Is that all for today or there is more?

chijioke17:
Is that all for today or there is more?

Oliver Twist

Centino:


Oliver Twist

Lol,na simple question I ask na

chijioke17:

Lol,na simple question I ask na

That's all for today but not all for the week. the next update(s) will come before Sunday.

Centino:


That's all for today but not all for the week. the next update(s) will come before Sunday.

Corrrrreeeeerct

chijioke17:
Ok,I was bored and stumbled upon this story,and I'm in awe, keep it up

Must specially welcome you chijioke17. Just noticed how you arrived here. Another update before Sunday's dedicated to you

Oh ! Sweet Jesus ! I just hope castro is not dead ! Lol

Centino:


Must specially welcome you chijioke17. Just noticed how you arrived here. Another update before Sunday's dedicated to you

Thanks bro

DIS suspense too much

Sunday is too far for the next update jhoor.
You can drop something during the week as a Christmas gift to your readers

Dhavido:
Sunday is too far for the next update jhoor.
You can drop something during the week as a Christmas gift to your readers

Most Def man. Expect two updates.

Weldone Centino. We Are Waiting For Next Update

ftosino:
you don't ave to quote a full episode na haba

E pain you?

donblazer10:
guy why you con quote the whole page?!!!

Hmmmmmm

Centino:


That's all for today but not all for the week. the next update(s) will come before Sunday.

I can't wait my love

Centino:


Most Def man. Expect two updates.

Thanks bro! More data to your phone

nkay2020:



I can't wait my love

Sure thing nkay2020 dear

Dhavido:


Thanks bro! More data to your phone

Thanks bro.

centino thanks for the update
irikefe don enter wahala wit this stupid birthday .
but castro self don pass boundary .
LOLZ den don smash bottle for Big boy head.

I have to praise the power of your pen or your keyboard..... Anyone lol
Centino you good, I've been following the story and I have to comment before we enter next year.....
U2Much

Pinkfeet:
centino thanks for the update

irikefe don enter wahala wit this stupid birthday .

but castro self don pass boundary .

LOLZ den don smash bottle for Big boy head.

REDInks:
I have to praise the power of your pen or your keyboard..... Anyone lol
Centino you good, I've been following the story and I have to comment before we enter next year.....
U2Much

Woah man! What a year we have ahead

Centino:


Thanks bro.

Boss I hail,good work..
Boss i don't mind paying to get the whole pdf copy for the full story abeg..waiting is giving me hypertension,am rili serious abt it...plz do reply

jade14:



Boss I hail,good work..
Boss i don't mind paying to get the whole pdf copy for the full story abeg..waiting is giving me hypertension,am rili serious abt it...plz do reply

Thanks for the appreciation jade14. Unfortunately, there is no full story anywhere. As of this moment, I have no idea what will be in the next update. I write as the spirit leads. It is a pastime I engage in on weekends as I strive for my daily bread elsewhere on weekdays.

Trust me I suffer as you do too. Sometimes, the thing no dey just dey body. Last weekend I was tired and jaded and in no mood whatsoever to write. But I get peace? I was relieved when till about 3 pm I didn't have anyone reminding me it was Sunday so I assumed they were all away enjoying other stories until I checked again at about 6:30 on my way out and saw that YINKS89 had asked the question. I still went out, but had a glass of wine instead of two or three and came back and went to work on it and posted at about 9:30 or so - the latest I've posted on a Sunday.

Then the question of it not being enough came back. And I promised I was going to update again before Sunday. Now I don't know where to run to

Wow,, I'll say this is really nice..

Thanks for the constant update, even thou Na once a week... MB fall on ur phone...

���
#pattoski_patotelli...

Patotelli:
Wow,, I'll say this is really nice..

Thanks for the constant update, even thou Na once a week... MB fall on ur phone...

���
#pattoski_patotelli...

Thanks Patotelli. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there will be a midweek update posted at some point tomorrow.

Preetiex, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx, jade14, Dhavido, chijioke17, olumose001, take note

Centino :


Thanks Patotelli. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there will be a midweek update posted at some point tomorrow.

