BEFORE SABINUS, I WAS

 The Tale of a Funvestor

I once heard the story of a boy, a Lagos boy, who was your typical fun loving kid. He was young and full of energy. He was the kind of child you hardly found on weekdays, talk less of weekends. This story happened when power supply was an issue in Nigeria, oops, it still is (recall the NEPA reference though, the real NEPA, for later in the story), but I’m talking beginning of the 21^st century.

It was another weekend, a Saturday, and his hair was due for a cut. The following day was Sunday, and he couldn’t take that bushy hair to church. Well, as early as 8 a.m., his father gave him pocket money plus money to cut his hair, about ₦70 in total.

He pocketed the cash and off he went for his weekend rounds. From the football field to the table tennis court, up and down he went. Eventually, he decided to go rent a bicycle, this was the ultimate fun! The thrill of feeling like a king and having everyone watch you, he wasn’t going to be denied.

At ₦20 for an hour, he paid and the first hour flew by. Not to be denied his full pleasure, he spent all the money on further rentals. Why did he do this? He had a sure bet; his friend was a barber, and he could cut his hair for him for free. Besides, the hair could wait, his fun couldn’t.

It was 6:30 p.m. when he finally went to have his hair cut, and after my pleading, his barber friend, actually an apprentice, agreed to cut the hair. None of them could have predicted what was to follow. Fifteen minutes later and almost halfway into his haircut, the area transformer blew! NEPA couldn’t give light anymore, and his friend couldn’t put on the generator for a free cut, his boss would kill him.

All the pleadings and promises led to nothing. With tears in his eyes, knowing what waited for him at home, he went home with the heaviest of hearts.

Under the cover of the night, he snuck into his room then remembered another thing: he didn’t have ironed clothes for church the next day; he didn’t even wash that day! How did this happen? He managed to muster strength to go through his clothes and he found a native outfit to wear the following day. He said his prayers that night, more than he had ever prayed that year, and went to sleep, earlier than he ever had that year too.

Sunday finally came, and guess who was uncharacteristically late to the family car that day? I hope you guessed right. Well, our hero and comrade finally appeared, ready for church, sporting a face cap with his outfit. His family laughed and believed it was a joke, until it was clear he meant business. Finally, his father demanded that he took the cap off, and with tears in his eyes, he finally obliged.

The laughter that followed made a mockery of the first round, imagine you were there!

I stop this story here, my ribs hurt as I remember this true story. We’ve had our share, all of us, and no, this isn’t me, I’m not the boy.

If you want to know how it ended, tell me in the comments section, down below.

Till I bring you another story next week, enjoy this one again. Remember to share this and follow us on our social media platforms, and if you have a story for us, send us an email at twwblog1@gmail.com

Stay smart!