I Decided Not To Buy From Her Again – Praises Chidera Obiora
There is this elderly woman in my street who sells Garri, fufu, and other general foodstuffs. She also sells provisions all in a small shop.
I have been buying things from her shop because I felt she had already taken me as a customer, and I owed her my loyalty as one. But at a point, I decided not to buy from her again.
Now, this was my reason.
Whenever I come to buy things in her shop, mama will ask me to pick what I want. She had difficulty in hearing. After picking all I need, I will now calculate what I bought, give mama the money, and pick change from her drawer while she sat in a position and just watched.
She was that old.
This process made things slower for me especially when I was in a hurry. I spent at least 20 minutes in her shop showing mama what I picked, where I picked it from, how much they cost, and the change I picked from her drawer.
To put it short, I was my own shop attendant whenever I come to buy from mama. She was the boss.
I started feeling like this woman might think I am cheating her, especially when she looks at me with a kind of eyes sometimes.
So I started hiding and buying from other shops that served me what I needed quickly until I eventually parked from the area.
So this evening, I visited my family’s house and went to buy soap. I couldn’t find my kind of soap in the shops around. The only shop I had not entered was that of mama.
I entered and when she saw me she smiled in excitement.
“My pikin, two days. Where you go?”
I told her I had moved out to another area in town and had only come to visit my family.
She nodded her head.
“Ehen, no wonder I no the see you for my shop again.”
She asked what I wanted to buy and I told her. Thankfully, Mama had my kind of soap. As usual, mama asked me to pick what I wanted, drop the money in her drawer and pick my change.
I wasn’t too comfortable doing that, but I had no choice. I picked the soap, added some other items to my nylon, and calculated everything. I showed mama the money and the change I had picked from her drawer.
Mama said to me.
“No show me. The go. I know how much thing you pick and the change you pick.”
I was shocked.
“Mama you know?”
Mama started laughing and stood up. It was the first time I had seen her stand up.
“I know na. No be everybody I dey allow come my drawer. But you see you, you too sincere. Na only you amongst people wey dey for this area never cheat me for once. Only you. Even people wey know say I old, and this shop na the only shop wey my pikin build for me, sake of say I dey always dey inside house and no the commot, go still steal from me. I no the hungry o.
Na my pikin say mama come stay for shop so that you go the sell market the dey busy small small as excercise. Wicked people go still come here the steal from old woman because they think say I no know maths. I gree say I no know maths but I dey catch them. I dey see their face the catch them.
Even you seff I dey look your face that time, but you never steal from me before. You go calculate the money correct, pick change, give me my money. Na im I come trust you well well. The small mathematics wey dey my head, I dey know if person cheat me. You never cheat me before and na why I trust you. You be good man.”
I left mama’s shop and my heart couldn’t stop beating.
Even when no one is seeing you; even if God’s eyes are closed and he doesn’t write your sins on paper anymore, always stay righteous at all time and be good. A good name they say is better than riches. Imagine what a good testimony about you will bring you someday.
My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.
#OpraDre Buy From Her Again Buy From Her Again Buy From Her Again Buy From Her Again
Read this Inspirational Sweet Story > BLOODLINE
