UNFAVORABLE MIGRATION (Story/Video)

Edie didn’t think the South-South had much to offer him any more. He couldn’t imagine a N15k salary waiting tables in a hotel owned by a man who falls among the top 5 richest moneybags in an oil city. He didn’t just feel cheated, he felt insulted. A graduate of Business Administration waiting tables for a N15k monthly pay??? “My village people must be at work,” he usually thought to himself. But it wasn’t his village people. It was Nigeria!!!

His Abuja friend didn’t make matters any better, as he always filled Edie’s head with an exaggerated idea of Abuja as being the final bus stop for hustlers, giving the impression that he himself was living large over there. His exaggerations fueled Edie’s decision to resign and zoom off to Abuja with the N10k he had managed to save up in the past 11 months. You can’t earn a N15k monthly and have a girlfriend and expect to have savings. Which Nigerian girlfriend allows that?

Edie alighted from the bus all excited about his migration to Abuja. But his excitement only lasted until he called his friend to inform him of his arrival. “O’boy, I don reach Abj ooh,” Edie announced. “You mean am?” the friend replied. “No dulling my broda,” Edie affirmed. “You are welcome,” said the friend reluctantly. “So wetin be dat your house address again?” Edie asked for confirmation before proceeding. But his friend replied him with the question, “You say?”

“Guy, I didn’t know you took me seriously ooh,” Edie’s friend shockingly declared. “I wasn’t exactly saying you should come to Abuja. I was only trying to tell you that if life in the South-South wasn’t juicy for you, you could try taking the hustle elsewhere to see if it works out. I wasn’t exactly referring to Abuja. I only mentioned Abuja because it’s where I stay. See, I’m even squatting with 9 guys in a room. You should have informed me before coming nah. You sef!!!”


Edie couldn’t believe his ears. That was his first time in Abuja and he had absolutely no one there except his dear friend who just deserted him. Worst off, he had no cash on him to pay his way back home. That was when his problem started. He sought for means to raise enough money to transport himself back home but failed on every single attempt. Many nights came and went with him dragging sleeping space with drunks on the verandas of closed shops.

There’s this market woman he usually visited to buy Garri on credit from. How he managed to get a plate and spoon is something I don’t know. But he drank Garri daily for two weeks and was not any close to finding himself as much as a “begging job.” Paying the woman became a problem, yet he wouldn’t stop going to her for more. If he stops, how would he feed? The woman, however, didn’t wait for Edie to stop. She stopped him, but he refused to be stopped.

“Please leave this place!!! I don’t have Garri again for you!!! All the ones you’ve gotten so far on credit, have you paid anything back? And you’re coming to get more? Please go!!! My Garri has finished!!!” the woman ranted at Edie in the presence of a girl who sat close by cooling off with snacks and a cold drink. Instead of getting embarrassed, Edie confronted the woman. “Why would you say you don’t have Garri? Is this not Garri I’m seeing with my two eyes? Abi you want me to die in this Abuja? Never!!! You must give me Garri!!! I will pay you when I have money!!!”

The girl couldn’t stand the verbal war between Edie and the woman any further. So she intervened and bought Edie two packs of “HUNGRY MAN” Indomie. She thought it would be a relief to him. But Eddie’s facial expression following her kind gesture puzzled and unsettled her spirit. The young man wasn’t appreciative about the Indomie. Why would he; when he has neither home nor place to cook? This drove the young girl into questioning him.

“What’s the problem? You don’t like Indomie?” she asked most tenderly and politely. “Not exactly,” Eddie replied. “Why then does it seem like you’re turning it down? Garri works better for you?” the girl again asked, sprinkling a little bit of sarcasm in her statement. Eddie lit up like a million stars at that point with a hyperactive response, “Yes! Garri works better for me.” He hoped the girl will drop the interrogation and substitute the Indomie for Garri. But she just wouldn’t.

In disbelieve, she curiously questioned him again. “Why is that?” It was about time Eddie cut through the chase and get that embarrassing moment over with. So he broke the ice. “I don’t have a place to stay. I came into Abjua from to see a friend. But he dumped me the moment I got here. I’m stranded and looking for a way to gather some cash and journey back home. I don’t have a place to stay, and Garri has been my only delicacy for the past 14 days. So you see why Garri works better for me?” he asked with a noticeable measure of frustration, bitterness, and aggression.

The kind hearted daughter of Zion couldn’t help immediately taking pity on him to the point of resolving to take him home, prepare him a good meal, and have him freshen up at the least. She wasn’t exactly sure what would come next. But she was not leaving that stranded and hungry handsome fellow out there when she could solve a measure of his problem, whether little or great. At once, she asked him to come home with her so she can change his meal for the day.

Eddie wasn’t exactly sure whether to consent or let his ego buy him some more time on the harsh streets of Abuja. But on paying a closer attention to the sounds of his intestinal warms, he knew he shouldn’t let go a chance to feed well after two weeks of malnutrition, no thanks to his friend who invited him over. Soon enough, Eddie and the girl were at her home. The young man had a good meal of Indomie, freshened up, and had a very long nap.

The hand of the clock was already on after 11:00pm when Eddie snapped out of his long nap to find the good Samaritan working on school projects and stuffs like that. For the first time in two weeks, he was the Eddie he had always been before his unfavorable migration to Abuja, which seems to have now turned to an overly favorable one. Being a graduate, Eddie had some ideas to help her out with her project. He basically took over the task, relieving her of all the stress that would have weighed her down in the process of getting the project ready for submission.

Eddie may have left her place sooner. But he just had to stick around until he’s done helping her out with her project. It was supposed to be a couple of days. But days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. After the girl’s school project, there were other never-ending projects they had to work on. I’m not exactly sure if it had anything to do with school. In no distant time, Eddie familiarized himself with the city and was able find himself a good hustle at GSM village.

He now markets gadgets within Abuja and boasts of a N200k minimum monthly earning from the business. Did I mention that he got his own place and left the girl’s apartment after about seven to eight months? He was home last Christmas with a whopping N180k to throw around for just seven days. He only visits home on Christmas and stays for just seven days. He’s asked me to join him in Abuja where he’s positive my skills will fetch me better rewards than I’m getting in this oil city.

Guess what? I’m ready to join him, and I’d pretty much love to have the same adventure he had, except the part where he spent two weeks on the streets. How about we take it from where I take off to Abuja and skip to the part where a girl offers to take me home and house me for months? Seriously, how about that? I mean, that would change the case from that of an UNFAVORABLE MIGRATION to that of a FAVORABLE MIGRATION. Wouldn’t that be plain awesome? I couldn’t agree more! My bags are packed and I’m set to move. Trust me, however this plays out, I’ll put it down in writing and fill you in as usual. #Winks!!!


-------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for reading. The story you just read is a TRUE STORY and has been acted out with a little bit of twist. Follow the link below to watch. Don't forget that if you would like certain portions of your life's story WRITTEN/ACTED OUT and PUBLISHED like this, you can contact me for business.


N/B: NOT ALL STORIES NEED TO BE TOLD. SOME NEED TO BE SHOWN. Just imagine the feeling of having your FRIENDS AND FAMILY WATCH YOUR STORY, both the ones you were liberal enough to share and the ones you were TOO AFRAID TO TELL. Watch this one below.


Comments

Unknown said…
Nice work. Even though i downloaded the low quality version, its as clear as glass.

Lovely concept dear. It can only get better.

More power to your Elbow
Jezuzboi© said…
Thank you and thank you and thank you...