Number 225, Katakata Street (A Story By Centino) - Season 1 - Episode 3

6 years ago

Number 225, Katakata Street (A Story By Centino) - Season 1 - Episode 3

EVIL RAIN

“This is an evil rain!” Sister Esther said. “What sort of city is this? Every year it will rain for seven days nonstop. This year, it has been twenty-one days! It is the handwork of principalities and powers.”

“Principalities and powers do not cause rain sister Esther,” Mr Cosmas said. Rain is as a result of heating from the sun. When the ground warms up, moisture in the ground evaporates and rises as water vapour, it then cools and condenses into clouds and ultimately rain. If it is raining more, it is because of global warming and other such phenomena environmentalists have been crying about for decades now. Principalities and powers exist only in your mind.”

“They exist in this compound as well and you are one of them. Harvard professor.”

We were bailing water from the corridor as the deluge coursed through the streets and into the compounds. Every family with at least two occupants in a room shared responsibilities. While some bailed the water from the rooms, the others worked in the corridor to send it back onto the street. Those upstairs do not any fare any better. The corrugated roofing sheets were rusted and looked like they were sprayed with bullets from above. So on rainy days, upstairs occupants at the first sound of the rumbling skies will place buckets and bowls on tables, suitcases and television sets to collect their own share of suffering. For us on the ground floor, our advantage is that the rain has to be heavy and sustained before we went to work to prevent ourselves from drowning in our beds.

“At least we are better than Lekki residents for once. We can bail out our own water but they can’t. Have you seen the pictures? Some of their houses are completely submerged and they have crocodile in the water.”

“You can be sure that the government will intervene in some way and help them. Just wait and see the billions that will move in that direction when this is over. Remember when bar beach overflowed? But for us, nobody cares!”

“Has anyone noticed that this house is sinking?” Akunna said as he scraped the floor with his bailer.

“What?” Josiah said.

“Can’t you see we are now below ground level? This place was a swamp and with all this rain the filling they did cannot hold anymore. Can’t you see that to step out we now have to literally climb onto the street?”

“Oga Akunna. That means we are living in an underground apartment” Josiah said with a grin and wiped sweat from his brow.

“You are stupid. I am telling you that this defective structure is going under. We may wake up one day to find that we have vanished into the ground like Atlantis.”

“Then they will put our pictures on CNN like the victims of that high rise building in London. We will become famous.”

“You will be dead you fool.”

“But at least, we will be on CNN.”

“Look at you” Lukman said. Those that died in T.B Joshua’s church, ordinary Linda Ikeji we did not see their passport photographs. You will be lucky if PM News mentions Katakata Street, not to talk of one useless carpenter that lived there.”

“I don’t think any child has ever been conceived during the raining season in this compound” Talabi said. He may have been thinking aloud because he was startled when everyone stopped and looked in his direction.

“Eh what have I said that is wrong now? When it is raining and the weather is like this, normal people will get close to their men or women. But in this compound, if we are not bailing water, we are dodging from it landing on our heads. It is only when the sun is hot that it gets to happen here. I’m sure that is why all your children are hot headed.” Everyone turned to look at Akunna when Talabi finished. This was uncomfortable for him so he dropped his bowl and went into his room.

“Thank God the rain has stopped for now” Josiah said. At least we can go and rest.”

One by one neighbours retreated into their rooms or the common kitchen.

“My only consolation this week is that Man U have signed Lukaku” my cousin Mkpoikanna said. “We are surely winning the league”. His waist was sore from the pummeling he got in the hands of task force officials that raided the wharf yesterday. Having to bend to bail water when he should be nursing his wounds was taking its toll on him I could see. “Ndifreke” he said to me. “Get a real job my brother.”

“I will try”. I said.

Talabi started to say something about how Chelsea fans did not care if Man U signed Lukaku. But I lost interest the moment I saw Maya with a basin of clothes for washing balanced on her head and moving towards the backyard.
“I’m coming” I said, I need to check something at the backyard.