Prieto held the money in his hands, with both hands as he sat with his uncle Tony inside the sitting room. His uncle asked him if he had eaten?". He said; yes!. That infact, he ate an heavy swallow food that his mother prepared, some hours ago before coming to his place. Prieto, talked about his mother delicious meal and how she made it steaming pepperish, in such a way that after he finished eaten, he sank into the sit he sat, looking moros and helpless. An outcome of over feeding, which came from the dissolution of food intake in his body system. Uncle Tony! Prieto lamented "no be small akpuu! Wey I chop o". Akpuu means " fufu" in the local dialect terms. There sat his uncle on the other cushion chair adjacent to Prieto, laughing his tongue out from the way Prieto gesticulated to him, while using their native dialect to refer to fufu. It was hilarious indeed. Prieto added, if it food uncle don't bother your wife, "I have eaten and well feed". I tell you.
His uncle said to him, " that is good to hear," really! good to hear. Your mother is a good cook, it been that way over the years even when we were teenagers and much younger. His uncle managed some laughter more "haha haha!" Prieto! Prieto! my younger brother. As the moment fades, Prieto dim it time to excuse his uncle, " uncle I have to go now, hope you permit me?". His uncle said; sure you can be on your way home, I guess. Let me know the exact day you leave, you can drop a message to your mother to extend to me. Okay! Prieto answered. In no time, he walked passed the exit to the backyard kitchen to greet his uncle's wife on his departure. 'Well done ma; Prieto said. Am already going home. "Alright my dear", kindly greet your mother for me. Tell her we will see by tommorow evening, once I get to my shop at the village center. There are quality material clothing, I need her to see for the women meeting. Prieto answer, "I will deliver your message to her," once I arrived to the house. Have a great day! She said. You too ma! he concluded. He took his leave, walking through the remote corners his mum told him, he needs to be aware of. He was definitely observant, as he trekked along the route, that will get him closer to his place.
If he is with his mother's bicycle, he would care less about the long route. He enjoys riding on it and peddling on those pedals, makes him feel no route can be too long a distance, within the village premises if he decides going anywhere with it. This time, he used his legs to walk through the village corners, not minding the tunnels. His pocket bulged. The money bulged out at the right side of his pocket visibly, to the notice of anyone passing by on the street. Only that they can't get to tell, what was exactly inside the pocket of his. Anyway, he did not get dramatic in his excitement knowing it's a fund on budget. Prieto was just calm in his return. On getting to the frontage of their building, he greeted their neighbors. Mama Ejima; "good evening ma" and the rest of the people he saw at his surrounding. "Una good evening o". A chorus answer flickered like they were expecting him back to the house. He by passed, and entered into their house. " Where is mummy?" He asked, like there was somebody inside the house he was talking to.
Prieto was there alone talking to himself. Anyway," I am home". He walked into his mother's room, which was always open, a small room with cracked walls, the walls were built of clay but a plastered cement was on it, to make it look like a blocked wall. His mother room has inferior things in it. An old school bed, the metal typed with springs at the beneath and a foam on top. An old cupboard, the medium size which was at the left hand side to the entry of the old room. The door to it is wooden and the entrance space for exit and entry is small, compare to a standard room in a house. There is an old table as well, placed near the wall to the inner end of the short spaced room. His mother's locker placed on it, an old school metallic locker, with a padlock to lock mostly her expensive native wears enclosed in it.
Inside the same locker, was where his mother brought out Prieto's fathers divorced letter, the letter he wrote to her for several years, for Prieto to see. At the time she showed him, Prieto was surprised. Mama! " You mean you still held on to this?". Questioning her mother in horrific response. Her mother answered on that day, yes! yeah! I held on to it, because I know that a day will come and you will get to see it yourself.
Meanwhile, that day truely came. There he was sitting, looking at his mother as she placed the divorced letter in his hand to read. A day he won't forget, the metallic locker brought about the remembrance. Right there, he knew the letter was still kept inside it for sure, because he remembered his mother collected it, and place it back inside the locker. Under the table the locker was placed on top, were old dent pots, stainless plates, broken types, spoons and other eatery accessories, kept under the table floor. Once his mother prepares fresh food, probably a pot of "stew" or "egushi" soup, rat keep running helterskelter under the bed, cupboard and the table. Their activities disturbs and sometimes terrifying. The idea is to keep the pot and any cooked items safe from them. As the room was at the backyard section of the house, it's got it closer to the bushes near the backyard kitchen. Therefore, there was no way to beat the rats pulling stunt at the aroma of the prepared food.