The Lion’s Den - S01 E04

Story 2 years ago

The Lion’s Den - S01 E04

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 4

It was against all odds that they may find a reason to doubt that her brother was the one who had stolen the money. They were very much settled that it was him who had stolen.

“Am sure its him who has stolen. Sometime back he used to still money for mom but later stopped. That was when he was taken to college so that he may change.” Said the wife.

“If it is really him, you better find a way of getting him to bring back the money because if I do, you will have a dead brother and an imprisoned husband.” Edmond said angrily then going to the sitting room.

His wife remained there staring at the wall as if trying to find a solution or her brother there. It was so devastating for her knowing that the person who had added another problem on them was her brother. When people we don’t know or hold dear to our hearts do something good against us, we tend to overlook and even find it easier to forgive. But when a close friend, relative or associate does the same, we feel betrayed as we assume that it’s very unlikely for them to do us bad.

She then got her phone and called her mother who stayed in the other compound of the town. She explained to her what had just happened with her brother who was said to have stolen the money. Her mother was very displeased with the news. It was all clear to both of them that he was the one who stole the money.

“I am sorry to hear that. He is such a spoiled boy. So what does your husband say about it?”

“He is angry.”

“Am sorry. I will do all I can to recover the money when I happen to meet him.”

“Please mother, try all you can. Jay needs to be tamed with his stealing ways.”

“You know better how my efforts have gone in vein to help him”

The conversation then came to an end after which she went to join her husband in the sitting room. She could see how anger was written all over his face as he stared at the television which the kids were watching. Knowing that it was her brother who had ‘added salt to the wound’, she had no idea of even where to start from. She then decided to not say anything but wait for the time when they would be alone in the bedroom to talk about it.

———————————————————-

On the next day around mid morning, Edmond’s wife Agatha, was cleaning up the house with a hope of finding the envelope but to no avail. She was alone in the house as her husband had gone out to look for means of working on their car. Just then her phone rung. It was her fellow marketeer who was calling.

“Hello”

“How are you my dear? Am really happy”

“Am fine. Why are you happy?”

“Don’t pretend. Haven’t you received a call?”

“From where?”

“Our market chairperson”

“No. What for?”

“Oh the government released some money so that It can be paid to marketeers who lost their merchandise in fire.”

“Wow. Okay. I didn’t get the call”

“Am sure he will call you.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Why won’t he call you? Just wait”

“How much?”

“K3,000 each for us who had stands”

“Oh thats nice.”

The moment the call was hung up, Agatha couldn’t sit down waiting for the call as that empowerment was her only way out of the calamity she was in. She tucked her phone into the chitenge she had worn as she went on cleaning. Just the her phone rung. You can imagine how excited she was. Unfortunately, it was those promotional messages from mobile network providers. She angrily rejected the call.

She had to wait for the call until when it was around 2 pm. She decided to call the chairman to ask about what she had been told.

“Hello”

“Ba chairperson, how are you?”

“Am fine how are you?”

“Am fine. I just heard that those who lost things in fire are being given some empowerment funds?”

“Yes”

“Oh okay. I have called to ask when I will be called.”

“We are done giving”

“What about me?”

“When I wanted you didn’t you turn down my offer? Go to your husband.”

“Ba chairman, you know as a married woman I can’t cheat on my husband.”

“Then let that faithfulness give you the empowerment. Your friends are now celebrating”

“God will punish you”.

“As long as I have chewed your empowerment am better off” he said then hanging up the call.

Agatha sat down there on the couch really angry and fuming due to what the chairman had said to her. She was determined to be faithful to her husband. Her grandmother taught her that once a lady has an extra affair, she will never view her husband the same way.

“Is it wrong to be faithful these days?” She asked herself as looked at her phone.

———————————————————–

Edmond had gone to his friend who had a gym where he tried to make things work out for him to have something in his pocket. They sat on the seats which were outside as there was no one in the gym on that day. He was also complaining of little income due to the reduction of people joining the gym.

“Am really broke. I don’t even know where to get the money to pay the people who help me here this month” the friend said.

“Mark, things are really bad for all of us. I lost my job. My car is down. Responsibilities keep piling on my head. And the young brother to my wife got away with my whole last pay.”

“What?!”

“Am telling you”

“But you never saved anything in your account.”

“Can you believe it that I only have barely a thousand of kwacha?”

“I thought you were saving something expecting such days. You know when you work for a company, you need to be ready for such days.”

“How could I have saved when it was hand to mouth type of life?”

“You were alone at first when you just got married, why couldn’t you save something?”

“To say the truth, it’s the same marriage that has really ruined me.”

“How?”

“The loans”

“But you had a simple wedding. where did that loan go to?”

“The brideprice. As you remember I was charged K23,000. So I got a loan to pay it.”.

“Oh I see”

“Its really unfortunate that her family saw a business in her marriage. They forgot that their demands would make me and her daughter have a lot of challenges as we pay back the loan. And the fun thing is that they still come asking for help from us.”

“These parents need to be realistic. If they know that they will be coming asking for help, they should charge a minimal amount. As for me, I will not allow the family of my future wife to abuse me.”

“How?”

“If they charge me more than K10,000, i will better leave their daughter and marry someone I can afford.”

“When in love that 10 pin seem minimal.”

“Not to me. It will be better to refuse then let their daughter talk to them so that they reduce. If not, I can’t marry it.”

“It’s like the majority of parents want money”

“Nonour daughter has degree, no she has no child , so it’s 50,000! Nonsense. Is it business? Sometimes you men allow to be abused yourselves. If they have refused to reduce the amount of the money why not leave their daughter? Their are a lot of ladies out there.”

“What if you love each other?”

“Easier way. Impregnate the girl. They will charge you but you will pay what you will manage.”

“Are you serious?”

“Very serious. If I can’t pay the amount charged, impregnate the lady and they will become reasonable” he said as they both broke into laughter.