The Caretaker
Rafiu Tedun is popularly known as Baba Lagos in the village of Fagun. Though in Nigerian parlance, Fagun is no village. How could anyone call a settlement with more down 80 houses a village? The small town is at the outskirt of Itoro. Itoro is one of the largest cities in the north central of the country. Baba Lagos left the town when he was twenty years old after dropping out of school, after just a year in the Primary school. How could one sit in a room for six hours only to listen to some boring chaps called teachers? He argued. He also left the Arabic School his father put him for, according to him, cruelty of his tutors. He wandered the length and breadth of the town and environ for five good years before running away to Lagos, the then capital of Nigeria.
Lagos, as people say, has been a safe haven to all. Hard workers, lazy people, thugs, thieves among others can be found in Lagos. So Lagos was the best place for Rafiu Tedun. In those golden days of Nigeria, jobs were easily got in Lagos. It took Rafiu no time in getting a labourer job. The job was really repaying and Rafiu was even able to build a six room house in his home town after just thirty years in the service. Something some funny looking so called civil servant couldn’t pull off. Well he is no servant, he thought to himself. He retired from the job after a glorious forty years of meritorious service. He went back to his hometown. Many people had forgotten the little troublesome lad that ran away from home, what they now saw was a great been to Lagos man. He was highly revered.
After two years of showing off as a rich man in the town, his little wealth was running down. He quickly started the business of meat selling. He was selling the raw meat while his wife Modun, was frying and selling the fried meat.
This morning, he was taking his breakfast of bread and tea (with blue band butter of course). He was practically the richest man in the whole town presently, or so he believed. Why wouldn’t he be? He deserved to be. He made about twelve thousand naira everyday. And he was going to make it for a whole month. He had been making such money for five year. Who says odd number is bad luck? Isn’t it in the ninth month of every year that he had been grossing about three hundred thousand naira? He thought. He had always been lucky in his life; luck must be my other name. Like Goodluck Jonathan? He laughed. He had come home just in time to being the only caretaker agent in the town and his environ. The job had been repaying, to say the least. How did Baba Lagos come by this once in every year jackpot? Well, it was simple.
The number of non indigene students in the Fagun Grammar School had increased in the late 90s due to the popular belief that the dreaded West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations (which some lazy students dubbed, though wrongly, wicked and callous) can only be passed in rural schools. This influx of students turned Fagun from a ‘rent free’ town to a ‘rent full’ town. Before, people were just giving houses for accommodation in the town free of charge. Since most of the houses in the town were built by indigenes of the town abroad and were scarcely inhabited, nobody thought of making money out of giving someone a roof to his or her head.
But the influx of students coincided with the return of the wisest man in the town, His Honour, Been To Lagos Rufai Tedun aka Baba Lagos who at a Palace meeting singly raised and defended the motion for charging of a little money for rent. Money for maintenance of those houses, he said. Whatever that meant, people thought. The people not knowing how to go about the rent palaver unanimously handed over the job to the most civilised among them which coincided again to be Baba Lagos. He was given full autonomy on the houses. Thus Baba Lagos added to the numerous numbers of jobs he had done the job of a caretaker. Though he couldn’t read nor write but what do reading and writing have to do with getting someone a room and getting paid for that? What?
He started charging One Hundred Naira for each room per month making One Thousand Two Hundred Naira for a year. He was also charging three hundred for his own enormous task. But that was ten years ago, that period now seemed like a millennium ago to him. That was until he hit his real jackpot. That was until the arrival of University of Itoro students. That was when his life changed. He had within a period of seven years increased rent and of course his own commission five times. He presently charge 50 percent of the rent for his commission, a record price some mischievous students campaigned. He had since seven years ago been grossing minimum of Hundred Thousand Naira at every academic year resumption. The money is small comparing to the job he is doing, he once told a friend, but he was just doing the work to help his community and obviously the students.
He finished his breakfast and called to his wife. ‘Isn’t my chicken ready’
‘It is about to be ready’ Modun, his wife of thirty years, replied him. ‘And you don’t need to shout for the whole town to know what you take for breakfast’ she added.
‘What if I shouted? Who cares? Just bring it and stop dropping your saliva in it’
Baba Lagos had declared the month of September as month of chicken eating. For himself only, of course. He used to eat a whole chicken every day. His wife once asked him ‘Why punish poor chicken for your success?’
‘Who else should I punish?’ he rhetorically asked in a tone of finality.
