If in a few days I begin to show signs of Coronavirus infection then I will out my wife’s sister. She is the culprit and I will never forgive her.
The only reason I am still keeping this info to myself is because she is the one paying my children’s school fees and she gave us her boys quarters to live in.
I was duped two years ago and everything just went down from then. I suffered a stroke which led to partial paralysis.
Since then I have not been able to move my left side properly; it requires therapy that I will never be able to afford. In fact, my doctors at the general hospital tell me I am lucky to be alive; I am just 48years; I was 46 when I had the stroke.
I was into electrical works, repairs and supply but after a stroke; how do you climb a ladder to fix anything or run around to buy anything to supply? I am a one-man army or I should say I used to be a one-man army, now, no more.
At the time I suffered the stroke we were already owing our landlord one year’s rent; I kept hoping to pay but every time I gathered enough money, school fees would be due or one other urgent need would take the money.
One year after the stoke, my landlord sent us packing. I can’t say I blame him, the money from the rent is also what he uses to feed himself and his wife; both of them are in their 70s.
Thankfully, my wife’s sister, who owns a house here in Lagos gave us her two bedroom boys-quarters to live in. She was also generous enough to pay our two children’s tuition. Because I tell you, after all of that treatment at the hospital for the stroke, we were flat broke, my wife and I.
What does my wife’s sister do?
She runs her own company and makes some good money. With her children living abroad, she travels a lot. And it is this travel that looks to be a problem for us now. She came back a few days back, shortly before the federal government’s ban on foreign flights came into effect.
She returned from the UK. Meanwhile, before she came, I had told my wife we must stay away from her; simple logic, given the recent panic over this virus, abi?
This is not me beefing anybody. This is self preservation. I am not in good health as you know and I don’t want to add coronavirus to it. My wife agreed o. But then her sister came home and all my advice was thrown into the dustbin.
Sister came into our apartment, hugged my kids, hugged my wife, bit as she wanted to shake me I said jokingly – ‘Ha, sister, this Corona will not let us shake hands o.’
Guess what she said, ‘It is not our portion.’
Who’s portion is it then?
Abi? Ok, I agree it will not be our portion but she should have self-isolated at least for the sake of the rest of us.
After she left, I called my wife and said – “Please talk to her,” but it turned into aquarrel. She said I was wishing evil on her sister. How can I wish her evil? I was just being careful. Didn’t you read about patient 31? The woman responsible for over 60 percent of Coronavirus cases in South Korea. Haven’t you heard of so many cases? At that time, we hadn’t even heard of Atiku’s son’s own, o.
‘She went on, it is not in Nigeria. We are safe here, how can you say that to someone who has been so good to us?’
But the reality on ground is that we have heard too many stories of UK returnees carrying the virus without knowing and spreading it.
As I speak to you now, Sister has been to church, been to super market, been to see family…generally spreading the virus.
Has she exhibited any symptoms?
None that I know of yet abi from a cough.
I have told my wife, should I start to exhibit any symptoms, one small symptom, I will have her sister reported.
Go come no dey dia, but wife says I am an ingrate; una see me see wahala? That is why I don’t like collecting things from people, they will hold you to ransom.
(Series written and edited by Peju Akande and based on true stories)