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| By Olumide T. Agunbiade | Print Editor |
I was
busy checking my mail on my laptop at about 10am on that day when he entered my
office on the sixth floor of a 10 storey building at Ikeja and settled his bulk
on a couch beside me.
He looked every inch a comfortable man. He was around 65
years old and had a belly on him that could have been mistaken in the dark for
a pregnancy. He was tall dark and shy handsome, he wore a buba and sokoto a
white cap and a white pair of shoes that shone even in the office.
Once he had settled himself, taken a quick look
around, he turned his attention to me. I turned off my radio set as he said: “Hello!
I’m Akande Raymond.’’
I was aware that is small dark eyes were staring at my
clean shirt and trouser that had cost five thousand naira three months ago. His
small dark eyes also took in the wristwatch in my hand and the cash beside my
laptop.
“You are welcome Sir!’’ I
replied.
He puffed out
his fat cheeks, took off his cap, wiped his forehead, put on the cap, and then
said in a mild voice: “I need a 2bedroom flat of 200,000 per annum that I can
pay for right away!”
I was beginning to wonder if this man was from another
planet or maybe he just arrived in Lagos. I was in no mood for jokes and
looking at this man closely, I was sure he was not joking at all.
“Which area do you
prefer Sir?” I asked.
“I prefer Ikeja
here,” he replied.
“The ones available are between N500, 000
and N2million per annum Sir! I replied quietly.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“Yes Sir.”
“How much is a
3bedroom flat then?” he asked.
“Between N800, 00
and N4million per annum.”
I was wondering why he was asking me such questions
but the shock in his small dark eyes was genuine. He was staring at me and when
I looked away, he bowed down his head and shook it quietly. He soon raised it
up again, puffed out is fat cheeks, took off his cap, wiped his forehead again
and then put on his cap.
In a very quiet but sad voice he said: “How much is a
plot of land at Akoka?”
“Between
N10millions and 15million if it is not along any of the major roads in Akoka,”
I replied.
He suddenly froze and stared at my lips as if they
were on fire. He kept staring at me and at every property in my office while shaking
his head vigorously before bowing them again. He was breathing very fast and
sweating even though the air condition was on.
He opened his mouth quietly and said: “I should have
been a landlord by now had I bought the land I was offered many years ago.”
There was a sudden silence. I looked at his face and I
saw tears dropping from his eyes as he gently wiped it off with his white
handkerchief.
“They have sold the house where I was paying N120, 000 per annum,” he
lamented.
I felt sorry for him and was shaking my head slowly as
I listened to his sad tales. During our conversation, the door of my office
opened quietly and a beautiful young lady walked in!
To be continued!
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