He left his parlour and moved to his office where he attended to his numerous client. His office was no place other than the front of his house. One of his few friends had one time advised him to use one of the rooms in his house as office. But he had argued that, why waste a whole room in the name of some useless office while some helpless students are looking for accommodation? He had in his spirit of philanthropy rented four of his six rooms to students.
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‘Hello’ Soji said into his phone mouthpiece.
‘Hey man, I don get the house. Come and meet me at my place so that we can go to Baba’ Sola on the other end said, not waiting for reply, he dropped the call.
Soji quickly put a finishing touch to a poem he was writing. Soji, a twenty one years old undergraduate of the University of Itoro (UNITORO), mischievously called UNISORO by students (meaning university of problems), was a son of Chief Kola Zubair. Chief Zubair was a fearless journalist turned politician. He was among the few honest politicians in Nigeria. That could explain why after many years in active politics he had only one house and a car. But he was a contended man. These traits of Nationalism, Honesty, Bravery and Contentment were all manifested in all his children. Soji was no exemption. He had been holding one post or the other in various development, progressive and youth’s associations since his teen. Though he was in Sciences, he wrote actively poems and articles. To some of his friends he was some sort of genius. Or how else could you explain someone who was very brilliant in science and who also possessed immense knowledge of literature, commerce, current affairs and geography? His friend queried. Despite his numerous gifts, Soji was cool headed and humble but had little patience for oppression and corruption. He had been part of his school Students Union since admission.
UNITORO, like every other government establishment in the country, had its fair share of the country’s problems. One of the numerous problems facing the school was inadequate accommodation for his students. Eighty percent of the students lived off campus. Living off campus also caused another major problem for the school; transportation. No part of Itoro was walkable to the school. It was believed that Universities should be sited as far as possible from the corrupt society so that the distinguished members of the Ivory Tower will not be corrupted, and it seemed founders of UNITORO were leading believers of that notion, or so most students alleged. The village of Fagun was discovered by some students of the school seven years ago. The village among other thing is just a thirty minute walk to the school. Since then about three hundred students had been living in the place; mostly indigent students or sometimes students who couldn’t cope with the stress of transport to the city everyday.
Among the present students living in Fagun was Soji, who after getting admission found it difficult to get accommodation in the city and impossible in the school hostel. He had been taken to Fagun by another student. He was taken to Baba Lagos ( shortened to Baba by the students).
‘You had come late’ Baba had said ‘but notwithstanding I will do everything to help you get a room. I also have children, that is why I take it as my duty to help youths’. As promised, Baba got him a room at Lajokun, just a fifteen minutes walk from Fagun. Baba had collected only three thousand naira only for his task. Soji had earlier paid six thousand naira for a year rent. Baba also promised to get him a room at Fagun next year.
True to his word, Baba got Soji a room at Fagun in the next year.(Baba as a way of getting new blood to the town had devised a means of sending out some irresponsible students. Irresponsibility in Baba dictionary had a personalised meaning, people claimed. Some had also misunderstood this well intended scheme of the old man, they claimed the motive for it was for Baba to make more money on caretaker commission.). Soji paid Seven Thousand Two Hundred Naira for only a year rent of the room. He also paid Three Thousand Six Hundred Naira for the caretaker commission. Baba had been, in the last three years, increasing the house rent. This was justifiable because Nigeria government had been increasing the price of petroleum incessantly and that had increased the cost of house maintenance, Baba claimed.
‘How could an illiterate old man be milking the society just like that. He cant even write his own receipt. He cant even sign for God sake. And he is getting paid just for knowing the owners of the houses. He will even make you feel like he is doing you some sort of favour. That’s what I abhor most ’ Soji was saying to himself as he was wearing his shirt. He was preparing to go and meet Baba with his friend who had earlier called him some minutes ago. His landlord had through Baba told him to look elsewhere for accommodation since the house was to be overhauled.
‘The man is a beast , you know.’ Soji once told his friend AJ who was studying Analytical Chemistry along with him.
‘Well he’s got his meal let him eat’ AJ had replied sarcastically.
‘No one says an old man should not eat. But he is eating too much. His caretaker fee is too much. If the last students protest had succeeded, I believe the old man would have found another job to do. But getting fifty percent for just knowing the landlord is wrong in all its ramifications.’
‘Well, activist, this is Nigeria. People always maximize their opportunities’
‘Or well put, people always abuse their privilege.’ They both laughed.
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‘Baba, we have checked the room. We are going to take it.’ Began Sola.
‘No problem’ Baba replied.
‘This is my friend that’s taking the room.’ Sola said pointing to Soji.
Baba after a minute said ‘I am no more giving out the room’. The declaration came like a bombshell.
