On the run II

The fight between chidi and his father was the talk of the village for weeks. The elders had said that Chidi had committed an abomination by beating up his stepfather and they'd have to consult the gods to decide his punishment.

Chidi was determined not to allow these elders determine his fate just like they had done to his mother, so he ran away from the village. He decided to go to Lagos but he didn't have any money on him for the bus trip. He had to settle within asaba instead. Chidi didn't have any relatives or friends living in Asaba. So when night came, he slept under the bridges. He begged for his day-to-day meals from women who operated roadside restaurants. Soon they got tired of him and he began begging for money from passersby. But most people were not ready to give him money, instead, they looked at him suspiciously as if he were a common rascal, judging by his dirty appearance.

So, he started to cook up stories about a mother who was terminally ill and he had to raise money to save her life. His best lie was that he had lost all his money and possessions to thieves on the highway while travelling to a particular destinations and now he was stranded.

He was not always lucky with the lies. Sonetimes, he would meet someone who he had beg for money in the past without recognising them and tell a different lie. But they'd always recognise him and he would be humiliated.

That means on days when he doesn't make any money, he'd have to sleep on an empty stomach. And when he still couldn't get any money the next day and the hunger becomes unbearable, he'd have to choice than to steal. He had learnt this habit from the village but he never liked doing it. He feared that he would be caught one day and might be lynched by an angry mob.

He just had to settle down at a job worth doing. At first, he worked as a porter, helping traders to carry their heavy goods from the market to a waiting vehicle at the roadside. This was really a difficult job and at the end of the day, he would end up with pains all over his body. The little money he had made would now be spent on buying drugs to enhance his body for the next day's job.

He soon got tired of this yeye work and decided to work as bus conductor. Working as a bus conductor was indeed far more profitable. On a good day, he made good money. He was still planning and saving money for his Lagos trip. Who wouldn't love to stay in lagos? The land of opportunities.

After serving as a bus conductor for six month, he became a driver and the money began to come in. Now, chidi began to lose focus. He now ate as heavily as a king. He began to smoke marijuana and spent senselessly on loose girls at the park. The more money he made, the more he blew them away.

To be continued.......

Thanks for reading