Yesterday's dream

Nkisak ran from his usual spot towards a moving vehicle as its passengers stretched out their hands to request wares. "Gala dey o, gala dey o" he shouted as he handed two of the said sausage roll to a woman who had requested. The car zoomed off leaving Nkisak standing with other sellers by the road. He leaned on the electric poll by the road as he tried to catch his breath. This was the life he lived daily, running after buses from one point to another....Nkisak mopped the sweat from his face with the hem of his shirt.


"Patrick!, look out!" Nkisak leaped towards a fellow hawker and pushed him off the road. 

"oh Dear Lord, that was close...Thank you Nk"

"It's okay, go home and rest please..."

"alright...." Patrick picked his wares and left the roadside.

"Emem how are you?" he poked a young lady who had bent to take stock of her remaining wares

"Nkisak I dey oooo"

"You sell today o... Na small remain for your market" He teased

"Nkisak na you dey sell pass now, I nor even sabi run follow motor like you"

"Ah Emem, you sabi wash person sha"

Emem was a beautiful young lady with the perfect feminine features. Despite the hardships she faced in life, her beauty never dimmed
"Nkisak make we go motor park; some people fit need things to buy for dia o"

"True true, call James make all of us go"

"You nor add Angela una two don fight again?"

Nkisak ignored her question. Angela was his lover. She wanted the good things of life and for that,she had lately reminded him that they could no longer be together. In her words " I can't be hustling hard like this and be stuck in a poverty stricken relationship"

"I think say Angela be wan retire from this business?" he questioned mockingly

"Na by mouth?" Emem mocked further

"Call her then let's all go together"

"Okay I'll call her"


**********

Emem rushed towards the motor park with other sellers but was soon separated from them to head towards her preferred spot where she laid her wares and thankfully, her feminine features attracted lots of customers to her even though it was profitable, the attention from male customers also had its downsides.
"Emem my baby!" one of the mechanics called out

"wetin be your own?" Emem frowned

"i like you ooo chaii! you be fine girl"

Emem hissed...these touts had no other dream besides defiling young girls who came to this park to sell their lots
"obinna, waka comot for hia now!" Emem walked away swaying her buttocks

"oboy! see waist!" the boy hailed after her

Emem knew not to turn back, if she did, the entire motor park would go agog and young men could come around her to continue their hailing
Nsikak waved at her. The boy was very hardworking. She met a few young men in this hawking line of business and she knew the ones that were fully dedicated to the course. 
"i'm done selling my wares what about you?"

"i have a few left" Emem replied

"okay come lets go sell what's left.  I hope you haven't driven off the few customers who would have patronized you

"i did scare off a few... all these men in this park are just too promiscuous"

"ah ah, look at you Emem, you look like a ray of sunshine which man wouldn't want to date you?"

"hmmmm..... Anyway, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder anyway"

"true...but anyone who beholds you beholds light." Nkisak smiled

"wehdone sir( mimicking the fahlz sign) you and your sugar coated tongue"

"let's go sell your remaining items" Nkisak laughed


*********

Uncle Akpan hurled insults at Bassey as he chased him round the courtyard. Since the little monster returned to the village he had become useless to himself and everyone around.
"Bassey! Ikot Ekpene is no hiding place for your laziness, go out and work!" He said the words angrily

Bassey fumed with anger. His uncle was making his life unbearable. He was still in his early thirties, why would anyone want to frustrate his efforts at finding peace?

"i regret the day my sister bore you!" uncle Akpan spat

"my mother shouldn't have left me to suffer, please uncle leave me alone"

"i'll leave you alone, i will. Look at Nkisak- he's in the city struggling to make ends meet while you are here wasting away"

"uncle, Nkisak has his own destiny"

"aren't you older? shameless fool"

"uncle ehen....stop insulting me oh!" Bassey warned

"or you'll do what? i'll cut off those testicles giving you the effrontery to talk back at me"

"uncle leave me alone." Bassey walked back into the house angrily

 Nsikak observed the duel from afar. He disliked coming back to his home town because of these frequent fights between his uncle and older brother. After his mother's death, he had left the village to Lagos for greener pastures. 
"uncle Akpan, good afternoon"

"heeee Nsikak my son how are you?"

"i'm fine Sir. What's happening with you and Bassey this morning?

"he's so lazy, why will a thirty-two year old man refuse to work?"

