I am always careful with what I do or say around kids because you can never be too sure of whatâs going on in their heads. Their innocent faces can be deceiving, and some adults fall for the tricks kids pull because we assume they donât know anything, when in fact, they know a lot just by observing us.
I used to be surprised when kids did unexpected things, but now I understand that they have the ability to observe and comprehend like adults. They may be quiet while figuring things out, but once they understand, you canât predict their reactions.
Ebuka is my very good friend, and we grew up together. We lived very close to each other, and our relationship was tight. He is Igbo, while I am Yoruba, but our cultural backgrounds never affected our friendship.
He spent a lot of time at my place back then because he loved Yoruba food, which he didnât get much at home. I never hesitated to share anything with him and didnât expect anything in returnâit was just pure vibes.
At some point, I had to leave home to hustle, and life took me far away, but it didnât change anything between me and Ebuka. We still chatted regularly. Later, he moved to Agege.
As life would have it, I got a client in Agege at a printing press. The client reached out for a job that would last about two months, and I quickly informed Ebuka about staying at his place during that time because commuting home daily would be too expensive.
He agreed, and I was happy because sleeping at the factory wasnât easy, especially in Agege, where the mosquitoes would break your defense and attack you badly.
The day I dropped my bag at his place, I met a little girl named Hannah, whose parents rented a house and ran a food canteen in the same compound. She was about four years old, very smart, and always asking questions. I often bought her sweets and biscuits because of her cleverness, not knowing it would pay off someday.
While staying at Ebukaâs place, I spent a lot of money on food because I always cooked for two. I wasnât earning much, but I couldnât deny my friend food, especially since he always said he was brokeâeither his wages werenât paid in full, or he had settled debts with his money. He barely contributed to the cooking.
I didnât doubt him and always covered for him, believing he would do the same for me. A month passed, and I noticed Hannah often told Ebuka, âBoda ngbadun,â meaning he was enjoying himself. I assumed it was something she heard adults say, so I didnât pay much attention.
One evening, after returning from work, I sat outside to get some fresh air because Ebukaâs girlfriend was around. While sitting there, Hannah came to me, and we started chatting. I love kidsâ company, and youâd be surprised how well we relate. I canât remember what led to the conversation, but she told me that Ebuka used to âenjoyâ very well. She even said he never bought anything for her like I did.
Curious about what she meant by âenjoy,â I listened as she described how he bought plenty of food from her parentsâ canteenâbig fish and meat. She gave me all the details, and I didnât want to believe it because it all sounded like an exaggeration, but what would she gain from lying?
I kept quiet about it and started monitoring Ebuka. I would come home during my breaks and finally caught him. He always ate lunch at the canteen and still pretended to be hungry. I wanted to stay silent since the job was almost over, but I decided to confront him.
He apologized, and I let it slide, but the whole thing affected our relationship. I never thought he could do such a thing but thanks to Hannah for exposing him.
Does Hannah knows that she ah. Scatter friendships with her innocent speech. I hope ebuka won't crack Hannah's head later
Honestly, I didn't mention her name in everything. She's a big girl now, I bet she won't even remember these things.
Lol
Ebuka is one of those greedy friends you want to have in your corner, and yes kids are very observant
Yes, he is. He was the last person I thought would do such a thing to me but it's one of those things. Hannah exposed him and I got to know the kind of friend I was dealing with.
That kind of thing đ
I had same experience when I lived with a roommate while in school. Ken would eat 'balance diet' at school canteen and still come home to finish my garriđ¤Ł.
Hannah was a God sent
Lolz, I really don't know why people do that though. It's annoying finding out that someone who could share everything with is hiding from you.
That's human for us.
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