I could remember the good weather at Owerri Imo State Nigeria when I was still schooling even when I visited my family for Christmas last year. The weather was still calm but people hawking only faced the challenge of the rainy season than Benue State where I am currently based after my NYSC is faced with the high tension of sun.
I could remember when I came newly to Benue State some years ago because of NYSC and after the service, I relaxed in the state to do some business in favor of the constant electricity supply in the state.
I was deployed in Benue State Nigeria for NYSC years back and during my deployment, it was around December and January period which was actually harmattan season and was really a cold period. So, I taught that is how the weather will look till I finished service but it was an irony.
My dear brothers and sisters, I just discovered that Benue State is like a stone stroll to hellfire because the gravity of the sun in the state is really dangerous even though you just left the air conditioning from your house minutes ago. Once you are outside your house during the day. Hmm, it will just be a story as your body will get hot and wet at the same time.
I called a drink seller who was hawking because I needed to get myself and my friend a cold or chilled drink because of the high level of the sun in Benue State. Well, before I was able to get this particular drink hawker, it was really difficult as some hawkers were not able to come out and hawk today because havier sun display in the state.
When I called the hawk drink seller and she came after I have spent hours waiting to see one of them. When she came, I asked her if she's caring any chilled drinks like Coke or Fanta and she said no that she is only carrying chilled zobo. I told her that is not the kind of chilled drink I needed because I don't know when I will be able to see another chilled drink hawker. For that reason, I told her to give me the chilled zobo and she said okay.
When she brought out the zobo, I asked her hope the zobo is very chilled and she said yes. I said okay, you can bring one. She brought out the one zobo in a plastic rubber. She opened the zobo and then inserted a straw inside the zobo. When she was inserting the straw, I never noticed because I was greeting a neighbor passing along the road.
Well, there was nothing I could do about it, and I told her to give me the chilled zobo. When she handed over the zobo to me, behold the drink was very warm and not chilled nor cold as she claimed. I asked her why she gave me hot zobo, she said if am not in Benue or am I not seeing the sun. I told her what does she mean by that. She said I should give her money that she want to sell chilled zobo to others.
I just noticed that was her reason for inserting the straw into the zobo without my permission. I told her that am not going to pay for the zobo because that was not what I requested.
The moment I told her that am not going to pay her. Guess what! She started nagging herself and in a few minutes, she started shouting pay me my money!!! Are you not the one that said I should open the zobo, I was shocked as she even started making complaints to people by the time a few of them started gathering.
I was really angry because she lied against me but the question is will people believe me or her? Yes of course they will believe her no matter how I try to defend myself because hawkers are full of excuses with the nature of the environment they are selling from.