Preetiex, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx, jade14, Dhavido, chijioke17, olumose001, take note

I will b xpecting it bro...
Thumbs up

Centino:


Thanks Patotelli. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there will be a midweek update posted at some point tomorrow.

Preetiex, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx, jade14, Dhavido, chijioke17, olumose001, take note

nice 1 dear

Centino:


Thanks Patotelli. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there will be a midweek update posted at some point tomorrow.

Preetiex, YINKS89, obedugo, Collinometricx, jade14, Dhavido, chijioke17, olumose001, take note

I'll b really glad... Plz make us proud.

Original Christmas Bonanza... Oga Centino more grace sir

YINKS89:
I'll b really glad... Plz make us proud.

Looking forward to it already bro.
Today is midweek

PAPA EFE

Three strong knuckles from the corridor landed on irikefe’s head, drawing a desperate howl from him as he bundled back and fell on the floor.
I had only seen Irikefe’s dad once. It was a few days after I arrived, shortly after which he left for the village where he has been all these months. The story was that he was not returning to Lagos as he had become a chief. Irikefe believed that there was enough ogogoro and bush meat there to keep him till he was called by his creator. Irikefe survived by the stipend Alhaji Sirika was still kind enough to hand him, as his father was the caretaker of the property and lifelong associate of the Alhaji’s.

Papa Efe lived at Number 225 with his son, a product of a liaison with a wondering woman who did chores for individuals and cleaned many of the compounds on Katakata Street in the mid 90’s for a fee. No one knew where she came from, she was always available in the day time to run errands and then one day people began noticing her going in and out of Number 225 care taker’s room. The woman was middle aged already. The Caretaker was an old bachelor – a status that was curious given that men from his part of the country were not only mostly married, but were also polygamous as way of life. Papa Efe was an exception to the rule. He only lived to play pool and drink ogogoro and be Alhaji Sirika’s Man Friday.

One day his girlfriend disappeared, and months later, early one morning in November 1997, a new born baby boy was found wrapped in a blanket in front of Papa Efe’s door, its mother nowhere to be found. Residents easily worked out that the elderly couple had produced the miracle.

Neighbors came together and raised Irikefe for his dad. He grew up extremely bright and mischievous. He consistently outperformed all the kids at school and also taught all the kids at home all forms of mischief. His father did not have the wherewithal to send him to the University when he finished secondary school; neither could he do much about all of his son’s delinquencies. What Papa Efe did was to enroll him as an apprentice in Josiah’s carpentry shop. That should secure his future and keep him away from trouble Papa Efe thought.
“I had this baaaad feeling that something baaaad go happen. So I enter bus and start coming. Only for me to reach here and meet this oga for road and the first thing I hear na say you carry his son go do bad tin! Irikefe!”

Papa Efe was inside the room now. Mr Zubi entered with him. He reached down and picked his son up and dug his knuckles into his head one more time. He was a towering lanky man with hands that looked like they were made of iron. His eyes were bloodshot when he threw me a wicked look but was not yet finished with his son.

“What you do with dat pikin?”

“Papa I did nothing with anybody. Ah ahn!”

“I say shut up your mouth,” Papa Efe said and gave Irikefe’s another knock on the head.

“Calm down Papa Efe. This will not help us,” Mr Zubi said. “Now, tell us Efe, what happened to my son?”

“You should ask your son sir.”

His father wanted to hit him again but Mr Zubi prevented him.

“My son is in no position to answer any questions.”

“How is he Mr Zubi?” I asked automatically.

“He is responding to treatment but is not allowed to talk.”

“Thank God,” I said.

“You should concentrate on his recovery and not come here to harass me. Did you see me with your son?”

Papa Efe knocked his son’s head harder this time. Even I could see stars’ circling his head like it was in cartoons.

His eyes seemed to have rolled over in his skull and I was sure he did not know what day of the week it was again. Papa Efe then looked at me and my eyes went to his ready knuckles. I quickly said “I’m sorry sir” without even knowing why I said it. The thought of those knuckles on my head was so frightening I could have confessed to padding the 2018 budget if I was asked at that asked at that moment.

