“Uncle To_To!” She called.
“Ehn, I’ve told you. Stop calling me uncle, I’m not your elder.”
“I love the sound of it. I won’t, can’t stop calling you uncle.”
“That’s your problem. Good evening by the way.”
“Good evening better person. Are you just coming from work? Besides what’s in the nylon?”
” Yes. I’m coming from work. As for the nylon. It’s no business of yours.”
” It’s my business o. I’ve not seen you for three days now. What happened?”
“I decided to stay indoors. Anything the matter?”
” Nothing o. But you see that nylon? I must see its content.”
“Haa! What’s up with you this evening? Okay. It’s a food I have inside.”
” I don’t believe you. I must see for myself.”
” Stop! Do you want to tear the nylon?”
“See groove. Only you two tins of milk, sliced bread, a sachet of tea and ….. Go_90? What’s Go_90 doing in your bag?”
“You ask as if you don’t know what it’s meant for?”
“Educate me. There are so many things people used it for nowadays.”
“Okay, I dey use my own kill insects.”
“Stephen. Tell me the truth. You’ve been away for three days. Now you come back with poison in your bag? Hope say you nor wan commit suicide?”
“Pfft. Me? Commit suicide? If not that I know you well. I’d say you’ve been drinking. My life just started, I’m yet to enjoy it and you’re here screaming sui.. sui..wetin?”
“I want to believe you but…
You see a friend of a friend killed himself by drinking sniper two weeks ago.”
“Oh Wow. My condolences, but is that why you think I would do the same? C’mon…”
“I didn’t think. I felt I should reach out to you. You’ve always been a secretive and conservative kind of person. And you have been acting strange lately just like the tenants of the guy testified after his death. They could have reached out but they didn’t….”
“Okay. I may have had a bad, rough patch this past week as I lost someone close but my shock absorber is different. I’d never think of taking my life. No. Not for anything.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. But we are going to kill those insects together this evening.”
“You still don’t believe, do you..? hahaha… Let’s go then.”
PS: I wanted to ask if you have this kind of neighbor; one who goes out of their way to check on people and lend them a hand and shoulder to cry on, but the right question should be…
.
.
.
Are you this kind of neighbor??
© Stephen Toochi
#StephStories
