MOTHERS CAN DO ANYTHING

I love my Mother very much.
I really do.

The sacrifices she has made for me cannot be counted or written down.
She is simply amazing and irreplaceable.
Tho she may have faults, I would over look all the faults because she is the reason behind my existence.

But there is one fault, that I don't think I will be able to overlook after my current experience.
That one fault would have left me dead if not for God's intervention.
And most of African Mothers have this similar character.

Now, you would be thinking
Which character could that be?
Its the character of PRICING.
They price everything from food, to school fees, to transportation and even lives.

In my own definition, its the reduction of price of a certain commodity to suit the customer.
Mothers are created with this super ability.
They have a strong persuasion and it would leave the buyer calling them to come and buy the product at their own price.

It helps when it comes to goods and food stuff. But with the situation I found myself, pricing did not help at all.

Mom is a successful business woman and a functional nurse.
She sold different types of accessories and coupled it with her late night shifts at the hospital.
It was fetching her money but also stressing her so she had to find a way to fix it.

She thought of dropping the business for someone else while she focused on her nursing.
Out of all humans to entrust her business, she choose me to run the place.

I have no control over money.

Money controlled me instead, but there was no other person apart from me.
Am a type that once I start saving, I will use the money and return to being broke.

But for her to trust me, I had to be reliable and trustworthy for once in my life.
So I devised a means to get my profits instead of messing with her income.

She usually hired buses to drop packages to her customer's houses and would drop N3000 for transport fare.

That was a lot of money and the driver would end up with the remaining money.
So I took the transportation job and delivered the items myself while making the sales.
It was working and it was fetching a whole lot of money.

Within a week, I made a whole lot of money plus what she was giving me.

But all my profits were invested into betting and most of the games never turned out fruitful.

The spirit of greed came in and it began to twitch with my mindset.

I thought if I could use shortcuts to deliver items, it would be shorter and easier.
AND MORE MONEY FOR ME!

So I started using rough routes to get to the destinations and I delivered the items.
Leaving more money in my pocket, but unfortunately my day of reckoning came way too soon.

Mom had a contract to dispatch some accessories to a wealthy business man. He was naturally arrogant and did not like when things came late.

So he needed his delivery quite early.
He was meant to receive it by 3pm, so Mum told me to take off by 1pm so I could get there on time.

She wanted me to make use of Bolt so I would be comfortable and I won't be stressed.

So she gave me 10k for the Bolt.
At that moment, greed set in.

I knew that if I used a taxi I would save 8k from the money so I disobeyed Mum orders.
And I used a taxi in order to cut down the expenses.

The package was in a flashy briefcase and I was properly dressed with my airpods in my ears.
I reached the streets and began my search for a taxi.

One driver pulled over and asked where I was heading. I told him and he told me to hop in.

I asked him about the price so I would know my profit and he stated 2k.

I brought out bundles of money and counted it in front of the taxi so the ladies around would feel me.

The taxi driver was shocked and told me to enter quickly.

I removed my phone and flaunted it before entering the taxi with the flashy briefcase in my other hand, I ensured I made a scene.

I ordered him to play music during the ride and I balanced beside him.

He drove well and engaged me in conversations.

He asked about my source of income and my entire life.
I began to lie in order to look classy.
I told him I owned a cosmetics store and I sold goods abroad and locally.
I even stated that I earned nearly 1mil every month.

I was still ranting until.........
I suddenly woke up with no clothing apart from my boxers and there was a white cloth tied to my mouth.

I looked around and saw muscular men sitted waiting for me to wake up.
I was more than confused and I shook my head in disbelief.
I was kidnapped.
I was without money, phone and the accessories.

The kingpin walked towards me with a knife and told me to pick a family member that I would call.

My Dad won't even answer and if he does answer, he would leave me dead.

So I chose my Mum.
I was shivering, sweating and I pissed into my pants.
He ask me to call her digits and I did that with immediate effect.
They used my phone for the calls.

She answered and the conversation went thus:

KIDNAPPER: Are you the mother to.....(whispers to me, "What's your name"...
ME: John
KIDNAPPER: Hmm, are you the mother to John.
MUM: Yes, I haven't seen or heard from him, Is he okay (in a sober voice).

KIDNAPPER: He is okay for now, but he won't be if you don't comply with us.
Then the Kingpin took the phone and continued
KINGPIN: Hey Madam, if you don't send 4m in four days, your son is good as dead.

MUM: (Freezes for a moment)
I thought she fainted until I heard her voice which gave me assurance.
KINGPIN: Madam we are not joking here, we would stab this boy and toss his bleeding body into the stream.

MUM: How much did you mention?
KINGPIN: Four million!, no sentiments.
MUM: How about 2 million, that would go a long way ohh.

KINGPIN: No negotiations !!, Four mil is four mil. I can manage 3 million.
MUM: Okay, am a single mother so let's consider 800k then I will pay 1mil in bits.
KINGPIN: You must be joking, He's gonna die.

MUM: Die? Then let him die.
I'm giving you 800k last, am ending this conversation.
Then she ended the call.

The men turned and face me with deep anger. At this point I could no longer predict their line of action.

The KIDNAPPER bent down and held me by my chin
I was expecting a slap or something but he looked me in the eye and asked if that was truely my mother.

I told him, "Yes, she's the one".
They told me to speak when they call her the next time.
They called the line and she picked immediately.

MUM: Have you chosen the 800k offer?
KIDNAPPER: Speak to your son.
ME: Mum, please these men are serious, please help me.

MUM: (Screaming) You think I don't know your pranks, you organized with your friends to get money from me.
Am ashamed of you.

ME: Am truly kidnapped, (crying) Am not lying Mum.
KIDNAPPER: We are real kidnappers here, don't mess with our patience.
MUM: Then prove it.

At this point, I began to believe my Mother was tipsy.

She was bargaining with my own life.
MUM: I need your pictures, if you're truly a kidnapper as you say.
KINGPIN AND OTHERS: (Arguing within themselves)

KIDNAPPER 1: This is our chance to get this money
KIDNAPPER 2: Lets wear masks and snap.
KIDNAPPER 3: Ya, let's snap
KINGPIN: John, our whatever is your name, Open your WhatsApp, (while they wore their maks).

They started taking the pictures and they posed with their ammunition.

I was sitting on the floor when the police barged in suddenly and got the kidnappers apprehended.

I was shocked and sat on the floor so confused and in shock.
My Mum ran in and held me tightly, she nearly burst into tears.
She used my phone's location to find me and rescue me.

She delayed the kidnappers till the process was over.

It was risky but it was totally worth it.
The kidnappers exposed all their other counterparts including the driver that picked me.

I resumed work but the thoughts of my mother PRICING MY OWN LIFE is an evergreen memory.