“Zubi, no vex. I have return back. I will bend am. Efe, because you don get small bear-bear you tink say you don grow. I go show you say no matter how okra tall, him owner go still bend am to pluck am.”

“It’s okay Papa Efe. We will know what happened when my son recovers. Be grateful we did not lose him.”

Irikefe clearly was in no position to quip back. I looked at his father’s hand one more time and knew that just this once; there was no greater wisdom than in silence.

“Em, welcome back sir. Where are your bags? It must have been a hard journey” I said after Mr Zubi left.

“Who you are?”

“I live here sir.”

“In which room?”

“I live with Mkpoikanna-abasi.”

“The Calabar boy?”

“Yes sir.”

“So you dey follow and spoil my son?”

“No sir o. I actually came to find out what happened. Apparently, they were not together last night.” I did not know when I said that. One thing was clear to me. Irikefe was one knock away from serious brain damage if he did not have one already. There was nothing wrong with sticking up for a friend in the face of such danger.

“Oya go now. I no want to see you near my son again.”

Without a second invitation, I was out in the corridor and thanking my stars.

Later that morning I walked over to the shops and saw Irikefe holding a plank and a saw and looking like he was about to be executed.

Mama Akunna was there too with Wasiu. I could already see the disaster this alliance was going to bring to the neighborhood. Wasiu with his hard drugs and Mama Akunna with her ogogoro. May God help us.

“My friend bend down and work” Josiah was saying as I approached. “If Mama’s table is not ready by tomorrow it will be your fault. I no tell you say one day go be one day?”

“But Josiah, why you carry my work give this yeye pikin? Abi you want make hin put nail where e go dey chook my customer yansh?”

“Mama na simple table and bench. Na d first day I start carpenter work I do table. I don dey teach dis one since two years now.”

“How many times hin don come here since two years? No be dat calabar boy hin dey follow up and down since?”

“Mama he has not been following me up and down for two years. I only came here in June” I said.

“Ah, my pikin you dey here?”

“So you dey talk bad tin for my back Mama?”

“No be so na. I no know say you go don wake by now” She said and gave me a wily look and grinned. There was no guessing she knew I was with Maya all night, well, till 12:15am because after Irikefe and Castro’s drama we stayed up talking about the matter and praying for Castro’s recovery.

“Mama no just talk anything” I said.

“Okay” she said, happy to have gotten off lightly.

“So Wasiu you don turn to mama bodyguard?” I said.

“No o. I dey invite mama to church this Sunday.”

“You dey go church?”

“Dem dey invite my papa Majek Fashek this Sunday. Him play for COZA last week.”

“Is that not what Daddy Freeze was frowning against? That it cannot happen in a mosque or in a Hindu Temple or any other place of worship that a secular musician will perform on an alter of God?”

“Make dat one go rest joor. No be for people like us Jesus come? See me now dey go church, I go even carry Mama go.”

“Me? Tufiakwa! I no dey go church.”

As we spoke Papa Efe came around to check on his son.

“Josiah!”

“Yes sir!”

“So you are in this compound and let my son spoil finish?”

“But hin don already spoil before you bring am na.”

“Wetin you talk Josiah?

“Nothing sir!”

“I leave this boy in your hand. Teach him work. Make him good again. You hear me Josiah?”

“Papa Efe I go try. Make you talk to am if hin go put hin eye for ground.”

“He will put it down. He will put it” Papa Efe said and turned to Mama Akunna.

“Akunna Mama, you don come back?

“Papa Efe. Yes sah. As my pikin wife born I say make I come help dem. If to say I no come I no know wetin dem for do.”

“Okay e good like dat. I hope say no problem this time?”

“No problem at all. Dem happy say I come.”

“Okay.”

“So how home people, Papa Efe?”

“They are fine.” He then turned to Josiah and said “Josiah! Make Efe go keep water for me to baff hin go come back.”

“Okay sir.”

Then he turned and walked back towards the compound. I noticed that Mama Akunna’s eyes followed every movement of Papa Efe’s as he retreated. I could not resist giving Mama a light nudge in the rib. She turned and looked at me and covered her smile with her two hands.



TO BE CONTINUED