CLANG!!, CLANG!!, CLANG!!, CLANG!!!

The harsh sound of someone rattling the burglary proof door shot through the quiet evening air.

“Emeka!! Emeka!!, I know say you dey this house!! I must to collect my money today o!! You no dey shame!!

CLANG!!, CLANG!!, CLANG!!, CLANG!!!

Emeka lay very still on his bed, barely breathing. Perhaps if he stayed quiet enough, Mama Iyabo the owner of the neighbourhood provision store would go away.

CLANG!!!, CLANG!!!, CLANG!!!, CLAAAANG!!!

It was getting louder. “Hmm, how do I handle this situation now?” Emeka thought to himself. He had given her all the excuses in the book. This time around, he knew instinctively that she would not accept anything other than the N15,000 he was owing her. “When did my life become this?” he thought to himself as he turned on his bed to face the wall. His three bedroom apartment suddenly feeling too small.

He could hear footsteps, it appeared someone had approached her and was talking to her. He couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

The footsteps retreated and he heard the heavy shuffling of Mama Iyabo’s feet going with them. “hmm, she gave up just like that?, what is going on? Whatever it was, he was free…for tonight at least.

The melodious sound of the song that was his ring tone rang out in the dark…”30 billion for the account o!”… Emeka picked up his iPhone 7, it was Jerry, his colleague at the bank.

“Emmy, my guy! where you dey? let’s hang out this Friday night”

“Jerrykoko, not tonight o!, Mans gotta chill”

“Haba, what are you doing at home on a Friday night? The ladies are waiting for bad man like you”

The ladies…Emeka winced as he thought of how much he had spent at Groove Town night club last week, trying to impress “the ladies”. Ladies that had moved on to other men while he had to face the imposing Mama Iyabo at home.

“My guy, I no fit. Not tonight”

The fear of running into Mama Iyabo lent him sense but only for a moment. Maybe a drink and some company was what he really needed to lift his spirits. He deserved a break from all this harassment.

“Jerry, see you soon, I dey land”

He picked up the keys to his Toyota Camry and walked to the door. “Ah, Mama Iyabo!”, she would surely catch him if he tries to drive out. Maybe he should sneak out through the backyard and take a taxi once he was a safe distance from the house.

He cracked open the back door and looked around furtively. Coast clear. He shut the door very quietly and started in direction of the gate. He had almost made it when he heard a deep voice behind him. The voice called his name with quiet authority. It was his landlord in the flat above, Chief. He turned around slowly and looked up at the balcony.

“Come up” Chief said to him and turned to walk back into his flat.

Emeka felt deflated. Chief had been like a father to him, going up to his flat now most likely meant his outing plans were dashed. Maybe he would be able to convince him to make it quick, Emeka thought to himself as he walked up the winding stairs to the penthouse.

The cool, air conditioned breeze that greeted Emeka as he entered the penthouse was a sharp contrast to the humid outdoors he was coming from. He cast his gaze at the understated elegance of the room. “These rich people that don’t know how to enjoy their money” he thought to himself as he looked around. The quality in the furnishings was undeniable but if it were him, that televison would be at least 60 inches and how could he watch Premier league without a home theatre system? Tufiakwa!

“Emeka, what is the issue with Mama Iyabo now?” Chief interrupted his thoughts “She was creating a scene in the compound today.”

“Emm, you see, sir…it’s just a simple matter of some small money I owe her…I don’t know why she can’t trust me when I say I will repay her”

Chief regarded him with a piercing gaze over his glasses.

“I have been overhearing her constant complaints over your debts. I am not convinced it is a small matter” Infact, I had to intervene this evening otherwise, she might still be banging at your door and I need my peace”

Emeka hung his head in shame. He had always tried to present himself to Chief as a responsible young man, the kind that perhaps he may consider to hire to be a part of his conglomerate.

“Chief…Emeka’s voice trailed away…you know me better, I have never been late on my rent…

Chief cut him off ‘For now, but the way you are going, I foresee financial difficulty ahead of you” You are a promising young man, making a decent living at a bank and yet, if its not Mama Iyabo today, it is Hashiru tomorrow or your dry cleaners threatening to seize your clothes like the other day. “The list of creditors”…he said, shaking his head in deep disapproval…it is enough”

‘It is clear you need training on financial matters and I can help you with that. Are you ready to learn? Chief was looking at him again with that piercing gaze.

Emeka heaved a deep sigh. Truth be told he did need help. His salary was ok, like almost everyone else, he could do with more but for all intents and purposes, it was ok.  However, he just couldn’t place a finger on where his money went at the end of every month. He wasn’t extravagant, he thought to himself  ‘I mean ‘My mates are driving Range Rovers but I respected myself and bought a Toyota Camry’ but could Chief really help him? well, maybe by giving him some money.

“Chief”, he heard himself say, “I don’t think you can fully understand my situation. As a wealthy, business man, I don’t think you can relate to a mid-level salary earner like myself. However, if you can kindly advance me a loan to pay off my creditors, I would be ever grateful”

‘Young man, if you know where I started from, you will realise that you are 10 times better off than where I began. No, I am not going to give you money. What I will give you is far better than that. I will teach you the secret to wealth. Report here tomorrow, 8am and we will begin”