Evi's Journey

Grandma, is gratitude not the best quality one can have? Emma asked. Yes my child. Grandma continued. Yes! Gratitude is indeed a good attribute of a person but it still needs its mother to stand, grandma concluded.

But grandma, what quality is the mother of all other good attribute of a person? Carly asked. Don't rush me my child, the story is not yet finished; don't be so anxious. Okay grandma, carly replied.

What did I miss? Mrs. Ojo asked hastily. Mum, you missed a lot. Carly replied. Don't worry I will still catch up with the rest of the story.mrs. Ojo concluded. So can I continue my story now? Yes grandma...... they all chorused.

As for prince Evi, he travelled to a town named Olomoro; A distant village in the southern part of Nigeria.

Evi was a boy with the quality of humility; he was very humble to all. In everything he did, he always humbled himself, though he was very wealthy.

He rented a room and parlor apartment which cost him N 20, 000.

The next day, Evi sat down wondering what he wanted to do with all his money and he finally decided to go into a cloth-trade business. But how will he handle the business? Who will buy them? What kind of clothes will he sell? All these questions kept ringing in his mind until he finally realized that where he stayed was a busy area.

That same evening, Evi went to Ede'wor (Market day in Olomoro). Evi bought a lot of clothes for all sex. He shaded the clothes in front of his apartment and a lot of people started coming gradually to buy his clothes and he had never disclosed to anybody who he really was.

Evi was neither proud nor pompous; he richly progressed in his business. He sold about one thousand clothes daily.

After some time, he realized that his apartment was too small for his business.

He lied down on his little bed late in the night at about 11:45pm. He was thinking on how to improve his business now that he had two million naira [N2, 000, 000].

Evi woke up very early in the morning at about 4:00am and headed straight to a shop owner whose shop was for rent in his apartment.

He finally arrived at the apartment of Mr. Okon the shop owner, he greeted him and Mr. Okon replied.

Evi what are you doing in my house so early in the morning? For a toad does not run in daytime except something is pursuing it or it is pursuing something. So Evi are you pursuing something or something is pursuing you? Mr. Okon asked.

Mr. Okon, I am pursuing your store that is posted for rent in front of my apartment.

Okay Evi, it's yours; I have not given it to anyone else, but bear it in mind that it will cost you money because there is no friendship in business. Mr. Okon said.

I have heard you Mr. Okon, but you will have to consider me because I am the only one catering for myself. Please don't forget the saying: temper justice with mercy, Evi replied.

So how much can you pay? Mr. Okon asked.

I can pay four thousand naira [N4, 000] per month sir, Evi replied. Then the store is yours! Mr. Okon concluded.

Evi thanked Mr. Okon very well and even went ahead to offer him five hundred naira [N500] for acceptance.

Mr. Okon was pleased with Evi that was the reason why he gave him the store for that amount of money, if not five thousand naira [N5, 000] was the actual amount for renting stores in Olomoro.

Evi went home immediately, cleaned the store and moved the clothes to the store, and then customers started tripping in and out with their selected clothes.

One fateful day, he bumped into a woman in Edewor. They started talking and laughing from the short natural jokes Evi was making and got to know each other very well.

Ediri was a young business woman who sells provision in wholesale and retail quantities in the general market.

Evi got to know Ediri better and they got along very well.

After a month of close friendship with Ediri, Evi carried her to his apartment and told her who he really was. She was astonished and also angry at him for not telling her earlier on.

Evi explained to her not to take any of it personal that he was just trying to be extra careful so that he would not put himself in danger.

Ediri understood Evi and told him that their story was quite alike. Evi was so astonished.

As time rolled by, they started falling in love with each other. They combined their expenses together and later bought a car that they would use to buy things and carry goods from the general market.

After some time, Evi decided to go to his community along with Ediri and introduce her to the king; his father.

The next week, Evi and Ediri set out to travel to Evi's community; oteri-iyede.

On reaching the palace with Ediri, Evi parked their new Mercedes Benz motor vehicle and the king came out to welcome him.

They all went inside, and Evi saw his brothers and was so disappointed in them.

Questions from chapter four

1. Where did Evi travel to?

2. What business did Evi earn his living from?

3. Who is Ediri?

4. How did Evi's brother feel after looking at successful Evi?

5. What's Ediri's business?

Glossary

1. Attribute: a quality or feature of somebody or something.

2. Chorused: a sound of two or more people chant or say something at the same time.

3. Dispose: to uncover.

4. Ede'wor: market day in Isoko land.

5. Humble: showing you do not feel so special than other people.

6. Humility: the quality of not thinking that you are not better than other people.

7. Infant: a new born baby or a baby still in nursery stage.

8. Pompous: behaving in a boastful manner.

9. Pursuing: the act of chasing someone or something.

10. Rented: an amount of money you have paid to rent a house or store.

11. Sex: the state of being a male or female.

12. Shaded: to advertise goods sold by an individual.