The Father she Hid

CHAPTER 2 THE MISSING ALERT It was a misty morning. Dew sat on the leaves, and the air still held that coldness from the night. Birds sang over the place, and the sound of keke and early traders filled everywhere. Nathan dragged his small table out, arranged his POS machine, his chair, and a bottle of water that already had dust on it. He had not slept. Mama's call still sat in his chest. The first customer was a man in a clean senator wear, gold wristwatch shining. "Guy, transfer 52k. Account dey here," the man said, showing his phone screen while giving him the cash he held in his hand. Nathan typed fast. His Opay balance showed 61,400. He pressed send. The network rolled. Then it showed: Pending - Transaction processing. "Oga, e dey process. Give am small time." The man frowned. "I no get time. I'm in a hurry." Two minutes. Five minutes. The man refreshed his bank app. "No alert. Nothing. You don send am?" "I send am, Oga. See am, pending. Sometimes network dey do like that for this junction." The man's voice changed. "Pending? So you want make I go? If this money no enter my account, you go give me back my cash. You POS boys and format." People started looking. A woman selling akara stopped to watch. Nathan's heart was beating fast. That 52k was not his, it was his last school fees savings plus money he was supposed to balance his oga for the POS. He called his Oga. "Oga Chinedu, one transfer dey pending for 52k" "Pending? Nathan, if that money hang, you go find am o! That machine na my own! You never even balance last week own!" The call cut. Before he could breathe, his phone rang again. Joshua a friend and course mate called. He picked. "Nath boy how far, you don see wetin Dr. Okoro drop for group? No complete school fee, no exam and the deadline na next week Friday. Omo and I get outstanding of 100k," Nathan replied, about to complain, but the call ended.. Everything stopped. The noise of the junction became far. 52k hanging. 100k school fee. And in his pocket, only 9,400 naira cash and the stick sweet he bought that morning. He sat back, sun now hitting his face directly, making his eyes water. He had barely recovered from the call and taken the man's number in case the transaction later succeeded when his phone vibrated again. A text from Mama: Nath, you nor gree answer me. When you go come house this weekend? There is small harvest. Your brothers travelled. I need help. Nathan stared at the message for a long time. Home. The last place he wanted to go. The place where he was a slave. But home had cassava. Home had palm oil. Things he could carry, sell fast for cash in town. He locked his POS drawer, stood up, and started packing his table. He would go home. Not for Mama. Not for her husband. For himself. To get money and leave again forever he said to himself.