“Take,” Frank said and handed over ten thousand Naira notes to him. He collected the cash joyously and confirmed it before he announced, “It is complete.” Then, he gave Oliver a hate look and walked away, satisfied. Now, Oliver shook his head in disapproval, and Frank spoke, “Thank you, Oliver. Kindly let me know the exact time the next set of guards would report.”
“You are welcome, Frank. I will do that.”
Thereafter, Frank walked way.
At the Village Square
Peter met the next set of guards on the way and delayed them with his story.
“Peter, how is the work?” Shane asked.
“The work is fine,” he responded, and smiled from ear to ear.
“Thief. Do you think they would pay you that bogus amount that you quoted just for opening and closing the gate?”
“Sucks for you. I have been paid,” he boasted, and brought out his cash and flaunted it before them.
“What! Is the payment on a daily basis?” His bewildered colleagues asked simultaneously.
“Of course. I just realized it,” Peter remarked with a sense of mastery of the situation.
“We have heard enough, Peter. See you later,” one of the colleagues said, and moved on. They did not allow him the room to tell them about Oliver Fool. Incidentally, Frank was still around and observed that they were thirty minutes late.
“Good evening, Frank,” They greeted and walked into the gatehouse.” “Good evening,” he responded. He expected an explanation and an apology from them, but when none came, he carried on with other activities.
At Callum's Apartment
After he left the gate, he returned to his apartment and joined his wife in the room. However, he pushed Peter's intolerable behavior behind him and faced the bigger problem before him; how to reveal the money bag to his wife and her sisters. Then, an idea hit him.
“This was Fredrick's idea. He must have planned it out,” he thought, and sent a message to him.
(Fredrick, when and how do we reveal the money bag to our wives?)
Fredrick was having a good time with his wife when the phone on the bedside locker buzzed with a disturbing chirp. He ignored it, and read the message after thirty minutes. He smiled in defeat and responded.
(Uncle Callum, I wish I know. Can you think of something, please?)
Callum smiled after reading his response and inquired from Evans.
At Evans' Apartment
“You are more aggressive today,” Sarah, who just had the best of her husband, remarked.
“Do you like it?”
“Certainly.”
“I told you that you will see the difference between village rest and city rest. Am I right?” Evans asked.
“Wow! Was that what you mean?” Sarah exclaimed, and laughed ecstatically. Evans laughed too, and attempted to get up. Suddenly, his phone, which was on silent mode, vibrated, and he was attracted to it. He read through the message and sent a reply at once.
(You can handle this, Uncle Callum. Kindly notify me once you intend to do it.)
“Uneasy is the head that wears the crown,” Callum mumbled after he read through Evans' reply.
“I want to see Uncle Emma,” he informed his wife, who was resting on the couch, and watching the television
“It's all right.”
At Uncle Emma's Compound
Callum walked back to the hut and met him and his son chatting happily.
“What brought you back, my in-law,” he asked after Callum took his seat. Callum smiled and said, “My co-in-laws have left the unraveling of the game plan on my neck, and I don't know what to do.”
Now, Dickson laughed hysterically, and insisted, “You must complete what you started.”
Uncle Emma laughed too, and pointed out, “There must be a way out if we brainstorm.”
Callum, who was smiling and looking at Dickson, turned to Uncle Emma and concurred. Then he turned to Dickson again and asked, “What is your suggestion, my in-law?”
“Kindly, count me out. The movie is getting interesting. Allow me to enjoy it while it lasted.” Dickson made clear. Then, Emma, who was tenacious, advised, “My in-law, let Dickson be. I have an idea. I will break the news to them by myself.”
Nevertheless, Callum breathed a great sigh of relief after Uncle Emma's declaration, and appreciated, “Thank you, my in-law. I am certain that with you, I'm covered.”
“You are welcome. Ask your wife to see me at once.” “It is all right.”
Callum, whose problem was half solved, hurriedly left the hut and walked briskly to his apartment, while Dickson looked on.
“Uncle Emma needs your attention,” he informed his wife, who was still watching the television.
“I see. I hope there is no problem?” She asked, and stood up at once.
“I don't think, but find out.”
She quickly slipped her legs into her slippers and left at once.
“Uncle, you sent for me,” she asked when she got into the hut.
“Yes, my daughter,” Emma responded with a straight face. Now, Ada was seated and fixed an inquisitive look at her uncle.
“I wish to let you know that the money bag and his family members would visit this evening.”
“You don't mean it, uncle. What do we offer them? Anyway, I know what to do.”
After asking the question and providing the answer to herself, she stormed out of the house. Obidiya and her mother wondered what made her to run off. Emma and Dickson were surprised too. Within a few minutes, Ada had mobilized her sisters, and they rushed to the kitchen, carrying some of the food items they returned with and followed by their drivers. They preferred to cook in the local kitchen to enable them to meet with the time and, above all, to avoid ruining the new house.
“What are they up to?” Emma asked his son, who was catching fun, but he got the response in a hard way.
“My goat is gone!” He exclaimed in anguish when he heard his goat cried out in pains while the drivers assisted in cutting through the jugular vein with a sharp knife. Indeed, Dickson was relishing the movie because his father's prank had cost him his goat and there was nothing he could do about it.