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The Last Laugh
The Day Just Broke Timi
Timi was a hard-working young man, doing all he can, to make ends meet, he worked in the shop where they sold meat. His rent was due and in anticipation of being paid, his confidence grew, so he gave his word to the landlord, that at the end of the day he was going to pay. On reaching the workplace he approached his manager to remind him; he said my landlord is on my neck, for the rent due him and am late three months, the manager replied, you can come to stay at the office quarters but it will reduce your income to one-quarter of what you earn now.
The Manager
Timi stood for a while and recalled, when he desperately needed a place to stay, he met the manager and was turned down, unknown to him the Director made it clear that the staff quarters are free for interested workers. The manager didn't let the workers know, because he had an ulterior motive, he wanted to make money from whoever was going to stay there, since the price was too high, the worker resolved elsewhere for shelter and the corrupt manager gave out the place to total strangers who were ready to pay. After Timi told the manager and got the response, he went back to work with hopes that at the end of the day he will be paid. At the beginning of the month, a regular customer of the meat shop made a purchase of a large quantity of different meat, and as usual, they wanted to make their payment through their bank account but that Friday the manager spoke to them that they will be needing cash, he had earlier reduced what was sold in the books so he wanted to make sure he removed the sum without the knowledge of the Director who receives the bank alerts. he told their customer that they will be buying some livestock and since it is over the weekend it will impossible to get the money from the bank. That evening at the close of work Timi went to the Manager again and said I am done with my work for the day, can I have my pay now, the Manager said there was no money but if you landlord kicks you out and your
interested in my offer there is a vacant room at the quarters.
The Landlord
Disappointed, he heaved heavily, wondering where to get some money from at least to calm the landlord down. The landlord was an old pensioner, who has been owed for months pension without pay, so his only building which he gave out for rent was his only source of income and he had a large family to take care of, which was difficult, but he was a good, kindhearted man. He has been patient and understanding to Timi but recently his daughter returned home from school, she hasn't paid her fees and she is expected to start exams the following week. This disturbed him deeply, as she was crying and refused to eat. His wife was ready to make trouble with the tenants who were owing, the landlord wasn't ok with it but had nothing absolutely to do. He too took a plastic chair to Timi's door and said I will sit here till he gets back, he must pay me today.
Mama-Ebi
Timi was troubled unaware of the problem brewing at home, thought to himself to go home late to avoid his expectant landlord, so he reckoned to go to Mama Ebi's shop to while away the hours, drinking locally made gin. He drank as and complained about the Manager, the Community, the Government and his life and drank until he dozed off, Mama Ebi's shop has no closing time, she sells in a corner beside her house where she kept two tables and some wooden bench, the place is cool at night and so many people in the area go there for relaxation and free gist.
It was a few minutes to midnight when she woke him up to go home, he was astonished at the time and because it wasn't his regular habit, he stretched himself and stood up from the bench suddenly he had a familiar voice asking questions, he quickly recognised it to be his landlord and he briskly turns and ran into the dark corner of Mama Ebi's house and used a small path to escape his landlord.
The Tenants
Meanwhile, the customer has paid the money owed to the manager. the manager hid it till everyone has gone then he brought it out to count and take what he has made for himself at that moment he heard a knock on his office door, he shouted who is that! a voice answered it is your tenant, I brought another person to rent the vacant room, he has his money here with him. filled with happiness, am coming he replied, "today favour has shown on me", he thought to himself as he hurriedly covered the money haphazardly and proceeded to open the door.
the tenants were a gang of robbers who fled the city to hide their heads after a robbery went bad and one of their members was caught. The member in the police custody had revealed their Modus Operandi. they have been laying low but when they saw the huge cash that was brought as payment to the Manager, it tantalized them, so they had a plan to escape that night with the money. The police have been busy asking and checking for clues and tracking them as the extracted information suggested and it led them to Timi trying to escape his landlord.
The Police
What are you doing in the dark at this time of such ungodly hour, when every responsible citizen would be sleeping in their bed, Timi screamed I'm not a thief am just dodging my landlord who I owe rent, he was pleading and his voice was loud, the second policeman asked him to shut up forcefully, turned and talked to his colleagues, he said, leave this small rat alone our focus should be on the four crooks who we came for, we don't know where they could be hiding and this noise can spook them. At that point, Timi asks the description of the four suspects were searching for, that not long ago four young me who fit this description came to the area and they have been acting suspiciously, he said he knows where the people are staying, that he will take them there but don't want any trouble. He took them to the meat shop quarters, but they were not there, they search for them, the rooms they occupied was unkept filled with cigarette filter scattered all over the place, empty alcohol bottles, cans and sachets, it seems they were gone, then Timi raised his eyes and said, this is strange, the Manager's office light is still on. At about that time they were about to tie up the Manager, just then the police intercepted them and arrested them. Then Timi was free to go.
The Director
The Director heard about the incident and hurried to the shop, he asked what happened, and Timi narrated the whole incident to him and after which he promoted Timi to the post of Manager. Timi returned the whole money after the Director counted it, he looked at the books and then gave him extra money to Timi, he asked him to move into the Office quarter. The next morning time went to his landlord as quickly as possible and paid him what he owed and gave him extra and thanked him.
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