Episode 06 - Is It Petrol?

Episode 06

It was a windy evening. The ground just drank a bout of rain. One could smell the burnt okra soup, coming from a neighbouring house. 

"Phew, what kind of smell is this." He said, as he stood up to take a bottle of water.

Their dog came around and started to lick his feet. 

"Stop it jare." He shouted 

but the playful dog continued even further. 

"Kola! Kola!! Come here." His father beckoned on him. He left the dog and ran inside the house. There had been no light since the morning. The transformer supplying their area had blown off and it was glaring that there would be no light unless it was fixed. 

"Go to the room. Take a five hundred naira note from my wallet, go and buy fuel, so we can switch on the generator." 

He took the cash, got a keg from the backyard and walked out of the gate. 

As he walked on the street, he started thinking about his new phone. His father just bought a phone, and he promised to give him once he clocks fifteen years of age. Kola was looking forward to that day and it has always given him joy. 

When he got to a T-junction, he saw his English Teacher coming towards him. The guy was talking to an unidentified lady and one would notice that he was engrossed in their conversation. So Kola quickly crossed the street and acted as if he wanted to buy a thing. Mr Ade had given him an assignment for three days now, and he was yet to report back to him. He had constantly dodged him in school and because he was a forgetful person, He didn't remember to ask him. So the man passed on and Kola continued his journey. 

The filling station was quite far. On average, he spends twenty minutes on a single journey. It wasn't quite easy but since he knew a shortcut, his legs were spared the trouble. 

He entered a route off the road and went left, after moving two blocks further. Few minutes later, he got to the main road and went down the filling station. The queue was quite much, so he had to stand for a while. When it got to his turn, he paid and got the desired litres of fuel he wanted.

He got home after an hour and put the keg at a safe location at the back of the house, waiting for 8pm to clock, so they can use the fuel for just two hours and go to bed. 

When he went back inside, he saw Miriam, his close friend seated on the chair. She had come around to deliver a package to his father, and they would need light to test the authenticity of the product. 

So Henry, his brother and his father took the generator out of the store. After a spring cleaning, he brought the fuel, and they started to pour it. However, something smelled fishy. 

"Wait, this doesn't smell like petrol." His dad said 

"I think so too, it smells like kerosene." Henry said. 

Then he remembered! He bought kerosene rather than petrol. His mind was so occupied with useless thoughts that he forgot what he was meant to buy. 

"This is kerosene oo." His dad said, as he took his torch closer to the keg. 

"I actually bought kerosene. I didn't know how I forgot."

His dad gave me a knock and his brother supported it with two slaps. His face became sober, and he could feel his heart racing as stars clustered around his eyeballs. 

"I'm so sorry." He said. He was already feeling so sad and ashamed.

"You are a very stupid fellow. As little as you are, you got lost in thought. I wonder what will happen when you get older." Dad said. 

"Don't mind his stupidity." Henry said. 

"Get me a cane. Oya go and kneel down in front of the house."

It was already dark, cold and frightening. He sluggishly walked to the front door and to his greatest surprise, he saw Miriam standing outside. 

"What nonsense is this." He said within himself. 

"What happened to you."

"Nothing serious."

As he saw his dad coming, he quickly went on his knees. To him, It was a very humiliating scene seeing someone so special to him watch him suffer. However, his dad made him do some frog jumps that late in the night. It was his fault anyways. 

"Please forgive him. He won't do such again, it's already late in the night." His mother said. 

"I won't tolerate nonsense. Don't you know the consequences of what he has done? Right now, I will have to pour out the fuel from the generator. We can't even use it tonight because of the mistake he just made."

He was already shaking as his aching legs could not sustain the arrhythmic yet painful movement that he was plunged into.

After many pleas, he eventually released him and told him to pay for his fuel. Thank God for the night that shortened his punishment and his mother that paid for his salvation. That part of the story went away. 

The most painful part was about Miriam. He could no longer brag at her front. She threatened to tell others and narrate his ordeal to every and any ear that was ready to listen. Because he had no option, he became a subject to her rulership. 

It was painful then but today, it's a beautiful story.

Written by; Jegede Samuel Whyte 

Edited by; Kolawole Precious Setemi 

Copyright of Livingwitness 

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