04/01/2025
Yesterday morning, I was craving hot akara with bread. Since I already have bread at home, I stepped out to the junction to buy wetin dey hungry me.
I decided to buy 3k worth of akara, go back to my house, lock my door and eat it to my satisfaction. That will be my only meal for the day till much later in the evening.
When I got there, the woman was just putting some batter of beans into the hot oil. I watched with amazement as she turned the akara balls with expertise.
She left it to fry deeply and came to attend to her customers that were already waiting.
"Oga, how much own I go put for you?" She asked.
"Give other customers first, I go wait for the akara wey still dey for fire."
"Toh!" She began attending to other customers, while also checking the akara she was frying.
The customers she had attended to began to disperse, while those who wanted to eat their own there, sat at the long bench she provided. Some of them ordered akamu, and they used it to step down the akara.
As I was waiting, I noticed something unusual. One young girl of about 18 years has been standing there with a little boy strapped to her back. I thought she also came to buy akara, but all the other people were attended to, and she was still there. She made no effort to draw closer or go away. As people were leaving, she was just there. The little boy began to cry, and she untied the wrapper, and carried him in her hands. The boy should be around two years old. As others were eating, he was watching them, his gaze will trail them from their hands to their mouth. He kept licking his tongue in frustration, while the young mother stood there helplessly.
I asked her if she wanted some akara, and she nodded her head.
By that time, the akara on the fire was ready. I asked the seller to put 2k worth of akara for her.
The smile on her face was priceless.
"Haba Oga! Nagode sosein." She said in her shrill melodious voice.
"You go need akamu for your pikin kwo?"
She nodded shyly. I asked the seller to give akamu to them too, and she did as I said. She
The young girl thanked me again before she went to sit on the bench to eat with her son. The way the child swallowed the first ball of akara the mother gave to her stirred something in me. They literally gulped down the bowl of akamu. I asked the seller to give them another one, and she obliged.
I rummaged through my pockets, and I was only left with 2k after paying for their meal. Seeing how hungry that young girl and her son was, made my early morning cravings for akara to disappear. Judging from the way they were hurriedly swallowing the food, I knew that it's been a while since they had any decent meal. I moved closer to where they were seated and squeezed the 2k into the little boy's hand before leaving. Her voice of gratitude trailed me as I walked away.
I walked home penniless, I no buy akara, I no satisfy my cravings, but I was happy that that little boy and his mother had a warm breakfast.
Very close to my house, I heard some one calling my name. I turned back, and it was one of my students who I taught when I was still a secondary school teacher.
"Uncle Praises, good morning sir."
"Good morning Ahmed, how are you?"
"Your boy dey ooo! I saw you from there, that other house where I went to visit my sister. Do you live around here.
"Yes ooo. How far with your studies?"
"I'm through with my ND, and I'm currently doing my IT now."
"Heeiii! That's good. I love it when my students excel in their studies. And to think that you were a very stubborn and naughty boy those days."
He began to laugh.
"Sir, na small pikin been dey worry me that time."
"So you mean to say that you don dey get small sense kwo?" He started laughing again.
"Uncle Praises, please give me some minutes, I'll be back." He ran back and in less than ten minutes, he came back with a black nylon bag.
"Uncle, please, this is for you. It's just a little happy new year gift from me to you."
I tried to reject the gift, but he insisted, he even reminded me how I gave him money to buy some literature text books back then in school.
After much persuasion, I collected the gift, thanked him and went back to my house.
When I opened the bag, I saw two big loaves of bread, 1 pack of refill peak milk and Milo, plus a small jar of blueband butter.
I was just speechless. I left my house to buy akara, and ended up spending the money on a little boy and his mother, only for me to come back home with a gift that is more expensive that the money I spent.
The bible says '...give and it shall come back to you, good measures, pressed down, running over...'
I have experienced it again and again. Selfless giving opens unexpected doors of blessings. I dropped the gifts on top of my fridge and played my favorite gospel music.
By Praises Chidera Obiora,
