Smoking Weed & Sipping Hennessy: “The Thief Within”

During my youth service in 2002, I hatched a plan to expand our family house and add a room or two. So I saved up part of my ‘allawee’. But then an idea hit me; to ask my then boss for a loan I can repay back with time.

“Oh, ma worry Segun. I’ll give you. Blablabla, yenyenyen, yadayadayada…”

She never gave me a dime.

A few months later, on a Monday, I was at the reception when she and her ‘PA’ called Gbenga- her husband’s brother came in with a Ghana Must Go bag and they went straight into the office.

I followed suit, greeted them and walked back to the reception to continue my chat with ‘Madam Ruth and a few others.

I was quite popular at the NNPC Zonal office then. I was friends with everyone; from the cleaners to the manager, I was easily liked. So I make time out from time to time to visit offices and exchange banter with everyone and anyone.

Back to my story…

She called me into the office and pointed at the GMG bag, “…you see that bag, na money dey am. #650,000. So no let anyone come in here or touch it”.

She locked the door herself and handed me the keys. I handed the keys to the security man sitting by her door right in front of her and said to him before her, “nobody must go into that office unless madam and until she returns.”

I left for the library to read papers and browse the internet on their PC. GSM was not popular then.

A few hours later she returned, went into the office behind me, I supposed she pulled out some money to pay someone and discovered #11,000 was missing. She began to shout and scream and asked I be called to come.

“The money I kept in your care, I can’t find #11,000 from it.”

“I don’t know anything about it. I didn’t come back after you left. Ask the security boy…”

She snapped, screaming. Her deputy who was handed a bundle and noticed the ‘removed’ notes from like 3 bunches came with her downstairs.

“I know the feel of #100,000 by holding it… You said you withdrew the money on Thursday and took it home before bringing it to the office Monday? And you spent a part of it? Ask from your people at home. I doubt if they know anything about it.”

The screaming went on and we ended up at her house where she poured curses along side a ‘woli’ from her church (Cele).

The head of security called me to his office to ask questions.

“…she said you asked for a loan?”

Me, “yes. But I didn’t take her money. I will rather beg than steal”.

“Hm. Don’t worry. We’ll find the person who stole the money. You can go”.

I left all teared up. My fellow youth corp members looked at me different, even staffs. Only very few believed my story.

So many things went through my head. I was the NYSC state PRO. If they report the matter to the secretariat, I could be jailed. My family will go through shame, and from #650,000, why will I steal #11,000? Etc.

It remained like that for months until one day that my oga,’s new driver told me how they found the money.

Before then, she won’t let me go past the door or do anything. Even when I was the brain of her desk.

Cooks were preparing dinner for some guests when they found 5 expensive lace materials tied in a nylon bag hidden in the bushes behind the house and called her attention.

She went into the house and searched through her PA’s stuff and found more materials hidden in his room then found his passbook with details of how he deposited #11,000 in #100 notes.

I accosted her with this truth, she initially wanted to beg me quietly but I refused and insisted she announce to everyone she had told ‘Segun stole my #11,000’. She was reluctant but I spread the word myself and the manager asked her to apologize to me. She did, reluctantly.

I regained my respect and she handled matters related to me from then on with care.

She’s late now; she died 2009. I saw her obituary on the pages of a newspaper.

…

My point; no one knows who’s innocent until the truth is revealed.

Those who try to plant lies on you hoping to make their lies the truth shall never succeed if you’re upright and just.

People and organizations I’ve repped that betrayed my trust always end up in shame. I knew on time to be on the path of truth no matter how long as that’s my route to triumph.

Truth is one no matter the number of lies, conspiracy and who’s behind it…just stand firm and resolute.

Try it.

…

SW&SH is a weekly series on here and ‘Jokes Apart With SMG’.

Join me.

I’m done, I’m gone, I’m ghost!