Every morning, long before the sun came out, Daniel was already awake. He would pick up his cutlass, put a small bottle of water in his bag and head straight to his farm. It had become part of his life. He was a farmer, and farming was the only thing he knew how to do well.
He had inherited a small piece of land from his father. It wasn't much, but it had fed his family for years. He planted maize, cassava, yam and sometimes beans. Whatever he harvested, he sold some at the market and kept the rest for his family.
Life wasn't always easy for him. There were seasons when the rain refused to come and others when pests destroyed almost everything he had planted. Still, Daniel never gave up. He believed that as long as he could wake up every morning and work, there was still hope.
He lived with his wife, Grace, and their only son, Samuel, who was seventeen. Unlike his father, Samuel had no interest in farming. He wanted to finish school, go to the city and get a good job.
Daniel didn't blame him. In fact, he wanted something better for his son. He only hoped Samuel would understand that the little money paying his school fees came from the same farm he always complained about.
One afternoon, Daniel returned from the farm earlier than usual. His body was tired, and he had been having a headache since morning. As he approached the house, he heard voices coming from the backyard.
It was his wife speaking to someone.
He was about to call out when he heard his name.
"Grace, you need to tell him before it's too late," a man's voice said.
Daniel stopped.
He recognised the voice. It belonged to his younger brother, Peter.
"What exactly do you expect me to tell him?" Grace replied.
"Tell him that the land has already been sold. He cannot continue working on something that no longer belongs to him."
Daniel froze.
His cutlass almost slipped from his hand.
Sold? What land?
He moved closer to the window, trying to hear better.
"I know, Peter. But how do you expect me to tell him? That farm is everything to him. If he finds out that his own brother sold the land behind his back, I don't know what he will do."
Daniel felt his chest tighten.
Peter laughed quietly.
"Well, I didn't force him to sign anything. Besides, the money was good. He should be grateful that I considered sharing something with him."
Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing.
His father had left that land to both brothers, but Peter had moved to the city years ago and showed little interest in it. Daniel was the one who cleared the bush, planted crops and maintained the land. He had never imagined that his brother would sell it without his knowledge.
Then Grace said something that made him even more confused.
"What about Samuel? Have you forgotten that the money Daniel has been saving for his school fees is inside that old wooden box? If he discovers what you did, he might lose everything."
Daniel stepped away from the window.
He wanted to walk inside and demand an explanation, but something held him back.
He returned to the farm and sat under a tree. For the first time in many years, he didn't know what to do next.
A few minutes later, he heard footsteps.
It was Samuel.
"Dad, what are you doing here? Mum said you came home."
Daniel looked at his son and tried to smile.
"Nothing, my boy. I just needed some fresh air."
Samuel sat beside him.
"Dad, I have something to tell you."
Daniel turned towards him.
"What is it?"
Samuel took a deep breath.
"I got admission into the university."
For a moment, Daniel forgot everything he had heard earlier. His face lit up.
"Are you serious?"
Samuel nodded.
Daniel pulled him into a hug. He was proud of his son. All those early mornings, painful afternoons and countless hours on the farm suddenly felt worth it.
But Samuel wasn't finished.
"Dad, there's something else. I got a scholarship. It will cover my school fees."
"A scholarship?"
"Yes, Dad. I wanted to surprise you. I know how hard you've been working to send me to school, so I didn't want you to keep struggling for my fees."
Daniel looked away. His eyes were already getting wet.
He had spent years worrying about how he would pay for his son's education. Now, his son was telling him that he wouldn't have to carry that burden anymore.
For a few seconds, they both sat quietly.
Then Samuel noticed something was wrong.
"Dad, are you okay?"
Daniel looked at him.
"Samuel, do you know anything about Uncle Peter selling our land?"
Samuel's expression changed.
"I heard him talking about it last week. I wanted to tell you, but Mum begged me not to."
Daniel shook his head slowly.
"So everybody knew except me?"
Samuel didn't answer.
That evening, Daniel confronted Peter. There was no shouting at first. He simply asked him why he had sold their father's land without informing him.
Peter tried to defend himself, claiming that the land belonged to both of them and that he had every right to sell his share.
But Daniel reminded him that their father had made an agreement before he died. The land was to remain in the family, and neither brother was supposed to sell it without the other's consent.
The argument continued until Peter finally admitted that he had already collected the money.
Daniel didn't fight him. He didn't even ask for a share of the money.
He simply told him, "You have taken something I spent years building. I hope the money you received is worth what you have done to this family."
Peter had no answer.
A few weeks later, the new owner came to inspect the land. Daniel had already started looking for another place to farm. It was painful leaving the land where he had spent most of his life, but he knew he couldn't keep fighting a battle that had already been decided.
On his last day there, he stood in the middle of the farm and looked around.
The soil still carried the marks of his hard work. The old maize stalks, the cassava ridges and the little path he had created with his feet all reminded him of the years he had spent there.
Samuel came to stand beside him.
"Dad, we will be fine," he said.
Daniel smiled.
"I know, my boy."
He picked up his cutlass and walked away.
He told him he lost his farm but not his ability.
'I will get another land' he said.