Jerry was a young boy of 27. He lived in Ojo barracks with his parents. Jerry was naturally lazy and did not think of future. His father Benjamin Joshua loved him and tried to satisfy him with the little he had but Jerry was never satisfied.
When he was still in secondary school, Jerry always refused to go to school particularly if they asked them to bring anything and his father could not afford the item. Jerry would refuse to go to school instead he would throw himself into the street and played away his life. His mother Debby could not talk to him. At the age of 14, Jerry dropped out of school and went to join touts at a motor park. His parents were worried about this unruly behaviour but Jerry did not see anything bad in it. By the time Jerry was 18 he had become a full 'agbero' at Agboju garage, extorting money from bus drivers and he was really good at it. He did the 'agbero' job till all his siblings finished school and went to tertiary institutions. His dad decided to go and report him to one of his uncle, called uncle Williams. Uncle Williams was a nice man and he helped in the Joshua's family matters. Uncle Williams sent for Jerry at Agboju barracks and surprisingly he showed up.
"Jerry, why are you wasting your life, all your mates are in the University. What are you doing to have a good future", asked Uncle Williams.
"Jerry could not answer, he knew he had actually wasted his life by then he was aged 27. But he enjoyed his 'agbero job and the free money he got from it.
"You see uncle. "Jerry started, "I have wasted enough time; I can't go to school again.I want to play football".
"You?can you play football"? asked his uncle. "Very well sir, when I was in school. We used to organise street matches and our team always take the lead" answered Jerry.
Truly Uncle Williams remembered that Jerry was a good player but he just could not trust him for anything. He was too much a truant. But when he insisted that he would play football, uncle Williams accepted and said he would help him in one of the clubs in his companies.
"I will look for a good football team and include your name. I hope you will be a good boy and don't go there to drag my name in the mud". said Uncle Williams. "No sir, I promise to be a good boy", answered Jerry.
Uncle Williams was great; he helped Jerry to join Mobil International Football team. Jerry passed the interview, arranged by his uncle. Both Jerry's parents and uncle Williams warned Jerry not to go back to the garage. But Jerry being a natural truant turned a defiant ear and went back to the garage.
It happened one day at the garage, a member of his gang was fighting one bus driver to pay his due and a policeman intervened that Femi, as the boy was called should stop fighting the bus driver. Femi insulted him and said that he was doing his duty that the policeman should mind his business. Argument ensued between the two. This attracted the rest in the garage including Jerry.
"Excuse sir, Na hin work he dey do and this na our domain, e no concern you". chorused the boys.
The policeman out of annoyance gave one of the boys a slap and tried to shoot him. Another boy in the gang snatched the gun from the policeman. He too tried to harass the policeman not knowing that his hand was on the trigger as he pulled the trigger, a bullet came out of the barrel and shot the policeman. The Policeman fell down and died. The boys were greatly scared as this brought fear upon them. Before anybody could raise alarm, they had took to their heels and disappeared. Jerry did not first know where to run to. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. When he got to Badagry the second day he remembered his credentials and letter of appointment from Mobil International Football Team was kept in the garage and he could not go back their because of what had happened. Already, he had started to see the news of the dead policeman in the newspapers. Government had vowed to deal with the killers if they were caught. So Jerry ran further to Topo at Badagry, he remembered the warnings of his parents and uncle not to go back to the garage. The day he would resume at Mobil International came and went he could not resume because of his credentials kept at the garage and he could not return home for fear of being caught. Jerry lost the job and lost everything too.
Balogun Sade
No comments:
Post a Comment