All in a Day's Work [Final Part]

a short story

Four

Arnold immediately regretted his action.

“Arnold! My man! You’ve become famous overnight, and rich too.” He grimaced and squeezed his phone so hard that it left imprints on his palm. It was James and that was the only reason that he would be calling.

Arnold gulped and kept mute.

“It’s very fortunate that your money is coming at this period when things are very difficult for us.” He could picture James’ smile behind the phone. “So, without wasting much time, I need the money.”

“No problem, I will send it to you immediately after our phone call. At least, I’ll be free from your disturbance James.”

James grunted. “So, it’s the moment I’m asking for my money that it becomes a disturbance, right? When you came asking for me to lend you the money, it wasn’t a disturbance then. People are so funny. Just send me my money right now, so we stop all this unnecessary talk.”

James cut the call, as usual.

Arnold swiped his phone and immediately saw a text message from James containing his bank account details. He grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the details down carefully. In a few minutes, he was done with the bank transfer, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

He walked out of the living room where he left Eleanor organizing her booty into sections. Arnold shook his head and walked to his room.

It was small, like everything in the house. The bed was in the center of the room and directly under a rusty and dusty fan. There were two windows that were designed to receive as much ventilation as possible into the stuffy room. A reading table and a dresser were placed at opposite ends of the room and a small door led to a toilet.

Arnold collapsed into the bed and began to think deeply. He had spent a huge chunk of money in the morning and the day hadn’t even gone halfway. He wished that he wasn’t announced on the state’s television channel because too many people would be seeking something from him, and he was at risk of being robbed.

He remembered Toyin’s request and started thinking of a way to politely decline when his phone rang again. It was becoming very annoying hearing his phone ringing without control, and for even more annoying reasons too.

It was Toyin and obviously, he knew the motive behind the call. He had already formulated a plan in his head when her voice distracted him.

“Good morning, Arnold. How are you?” It was so soft and brought memories of when they used to work together as journalists for a prominent company. He loved her, but she was in a relationship then. She was aware of his feelings for her then and even encouraged it. But she didn’t let things get further than being friends and colleagues. They went out on a few dates after his persistence, but there was nothing romantic about them. When he became in need of money, he had asked her, and she had given it to him. They both knew that that singular act had ruined any possibility of her getting together with him and she used it as a buffer for them to stay just friends. Now, she needed money, and he had to honor her request like she honored his.

“I’m a bit stressed at the moment, but other than that I’m fine. How about you?”

“We’re working on a new story about the scandal involving the governor and everybody is working hard to meet the editor’s expectations.”

Arnold smiled and recalled his days of journalism. How long had it been since then? Three, four years, He couldn’t remember accurately.

“You sound like you’re enjoying your job.”

“It definitely has its perks, but it’s not perfect. At least, I’m doing something I love.” Arnold had also loved the job but as he got older and inherited more responsibilities, the pay was unable to sustain him, Eleanor, and his parents. Toyin was able to manage because she was a woman and her boyfriend provided for her needs. The editor refused to raise his pay and he resigned from the job. He was able to find more fulfillment in freelancing, at least for a period.

“Well, things will surely improve in the future. I’m thinking about starting a website to help me promote sales, but I don’t know. I’m still working on it.”

“Don’t worry, it will work out. Just be focused and you’ll see results.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I saw you on TV yesterday. You’re really lucky to have won that cash.”

Arnold laughed lightly. “It was all luck, and I wasn’t even expecting it all.”

“The money came at a really convenient time too.”

There was an uncomfortable silence after that, and tension hung in the air. Nobody wanted to speak first. Arnold finally broke the ice.

“I know what you want to say. Just send your bank details and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Her voice brightened. “Arnold you’re a real lifesaver. I promise that I’ll pay you as soon as I’m able to gather the money.”

“No problem, what are friends for?” he asked rhetorically. Friends.

He ended the call and copied down her bank details. He sent the money and looked up to see Eleanor looking at him from the doorpost. He hadn’t noticed her presence and wondered how long she had been standing there.

She sounded angry. “Santa Clause! You’ve just gotten some cash now and you’re sending Christmas presents early.”

It was ironic that she would accuse him of wasteful spending when she had clearly done that just a moment ago. Women are so cynical.

“How I spend my money is none of your business. You clearly don’t have regard for money, so why should you be so concerned about how I spend mine?”

