Relationships Matter – His Words, Drunk Or Not, Were His Bond.

Caveats:
I am not a good storyteller. Please bear with me.
The names and sums/figures used in this true story are masked.

His name is Frank. He lived on the same street as Ade’s friend, Eniola. He was at the end of the terrace, which meant that you could often only get a parking space close to his house.

Ade had noticed that during the weekends, Frank would mostly be outside, alone or with his friend Harry, working leisurely on cars that did not belong to him. On such occasions, as Ade made his way to Eniola’s house, he would stop to say hello.

When Ade subsequently asked for his car to be serviced, Frank obliged. On completion of the job, Ade was shocked by the amount Frank asked for – N20 for a job costing about N100 in the garage. Gladly, Ade gave Frank N20 with an extra N10 for coffee. After that, Ade might see Frank and Harry working on someone’s vehicle, stop by to chat and give them a token for coffee while leaving.

During their discussions, Frank revealed that he used to own garages until he fell on hard times. Meanwhile, he could not give up his passion for putting vehicles in pristine conditions and tuning performance engines. Hence, his past time of working on people’s cars for nothing or peanuts.

A relationship and friendship were established to the extent that Ade could call Frank in the middle of the night if he had any car problem, and the latter would quickly jump out of bed to sort the former out.

One day, as they were loafing about while Frank worked on a vehicle, a removal van pulled into the street and began to empty the contents of one of the houses. Ade wondered if the owners of the property were leaving as a result of a sale. Frank responded it was just a tenancy change and became curious. He wanted to know if Ade was looking for a property to buy. The latter answered that he might consider a purchase some months later if something around the area comes on the market.

About a year after their conversation, having confirmed that his Nigerian friend was still interested in purchasing a property in the neighbourhood, Frank took him into confidence – he would be selling his house and give Ade the right of first refusal.

A late night, many months later, Ade parked and was walking to Eniola’s house. Harry was outside Frank’s property smoking. They greeted each other warmly. Harry indicated Frank was indoors, and they both went inside Frank’s house.
The room was dark, filled with cigarette smoke and a mixture of alcoholic as well as dog smells.

Suddenly, Frank remarked that he was selling his house. He asked how much Ade would be able to pay for the house. Ade indicated that based on his income, he doubted any bank would give him a mortgage above N140.

As he took his leave of the duo, Frank said: “Ade, if you can get a mortgage, the house is yours for N140.”

The following day, Ade was back in the street to see Eniola. As he parked, he saw Harry beckoning to him. When he got closer, Harry told him Frank was drunk the previous night and could not recollect the conversations they had, including the sale of the house.
Meanwhile, that morning, someone had offered Frank N190 for his house.

Ade was flabbergasted. So, he went to see Frank. As soon as Frank saw him, he remarked that he couldn’t recollect the previous night’s visit. He only got reminded that morning by Harry of their threesome conversation as well as how much he stated he would sell the property to Ade for. According to him, he told Harry there and then that:

“if I made a promise to Ade to sell this house to him for N140, drunk or not, my words are my bond. Unless he is no longer buying, I am not accepting the offer of N190 from the other guy.”

That was how Ade got his first step on the homeownership ladder: buying a property worth more than N190 for N140.

N.B.

I value companionship.

I nurture relationships, never seeking anything particular in return. I rarely cut away from relationships until folks, having added no value, show me in a harmful way that they do not deserve my attention.

By nature, I go out of my way to ‘tan ina wa ebi’, enquiring after and looking out for those I consider dear to me.

The course of my life has taught me that some relationships may bring benefits you never intended, expected or imagined.

The true life story above is an excellent example of unanticipated paybacks for being good to others.

I have learnt that relationships have tangible and intangible benefits. These include the listening ear during a depression, the warm hug in the stormy days of life that shows how much someone else cares for you, the phone calls now and then to find out how you are doing, and having folks you can call ten thousand miles away who would go any length to move mountains for you when you only asked for help with a molehill.

My dear friends, nurture your relationships.