‘The sky is not the only thing up this morning, I AM UP!’, Lauren screamed to no one in particular. Bouncing along the narrow path that leads straight to the Cokers’ house, she greeted almost every living thing she crossed. She just knew something had to be up, she woke up excited for reasons she could not nail to anything, her always sulky younger brother is going to be holidaying at their cousins’, and her parents are preparing for a day and a half trip- ONE PRECIOUS DAY and A HALF!, to some faraway place for a party. And then, she was able to pull this off, all by herself! She had wished on a bright star on her ceiling yester night before drifting off to sleep and this morning, BAM!, it just happened. Back home, Lauren’s mom, Mrs Tokunbo, fondly called mommy even by her husband, reminded her husband about the money he promised to give her. Her husband, Adeoye, smiled to himself and gave mommy a reassuring kiss. He still cannot understand why his wife spends so much on expensive jewelleries, she’s possibly property-richer than him now. He remembered the last time he refused his wife money, they argued every night for 14 days as soon as they were sure the kids were fast asleep. And most of the following mornings he’d wake up sickly horny and hungry with only the later settled. This time, he had made an important wish and hoped for something comforting; things MUST change! Morris knocks and ambles into his parents’ room, his broody-self, an evidence of adolescence, is quickly noticed by his mom, ‘oko mi, are you done packing?’ ‘Mommy, can’t I just stay here with Lauren?’ said Morris. ‘It’s a forthnight since my last tennis practice’ he added. ‘Sweet Lord, how did I forget? I’m so sorry darling. I’ll simply tell Emeka not to worry about dropping you off’ mommy stated. ‘Thanks mom, you are the best!’ Adeoye, still preoccupied with his thought, totally ignored them.
It was 5pm when Lauren finally decided to go home with the new iphone 6+ she had just bought from the money she had stolen from her father’s box. Her only problem is how to keep the phone till she lives for school. She decided to simply keep it in her school box. That way, her always calculating parents would just assume she’s got only her clothes in it even if they’d want to check, she thought. Meanwhile, Morris knew that something is definitely up with his sister and as usual, he will burst her bubbles. As it was already evening and mommy had made it mandatory for Lauren to always assist Aunty Mary in the kitchen, she’d definitely leave her room soon. That’s when he will strike. So, as soon as he heard the door to her room open and close, he sprang from his bed and listened to her footsteps as she walked down the hallway. Once in her sister’s room, he went straight to her school box because he knew her sister like the back of his palm. Besides, there is nowhere in their rooms that is not constantly being censored by their parents. ‘haha! An iphone? An iphone 6+?’ Opening the phone-box to actually ascertain his discovery, he could not bring himself to close his mouth. ‘Let the game begin!’ and with that he left the room.
Lauren did not sleep throughout the night. She just could not get enough of her new phone…
At exactly 6pm the following day, the family’s car pulled into the compound and Lauren, Morris, and Aunty Mary all rushed out to welcome mommy and daddy. Dinner got served and everyone said their goodnights. That was when trouble started. Adeoye had walked, laughing about something that happened at the party, hand-in-hand with his wife to their room. As he strolled to his box to present his wife with the money for her jewellery, the strangest thing had happened to his money. ‘What?!’ he shivered. This cannot be real. Mommy left the bed to join her husband by the box but she was lost. Adeoye, not knowing how to begin with his explanation, modestly smiled at his wife. Then he gave the money to her on bended knees because not doing so could actually transmogrify into something much worse. Mommy from the look on her face was pleased but still asked Adeoye why he screamed the way he did. Adeoye simply said, ‘Mommy, I just wanted you out of that bed, so I could carry you back to it in style’, ‘Hmmm, Adeoye, flattery is always your easy escape from telling the truth. Anyways thank you so much for this. I love you forever, darling’. ‘Love you too mommy’, scooping his wife off to bed….
Lauren in her room has been crying her heart out. What happened to her new phone? She had gone to her brother’s room to ask him if he took ANYTHING at all from her room and he said he had not been there since the morning mommy asked him to fetch her; four days ago. It wasn’t quite convincing but he was dispassionate while saying the words to her. What is she going to do? There’s no phone and dad’s money is gone! Dad’s money! What was she even thinking? How will she survive the soon to be here morning when dad will definitely start looking for his money. He rarely keeps money in the house; but when he does, it’s always for something urgent. Should she run to school before daybreak? That would only point all fingers at her. “Oh Lord!…..
Adeoye in bed with mommy well enveloped in his arms, could not get the money out of his mind. He had joking said to himself that only if the money in his box changed denomination would he not bring up the issue of his wife being obsessed with expensive jewelleries. She wasn’t even there when he THOUGHT about it. And why will his children change his money? Hmmm…this cannot be ordinary. And I’m very sure my wife isn’t a witch, he thought…..
Morris in his room had a smile that would last him the night on his face. Now he must think of what to do with his first income. Selling the iphone 6+ to Freddie, his friend’s brother had been easy. He overheard him complain about the price of the same phone to his friends few days ago. He knew the price his sister bought hers would definitely appeal to Freddie. He delivered to Freddie, a full package with receipt. He had to keep the money in his father’s box because he knew his father rarely used that particular box, not that he could think of how his sister managed to buy a phone that expensive. That’s not my problem anyway, it’s my first income in that box….
–Green
