PROVIDENCE

By Alfred Odiakosa

It was the year 2004, I was still a student at the University of Science and Technology, Azi.

I was wallowing in scarcity of funds — it was a period of great Sapa!

But something unusual had been happening; my lodge was a block of rooms separated by a corridor, with our convenience situated outside the building — in the street parlance, a “Face me, I face you” building.

Back to the unusual happenstance; I had been picking Five Hundred Naira note for four consecutive weeks at the back of Ugwude’s window, close to the Convenience. At first, I’d pick the money and head to the mini-market at the School front to get what I needed.

Back then, five hundred naira note was really a sizable amount of money. The picking of money didn’t occur daily as I only went when my intuition prompted, it felt like PROVIDENCE.

But I became scared when it continued, the thoughts of being used for ritual or taking money used for sacrifice crept in.

Elena was my Lodgemate and close friend, I confided in her about the whole story and my fears. “You mean that. . . if I go to the backyard I’d find 500 naira? “, She inquired. I nodded in agreement. She left and came back shortly afterwards, “I didn’t see any money there”, she said.

After some days, I had that same feeling to go check for the money. Lo and behold, another five hundred naira note lying on the ground, I called Elena and told her about it.

She went and saw it, but said she left it there. I went to the backyard to check, there was nothing there again. “Did she take the money? “, I queried myself. She must have taken it…

Ugwude had been begging me for cash, he had been broke. What manner of student drops such amount of money at random and for what purpose? Was it providence or coincidence? Or was it a ritual of sacrifice?

I haven’t come up with an answer till this day but I am alive, well and happy only with this mystery of providence or whatever it is to unravel.