Amos smiled when comfort brought breakfast, placed it on the shiny wooden table and smiled. It was good to be married.“Best my dear sit down near me” he said patting the space next to him with his left palm. Comfort sat down slightly abashed and lifted the lovers the stainless aluminum plates in front of them. His eyes widened when he set them on the spicy hot jollof rice with slices of ripe plantain spread in deep hot oil spread here and there they widened even more when comfort uncovered a smaller plastic plate containing two large pieces of beef, fried and deep in tomatoes stew. He could hardly wait, he quickly grabbed one of the spoons in the tray pan and was about to download a first spoon into his mouth.“Wait first!” comfort said“Bless the food first now”“Hmmm practice makes perfect oh … what are we going to teach our children when they start coming”?“Time Talk” Amos said “let’s pray”“Baba God, we thank you for this delicious package, bless it for us, in Jesus name”“Amen” they both echoed “Best my dear, go bring me small dry pepper, I like my jollof rice with plenty pepper” Amos ordered and watched comfort slowly got up,pull down the creases on her flowery designed calico skirt and walked into the tiny adjoining room that served as their kitchen. She was beautiful, he reconfirmed. He kept his eyes on her shapely figure and bottle smooth brown skin until she was out of sight “fine girl, no pimple” he said to himself. As was grateful that had made a good choice for himself. His eyes move to her picture in the wall, she had a flat nose but she was still pretty with well-set lips. Her eyes were, the most beautiful features on her face, pear shaped with hazel not pupil. Her coffee brown skin was a clear contrast with his, which was very fair and has earned him the name “Oyibo” among his neighbors and co-workers, though hardship has tarnished his complexion a lot, working under ablazing sun daily. Looking around the little living room they were about to eat in. He had every reason to be grateful and to God, his sourjourm from his village to the city was rewarding. It was not much but he believed strongly that the future held a lot of good for him and family he had just begun forming.There was still plenty of time for him to make a better life for them, he was only a young man in his thirties. The bright green diapries hanging on the wall got his attention, they were given to him by his God-mother from the church he attended few blocks away when he first rented the tiny apartment. He remembered how empty he had fat when he used all the money had saved from his mechanic work to buy the Miniaturefurniture, Electronic set and the linoleum carpet on the floor. It was worth it after all. He made up his mind to work rain and shine to acquire his own workshop to be able make enough money for a bigger shelter. He looked at the appetizing slices of fried plantain and wondered why comfort was taking so much tim

HE could hardly hold back his crave for a bit, salivating in seconds. He quickly snatched a slice, put it in his mouth and began to chewing with speed, like a little boy stealing from his mother’s pot, watching out for his wife with the corner of his eyes. Just then comfort walked it.“Na wa oh …. You no fit wait small for me self” she said.“You self, why you waste time like that, person dey hungry” he shot back.“Oh sorry, I de new here now, I been they find where you dey keep the pepper” she pleaded.“No wahala, make one chop” he said.In some minutes, they were through comfort removed all they used to eat, brought a piece of cloth and wiped the table. She then brought a bottle of fant and handed it over to Amos. He was both overwhelmed and grateful unaccustomed to such huxinioustreat. He quickly knocked the metal lid it open with his teeth and almost emptied everything in one gap after which he poured down the empty bottle on flour and comfort picked it up and left then he roped reposition the table that served duat purpose at the center of the living room.*******At the work shop later that day, Amos went about his work with a joyful air around him, humming a tune softly. Working tirelessly and approaching everyone with a broad smile. Ade his closet pal, who had been. Specifically observing him from a distance could not take it anymore, he walked up to him…“Na wa oh… Iyawo good oh” he said.“See as you just de fresh, dey happy”“Oh man! Thank God for you oh”“My brother, no be small thing oh” Amos Said “Na God oh”“How she dey now?” Solo asked “She de fine shaa” Amos replied “I know say she dey cook better chop for you naa, na him, make you just dey fresh like this” Ade added“For where!”“Na you fresh pass me now” Amos argued “Leave that thing abeg!”“Me I go find my own wife marry jare!”“No be only you wey like better thing” Solo said.“Go marry oh… make time no pass you oh” Amos said.“That one de shaa…”“Abeg, oga don call me for phone dey hala”“Na you hold him work?” Solo asked“Na Akpan him give, but as him no well, him say make I help am” Amos replied“But na only shock absorber na him de worry”“No other thing”You done do am?” Solo Asked“Ehn… but I never test am… no vex just help test am abeg, work full my hand”“No wahala, where you keep the oil? Ade asked.