‘Why?’ chorused the two friend.
Baba after another minute explained ‘ I have been trying since coming to this town to help students especially you varsity students. When I started giving you campus students accommodation, the principal of our college was going around blackmailing me saying I will destroy his school. But I triumphed. Since then I have been doing favour for you people. But when you now came together and formed gang against me. You that I have been helping, now saying all sort of thing. You even organised riot against me. It was painful. I was nearly beaten that day. But I was more disappointed that you Soji could be part of the scheme. But that’s history. You failed. And I will make sure all of you that spearheaded or even participated in the riot pay for your barbarism. I have also told Sam to pack out. So I am not going to give you too house.’
Sola and Soji exchanged glances. Soji didn’t participate in the protest Baba was referring to. He was not aware of it. He had only learnt of it when he returned from school the following day. But Baba had been under the wrong impression that Soji had participated. Soji really hated the turn of event. How could this old man be so vindictive? He thought. He was about to react when his friend intervened.
‘ Soji didn’t participate in that protest. Even if he had participated , you have to forgive him.’
‘I was not in the protest, sir. Just help me with the accommodation’ Soji reluctantly pleaded.
‘He was there. I saw him. He was even in the front...’ that was Modun She was well known to always add fuel to every fire in the town.
‘Baba lets forget about everything. We are your son. Let him have the room’ Sola quickly put in before could Modun destroy everything
‘Since you said he was not there, no problem. I was under the impression he was there. Hmmm. Let him pay now because many people are after the room’
Soji dipped his hand into his pocket and paid Baba Eight Thousand Naira the latest house rent. Baba counted the money and replied that the money remained his own caretaker fee.
‘Baba, this is a different situation. You know Soji had paid you twice caretaker money and he is only changing his accommodation because of what you are also aware of. You should spare him the caretaker fee’
‘No! I am going to collect my caretaker fee. No caretaker, no room’ Baba finalised.
Soji seeing that there was no way out dipped his hand inside his pocket and gave the old man two thousand naira.
‘My money is four thousand naira. If you don’t have money, don’t waste my time. Aaro loja.’
Against all inclinations and the look on his friend face (Soji, a master at reading faces , knew his friend wanted him to pay the old man. His friend was a staunch believer of ‘give Caesar what is unto Caesar’.) he said ‘ Baba, this is all wrong. Hand me back my money. I cant take your exploitation any longer. Four thousand naira on top eight thousand naira is nothing but greed’
Baba was stunned he had never been confronted individually like this before. He gently handed back the money to him. Sola was about to say something when Soji told him ‘Lets go’
‘Baba, this cannot surely continue. How can you be so greedy? You are exploiting children like you don’t have children. ‘ Soji said while leaving.
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‘That was stupid, wasn’t it’ Said Sola after they got to Soji’s room.
‘It was stupid, right? Are you satisfied?’
‘No. That was not what I meant. You the genius, man. I just want to ask; do you know what you are doing? Cause man, I don’t know how you are going to live again in this town with what you just did. Do you know what you are doing?’
After some minutes, Soji said ‘I don’t know. I just don’t know…’ There was knocking on the door and without waiting for reply, entered Jayjay and Kazim.
‘Hey men, what happened with you and Baba. He was cursing you all around and threatening to bring down the sky if you do not leave the town’ Kazim said.
Soji just was pacing down the room. And his friends looking at each other perhaps thinking he was crazy.
After some minutes he said ‘You guys, whatever happens, you got my back, right?’
‘Sure, genius’ chorused all the three. ‘What are friends for?’ added Kazim
‘Then we ve got some work to do’ he paused ‘ and stop looking at me like that.’ He added.
His friends were astonished. They had never seen him like that before. Soji briefed them on what he wanted done. He said he had studied why the last protest failed and had devised a way out. The organisers of the last protest didn’t carry along the Mogaji of the town, the University Security and the generality of the people of the community. Baba had run to the School security after the protest and misinformed the security. The security had called warned the students. This scared the students to the extent that they abandoned their cause. He said he wanted to organise another protest but a successful one.
‘How are we going to do it? No one is going to follow us for another protest.’ Put in Jayjay.
‘Well, we are going to try. We are going to call a meeting. We are going to inform the Security and the Nigeria Police and also the Mogaji. No one is going to stop us from exercising our fundamental rights. But we are only going to have problem if we fail to inform the necessary authority. The students will follow us if they know we have the authority behind us.’ Soji explained.
‘You ve figured everything out. So what’s the deal?’ that was Aj.
