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Ten: Genesis

Ten

Man is the only animal that makes bargains; no dog exchanges bones with another.
An inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations— Adam Smith.

I was reading a book about knowledge and power one morning when my elder brother knocked twice. "Naked or not I'm coming in!" he announced and I laughed heartily as I sat up and watched the door fly open. He had kicked it because he carried a tray of my lunch.

"Egbon, you're going to make me miss you more if you keep spoiling me like this." I groaned before taking the tray from his hands and making room for him on my bed.

"I'm not spoiling you—I just didn't want mum climbing the stairs with the tray," he lied. Mum never brought food up to me except when I was sick or when dad had guests and she didn't want them asking for food. She screamed my name like a raging hyena every other day. I gave him a knowing look and he just bumped me playfully with a huge smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir." I finally said with my head low. Egbon Akanbi took over 17 years from me yet he always treated me like he was my equal.

"You're welcome." He waved my appreciation off with a smile on his face and wouldn't stop watching me with close interest. I used to feel so uncomfortable around him and his affection towards me when I was much younger although I cherished his wise words of advice nonetheless, but as I grew older, he became more of a mentor and a friend to me than a brother and I soon found myself calling him when I found myself in the diciest of situations. "I see you're still on this book—you're a slow reader; I completed it in a space of 2 and a half days," he said in a way that sounded humbler than a gloat but prouder than a statement. I made a mental note to speak like that in the future.

"You know that you, you're an Efiwe. Normal people like us cannot read a book of over 800 pages in size 12 italics in a space of three weeks talk less than 2 days." I admitted and watched as he threw his head back laughing.

"Practice makes perfect, Bade. You have to clamor for wisdom and knowledge like you clamor breath—or in your case, Yam and egg," he threw a playful grin at the tray on my thighs.

"Except I don't clamor yam and egg every day," I joked and he playfully threatened to punch me before telling me that I knew exactly what he meant and I nodded.

"One day you're going to be a very great man, Bade and it'll only be because of the hours and hours you've spent acquiring wisdom." He said in his usual tone of seriousness that magically made me believe in him like he was a sorcerer.

"You really think so?" I forked a slice of yam to some eggs and the sound of metal on a ceramic plate made a screeching noise that made the both of us grind our teeth.

"I know so." He said confidently and I thanked him. "Oh, that reminds me, there's someone beautiful I'd like to introduce you to before I travel back to the States, I'm sure you'll like her—she's a brilliant mind. An enigma." I believed him instantly because my brother never spoke well of someone except he'd scrutinized them properly.

Two days later, he took me to the beach in his Benz and I was placing the drinks on the mat when he informed me about the arrival of the girl he'd endlessly spoken of.

"She's coming!" He rubbed his hands excitedly and I started feeling self-aware and nervous.

Ireti appeared like a mermaid that day. She was everything my brother spoke about and more. She had the brightest eyes that shone like a hundred diamonds on the darkest nights and she knew the answer to everything without sounding pompous or conceited. My brother knew instantly that she was going to be more than his school daughter after our encounter that day.

"Your brother loves you too much, you know?" She told me one evening while washing the plate used by myself and some of my friends in the single room my parents rented for me off-campus.

"Why do you say that?" I was intrigued and I dropped the book I was reading to look up at the back of the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

"Have you heard him talk about you? It's almost like he's in love with you—yesterday he called to ask what kind of things interested you now because he wanted to be sure to get things that you'd appreciate. It's a surprise so act like it when he eventually sends it over." She chuckled and I copied.

"He calls me his first child." I heard myself say and images of the happy moments I've shared with my brother began to flood my head. I called him that evening and we spoke for hours and before I knew it, I found myself telling him that I was planning to propose to Ireti and he sounded happier than ever.

"You're making the best decision brother—I am mighty envious of you and you have no idea. She's a virtuous woman and one day she'll make you a very happy man." I didn't doubt a single word he said that day so when we sent him a postcard with our proposal pictures months later he sent a car in return and made me promise to teach her to drive. "Empower your woman and she'll empower the world." He said to me over the phone and I couldn't believe until I ended the call that night that I'd gradually become one of those men who proposed to beautiful women and I knew I was all thanks to my brother.

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