By Theophilus Keme
*Phone ringing***
“Daddy! Hello Daddy”
“Daddy when are you coming back?”
“Daddy we didn’t go to school yesterday o! Teacher Mary sent us home because we are yet to pay our school-fees”
“Daddy how are you?”
“Mummy also didn’t get anything to eat last night and today. She insisted we eat- as she offered Tamara and I the only cup of garri left in the house”
“But this she says we shouldn’t worry, that you have gone out to get us plenty of money that will enable us get plenty of food, also my Shaw-mama” “And yes, Tamara says you should get her Ice cream”
“Daddy we are waiting for you, please come back quick daddy and don’t forget buying us bread”
‘Bye’
Phone call ends..***
Hearing the voice of my three years old son over the phone melted me like butter that was spread under a hot african sun. His innocence instantly made me feel a war of emotions inside of me. Confused I am. As I don’t know exactly if it was emotions of defeat or a summon of courage.
His unrelenting faith in me- his father to be able to provide and grant all the needs of him and his sibling has been a daily dosage of morale that I must be the hero my family and children thinks that I am.
Honestly, it is really hard out here as a man. More tiring as a worker-but I can’t afford to disappoint my family.
I can’t afford to disappoint my family even though we live in a stressful hell of a country where disappointment is the order of the day by the government to its citizens which continues to rape we the laborers of their due benefits.
My children. My innocent children have no idea that their father have been on the field with other laborers protesting over the non payment of salary and also for an increase for the past 5 Months.
A salary that we had cried to the government that barely meets any of our basic needs. It has never been buoyant enough to equate the high cost of living in this economy situation that they have put us through due to their inadequacies in being our leaders. A salary that is though peanuts, but we have however settle on to, to compromise as it will be much of a greater burden should we as husbands can’t put nothing in the hands of our be-love wives at the due of every month as pay cheque from our labours.
No! No!! I must not yield to defeats.
This stage protest by we workers on this day (May 1st) workers day must create impact!
The inscription boldly written on my placards reads “PAY US OUR SALARIES WITH INCREASE, MY SON & WIFE THINKS OF ME AS THEIR SUPER HERO”
“Pay us oooo pay us ooooo Pay us oooo
We get family and children ooo Pay us”
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NB. Business owners are fighting for their lives and the economy of the country is neither smiling with her citizens, hope has become the last resort of the common man that he will eventually get an increase in his wages that matches the high demands of things in his immediate environment, even as he daily pray against to ever hear his greatest fear. You are fired!
