28/12/2024
My landlord is fond of entering our houses anytime he likes and asking us what we cooked. Baba won’t leave until he eats.
For weeks now, this man has been eating three square meals from everybody’s houses. Meanwhile, he doesn’t do anything in the house.
If the borehole spoils, we fix
Light has issues, we fix it
Soakaway is full, we drain it
He doesn’t contribute a dime. The only good thing is he doesn’t increase the rent.
Since I moved in, the rent has been the same, but peace of mind has reduced pata pata.
One of my babes came to visit me, so I quickly cooked Jollof rice and fried chicken. (Story by Ajebo Writer) We wanted to eat before I eat her. The next thing, oga landlord barged in.
He sat down on my bed and started watching TV. Omo, I didn’t want to serve the food because I didn’t want him to join. That’s how he sat there, watching TV for over 30 minutes.
I switched off the main switch, but baba laid down and started sleeping. I had to wake him up after an hour to eat, and immediately after eating, he left.
I and the other tenants decided to move out because what sort of inconvenience is this?
I contacted an agent and told him I needed a two-bedroom apartment in a very quiet and peaceful environment where the landlord is late or absent.
The next day, this man asked me to meet him. I went, and he started showing me houses of 1.5M, 2M. (Story by Ajebo Writer) We spent over five hours, and we didn’t see a house less than 1.5M. I told him I didn’t like any of them and that he should keep looking.
The next day, he called me again, and we went out. This time, I went with another tenant also looking for a house.
The use|ess agent started showing me houses of 2.5M, 3M!!!
I got angry and changed it for him.
“Baba, kilosele? My rent is 350k presently, and I’m complaining. You’re showing me houses of 3M? Where I wan see the money?”
He said there’s no two-bedroom for 600k in Lagos again. My neighbor tapped me and said I should leave the man, that he has an agent. Any house you want, the man will find for you, no matter the budget.
Immediately, we called the agent, and I spoke to him on the phone. I told him I wanted a two-bedroom flat for 350k, 400k, and the most I could pay was 450k.
He said, “House deh, but you must pay registration fee of 10k.” The news that there was an available house gave me joy. Immediately, I transferred the 10k to him, and he gave us the location.
It took us about an hour to get to him from my area. (Story by Ajebo Writer) When we finally met him, we entered a bike again and rode for another 45 minutes, then we came down.
We started walking inside thick bush. I turned and looked at my neighbor; he looked at me. I started suspecting him of being a ritualist.
Abi this guy don plan with this agent to kpai me?
I faked a call to my babe and told her I was with my neighbor. I mentioned his name and told her he carried me to look for a house. Then I called two other people and told them the same thing.
After another 30 minutes, we finally reached one swampy, quiet place. The agent smiled and said, “We don reach.”
Then he pointed at a corner and said, “After you cross the bridge, that’s the house.”
Bridge? I was excited small. There’s a bridge here? Okay, so is the house under the bridge?
He laughed and pointed at a wooden plank on the ground and said, “That’s the bridge. Because of the swamp, we have to use the bridge. (Story by Ajebo Writer) And then, over there, that’s the two-bedroom.”
I looked, and the only house I could see was an uncompleted, unpainted, dilapidated building very close to the swamp. Around it were three graves.
I shouted, “Baba, the house no complete na, and no be grave be that? Who died there?”
He asked why I was shouting and said the house was complete. He said once I pay the rent now, in three days, they would finish it so I could pack in. “It’s just painting,” he added.
I could clearly see that even in six months, they wouldn’t complete the work. This guy was saying three days.
“What about the three graves?” I asked.
He said, “Sebi you say you want house wey the landlord no dey? That’s the landlord’s grave, his wife, and their first son.”
I heard a bike sound. I turned and saw the okada man dropping someone. That’s how I jumped and entered the bike, leaving the agent and my neighbor there.
As soon as I got home, I called my landlord and told him, “I have Egusi soup. Come and eat. I’ve bought beer too. Eat, drink, and be satisfied because na man you be.”
I no pack again!
Lagos
The End
Ajebo Writer
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