Eka’s story - Season 1 - Episode 25

Episode 5 years ago

Eka’s story - Season 1 - Episode 25

Simbi was very happy for Eka when she told her how Dr. Gerry and his sisters accepted. Eka could not help telling her story all over, “The day I left our street, I did not know where I was going. I just wanted to go as far as I could, but all I had on me was the two hundred Naira you gave me. If I had more perhaps I would not have met Dr. Gerry. I would have boarded a vehicle to some place very far from here, but God had other plans,” explained Simbi. “I am glad God heard my prayers for you and watched over you. Just make sure you won’t forget me when God blesses you real good, because he will.” “Simbi, you are now like my right hand. No one can forget his or her right hand. When I am blessed, you are blessed. Whatever I have is yours.” In-between their chatter Eka worked on Kingsley’s school uniform, when she was done she began to work on Mary’s clothes. By evening Kingsley came to take his school uniform and brought with him two of his friends. The work Eka did for him was so impressive that Kingsley could not wait to show them off the next day in school. Eka had no need to persuade Kingsley’s friends about what she could do, her work spoke for itself. The two boys wanted to make much more than school uniforms. While Eka took their measurements, Simbi kept busy with calculating how much her friend was going to make.


When Kingsley and his friends left, Simbi said, “You are going to become rich soon. Look, if you take between one thousand and two thousand five hundred Naira to make clothes, and you manage to build a customer base of fifty people who sew clothes regularly, you could be making over a hundred thousand Naira every month; and that much is your net and not your gross profit,” “Ah! Ah! Simbi, what did you say you were going to read in school? Think again, Economics might be your best suited course. How did you arrive at that figure?” “I simply multiplied how much you just made by fifty and then subtracted the cost of buying threads, machine oil, repairs and some other costs. I also factored in the fact that you may always not make this amount. If I remove that, your net will be higher. This is amazing! Eka you have to work hard to grow your customer base. What are you doing about it?” “I made a clothe which I intend to hang outside to at least let street neighbours and passers-by know there is a tailor around here.” “Where is the clothe? Bring it lets go hang it outside.” “Truly I have missed you Simbi; you haven’t changed a bit! Your drive is amazing!”

“Why should we waste time when there is money to be made? Let us tell them that the best, youngest designer is around the corner.” Eka went into her room and brought the clothe she made for herself from the piece of cloth Dr. Gerry gave her, along with a dummy Christy ha sent to her. They put the clothe on the dummy and covered it with a transparent nylon. The both of them carried it outside and set it down in front of their gate. They walked a distance away from the dummy and admired the clothe on it. “It looks good doesn’t it Eka?” “It does, I am happy I can do this instead of hawking fruits. I am living my dream Simbi. Maybe it is a dream, right?” “It is no dream Eka, like I told you earlier, I am in it with you and I know it is no dream…look at that corner, maybe you should buy a show glass and display fashion accessories like beads and handmade earrings in it. You know you have to think big. Don’t end up as just a tailor. Dream to become a fashion label, you will call it ehmm… Eka! I will be your label ambassador.” Simbi ran to the dummy and posed with it not minding passers-by who looked at both of them. Still posing with the dummy, Simbi yelled, “Snap me!” Eka removed her phone and took a snapshot of Simbi and the dummy.

