Image source: meta Ai
Pimp! Pimp!! Pimp! The car hunked. It wasn't up to ten seconds when the gate opened and Madam Ekemini drove into her compound. As she drove past the security she saw two women at the security post waving their hands in salutations.
It was early August, and a heavy rain that began very early in the morning had just subsided, and the sky was not looking friendly either.
Mr Ubong, the gateman, knew that he might be in trouble with his madam for letting people into the compound after he was instructed never to do so.
“The world has changed, people are becoming devious daily, hence anyone who wants to see me should wait outside till I ask you to let him/her in”, she told him before she travelled a week ago.
Ever since she travelled, many people have come to look for Ekemini. When they come, Ubong will tell them that Madam isn't around, hence they should come back. Many won't believe him thinking that Ekemini doesn't want to see them.
One woman came with a crying child and insisted that she wanted to see Ekemini but after Ubong had told her that his madam had travelled she cursed him and his madam
“You think that you people are God, just because she's rich, she thinks that she can use people as a rug carpet”, she said, hissing and walking away.
Such a barbaric act was not strange to Ubong. Many of her kind have said so many unprintable things against him and his madam yet it doesn't change anything. Madam Ekemini has been a philanthropist for years, in fact, some people said that she did that from birth, helping everyone within her reach. Most times, she will use her last resources to put a smile on people's faces. But no one knows what happened, so she decided to minimise her good gestures.
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After he locked the gate, he rushed to meet his madam, in case he could be of help to get things from the boot of the car into the house. The ground was wet so Ubong walked with caution.
She opened the door and came out.
“Madam welcome” he greeted
“How are you doing”?
“Very fine ma”
“Nice to hear that” she said, smiling at him.
“Madam, how was your trip?”
“I thank God I am back in safety” She knew more questions would come, so she wouldn't give him the chance, so she told him to get things from the boot of the car and take them to the house, and to also see her in the sitting room.
“Okay, ma'am”, he responded as he hurriedly opened the boot of the car.
“Ubong, you've been with me for the past 10 years, and you know that I hate it when people do not adhere to my instructions”, she said, putting Ubong under pressure as to why he allowed people into her house.
“Ma'am, I am very sorry for allowing such a thing to happen, it wasn't intentional. What happened is this” he said adjusting himself on the sofa “Those women came two days ago, and their situation was so pathetic, and after their explanations, they said that they can't go until they see you,”
“Didn't you tell them that I travelled?”
“I did ma”
“So?”
“They said they prefer to die here than to die in their house”
“That's serious” she muttered
“They slept outside the gate the night they came, and I couldn't behold their situation, so I let them in” At this point, Ubong had stood up from his seat and was on his knees.
“Stand up Mr. Ubong, how many times have I told you not to do this?” she cautioned.
“Let me tell you this, maybe you might not know” she stood up from her seat. “I have been helping people with the resources that I have, but I have also come to realise that lots of people are ungrateful; the more you help them, the more you're being stabbed behind.”
“That's how people are” Ubong interrupted
“I have received lots of negative comments that can demoralise me because of the good I do to people”
She walked up to her refrigerator and took out two bottles of drinks and gave one to Ubong and continued
“As a result of that, I decided to mind my business and put a halt to all philanthropic services”
“Thanks for the drink ma” Ubong said as he began his speech “I am aware that giving is your nature hence you should not allow negative and unscrupulous elements to deter you from doing so, God made you to be a blessing to his people, therefore you shouldn't stop doing so” he said gulping his cold drink.
Ekemini most times adheres to Ubong's suggestions because he's older and full of wisdom. In this case, he was able to convince her to continue in her food work, but be selective.
“What did those women look for”? She ask
“They said they were hungry, that they and their children had not eaten for days”
“Let them see me,” she instructed.
A moment later, they greeted him at the gate, carrying bags of rice on their heads and other stuff in a black nylon bag
“Have a nice day” he greeted back as he locked the gate.