M
mrsam
Guest
Uncle Ade visits Ibadan every Christmas holiday. He never stays beyond 1 week, but his visits are the highlight of the holiday. He’s everyone’s best uncle. He brings Kilishi, chocolates and the latest gadgets. He gives the best gifts and is known for giving gifts for things other adults do not consider gift-worthy. My parents believe the best gift they can give to any child is a carload of advice. ‘’Kunle be a good boy o, if you get any girl pregnant you must marry her, get a first class like your elder brother...’’
For my matriculation, Uncle Ade sent me a mini laptop. When I graduated, he sent me N40,000 and an offer to do my youth service in Abuja. I was thrilled. Imagine going to live with the very Uncle Ade. When NYSC Call-up letters were released, I was posted to Sokoto. It was a really sad day. I had picked Abuja as my first choice when registering online. Sokoto wasn’t even one of my options. In camp, I applied for relocation and it worked out. Thank Goodness! I was finally going to live with Uncle Ade.
Uncle Ade picked me up from the park and asked why I didn’t fly. He took me straight to his apartment in the Kado area of Abuja. He lived alone because his wife was currently in Canada pursuing her Master’s degree. The house didn’t disappoint. He promptly gave me a room; the rest of the weekend was spent club hopping, eating take outs and basically chilling.
All weekend, my mom kept drumming her usual advice into my ears via phone. ‘’Be good to your uncle o, help around the house o’’ . I knew I would certainly help around the house, but why was she singing it?
On Monday Morning, Uncle Ade dropped me off at the NYSC Secretariat. He dropped N5,000 into my hands before speeding off. Boy, I was living in paradise. I hurriedly finished my registration and went back home.
‘’Welcome o,’’ Uncle Ade’s security greeted immediately as I stepped in; feeling all important, I simply nodded my head at him.
‘’Oga say make you wash all the cloth wey dey ground for him room,’’ the security threw at me as I moved towards the house. I shrugged my shoulder. Washing clothes is not a big deal.
When I saw the clothes on the room floor, it became a big deal. It was a huge mess – underwear, work clothes, bed sheets and natives. It looked like months’ worth of laundry. Back home, my father never allowed me to touch his laundry. He also sent it to a dry cleaner while my mother washed his underwear. Why didn’t Uncle Ade have a dry cleaner?
I had to ‘down’ some major eba before the washing. Uncle Ade didn’t have any cooked food in his kitchen, but the ingredients were all there. I immediately prepared Okro soup and made eba.
I didn’t hear Uncle Ade come in. I almost died from shock when I heard his voice.
‘’Kunle this soup is nice o. Well done,’’ Uncle Ade said. He was holding a plate in his hands and still in work clothes.
I gave him my fake smile. I had barely rested since I got home from the NYSC secretariat. I peeped outside, it was almost dark.
‘’Please help me wash the car when you finish,’’ Uncle Ade added, walking away with the plate in his hands.
Since that day, I became Uncle’s Ade’s everything. I wash, clean and cook. It doesn’t matter that my PPA resumes by 9am every day. He no longer gives me cash or gifts. I barely have a social life because I always have to rush home and do some work. Okay, I get the occasional lift to work, free food and shelter, but does that mean I should work and die? I feel like I’m his domestic help. Who did these tasks before I showed up?
Just last week, I almost missed a job interview because Uncle Ade insisted I washed his car before going. The car was fairly clean because I had washed it the previous day. Some days, I show up to work really tired after a weekend spent playing house. The one time I tried complaining to Uncle Ade, he said it’s all a part of training. I do not want to get my parents involved, as I’m not sure how they’ll react.
NYSC ends soon and I can run to Ibadan, but I have a bigger problem. There is no job waiting in Abuja; my PPA is offering me a job, but do I continue staying with Uncle Ade? I do not have money for rent yet. You know how expensive Abuja can be. I’m scared of complaining and sounding ungrateful, besides everyone loves Uncle Ade. What should I do?
For my matriculation, Uncle Ade sent me a mini laptop. When I graduated, he sent me N40,000 and an offer to do my youth service in Abuja. I was thrilled. Imagine going to live with the very Uncle Ade. When NYSC Call-up letters were released, I was posted to Sokoto. It was a really sad day. I had picked Abuja as my first choice when registering online. Sokoto wasn’t even one of my options. In camp, I applied for relocation and it worked out. Thank Goodness! I was finally going to live with Uncle Ade.
Uncle Ade picked me up from the park and asked why I didn’t fly. He took me straight to his apartment in the Kado area of Abuja. He lived alone because his wife was currently in Canada pursuing her Master’s degree. The house didn’t disappoint. He promptly gave me a room; the rest of the weekend was spent club hopping, eating take outs and basically chilling.
All weekend, my mom kept drumming her usual advice into my ears via phone. ‘’Be good to your uncle o, help around the house o’’ . I knew I would certainly help around the house, but why was she singing it?
On Monday Morning, Uncle Ade dropped me off at the NYSC Secretariat. He dropped N5,000 into my hands before speeding off. Boy, I was living in paradise. I hurriedly finished my registration and went back home.
‘’Welcome o,’’ Uncle Ade’s security greeted immediately as I stepped in; feeling all important, I simply nodded my head at him.
‘’Oga say make you wash all the cloth wey dey ground for him room,’’ the security threw at me as I moved towards the house. I shrugged my shoulder. Washing clothes is not a big deal.
When I saw the clothes on the room floor, it became a big deal. It was a huge mess – underwear, work clothes, bed sheets and natives. It looked like months’ worth of laundry. Back home, my father never allowed me to touch his laundry. He also sent it to a dry cleaner while my mother washed his underwear. Why didn’t Uncle Ade have a dry cleaner?
I had to ‘down’ some major eba before the washing. Uncle Ade didn’t have any cooked food in his kitchen, but the ingredients were all there. I immediately prepared Okro soup and made eba.
I didn’t hear Uncle Ade come in. I almost died from shock when I heard his voice.
‘’Kunle this soup is nice o. Well done,’’ Uncle Ade said. He was holding a plate in his hands and still in work clothes.
I gave him my fake smile. I had barely rested since I got home from the NYSC secretariat. I peeped outside, it was almost dark.
‘’Please help me wash the car when you finish,’’ Uncle Ade added, walking away with the plate in his hands.
Since that day, I became Uncle’s Ade’s everything. I wash, clean and cook. It doesn’t matter that my PPA resumes by 9am every day. He no longer gives me cash or gifts. I barely have a social life because I always have to rush home and do some work. Okay, I get the occasional lift to work, free food and shelter, but does that mean I should work and die? I feel like I’m his domestic help. Who did these tasks before I showed up?
Just last week, I almost missed a job interview because Uncle Ade insisted I washed his car before going. The car was fairly clean because I had washed it the previous day. Some days, I show up to work really tired after a weekend spent playing house. The one time I tried complaining to Uncle Ade, he said it’s all a part of training. I do not want to get my parents involved, as I’m not sure how they’ll react.
NYSC ends soon and I can run to Ibadan, but I have a bigger problem. There is no job waiting in Abuja; my PPA is offering me a job, but do I continue staying with Uncle Ade? I do not have money for rent yet. You know how expensive Abuja can be. I’m scared of complaining and sounding ungrateful, besides everyone loves Uncle Ade. What should I do?
