WATER FOR PAIN II
Moments later, heavy clouds started gathering above and in minutes it started drizzling. Eze watched as people scampered for shelter to avoid the rain. He joined the race and soon found a spot next to a fish seller under an anvil provided by a locked chemist shop. The woman mumbled greetings and Eze answered almost unconsciously.
The rain poured heavily. To him, it was as if each cloud held storex tanks with broken taps left opened. On arriving home, he was greeted by a quit notice nicely folded and pinned to his door by his landlord who he owes a year rent. But the pangs of hunger in his stomach left no room for concern. What mattered at the moment was solving his immediate need.
"Not this time, please", he said to himself. "I'll think about it when I've eaten".
Eze went in and quickly peeled off his clothes with damp patches in several places. He searched for the Two Hundred Naira note and was about picking a faded t-shirt when he spotted through the window, Chinedu, his neighbour's son, running in circles while busy manoeuvring a tyre with a short stick.
"I could as well relax and save my strength", he thought.
"Hey-you! Come here... I said come here. Are you deaf?" Eze shouted sensing the boy's reluctance.
Chinedu quickly held up the tyre and ran up to him. "What?" he asked
"Shut up idiot! Can't you greet? Your mate are busy doing their assignments and you are here rolling tyre upandan"
"Sorry Uncle Eze", the boy said looking sulky and started using one dusty feet to scratch the other.
"Now, take", Eze said, handling him a stainless plate in polythene bag.
"Go to Mama Ruka and get me beans Hundred Naira. Bread Hundred Naira...ehn mmmm...wait collect one pure water and tell her I owe her 10 Naira. Go and don't be late ó!"
With the instruction given, he thrusted the polythene bag and its content into the boys hands and turned to leave, when the boy whined like a cat before saying: "Beeeeeettttt Mummy said I should not go awwuut ooo".
Eze spun round sharply as if to hit him and the boy quickly fled a metre away from reach.
"If you don't go I'll seize your tyre and that your mummy will know you've been busy rolling it all noon".
"Ooooooooooh", he groaned meekly marching off to get the food. The blackmail did the trick.
For over 40 minutes, Eze laid sprawled on the bed waiting. But as the rumble in his stomach grew unbearable. He got up, wore a t-shirt and made for the door.
"Is Mama Ruka's Canteen not down the street? Where is this boy?"
His words were cut short as he suddenly stumbled upon Chinedu sitting at the entrance. The latter quickly shot up and dashed to a considerable safe distance.
"What are you doing here? No, wait o, where is my food?"
Chinedu locking his fingers explained how he has slipped into a muddy ditch down the street.
He gave a perfect description of the state of his bread and how the beans spilled out of the stainless plate. Neither of the two was salvaged.
Speechless and suddenly tired, he turned and entered his room. He kicked his slippers to one corner and sank into a one-seater in the room.
Chinedu materialized at the entrance still begging, expecting a beating while clutching what he could salvage from the accident.
"Is that the pure water?" he asked with his voice almost croaking.
"Yes", the boy answered.
"Give it to me".
This sudden subtlety was seemed suspicious to the boy, who felt this was a ploy to have him get closer for an ultimate showdown. He moved closer but dropped it on the stool quite close to Eze’s feet and repositioned himself back at the entrance.
Eze now oblivious of the boy’s presence, picked and tore savagely at the sachet and began to gulp its content while Chinedu watched his throat crinkle in amazement.
"Do you want to drink?" he asked half turning to the boy who he suddenly noticed was still in the room.
"No sir!" he replied in a scared meek voice.
"Then Gerrrout!" he barked and the scared boy scampered out into the compound.
Eze stretched like a dog before adjusting himself into the chair again. Looking up, he caught sight of a busy spider biting at a trapped moth struggling to free itself from an earlier spun web.
"Aren’t we all struggling in this trap?", he muttered as he continued to stare till the spider and moth blurred out of his focus.
