good, as soon as he was able to s

n from university. As there is still no guarantee of jobs anywhere for many graduates, Suzzy no longer wants to waste her time with any jobless and penniless man proposing to her. Her charming be

ther asked Ojo to woo Suzzy who has been turning down the proposals of some cherished 'sm, sm, sm' blokes in the community. There is nobody in Igede who is familiar with Suzzy that does not know about her penchant for money. Therefore, since Ojo has been making a lot of money over for some ti

t who graduated from a local school like Omo-Ile

d care of herself. Besides, not only women, even men nee

ops whenever the issue of Suzzy was brought up. But being a woman, she knew what to do to capture Suzzy's heart for

er friendship through one of the sources she had used to investigate her. After her several praise-singing of Ojo to Suzzy, about his financial capability to take proper care of any woman who is lucky to find herself in his arms, an uncontrollable hunger to wrap up Qjo to herself possessed Suzzy. She became madly eager to visit Ojo one cold harmattan Sunday evening after one of such Ojo's mother's praise-singing of her son, suppor

meeting with Suzzy. Kemi was not pleased with the way her friend presented herself so cheap to Ojo whom both of them had never ever spoken with all their life before that evening. She was even more disgusted with Suzzy's manners of dotting on Ojo like a prostitute. They have been friends from their university days, but she had never seen Suzzy behaving like a sex wo

aying in Ojo's room could be easily heard by anyone who is in his father's sitting room. Meanwhile, his wife who was privy to Suzzy's vi

re him and lick im toes," she had told her husband in pidgin English when she came back f

marry? Has it not come to pass? Go on! Whatever you do with your son is not my concern

had sighted the two ladies, when they were entering Ojo's room, came into their presence to find out what was amiss. After listening to both ladies e

ing very proud of themselves and any individual that has acquired any uni

nlow," Ojo's mother mispronounced bungalow, and went on sailing "It is a matter of choice whomever anybod

he frozen silence in Ojo's room was melting to twilight. Kemi left Suzzy afterward, after she had told her she is no more

tten