TER

A

ws at Agu, who just walked in, looking bored and drawn. He handed the cheque over to Azuaka

time; that very stupid lawyer." He unc

om the lighter caught its butt. He drew and puffed like a true Abakpa boy; smoke spiraled t

taring in the space with the cigarette burning away be

to Agu's tetchy face. He stopped puffi

t. "Nku makes it to L

s,

d my only i

" said Azuaka Jnr. and his cigarette came between his thick lip

been happy all this while until those two men bough

he said, "Sometimes I doubt the project too, but when I reali

of life's events was result. "The night before I stole my father's gratuity," he continued, "I spoke with Nku. He said everything was working as planned. He only em

e world. The software will help us steal and render the world broke. I know all that, my

handed the cheque to Agu and uncor

complete. Is he going

are safe, son of man. Hope

ulo ya, isn't it so?" he asked in Igbo and hi

ng it happen. He knew Agu has thorny mindsets and he went on to encourage him with the uncertainty he faced in Enugu. "My dad and his five million naira, hmm!" he chortled, clicking his fingers, and continued

started smoking at ease. He said after gulping his beer, "

ght it was over, the maddening one happened. Didn't I tell you how I applied at the ministry and waited for one year endless recruitment?

ng within his chai

t funn

ther, although I was faced with one of the ministry workers who demanded a three-hundred-thousand naira bribe if I must get the job? I

ur heyday." Azuaka Jnr. cheered,

s thudded in his head. "We are homeless," he said with a

s face. The smoke was disappearing behind his head when he aske

eyeballs rolled before

ook hi

e her again. Hmm... love on campu

was her assignment and ex

e a big chick now." He guzzled his

He stared at the cheque in Agu's hand and a strange thought crossed his min

Azuaka Jnr. was the only buffer whose canny thinking had clinched them success in the grey day

lways asked that question whenever Azu

ware we will be hunting f

k," Agu seemed to have understood n

to his bank account and

ed each other with an indispensable excitement han

er is a big cockro

ded and they laughed. "We will make it,"

ka Jnr. said and then

clicked as they toasted to it. A toasty silence hung over

I have come a long way, a long way from my father's gratuity. I wonder what would become of h

inheritance is deeply involved, Lord. Please, don't fail Agu, your son

and harmattan wind to