My Birthday in A Story// 20% to teamg-nigeria

It’s my birthday, so let me use it to tell you the story of Okeke Onyekpere (Name not real). I can do anything I want on my birthday, right?

This story which has TOO MUCH embellishment from my part, as a writer, is true. To keep the character anonymous and to be humorous, I shall tell this story the best way I can. I was NEVER asked to do this by the person it’s meant for; but since it’s my birthday, I can do anything I want.

He had just gotten home from the private school where he recently got a teaching job. He had taught Mathematics at a particular private school for years___ since he graduated from the uni. He is 32 and the weight of the world is upon his shoulders. His dad died many years ago leaving his mother, a petty trade to raise him and his three siblings.

As he sat down thinking of how fast his friends were getting married, he smiled and started drinking the garri he bought on his home that afternoon. He remembered the pretty youth corps member that teaches English at his former school. He had missed her since he left that school and the day he summoned courage to call her, it turned out that she had gone home because of COVID-19.

The federal government of Nigeria, like most other countries of the world, had placed Nigeria on lockdown. Okeke Onyekpere had in some occasion, fantasized about marrying Fatima, the pretty Fulani corps member that taught English in his former school. He was thinking about her as he drank his garri that afternoon. He had heard that the girl was from a wealthy home. But he knew that even if he decides to marry her, there’ll be a clash of culture and his mother would never consent to that.

He smiled as he thought about how impossible it seemed at the moment for him to get married. How can he marry and take care of his children plus his mother and his younger siblings from the meagre salary he receives as a private school teacher? To make matters worse, the amount he receives from the new school where he resumed work a month ago was five thousand naira lesser than what he used to receive at his former school. He hated the day he resigned from his former school in anger. Did I just say ‘resigned?’ wait until you hear the full story.

He threw himself out of his job the day the proprietor, for the second consecutive month, sent him and other teaches a message informing them that because of the lockdown, again, their salaries would not be paid. He was at a building site helping to carry blocks when he got that message on a hot afternoon some months ago. He left everything he was doing and rushed down to the proprietor’s house.

Thanks to Covid, the woman was not out of the country as usual. Okeke Onyekpere demanded to see the woman that owned the school but no thanks to Covid-19, the woman had given instruction to the security man to stop allowing people into her residence. Okeke who was obviously frustrated banged on the gate until her ‘Excellence’ came out at her balcony.

“Who’re you and why are you hitting on my gate?”
“Madam my salary! My salary!” Okeke Onyekpere cried out.
“What salary could he be talking out,” the woman looked at him from that balcony like it was God looking at us from heaven. But unlike God, she was mean and ruthless.

“Madam na one of the teacher for your school,” the security, who knew Okeke from the errands he had had to run to the school that was nearby. Said.

“That man can’t be a teacher in my school!” she said in queen’s English. I’ve have told that stupid principal to stop hiring riff raffs. I have a standard to maintain for Christ sake. My God!” the woman ducked at the stone Okeke threw fiercely at her. The stone landed on the alumaco window behind her. Before the security man could open the gate and go after Okeke Onyekpere, he had taken to his heels like Osain Bolt.

When he got to the one room self-contained apartment he called home, he hurriedly packed his things and off to the village he went. He had a feeling that the woman would come after her with the Police. Like they say in Igbo Ofụfụ ka mma karia statement.

Life in the village was something else but I wouldn’t go into that because I don’t know the details of what he endured. And because I need you to help save Okeke Onyekpere, I’ll try and be as brief as possible.

Well, he stayed in his peaceful village until after three to four months; the lockdown was lifted in Nigeria and her came back to the city. He stole into his apartment at night to see that things were the way he had left them. When he asked the woman that sells kiosk in front of her house if some policemen had come looking for him some months back, the woman said no. But when he turned to leave, the-gossip-of-a-kiosk-owner who wanted to hear the full gist called him back.

“Onyekpere, make you no vex o; wetin you do wey go make police come look for you?
“I been apply make I join the Nigerian Police Force but I never hear from them,” Okeke replied. “So I dey wonder if them come look for me.”

“The person wey dey look for you na caretaker. He said your rent had expired since three months ago.”
“Wey im go dey look for me when Covid-19 dey town?”

“Which yeye Covik-19? Abeg make them leave me make I sell market; hunger won kill me and my children.”
Two weeks after that conversation, Okeke Onyekpere got a teaching job at another private school. He made sure he looked out for a school ran by a man. Although he loved Fatima who is a woman but his encounter with his former boss who is also a woman made him feel that it was better having them as your equal than as your boss.

Although I didn’t see eye-to-eye with Okeke in matters of woman when we were at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he was instrumental to me making a C and a D in maths 111 and 121 which was taught by a man we called PUN. As a student I dreaded that man until the day my sojourn at Nsukka ended and I decided to pay more attention to writing. You can imagine the expression on my face when this same man who a feared so much because of the course he taught sent me a Friend request on Facebook.

Well, Okeke Onyekpere who studied Mathematics Education was somewhat my saviour as far as those first year maths were concerned. So, two weeks ago when he called me and told me about his challenges, I decided to take it personal. If I am as bouyant as I used to be mgbe ife di mma, I would’ve at least paid his rent.

Today being my birthday, I decided to use it and raise money for Okeke Onyekpere. I want to be an answer to his prayer (with your assistance) because that guy can pray. Well, I’m not sure that he prays now as he used to pray. Anyways, I wouldn’t know because we kinda drifted apart and we don’t live in the same city.

If you want to reach out to this Okeke guy through me, come to my inbox let’s talk.
I don’t believe in asking for charity, and Okeke Onyekpere (that I know) would not approve of this, but it’s my birthday and I can do anything I want.

The only thing I wish today is to raise enough money for him to pay his rent. Never mind that I have my own problems, but like Job, I would rather pray for my friends today. So, I pray that the Lord will meet you at the point of your needs.
For the purpose of accountability, at the end of all of this which ends today, that’s my birthday, if u want me to post ur name on my timeline and what u contributed to be of assistance to Okeke Onyekpere. I will gladly do so. Let’s do the good that we can now that we are alive.

Happy birthday to me!