Nsikak looked at his defiant older brother. Bassey had a flair for singing, he had always wanted to sing despite their predicament, Bassey's voice was the only unfailing thing in their lives.
But he Had told him to learn a trade. There was no hope for them in the entertainment world. In the past, Nkisak would record songs and take it to the big recording companies but all they got were doors or when the songs were taken, the companies made it theirs

"Bassey you have to listen to uncle, get something to do"

"Nkisak I can't abandon my dream like you did. You sing better than I do yet you decided to go hawking in Lagos. Same Lagos with a lots of gigs and studios"

"Bassey if I use the little money I make from those street hawking to record songs, we won't have anything left to eat or survive with"

"Okay, my friend told me about this club they hire singers for live band performances and pay four thousand naira every night you sing and a considerable increase once the audience likes your performance." 

"Four thousand per night Bassey? I live in Lagos and I have never head of that"

" I might be jobless but my ears are always on the ground"

"Maybe you should come with me to Lagos and we could give this a try"

"Now you are talking. Not the usual come with me to Lagos and hawk"

Nkisak laughed. His brother loved the good life. Maybe, Just maybe fate would smile on them and make things better

"Bro, please give me 100 naira, i need to buy food...." Bassey stretched his hand to collect the money

"and you say you hate hawking, Nk, don't give him a dime!" Uncle Akpan tiffed.


********


"Emem meet my brother bassey" Nkisak introduced them both

Bassey smiled at Emem; she was so beautiful. Maybe she was his brother's girlfriend.
"Hello Emem" he greeted 

Emem tried to avoid his lustful stares. She had gotten accustomed to men lusting after her. The only man who never looked at her in that way was Nkisak. He was the older brother she never had. He cared for her and protected her but he never lusted after her.

"Emem remember the night I sang for you, Angela, Patrick and James"

"Yes yes... Same night I asked you to release a song of yours"

"Yes, I have been thinking since I left for Calabar. My brother here says he knows a few night clubs that do live band shows and they pay four thousand naira to each singer for every performance"

"Abasi! That's a lot o. We don't even make that much from our hawking"

"You know... Bassey cut in"

"Where will you start from. Which of the night clubs?" Emem beamed 

"Bassey here knows one"

Bassey turned sideways. "I only said I heard of such places, I really don't know any. I don't live in Lagos now"

"Hmm bassey! I knew this wasn't true." Nkisak fumed

"Wait, I think I have passed one of them" Emem tried to recollect. Some place around surulere I saw some boys singing but I don't know how much they are paid"

" This is surulere now, Let's go and try the place"



********


"Bro this girl waist sharp o. Na your own?"

"Will you shut up and focus on your reason for coming to Lagos. Emem is like a sister don't even dare else I'll castrate you."

" Last time i checked, Nk, i was older than you... please accord me some respect besides, For a girl who is like a sister to you, you care too much"

"The very reason you should back off. I'm sorry if i was rude to you"

"Bobby!!! good evening" Emem greeted the bouncer at the entrance. 

"Emem," the guy smiled

"See, this my two friends them sabi sing o, them wan see the manager make them book shows" Emem smiled again

The bouncer stood firm by the entrance, "wey their manager?"

"Ehn? Manager? From where na?" Bassey asked

"Without manager Emem, these people nor fit sing for here ooo"

"Bobby abeg make we see your manger first"

"Emem I like you but no way"

"What's happening there?" a voice rang from behind. The bouncer quickly closed the space between himself and the door. "Bobby, i asked you a question!" Sir Kelvin barked angrily

"Sir these two boys were constituting nuisance here"

"No sir, we want to sing for the night show"

Sir kelvin laughed "sing, can you even mime a rhyme?"

"Yes sir they are good singers" Emem spoke on their behalf

"Hmmmm" sir Kevin observed her features "Okay... You'll sing privately for me. If I like it, you'll do two free shows for the audience. If they like it we can now discuss on your payment mode."

Nkisak thought for a moment, "Yes sir."

"Yes to free shows Nkisak?" Bassey yelled

"It's just a strategy, let's start from here"

"Hey young lady what's your name?" Sir kelvin asked

"Emem Sir..." She replied 

"Come with me" he said as they all walked into the club

"Bassey and Nkisak soon became a household name amongst club attendees. They wowed guests each night and sir Kevin made lots of money from them.

"This sir Kevin cheats us o...We can't keep working hard and eating like ants"

"I think we should be patient. He's gotten us an apartment, and we are fine. Let's keep hanging on"

"Nkisak you are too patient we need to storm the streets!" Bassey yelled.

