So something happened
Last year I visited the zoo in town just to chill and have some drink.
I was still enjoying the moment when a small boy with big stomach walked up to me and hugged me.
I was shocked. I turned left and right.
I looked at him.
He was just smiling
"How are you."
He smiled.
"I am fine."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Thomas."
"Okay."
I started looking around. I was wondering what a small boy like him was doing in the zoo alone.
"Do you know me anywhere?"
He nodded his head and pointed to one of the zookeepers at the gate.
"Uncle, those people are waving you."
I turned to the gate and sighted one of the zookeepers looking at me. I thought they had waved, so I waved back. The zookeeper pointed at me. I didn't really understand what he meant, but I smiled and nodded my head. How possibly did he expect me to hear him from the gate?
The boy chuckled and pointed at the zookeepers again.
"Where are your parents?" I asked.
"They are there."
"There where?"
He pointed to one of the monkeys.
"My mummy..."
"Is your mummy a monkey?"
He nodded his head.
I laughed.
"And so where is your daddy?"
He pointed to the snake cage.
"So your father is a snake?"
He nodded his head again.
I laughed harder.
Very funny boy.
One of the gatekeepers passed us and said to me.
"Oga, shey you people are enjoying yourself ba?"
I said yes.
The zookeeper rubbed the boy's head and walked off.
After an hour, the boy said he was going home. I waved him off.
He walked a distance and ran back to hug me before heading for the main gate.
The zookeepers called my attention and pointed to the boy. I could tell they were asking if the boy should go. I nodded my head.
They let him go.
Thirty minutes later I finished my drink and decided to head home. The zookeepers told me that I had an outstanding debt to pay.
"Outstanding debt?"
They said yes.
I asked how.
One of the zookeepers started opening pages of a book.
"Sir, your son ate 2 shawarma, 2 ice creams. He drank 1 yogurts and two chin chin."
"Which son?"
"The one that you gave birth to."
"Which one?"
"The one that you were staying with."
"Excuse me, sir. I don't know that boy."
The zookeepers started looking at themselves. Before I knew it they called soldiers from the main gate to come and handle the matter.
So I discovered the boy had told them I was his father and was the one who sent him to eat.
This boy ate over seventeen thousand naira worth of food.
And to think I was busy laughing with this boy. I didn't know I was laughing with my seventeen thousand naira.