The Teaching Child...

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

"Lanre, are they gone?" Chuks mumbled with fear. 

"yes, they are." 

"what did they come here for? Who were they looking for?" 

"I don't know also" Lanre replied sarcastically. 

"are you crazy? Are you trying to say it's me...?" 

"No sir! I was just..." 

Chuks rushed at Lanre with a punch directly on his face, Lanre lost balance, and fell sideways on the bedside TV. 

"you mean you want to spoil my TV, the work of my own hand, see, may God spoil the work of your dead father!" 

"sorry sir!!! I didn't mean so, I'm so sorry" 

While Lanre still lay stuttering, Chuks moved closer and gave him a kick on his buttocks, with additional smacks on different parts of his body. Lanre'scream echoed in the whole house, not leaving behind tears. 

After the few minutes of terror experienced by Lanre, Chuks stormed out of the house, he was off to the streets. 

"when will all these stop?" Lanre questioned himself in bitterness as he sat on the ruffled bed. "if I decide to run, where to? I don't know...will it be those rugged streets, sleeping under bridges and in shops all around, how will I eat? Wont I've to steal, maybe I would opt for cart-pushing." The previous beating he experienced increased the tempo of his thoughts.  

People were going on with their daily businesses, with some middle-aged women running cafés, men in their usual rugged state hustling for money to fend for themselves. Young boys, ladies, everyone filled the streets as it was just two more hours to the closure of a business day. Chuks too, was going for his evening duty as a road-side sales man. He makes his sales as vehicles are held-up in traffic jams. He is faster than an Olympics sprint, chasing diverse vehicles, every time his goods is with a customer and he hasn't gotten paid. And then, finally sums the day's gains up with some little pick pocketing. 

As he walked to his friend's shop where the materials are kept in Bobaku street, he could sense the presence of his landlord around the area, meanwhile, he couldn't see him. He began to walk faster than he had been doing. Chuks headed left instead of right in order to bypass a longer distance, public view, and escape his landlord if he eventually he was there. 

On turning, it was his landlord he saw, urinating by the side of the road. He could no longer turn back, their eyes had met. 

"eh, just come...come, come here" the landlord said in his usual loud and trembling voice.  

Chuks ran towards the stout figured man, and prostrated, greeting him as customs demanded. 

"I thank God for finding you for me...simply as this, I don't know maybe you've been hiding from me or we've not been seeing each other-only God knows" he spoke gently now. 

"No sir, it has just been a matter of coincidence" chuks replied with a cheerful grin. 

"I am supposed to be very angry with you now, as you've been owing for the past few months ...how many months?" 

"four, sir." 

"so, what do you want me to do to you? Is it because I have taken you for a son...don't worry, I know how to deal with you; One afternoon, I'll just come, break into your room, and pack your belongings out. And trust me, that must be probably before the month runs out." 

"Okay sir, but please have mercy, have mercy on me! I fend for myself and my little brother, and I have got no salary-earning job, just sales and some other petty things."