"Relax Bassey!" Emem shouted at him. "Life is about patience you can't keep rushing things. I'll talk to the boss and see where this leads"

"Emem may i speak with you privately?" Nkisak requested. They both stepped outside

"I hope you aren't dating the boss? I know we might be desperate to get out of poverty but don't be the sacrificial lamb for us"

"I'm not. I know he's trying to get in my pants but I'll ward him off till we get what we want"

"Okay...." Nkisak stroked her chin

Bassey cleared his throat to alert them of his presence.

"Okay Emem talk to him and let us know what's next"


*********


Emem cried as she picked her clothes from the floor. "You are a wicked man!" she cursed him

"leave my office... you hopeless thing after helping you, you didn't think i'll be needing some form of payment?"

"but the boys make enough money for you"

"leave here now, and i don't even want to see you again" he roared.

Emem rushed home to meet Nkisak and bassey. "What's wrong?" Nkisak asked as he opened the door for her

"He raped me!" she cried

"Rape, What's that? I'll kill that man!" bassey yelled 

"no leave him to me" Nkisak walked out angrily


*******


"Why will you rape my sister, Why?" He yelled at kelvin

Kelvin roared on a round of laughter. "I didn't rape her I only took what belonged to me"

"She doesn't belong to you!" Nkisak yelled at him

"You dare yell at me? How dare you? I picked you up from the streets nurtured you  and you have the right to yell at me? Get out and never come back!"

"We are done!" Nkisak shouted 

"And get your things from that apartment go back to the streets you belong"

Nkisak returned to the house, his mood dampened. He knew they had just lost their only source of livelihood but he would never allow anyone touch Emem and go scot free

"Bassey, Emem he has asked us to leave"

"Because you confronted him? He's a wicked soul" bassey spat.

"What do we do?" Emem cried. "I wish i hadn't spoken to him about the raise maybe he wouldn't have raped me"

"Shhssss Emem, I will never allow anyone take advantage of you. Never!" Nkisak held her.

"I know two boys who come to sir Kevin's club; they own big clubs of their own and they've shown interest in us. I have their cards. This time I do the talking Nkisak, I don't want a pity party discussion."

"Okay Sir"

Nkisak and bassey landed a good deal. This time they could sing at different clubs and make their money. They weren't tied down to just one club like with sir Kevin and from the proceeds they got themselves an apartment and were able to make ends meet.

"We  have been invited to four seasons"

"Where's that?" Nk asked

"It's a hotel owned by Sheraton, it's in Lekki"

"Wow, are you for real?"

"It doesn't end there, I heard top artists and record label owners would be gracing the place, it's also an event to search for young talents- They would also reward anyone who performed the best song for the night"

"Hmmmmmmm" Nkisak let out a loud sigh

"Yes I suggest you guys do your own song" Emem suggested

 "Our own song? We have lots of them which one would turn heads and melt hearts?"

"Nkisak remember the particular one you sang for Angela the night you  asked her to marry you?"

"Wait bro, you asked someone to marry you?" Bassey laughed

"Yes I did and she refused!"

They all laughed 

"Who would?" Bassey mocked. "We are broke Or rather we were broke"

"It's not about money Bassey, your brother has the kindest of hearts. Back at the motor park, he looked out for all of us. Angela was also one of us"

"Oh.... I never knew... Nk, has always been the father figure. Most times i wonder why i am older, he behaves like the older one. What about the others?"

"Patrick and James left for the seminary.  They had an uncle who agreed to foot the bills, I'm so glad for them" Emem smiled

"Angela married a very big boy in Lagos" Nkisak replied sadly

"Don't worry bro we just started, someday we would make it too...." Bassey smiled

"So let's get to practice.....And Emem what would you do?"

"Cheer you guys from the crowd that's what I do best I'm your number one fan" she smiled revealing her beautiful teeth.

Nkisak was lost for a moment. She was not his sister, not even his friend, she fell in the category his heart couldn't define yet
Maybe someday he would understand what he felt for her. Today, he was going to take a shot at becoming a star


*********


"And for this evening let's invite soul......creed!" The anchor screamed from the podium
Nkisak and Bassey watched as the young act wowed the audience.

