The Candidate
17 years old Joseph wakes up to a rainy day and sees his window open and drops of rain finding its way into the untidy and dirty room he sleeps in, joseph doesn’t consider himself Dirty which is a surprise to his friends and family. His response to one of the conversant phrase to his ears “you are dirty” is “don’t mind me, It is a result of procrastination” continuing he says “procrastination isn’t good but I find myself doing it, would stop it soon”.
The drops of rain settles on his bed and as the saying goes “tiny drops of water makes an ocean” apparently the saying isn’t wrong on this occasion, as his bed is already a typical ocean bed, filled and soaked with water. He stands, goes towards the window in a bid to close it, spins his head round the room, and becomes nervous seeing his friend shivering on the floor beside his bed, he closes the window in a haste, rushes to where his pile of dirty laundries are kept, finds a wrapper, sniffs it and shakes his head in disgust rushes to where his friend was lying down and tries his best to be a gentleman, And covering the girl with the cloth
She shivers the more as if in response to his hands and opens her eyes slowly. “its raining” she says gradually to joseph
“yes Elizabeth, it is” he replied to her in a soft voice “I think it has been raining since the light was taken in the night” he added softly not realizing the blunder he committed, he doesn’t even need to as it is widely accepted in his country Nigeria. Elizabeth stands, uses the cloth to wipe the sand from her body
“am sorry, I slept off yester night, hope you didn’t feel uncomfortable” she said to him, “nah, its okay” he said, trying to act like an actor in an Hollywood movie “its just that you should have slept on the bed while I take your place on the floor” he added “no, I shouldn’t do that, and besides its not like I would have a better night rest” she said looking at the bed soaked in water. Joseph laughed and carried the bed out the door into the corridor of his rented apartment, laid it there to allow it dry a bit.
Elizabeth picked a new toothbrush from her bag and her toothpaste, looking up at Joseph who was searching for his toothpaste like it was specifically hidden from him. “Hey Four-eyes take” she said handing her toothpaste to him. “Thanks” replied Joseph “But you claimed you were not prepared for a sleep over” added joseph
“A girl must be prepared at all times, that’s part of the reason we carry a big hand bag” said Elizabeth
One after the other they took turns in using the bathroom, the corridor was still silent except for the two.
“Hope you read the handout given to us by Dr. Akinwole” said Elizabeth just as Joseph was exiting the toilet.
“Yes I did and were you able to finish the chapter on separating techniques before you dozed off” replied joseph
“yah sure I did” a quick question and answer followed between the duo which ended in the duo answering every question involved to the satisfaction of the person asking
“That is why I come here Joseph” “I know you would help a bit academically and make me laugh also” said Elizabeth
“You should pay me then for the two in one package given” said Joseph “would have loved to make it a three in one with this rain acting as a catalyst” added Joseph.
Elizabeth realized the joke and laughed. Joseph followed her down the stairs so closely with an umbrella he took from a neighbor kitchen in his hand, he jumped in her front when they got to the bottom of the stairs and he opened the umbrella and followed her carefully guarding her well plaited hair from the rain.
He followed her till she got to the local main road and waited patiently with her till she boarded a motorcycle. “don’t come late for the examination by 12” was the warning Elizabeth gave while she was boarding the motorcycle and Joseph nodded to ascertain that he heard.
He hurried home deep in thoughts, opened the window for ventilation and picked up his mobile phone and dialed his mother
“Hello mum”
“hello how are you joseph, how was your night, hope it wasn’t too cold” said Mrs Jodi
“am fine ma, it wasn’t too cold thank you ma” replied Joseph
After some series of joke and pleasantries he jumped to the real reason he called
“mom what about the money we spoke of yesterday”
His mom answered and said “if I get to school, I would send someone to do the transaction “ beaming with happiness joseph thanked his mum and ended the call.
Dropping the phone, he picked his shirt and debit card walked out of the room, locking it up and greeted his neighbors who apparently are just waking and coming outside one after the other.
All joseph could think of was the money and how joseph would place the money on virtual bets “this time I would place the bets with a new strategy” he told himself
All week long this was his routine. He got to the betting shop 10 minutes later, greeted the cashier and his friends and walked to his regular niche in the shop, commenting and chatting on bets played while he waited for a credit alert.
He checked his wrist watch which was stolen from his room mate and the time was 9.30am, he received the credit alert minutes later and instantly he told the cashier to charge his phone while he quickly go downstairs. With the cashier already aware of his mission downstairs he helped instantly. He had become close with the cashier after playing games on credit and paying before it is due always. He had built a good credit reputation in a school.
Hurrying down the stairs of the betting shop and running across the road to the ATM gallery has became part of his routine and painfully running back to the bet shop with money has also became a routine.
Today was going to be different as he changed his routine by leaving the gallery and facing his home with the cash in hand. He strolled for some seconds, reached a trader and bought junks worth #100 then returned back to the betting shop.
He entered the shop and started betting. By 12.30pm he had exhausted all his money and he reluctantly went back to his niche where he stayed and watched those who still had cash to play with. After wasting 30 more minutes he asked for his phone and headed towards the stairs.
Moving towards the stairs he realized it was 1pm and he had missed another examination again. His brain started giving him reviews of all he has been doing and intentionally omitted the positive and kept the negative on loop giving him commentary while doing so.
His brain reminded him that he was the result of the first time his mother went into labour and the only male child of 3 children. His father and mother were both educators in the teaching line. He was reminded how he keeps squandering all money spent on his education and how he keeps intentionally destroying his own life with addiction.
He concluded that he wouldn’t engage in betting again. But he remembered this wasn’t the first time he would say so. He decided to add action to his resolution and call home explaining all to his parents, from missing school to his addiction then back to missing examinations
Two weeks passed and joseph was already in Lagos. His parents actually went to his school after receiving the phone call and because of the love they have for him, they followed him to his level adviser, who advised him to take a leave of absence for the whole session due to the quantity of his missed examination.
Coming back home was painful but helpful as there wasn’t any betting shop in the vicinity which helped tremendously in curbing his betting addiction and also he is scheduled for a deliverance program in his fathers church.
Little did he know that the cause of his problem is the bloodline he comes from and that he is suffering from unjustifiable sins of his ancestor But all would be revealed as he advances towards the age of bloodline reavealement