Simbi’s presence was beginning to loosen Eka’s usually reserved self, she gave Simbi the phone, posed with the dummy and asked her to snap her. They did not mean to draw attraction to themselves, but that was what their actions did. Two women came down unto the street and waited for them to finish their photo session; they were too excited to have noticed a modish vehicle drive into the street and parked at some distance away. A man and a woman were in the back seat of the car, Eka was their interest. The woman pointed at Eka and said, “That is her, isn’t she beautiful, no, awesome?” “Oh my God! She looks like she dropped out of heaven!” “You are spot on, she dropped from heaven. So are you in?” “I would be a fool to say no. How much will it cost?” “Five million will be just fine for a start. I want to blow her parents out of the waters, turn their heads and have them do whatever I want.” “But you have not located her parents yet, how are you going to do that within the short time we have?” “What I need is money. Give me money and I will do whatever needs to be done. I have found someone who claims to know her. He said there was a time she sold fruits on their street. I don’t know if he is telling me the truth, but he swore to me that he knows the girl and can help me find her parents.”
“Start work immediately, I will give you three million by tomorrow.” “That is the spirit! Let’s go make it happen!” The vehicle drove away. Neither Eka nor Simbi saw the vehicle drive off. They were too busy answering questions from the two women who had come to meet them.” “Who made this clothe, I could not help but notice it?” asked one of the women. “I did. Do you like it?” “Sort of; it looks cool. By the way I am Esther,” said the lady as she stretched forth her hand to shake Eka and Simbi. “I am Ekaette, Eka for short.” Simbi shook the lady and said, “I am Simbi, I manage my friend’s fashion label.” “Are you serious? You girls are already dreaming big! I hope we can afford your designs,” Esther joked as she fixed her eyes on Eka. The other lady stepped forward and introduced herself, “My name is Ego,” and shook Eka and Simbi. “Eka, are you sure you made this design?” asked Ego. “Why do you ask, Ego?” “You don’t look like you can handle a sewing machine,” Ego replied. “Hahahaha! Oh God!” Eka laughed ebulliently. “If you think she didn’t sew the clothe because of her supple looks, you are welcome to watch her work the sewing machine right away.” “Can we?” asked an excited Esther. “Yes you can come see what I can do,” assured Eka. The four women went into Eka’s compound. As soon as they entered Dr. Gerry’s flat, Eka took Mary’s clothe and worked on it, confidently showing off what she could do.
“Oh my God! She actually sews!” exclaimed a surprised Ego. She continued, “So, how come your hands look the way they are? Do you wash clothes, cook and do home shores?” Simbi could not stop laughing at Ego and her friend, she thought to herself, if they knew what Eka has been through, they wouldn’t believe it. “I do all those. My appearance hides so much about me. Don’t think for a moment that I am all about chic looks. I work hard o! So, am I going to make clothes for you ladies?” asked Eka. “Of course! I can’t wait to have you make clothes for me,” said Esther. She was willing to let Eka make clothes for her not just because she was good at what she did, but because that would afford her the chance to bring her friends to see Eka. She was very intrigued by her beauty. Eager, to get more information about Eka, Ego asked, “How long have you been living here?” “I moved in recently.” “I hope you won’t mind, if I digress a bit, how do you take care of your skin?” Ego asked as she stood up to feel Eka’s skin. Turning to Esther, Ego said, “Babe, please check out this skin. Eka, when you die, worms won’t like to eat this skin o!” “Hahahaha! Stop teasing me please, Ego. They will finish my skin in one week…well I don’t use any particular soap or cream. I was born this way. There is nothing I can tell you that I did to get this skin. It is all from God.”

Esther and Ego liked Eka and Simbi’s company and so they stuck around a while longer and had girly chats till they got tired and left. By the time Dr. Gerry came back, Eka was in cloud nine; Ego and Esther had made her feel awesome by the things they said about her and her sewing skill. When Eka saw Dr. Gerry walking into the flat, what she did was completely out of Eka’s book of manners. She jumped on him and hung herself on him. It was as though she knew Dr. Gerry would be shy to hold her so she clung to him and then planted several kisses all over his face, missing his lips by the whiskers. Dr. Gerry was so surprised that he asked Simbi, “Please, what did you give her, Simbi?” “She got four new customers today! They also somehow turned her head with nice words,” replied Simbi, who was raptly watching a show on TV answered. “Wow! I am happy for you baby!” shouted Dr. Gerry as he gave Eka a high-five. Eka’s heart sunk into her stomach. She wondered to herself, did I just hear him call me ‘baby’? From where she sat, Simbi echoed, “Dr. Gerry do fast o! All eyes are on Eka! Please act quickly!”