"Can we do this?" Bassey asked

"Yes we can, we will do even Better. Remember when mama was dying, how we promised we would write our names on the sands of time? let's do that tonight. Hey!" he hugged Bassey

"And the last act for tonight, they have sang at so many night clubs, bars and places.... Today they are doing a song of theirs titled 'mama' Help me make welcome, Bassey and Nk!!!"

Bassey and Nkisak walked up the stage- "I see tuface, Don jazzy, Ubi Franklin and some mighty men,...."Bassey whispered. 

"I see you, I and God shining his light upon us" Nkisak replied

"Go brothers!" Emem cheered from the crowd

They performed for all of five minutes and by the end, everyone was on their feet cheering, crying and shouting.... They had wow'd the crowd way beyond their imagination.

"And for tonight, the best song is........" MaMa a duet by Bassey and Nk!"

"Yesss!!!!" they all screamed

Nkisak and Bassey came forward to claim their prize, Emem rushed forward to take a picture with them

"You are stars!" Emem giggled

"No, you are superstars" a record label owner smiled from behind... Hello Bassey and NK, say you guys give me a call lets discuss the terms of your contract with EME Record Label?"

"Ousssshhhhhhhh yes we are super stars!!!!!" Nk screamed as he hugged the duo


********

"is this not Nkisak?" Angela picked a handbill shared by a young man. The handbill told of two brothers who had broken into the entertainment industry with their first single. They also had a world tour going on.

"I should have waited" she thought as she squeezed the paper..."I should have waited"

"Mummy," her son shook her hand

"Yes...Where's daddy?"

"He's not around"

"When will he be back?"
"I don't know..."She cried as she turned on the ignition of her car. Out of greed, she had married a man with six other wives - some Lagos acclaimed big boy who had nothing but his bragging rights and a handsome face. The only thing she had was this car he got her and the little house she and her son lived in. She had left a world of peace for this life of chaos and uncertainty. 
  

*********

"So, when are you guys coming to London?"

"Next week. The show is for next week"

"How's school going?"

"Fine I miss you - I mean you and bassey"

"Its okay to miss me Emem..." Nkisak laughed

"Errmmmm.... I didn't want you to take it south"

"I took it north already!" Nk, teased

They both laughed

"Arrgh I've got to go Em, It's time for my studio session besides, I have a video shoot later today"

"Go boy! Thanks Nkisak, I never dreamt of furthering my Education talk more of doing it in the UK. Thank you for being a brother to me"

"I'm not your brother" he laughed 

"So?"

"See you soon" he laughed again as he dropped the phone.

"You know it's time you guys sealed this deal yea?" Bassey asked

"Yea...London would decide"

"So you are now an actor?" Nkisak asked 

"what to do, Ten scenes for two million naira, I had to act mehn, who knows I might find my own missing rib from the movie industry"

"oboy! Let's go shoot a video"

"Yes boss,"

they both smiled


**********


"happy birthday Emem!" Everyone screamed as she walked into her room.
She had, had to rush in from school so she could see the brothers before they left London. 

"Thank you!" she said as she hugged bassey and her roommate, no it's not me its Nkisak

"Hey NK," she smiled sheepishly, 

"hey wifey" he said as he bent on one knee. "You aren't my sister Em, you are my wife! Please say yes"

"Yasssssssss! Yass, yass, yass!" She cried as she also bent on one knee to hug him



*******

The Daily Sun Read, Headline: Superstar duo Nkisak Ekepyong engages his heartthrob Emem, in London. The superstar took out time from his London tour to pay his sweetheart a visit and popped the question....They would be getting married a Few months from now
 Father Patrick folded the newspaper as he reached out to call Nk's manager on the phone

"Hello Nkisak, this is father Patrick."

"Hi father how did you get my number?"

"I contacted your manager and asked that he put me through to you"

"It's been a long time Patrick"

"Yes it has...And i'm so glad you followed your dreams"

"Yes Patrick, yesterday's dream is now a reality"

"I read off the news that you are marrying Emem soon. I volunteer to officiate at your wedding"

"That's a honor Patrick...A huge honor"

"You deserve more... Nkisak, thank you for those years..... I remember how you saved me from getting killed by a moving vehicle. Thank you"

"Anytime.....My regards to father James"

"He didn't make it in the seminary, he was expelled... He impregnated a lady and they expelled him."

"Hmmmmm.....it pays to be dedicated and steadfast"

"It does. Happy married life in advance and kind regards to Emem and your brother"


"Thank you father Patrick"



The end!