She didn’t relent. “I know you sent it to that former colleague of yours, Tosin, Toyin, or whatever, yet you were blaming me for buying a few things. You clearly don’t have regard for me.”

“Eleanor, this is not the time for this. I’m very stressed out and I need to rest. Just leave me be, please.” He was tired of talking and he didn’t have any energy to waste on shouting or arguing with someone as illogical as her.

“Of course, we’ll have this conversation another time.” He knew she meant it. “I actually came here to tell you that your parents are here.” Saying that she walked away and left him sitting on the bed.

He groaned and kicked the air. He hadn’t been able to rest for a second. Arnold stood up and went to the dresser. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and combed his hair. He was self-conscious whenever he was with his parents, a habit that had stuck with him from childhood.

Arnold took a deep breath, counted to five, and walked out of his room. His parents were sitting on the sofa in the sitting room when he arrived. Luckily, there was electricity, and his mother was watching a sitcom while his father looked around in his self-important way. His father had never liked his house and seldom came to visit.

“Good...” He checked his watch. It was past noon. “… afternoon daddy, good afternoon mummy.”

They looked at him, and his mother smiled and came to hug him. His father sat there and looked obstinately.

“I can’t really blame you. If you don’t know what time it is, how can I expect you to know the right career to pursue in life.” His father did not support his decision of becoming a writer and he used every opportunity to voice his opposition.

Arnold was used to it, so he did not comment on his father’s statement. Instead, he hugged his mother back and complimented her dress.

“Mummy, how is the house?”

“It is fine, and we are alright. It’s still lonely sometimes and we miss you.” He doubted his father missed him, but he smiled, nonetheless.

“I would have berated you, but since you’ve been fortunate recently, I’ll try to tone it down.” His father was a complete contrast to him: short, dark-skinned, and sinewy. “My son has been useful for once in his life.”

“Daddy, last week you called and said I was useless. So, a lottery winning is enough to change your mind about that?”

His father laughed boisterously. “If you want to prove how useful you are, then get a job.” He added on second thought. “Get a better job with better pay.”

His mother intervened. She was as short as her husband but fair-skinned. He wondered where he got his gene of height from. “Oh, Francis, leave the poor boy alone. God knows he works so hard to provide for himself and us. She stroked his face lovingly and turned to Eleanor. “I hope you’re taking good care of my son?”

Eleanor and Arnold exchanged glances before she replied. “I’m doing my best. I don’t need to do much because he’s very capable and supportive.”

Arnold suppressed a laugh and turned to his father. “Why have you visited my humble abode today of all days?”

“We want some money to take care of some issues back home.”

“Francis!” his mother chided. “That’s too direct, remember that it’s not our money.”

“We trained him and provided for him as he grew up, didn’t we?” His father said stoically. “It’s only right for him to help us in our time of need. There’s no need to mince words.”

There was a saying that money showed the true colors of people and Arnold’s recent events served as an affirmation of that statement. When you need money, people avoid you but when you are in possession of the money, people flock to you like ants to a light bulb.

“How much do you need?”

“Well, we need to re-paint the house, fix the leaking roof, fill the outside of the house with sand because of the flood, and make a few purchases here and there.”

“Estimate how much you will need.”

“I think three hundred thousand naira should be manageable considering the fact that you have three million naira.”

“I don’t have three million naira. The lottery people only allowed me to withdraw one-third of the money, so I took one million.”

His father and every other person in the room froze with surprise. “That’s very bad but at least it’s still something.”

“Don’t worry, let me transfer the money to you. I saved you as a beneficiary in my mobile bank app.” He could feel Eleanor’s angry stare at him without even looking at her. She was so predictable.

In a few minutes, Arnold’s bank account was three hundred thousand naira lesser, and he groaned in silence. His parents talked with him and Eleanor for an hour before announcing their departure. Immediately they left, his other creditor sent a text message requesting payment and he sent the money to avoid embarrassment and further disturbance.

After that, he sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes. This money was meant to be a blessing to him, but after everything, he didn’t get to enjoy his winning. Arnold checked his account balance and saw the sum of twenty-five thousand, three hundred and fifty-five naira. He had done it. He had spent one million naira in a day.

He threw his phone against the wall in frustration and laid back against the sofa to take a well-deserved rest.

End.