“Check under that bench” Amos said pointing to an old rickcty wooden bench, short of one leg, leaned against an empty oil paint tin for support.Just then, Amos heard the sound of a paring aching their road side workshop, he looked up to see it was a tricycle popular called (keke). It was the life of the owner of the vehicle he was working on the tricycle has brought everybody called her “Oga Madam” she alighted from the keke and scavenged in her enormous hand bag for money which she handed over to the keke driver. She was a big buxom woman in her early fifties, slightly overweight, who made every effort to look good. Though she was light in complexion but everyone could see that it was the result of her investment in skin toning cosmetics which did not favor her well. Her joint areas did not respond to the numerous skin lightening cream as they stubbornly maintained their dark complexion. The left side of her face was greenish black from sunburn and strong body creams. She ran a very flourishing super market on the next street. Amos had been her family mechanic for along time, in fact she met him through her husband. They both took special interest in Amos owing to this hard work and commitment to any task handed over to him and the usual cheerful manner with which he does his work and attends to his patronizes. “Oyibo, wetin dey make you happy every time?” she could ask him.“Oga Madam na God wey full my bele oh”On that day, she work an ox-blood official skirt suit, and black shoes with low heels. She had her hair in braids, held together with a white velvet hair ruffle. “Oga madam!” Amos called out.“e done tey oh”“Ehn ehh …. Oyibo no just call me oh!” she shot back.“Me and you get big palava oh!”“wetin” he asked “So you de marry for this life, you no tell me abi?” she asked“You just disappear, come back with wife baa?”“Chai! Oga madam no vex” he pleaded “Ehn get as e happen”

"ehn get as e happen”“Na my mama oh, she the girl we she arrange for me before she die oh, say na for that ajegunle we she bed live”.“The girl mama send message say make I come oh, my been say the girl good, her eye reach ground and she de go church, say she sabi God well well”.“Na him I come go naa, na for Lagos wey the small occasion happen, and I know say eh far well well for una”.“But no wahala shaa, I plan to bring her come una house come show una”.“Chai! Eiyaa, no problem shaa” she said“Wetin be her name”“Her name na comfort” he replied “Wetin she de work?” she asked again“She shai plat hair” he said“When money come, I go open shop for her”“But for now, she de follow my neighbor wife dey go plat hair for market”“If na so, make she de come plat my hair” Oga madam said“I go tell her” he assured her“Ehen! How far?” she said pointing to their car, a green Toyota Camry“Eh done ready Ade been done test am, but wait make I still test am make in see, weda that noise still dey there” he said and hurriedly opened the driver’s door started the car and moved out of the workshop, while Oga madam watched. He drove a short distance, then turned and came back to the workshop sport and packed neatly.“Finish” he said to her with a wave of his right hand“Carry go”“Okay … when you come house with comfort I go give you your money”she said and rolled her eyes“Madam if na so, we go come this might, because I need dat money bad!” he said“Eh better self” she said and took the car keys from him and headed towards the driver’s door.“Na wa oh Oga madam!” Amos said“This one wey you nak suit today, abi you don begin work for bank?”She laughed and said “Hmm... no be small thing my dear, them just make my husband senior pastor for our church, we do the ordination ceremony today oh”“Chai! We go drink oh… thank God!” he said“No wahala now, until una come” she said as she drove off.The worms in Amos! Stomach began to remind him of food. He yawned and sat down on a condemned car tyre. He deeped his hand in the right pocket of his house and brought his wallet opened it and stared at the almost content, empty calculating how much he could spend on lunch.“Oyibo!” he heard from behind him and turned to see Oboma the owner of the workshop where he attached himself, a very huge and dark skinned man with a very ugly attitude.“Now, now, now you done dey tire” Oboma said“You just dey yawn like mumu”“How you want take make enough money to pay me for the two months wey you dey owe me”“You carry all the money wey you done try gather go collect house, marry wife, come dey owe person”Those words, like ferracious bees pull through to the heart of Amos and stung him there. But he chose to remain silent.“Now small money, wey you done make you go come use am buy after noon food chot no be so?” Oboma added“I no blame you”“No worry, my God no go fail me, before April finish, I go complete your money give you” Amos pleaded are suddenly heard a familiar giggle and loud exchange of “How you dey” and turned to see his young comfort approaching one hand holding up the yellow flowing cotton gown she was wearing as she careful crossed the gutters stones and other obstacles scattered here and there an she came into the workshop. Amos could not hide his excitement as he saroured every facet of her beauty. She dazzle in the sunlight like a goddess. All eyes followed her all the way through sprang to his feet and gave her a hug.“My best, how you dey” he asked“Wetin carry you come here?”