…Continued from last week Saturday, April 20, 2024.
At Oshodi market that day, this ensued. “Hey, Oga come buy Blackberry handset!” they beckoned; “it’s for big guys like you!” they chorused.
Collins turned and took a closer look at the costly handset in the hand of the second guy. Instantly, he could recollect that the handset was a very expensive one that had all the paraphernalia and component of modern-day technology. He had seen the advertisements of the phone on the Television and he knew he would join the clique of moneybags if he owned such an expensive handset.
“How much is this handset?” Collins asked the guy holding it.
“You can take it for 70k, ‘cos I like you Oga,” the guy said.
“Bullshit, what is 70k? You mean N70,000? Who’ll buy this handset from you for N70,000?” Collins replied questioningly, advancing forward.
“Okay, how much you wan pay Oga?” the guy asked, looking really desperate.
“I’ll give you N7,000 only. Is that right?” Collins said, turning his head and gazing at the handset in the hand of the guy.
“Okay, bring it sir, we like you that’s why we are giving you at that price. You know it’s a costly handset but you can take it all the same.” The guy said, smacking his lips.
Collins brought out his wallet and counted N7,000.00 instantly. He gave it to the guy and he was handed the phone in a jiffy. The two guys disappeared among the sea of people in a twinkling of an eye. Collins admired the handset briefly and boarded the next available bus for his house.
The new handset brought joy to the heart of Collins; he never hesitated to show it to his friends. He would lie that he bought it at the cost of N70,000. He felt on top of the world.
A couple of weeks later Collins was called for a plumbing job in a duplex located at Ajao Estate. He negotiated with his customer, who was a successful banker, and he got the job instantly. The banker was a man in his early 40s.
He gave Collins N10,000 as advance payment for the job and told him to start work immediately. Collins was doing the job when his phone rang and he took it out of his inner pocket to receive the call. The caller was Monica, his girlfriend. Collins was really excited as he chatted heartily with her.
The banker was standing close by as Collins brought out the costly handset to receive the call; he was curious to find out certain things with regards to the handset of Collins.
And he waited patiently for Collins to finish his conversation with the caller before making some inquiries. The fact was that the banker, Mr. Albert Chigozie lost his wife a couple of months ago due to an attack by some daredevil armed robbers who operated at his residence, and carted away valuables worth several thousands of Naira, including a sophisticated Blackberry phone which resembled the one Collins was holding.
“I like the handset you’re holding,” the smooth-talking banker said to Collins, “I hope it’s not so costly,” he asked
“Ha Oga,” Collins said, “my phone is an expensive one o.”
“Let me see it briefly,” Mr. Albert, replied. Collins gave the handset to Mr. Albert and continued with his job. Mr. Albert surveyed the handset for a minute and he realized that the very phone he was holding was the same handset he bought for his late wife to mark her 30th birthday. He scrutinized it very well and saw a particular mark, like a scratch, that was on the phone while his late wife was using it.