‘AJ and Jayjay can you start informing students that there is going to be a meeting tomorrow? You take FESTAC hostel to MKO Lodge. Kazim and I will take FREEDOM Hostel to OBJ Cottage.’ Houses in the town had already been named by the students
They all set out.
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It was a week later when the protest was staged. Soji and his revolutionary team (as he called them) had little trouble convincing their colleagues and secondary school students. They all respected him and believed in him. Some important members of the community, including the Mogaji, had also been informed. Mogaji and Baba were, to say the least, not on good terms. Soji had also gone to the school security and the school Students Affairs Unit. Both visits were successful as the Security unit had provided security personnel to make sure the peaceful protest does not turn violent. The Nigeria Police also provided two policemen. The school Students Union was also on ground to add voice to the protest.
One thing that was amazing was that Baba was oblivious of what was happening. It was too late when he learnt. It was only when the students were already on the road that he knew what was happening. But as a self styled warrior, he believed he was unshakeable. ‘Thousand of Sojis and his friends cannot shake me. I always dey kampe’ he had boasted to his wife when the latter informed him of the ongoing protest. He dashed inside like a soldier and came out with an amulet on his neck and hand. He believed that the amulets were most potent. Well, that’s justifiable, considering the number of wars he had won with them.
The protest had started in front of the Satellite Hostel. It was apparent that everyone wanted Baba gone. The turnout of the protesters was overwhelming. The protest was led by Soji and Lincoln, a representative of the Students Union. The protesters were carrying placard with various writing. ‘NO MORE CARETAKER’ ‘NO TO OPPRESSION’ ‘GREEDINESS IS UNGODLY’ ‘BABA STOP EXPLOITING US’ ETC. ‘STOP EXPLOITATION OR FACE DISASTER’
‘Of the greatest Nigerian Students’ shouted Lincoln at intervals, on top of his voice.
‘Yesooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo’ always replied the protesters.
When they got to Baba house, Baba tried talking to the students but to no avail. He was double marched to the Mogaji’ palace. The elders of the town asked students what they wanted. Soji spoke at length. Baba also spoke. After some deliberation, Baba was discharged of his duties. A three man committees was set up to oversee the issue of accommodation in the town; One representative from the students, one from the Mogaji Council, and one representing the landlords abroad. It was also agreed that only five hundred naira should be charged as development dues (in replacement of caretaker fee). The house rent was also pegged at six thousand naira per year. Baba left the palace in shame and anger. Much of anger than shame. Anger at almost everyone; the students who are ingrate, the Mogaji council who are uncivilised and ignorant of modern practice of house rent, his herbalists who had assured him of the unfailing ability of the amulets and understandably God who had left his side at the last minute.
Soji after the victory delivered a speech to the protesters ‘…This was not about the money. It was not because we hated an old man. But it was because what was happening was evil. Exploitation and corruption are all wrong. We cannot continue to sit and complain in silence about various injustices in our society. Leaders need to be checked, criticized and challenged. A situation where some people exploit us and flaunt their ill gotten wealth in our faces must a thing of past. We should not take the path of this present generation of Nigerians who are suffering and smiling (a la Fela). We must be the next generation of Nigeria, the generation of revolutionaries. Revolutions is not always about blood shedding. The Americans carried out a revolution last year by voting a black man as president. That was a bloodless revolution. We have just also carried out a revolution without violence. Nigerians should rise and save our nation from leaders who always abuse their position and power. Leaders do not necessarily mean political leaders. We have community leaders, religious leaders and the likes… We cannot continue to sit on the fence. We cannot continue complaining alone, we must act. Speech, symposium, write up and the like can only do little but it is until we drive home our points by any means possible but violence that things can change for better. I thank you all for participating in this historic protest and I congratulate us for the victory.’
The students cheered after the speech and dispersed.
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Baba left the town the following month and relocated to Lajokun a neighbouring village where he engaged in farming until his death the following year. Some rumour mongers said he died from excess of fat while other said he died from natural causes. But the story of an illiterate and greedy caretaker will be told for years in the town of Fagun and neighbouring towns.
Disclaimer: all names of people in this story are not real but a product of imagination of the writer. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is nothing but a mere coincidence. This is story is not a product of an event known to the writer. This is a pure work of fiction.
LAY RITE, a member of International Poetry Society, USA, Young Writers Society, USA, Union of Campus Journalists and Unilorin Literacy Club, and the former Editorial Chairman, Pathfinder magazine, is presently studying for his first degree in Plant Biology at University Of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. Ylfvision@yahoo.com, 2348067371273. (c) ALABI, Sodiq (2009)
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