Number 225, Katakata Street (A Story By Centino) - Season 1 - Episode 6

6 years ago

Number 225, Katakata Street (A Story By Centino) - Season 1 - Episode 6

DIEZANI

I strode back out to meet the newspaper gang where I left them. The compound was now fully alive as you would expect on a Saturday morning. Children were running around with tooth brushes and tiny towels around their waists, parents were stretching their lungs to get them back in line, and there were others carrying pots and pans and dirty laundry and dishes to and from the backyard. I saw Willy-willy brandishing a transparent nylon with six eggs and bouncing to their self-contained like the prince of Persia showing off his gold. Saturday morning fried eggs was a constant in their home, and the six boys always made sure the rest of the compound never forgot how well they lived. There were a few new faces about, but that was not unexpected. This is number 225 Katakata Street.

“Diezani stole ninety billion dollars”. Mr Zubi said and shook his head.

“That is even more money than Bill Gates has” Akunna said.

“And she get cancer abi?” Josiah said.

“Last I heard, yes” Mr Zubi said.

“Lucky woman” Josiah said.

“And how is that lucky?”

“She is among the privileged few who know when they will die. So she will enjoy what she can of her stolen money, settle her family to the 20th generation while checking with her doctor how much time she has, then in the final moments, she go just give her life to Christ then go heaven straight.”

“Ehn? Lai lai!”

“What is lai lai? I dey lie? Is that not what the bible says? That if we repent we will be forgiven everything? The woman lucky abeg.”

“I don’t like the sound of that at all. It is unfair. The likes of her should rot in hell. Did you see Aremu Afolayan’s rant on instagram? I stand by him. God will punish her, her mother and all those that are eating the money with her.”

“That is your opinion. If she repents, it will all be washed away and she will be as white as snow.”

“So why won’t I go and steal and get away from this hole and then repent and go to heaven?”

“You will never get close to that kind of money, and you are too stupid to be an armed robber. At best you can go to the councilor’s house and steal his shoes,” Mr Zubi said.

“Something is not right about that doctrine. I can feel it in my soul,” Akunna mused. “She was feeding fat from oil swap deals as the papers say. Because of that, our refineries were never going to work. My cousin that worked at the Port Harcourt refinery is now a pauper because people like Diezani ensured they were sent back home for redundancy. That kind of money would not only keep our refineries alive, it would build a new one in every local government in this country. Not to talk of roads, hospitals, and so many jobs!”

“Can I say something?” It was Mr Cosmas that spoke. We all fell silent. We did not know what was coming, but we were sure he was going to throw our faith in our faces once again.

“Josiah,” he began, “Think about Akunna’s cousin in Port-Harcourt who has been made hungry by this woman. Imagine that one day out of desperation he goes to the market and steals some garri to feed his family, then the following day he dies without remembering to repent, will it be fair for him to be sent to hell and Diezani to heaven because she repented?”

“One is stealing, the other is corruption. Goodluck Jonathan said they are not the same thing.” Josiah said.

Mr Cosmas ignored the remark and said “Akunna, you say your soul tells you the doctrine is wrong. Guess what, your soul is right. How can we say God is just if people steal billions and impoverish millions and in the end utter a few words of repentance and go to heaven? And the people they impoverish are sent to hell for becoming desperate to survive?”

“What nonsense soul is telling him what? Do you question God? Do you question His word? His ways are not our ways. You cannot understand spiritual things thinking in the flesh.”

“Hmmm, so what are you saying Mr Cosmas?” Akunna said.

“God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, so shall he reap. She will pay for it. If not in this life, in another one.”

“I said it! I knew this was where this was leading. You don come again Cosmas. It is appointed unto man to die once!”

“If it were so, then the Almighty will not be just. Akunna, if your intuition tells you what you believed is not right, you are on track. Seek and ye shall find.”

“I am not sitting down here and listening to this rubbish. I did not say that what Diezani did was right, but we cannot judge her. I believe that if she repents she will be saved. All this one you are saying now I know you read from those demonic books wey you dey carry. Be careful Cosmas. Repent before it is too late. I dey go. Make una stay there make dem pollute una mind.”

“The problem with closed-minded people is that their mouth is always open.”

We all turned and saw that Mr Kingsley had joined us. He never took part in our gathering unless he was invited. Even then it was only for the compound meetings.

“Who said that, Mr. Kingsley?” I said before I could stop myself.

“Zig Ziglar.”

“Don’t be surprised bros Freke. There is nothing a woman’s food cannot do.” It was Irikefe. He must have been following Mr Kingsley. “Tonight, bros” he said with a wink and jumped the gutter and went down the street.