Ugochukwu Asiba
ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
STORY BY Ugochukwu Asiba
TWO MOTHERS, ONE FATHERFor Umunze village, Anambra State, for inside big forest wey dey between Anambra and Imo, lives Papa Okor
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TWO MOTHERS, ONE FATHERFor Umunze village, Anambra State, for inside big forest wey dey between Anambra and Imo, lives Papa Okoro - a great man wey marry two wives.First wife - Mama Nneoma - soft, calm, from same Umunze. Her son na *Obiago* - 28 years old - tall, dark, with gun for shoulder every morning. Hunter.Second wife - Mama Ifeoma - sharp, business mind, from Onitsha. Her son na *Asiba* - 26 years old - fine boy, always with polo and boat key. Businessman wey dey control boats for River Niger, Onitsha.Same father, different mothers - but Papa Okoro train them to love each other like twins.Obiago no go school pass SS3, but e sabi forest pass anybody for Anambra State. E fit enter forest for 3 days, come back with bush meat, honey, herbs wey even doctor no know.Asiba go Unizik, study Business Admin, but e no like office work. E follow him mama go Onitsha Main Market, start with one boat for River Niger wey dey carry market women from Onitsha to Asaba. Now? 12 boats! Big boats wey dey carry 50 people! Every day e dey count 300k!Two brothers - one dey inside forest, one dey on top water. But they love each other die.Problem start when Papa Okoro die.For will, Papa Okoro write:"My land for Umunze - 10 plots - I share am 5 for Obiago, 5 for Asiba.""My money for bank - 4 Million - share 2M each.""But my father's gun and my father's boat - na for who go unite the family."Mama Nneoma say gun na for Obiago, because hunter.Mama Ifeoma say boat na for Asiba, because businessman.But village elders say NO.Elder 1: "Gun and boat na spiritual things - must stay together. If you separate them, family go scatter."Obiago look Asiba. Asiba look Obiago.Obiago: "Asiba, nwanne m, you be my brother. Make we no fight like other families. How we go do am?"Asiba smile: "Nwanne, you dey hunt for forest, I dey do business for water. But what if... we combine forest and water?"Obiago: "How?"Asiba: "Your bush meat and honey wey you dey get for forest, my boats fit carry am go Asaba, go Lokoja, go even Lagos! Forest to River! We go make money together!"Obiago eyes shine.Obiago: "And your passengers wey dey travel for boat for 4 hours, them go hungry - my bush meat fit be food for them!"Two brothers laugh for Papa grave side.Mama Nneoma and Mama Ifeoma look each other, shock. They expect fight, but children dey hug.For that grave, Obiago and Asiba make promise:"From today, we no be hunter and boat man separate. We be ANAMBRA FOREST & RIVER COMPANY!"Elders clap.But for back, one cousin wey eye the land - Obinna - vex. He want make brothers fight so e go collect land.He whisper: "Make I put fire between hunter and boat man."
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Onyinyechukwu and Ugochukwu my UniPort love
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Onyinyechukwu and UgochukwuOnyinyechukwu - everybody dey call her Onyinye - na final year student for Uniport. That day her phone screen scatter. She cry for hostel because all her project inside the phone.Her friend tell am "Go Mile 1, find one guy wey name na Ugochukwu, he hand good."Onyinye enter Ugo shop for first time, with big sun glass and face like person wey don cry.Ugo dey inside shop dey repair phone, singlet, sweat full hin face. He look up."Oga, abeg my phone..."Ugo collect the phone, look am. He say "Omo, na serious breaking. But I go fix am. You go come tomorrow."Onyinye vex "Tomorrow? My defense na next tomorrow!"Ugo smile for first time. "Okay madam, make I do am now because you fine."Onyinye blush. "I no fine, I dey vex."Ugo work for 2 hours, no collect money for extra glass, he fix am. When she ask "How much?" He say "Pay anything you like."She pay am 5k, but Ugo return 2k. "No, this one too much. Na student you be."Onyinye waka go house dey think about that boy wey return money. Which man dey return money for Port Harcourt?Next day she come again with excuse. "Oga Ugo, my phone dey hot."Ugo know say na lie. He check am, blow am small. "Okay, e don cool."Third day she come again. "My charger no dey fast."Ugo laugh. "Onyinyechukwu, na you dey spoil or na phone?"She shock. "You know my name?"He point her phone wallpaper - her matric number with name. "I see am since first day. Onyinyechukwu - God's Gift."She smile. "Na my mama give me that name."From that day, Onyinye no dey come as customer again. She dey come sit down for hin shop after lectures, dey help am arrange phone pouch, dey gist.Ugo fall. He no know how to tell big girl like her.One evening after shop close, light don go, they sit down for outside with pure water.Ugo talk low voice. "Onyinye, you be gift truly. Since you enter my shop, my shop don dey bright. I no get much, na this small shop I get, but if you gree, I fit give you my all."Onyinyechukwu eye don full with water."Ugochukwu, I don meet many boys for school wey get car, get money, but none of them look me like person. You look me like gift. I don fall since that first day you return my 2k."Ugo hold her hand for dark.Last Saturday, Ugo close shop early. He carry Onyinye go eat fish for Creek Road. He buy small silver necklace with small cross. He put am for her neck.He whisper "Welcome home, my Gift."And Onyinye rest her head for hin shoulder, finally at peace.
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