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Mr. John was staggering in front of his compound while his wife was walking with me to the farm behind the compound. Johns's firstborn was fetching water from the neighbor's borehole, and the other children were playing in the compound. As I was walking into the farm with Anabel, Mr. John's wife, I asked, "So, Mr. John has not stopped drinking?" Anabel answered, "My sister, I have overlooked him, as I discovered that I cannot change him. I used to fight with him constantly." I responded, "Please, my sister, since he does not want to change, do not weary yourself by fighting with him. Just focus on the well-being of your children."
Mr. John is an irresponsible man who doesn't care about the welfare of his children, while Anabel is doing everything possible to raise and support her children. One day, I visited Mr. John's house during his sister's traditional marriage. I saw Mr. John carrying a bottle of hot drink in his armpit, dancing and exuding excitement, playing the role of a father for his sister. Meanwhile, Mr. John's first son was running around, attending to various tasks.
At that moment, I had a feeling that soon Michael, Mr. John's first son, would take his father's place and relieve Anabel from the burden of providing for the family, as I sensed that Mr. John's life would soon come to an end. The marriage ceremony was memorable, and everyone, including the in-laws and Mr. John's family, enjoyed themselves.
Three months later, I went back to Mr. John's compound to harvest corn behind the compound. When I arrived, I saw Mr. John sitting on an armchair, looking very sick. His legs were swollen, and his body was bloated. As a health worker, I recognized the signs and suspected that his condition was due to liver-related issues from excessive alcohol consumption. I asked, "Mr. John, what is wrong with you? I haven't seen you for a while." While we were talking, one of his children was giving him a herbal liquid medicine in a metal cup. Mr. John weakly answered, "Ngozi, I am dying," and struggled to sit up due to the pain.
When his first son emerged from the house, my intuition about Mr. John's impending death was confirmed. I looked at the son and thought, "So, he will soon take his father's place." I advised Mr. John to go to the hospital for a check-up to investigate the impact of excessive alcohol on his liver. Anabel heard my voice and said, "I told him that a time like this would come." Despite Mr. John's carelessness, I insisted that he go for diagnosis that day. Anabel pleaded for me to accompany them to the hospital, given that it was my place of work. After the tests, it was revealed that Mr. John's liver was severely affected.
Two months later, Mr. John passed away. Due to my transfer to Kano state, I lost contact with Anabel and her children for five years.
When I returned for Christmas holiday, I saw Mr. John's first son managing a very big provision shop. Later, during my conversation with Anabel, I asked, "Is the big shop I saw Michael managing, yours?" Anabel replied, "Ngozi, my friend, God has alleviated our family's suffering through Michael. The shop belongs to him, and honestly, he is the one taking care of all of us." My earlier intuition about Michael taking his father's place had come true.