“I de fine” she replied“Sun done come out, I know say hunger go done hummer you well”“Na him I say, make I bring small chop come for you”“So that you no go spend money”Amos was speechless, he didn’t know how to express his appreciation to her, he just started at her as she opened the cellophane bag she was holding and brought out two plate neatly covered and handed them to him with two sachets of ice cold water. He however could not stop his head from swelling in pride as the other men in the workshop and few women from the neighboring hair dressing saloon and grocery shop watched with amazement.“No forget to bring this plate them come house oh” comfort said intimated“No wahala” he said almost with a whisper, still staring at her“Abeg no de look me like that” she said and she rolled her eyes at him“You do well” he said“How market?”“No problem” she said“We de do am small small”“Make I rush go I de expect customer” she said and dropped the polythene bag by his side and was about to strip off, when others began calling out at her.“Iyaw, na go be that?” Ade called out just coming in from an errand“Oga Ade, good afternoon” she greeted “Yes oh… make I rush”“Iyaw!” one of the women around also called out“Amarya” Adamuone of the mechanics called out too“If you no see this women again, know say na me snatch her oh” Ade said to Amos“Nwanyi oma” another woman called out again “Welcome oh, na you de make our Oyibo to fresh like this ehn,thank you oh”At this moment comfort could not contain her shyness anymore, she mashed the ground to open up and swallow her.“So you get eye for better woman like this” Oboma added at last inspite of himself, having been observing everything in silence and soccer jealously Comfort finally flew out of sight. Shouting out an instruction to Amos as said fled“No forget say bible study dey today oh by four – thirty”Amos nodded in replied and watched her go. He immediately called out to Ade“Ade small chop de, go wash hand” he said already guessing what the content of plates was, having weighed them in with hands Ade hurriedly washed his hand and came. Amos opened the plates and, sniffed and exhaled loudly as he took in the nice aroma of freshly cooked egusi soup with plenty of stock fish and only two lumps of beef.“Oyibo, make I no reduce your ration oh” Ade said “This food plenty, na two people food” Amos said“She carry you for mind put am”Amos washed his hand with half of one of the satchets of ice cold water and they both ate and greedily, without inviting anybody to join them, wearing serious frown on their faces so as to discourage anyone from attempting to join them.In some minutes, they were through, they washed their hands, covered the plates and put them back in the polythene bag drank some water then they both went back to their respective tasks.It was four pm, Amos went into the workshop, removed his hearing dirty cover all went to the tap nearby, washed his hands legs and face, flung his hand in the air to remove excess water, then ripped it on his khaki shorts, buttoned his shirt property, went in and put on his worn – out leather slippers and announced.“I done de go oh”“Oyibo, you de forget your life plate them oh” Akpan one of the mechanics called outs to him. Amos’ eyes widened knowingly then he bent down, and snatched it from the floor.“Akpan no forget to call Alhaji say him motor done ready” he said and strode off Amos sat next to his wife in the bible study, later that evening. They were among the first persons to arrive. Amos being an usher joined the others to sweep the church clean, wiped clean the white plastic chairs, as well as the pulpit and musical instruments with a slightly damp piece of cotton cloth. It was not long, the pastor came and everything started. Amos fully participated in the prayers, praise and worship sessions. When the study started he was still with the rest of the congregation with heart and mind. He however turned his head at some point, and looked around the church, and the half empty seats it’s was just a Thursday bible study, how many would attends such, well except of course, the poor ones like him, who do not have much doing and who look up to the church for certain favour; he thought. By Sunday this church was going to be full to the brim, with all manner of cars parked outside, in the church compound and be the sides of the busy road. The church hall itself was going to be very colourful with all forms of elaborate dressing and him and comfort were just going to be lost in the crowd. He smiled however at the thought that things would be a better in the nearest future. He believed strongly. Amos was lost in the maze of his own thought, it kept go on getting broader and broader, He also thought about the children comfort was going to birth for him. What he would called them. Bible names and words would be preferable he thought. They were of course studying the life of Apostle Paul that evening Paul, that would make a perfect name for his first son. He could also call one victory, he pondered …“Brother Amos, what do you think?” The voice of pastor Obi broke into his thought.“I sorry Sir, my mind was not there” he pleaded “I observed” Pastor Obi said“You have to try to overcome wandering mind”“The devil is oppressing you with it”Although Amos could not grab all that was, he however got the message and nodded in conformity. Comfort sitting next to him could hardly manage the sudden surge of shame she felt. She swallowed hard in attempt to bottle the shame.*******Bible study was over and they both walked hand in hand in the cool early hours of the night. None of them or had a wrist watch on, so Amos guessed, the time should be around six thirty P.m.