I Knew It: Suspicion Turns Right

Photo by SHVETS production

A few years ago my aunt thought it was time for her to roof the house her late husband had left uncompleted.

She talked to my mother about it and they got some carpenters to give them an estimate for the wood, nails, zinc, and everything for the roofing and the carpenters did just that.

I don't really know how much they gave them for estimation but a few weeks later, the materials were brought.

I was surprised how fast she was able to raise the money. My aunt is a primary school teacher and her late husband was a secondary school teacher.

His salary stopped coming some months after he passed on and his gratuity was not yet released.

Curiosity got the best of me so, one of those days when I visited her, I gathered the courage to ask, “Aunty, you have been complaining that you don't have money, where did you get the money to buy all these materials?”

Hmm, she sighed, “My dear, I collected a loan from the government.”

My stomach tightened, and my mouth parted as I adjusted on the couch, “Ah, aunty, not again.”

Since her husband died, the whole responsibility of the family has been on her, her three children's school fees, light bill, food, and clothing have all been on her.

That's not even what I am worried about, the last time she took a loan from the government, it almost reduced her to nothing. A big percentage of the little salary she earns is taken monthly, which made feeding and coping with bills difficult for her.

She looked at me and smiled, “It is well, my son. That's the only way out for me. I can't allow that house to fall, it will be an insult to my late husband and his family.”

My brow furrowed, and my tone became faint, “it is well. All will be fine, it is just a matter of time, I replied.” The news hurt me but I had nothing to do.

“Ehen, that reminds me, the roofing will begin on Monday, since you are on break, I would like you to help me supervise the work. I will be going to the village for a meeting. It won't be nice to leave the workers alone at the site,” she suggested.

“Oh, it's not a big deal, I am available,” I replied.

When Monday finally came, I went to the site as early as 7:00 am. I sat under a mango tree at the front of the uncompleted building and received the early morning breeze that almost lured me to sleep.

About thirty minutes later, the boss of the carpenters came, “Sorry, we kept you waiting, I had to take my wife to the market before coming,” he apologized immediately after he dropped from the bike.

“It's okay, sir, I understand. How is your family,” I asked.

“Very fine,” he replied.

Just as we were still conversing, his boys also came three of them, all tall and hefty.

As soon as they dropped off the bike, we greeted and headed to the building.

Getting there, their boss asked, “Where are the materials?”

“Oh, they are in that house,” I pointed at a house painted light green that was facing the uncompleted building.

“Okay, go and bring them here,” he spoke authoritatively.

Hmm, I sighed, “Okay, let's go,” I answered and took the lead, expecting his boys to follow but they looked for blocks and sat down and began to speak in their native tongue which I am not familiar with.

After the conversation, the boss said, “Oga, you people are supposed to bring all the materials here. All a carpenter is expected to do is to climb the roof and fix the zincs.”

“Oh, I am sorry about that, I didn't know. But you see, I am only here to supervise the work, nevertheless, since the mistake has been made, please, let your boys come and do it, moreover, the house is very close,” I replied.

“Okay, boys, go and get the materials,” he ordered.

When we got there, I had to count the zincs and other materials that were there and I took a bundle of zinc and brought it to the site and the other boys did likewise.

When we got to the site, the boss spoke to the boss in their dialect again and they began to laugh.

I became uncomfortable. So, after I dropped the zinc, I said to the boss, “I won't go back to get zinc again, let the boys do it,” but he refused and began to rant.

“Japheth, climb this roof and start fixing the zincs, if he likes he shouldn't go and bring the zincs,” he replied and walked out on me.

I clenched my fist my brow furrowed, I didn't even know what to say or do, but I had to put myself together, nevertheless, I began to smell a rat in their action. They speak more often in their dialect than in Hausa or English which we are familiar with.

I immediately called my aunt and told her about the situation on the ground and she pleaded that I should overlook everything and go and bring the zinc out with the other boys.

So, I did as she said and brought all the materials out. Some hours into the work, the boss came down from the roof and said, “It is like you will buy 10 pieces of zinc, these ones won't be enough.

“Ah, ah,” I exclaimed, my mouth couldn't close. “But you gave the estimation and said you even added an extra half bundle so that it won't be less. Why are you talking about getting more zinc now?” I asked.

“Emreal, I don't have anything to discuss with you. If you think I am lying to you, come and see it for yourself,” he replied and held my hand dragging me into the building.

“Okay,” I nodded my head, after seeing the empty space. “So, what do you want me to do now?” I asked him.

“Call your aunt and let me talk to her,” he replied.

“Okay,” I replied, then called my aunt and explained the situation on the ground. Then handed the phone to him.

They spoke for some time and he gave me back the phone. My aunt was confused and worried, she was not having money apart from their workmanship. She asked me what to do and I said, “Just come to the site”.

When she came, I took her aside and began to explain, “I don't trust these guys, I counted the zincs before we brought them out, by estimation, we ought to have extra zincs. I was even surprised how they exhausted one bundle of zinc when I just left the site for the neighboring house. It was just so fast.”

My aunt became more worried, she was mute for some time then said, “What do I do now?”

I replied, “Talk to the man, tell him you know this work so well, and the bundles of zinc you bought should be more than enough for the work.”

Just after I finished telling her what to do and she was about to go inside, a man who lives close by was passing on his old Jincheng bike and decided to stop.

When he dropped from his bike, he greeted my Aunt but the way she responded was unusual so he asked, “Madam, what is wrong?”

“Sir, these guys want to cheat me,” she replied.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I counted the whole zinc my aunt bought, it was fifteen bundles and a half, according to estimation, we were even supposed to have extra, but these guys are now saying that it won't be enough,” I explained.

Hmm, he sighed, “While I was weeding my farm in the morning, I saw that tall black guy, taking some zinc to the building after yours, I even thought you were around,” the man replied.

“You don't mean it,” my aunt shouted,

“I am serious, that very tall boy,” he pointed at Japheth while he was busy hitting nails on the zinc at the roof.

“Can you take me there?” my aunt pleaded with the man.

“Yes, why not,” he answered as he took the lead to the next uncompleted building, and just by the entrance, lies zinc, almost a full bundle.

My aunt screamed as though she saw a python. “Go and call their boss,” she commanded me. When he got to the scene his body went cold. He lingered to go inside.

“What is this?” my aunt asked.

He couldn't utter anything but apologies.

I packed the zincs and brought them back to the site. My aunt wanted to make them stop the work and take half pay but the man who exposed them advised her to let them just finish up the work, since there was not much remaining, and pay them in full.

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com

It was such a difficult decision because I was in support of her giving them half payment and stopping them from working but in the end, we listened to the man's advice and paid them in full after the work.

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