[Source](https://pixabay.com/photos/man-african-man-portrait-outdoors-6777920/)
Confidence is believing that you are capable. Confidence might mean that one is sure of what he or she does. However, confidence can hide a series of bad things that have been done by a party or someone somewhere.
Confidence was seen in the eyes of Emeka when he jumped over the fence at Hassan's face-me-I-face-you house.
Any Nigerian man or woman would know that various people in a face-me-I-face-you house can do bad things with confidence. However, this set of humans also have a wide-ranging ambition.
Alright, let me tell you a story.
Once upon a time, there lived a man called Emeka. He lived in a compound owned by Baba Hassan, in a region of Hassan Street, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Emeka was a grown-up man who didn’t have a wife. Baba Hassan, who was the landlord of the compound, was a man that liked money. However, Emeka loved money and understood the landlord very well. He would give him beer to drink on any occasion.
Emeka was a liar — he could lie with confidence. And everyone noticed him spending time with Baba Hassan’s son. That kind, little child was just 2 years old. Seeing him with such a confident liar made my heart pound even stronger and faster. I told the landlady, Iya Ruth, not to permit her son anywhere around him. But she turned deaf ears.
So, why did I call him a confident liar?
Hmm! There came a day when Baba Landlord locked the gate at the usual time — 10 p.m., as he had stated in his rules. However, at 1 a.m. in the night, I heard a noise.
I shouted, “Who is that?” I went out and saw someone jumping down the fence. I screamed, “Thief! Thief!” which means “Ole! Ole!” in Yoruba language.
Soon, I had a clear view of the person involved. Lo and behold — it was Emeka. I said, “Emeka, why? You should have called my number rather than do this.”
He did not listen but went inside his house and locked his door. Every other tenant came out one by one with weapons. I was scared. Tachycardia.
They focused on me. “Where is the thief?” they asked.
I told them all to relax. “Sorry, it was Emeka. He jumped over the gate. I’m sorry for disturbing you all.”
My voice was not audacious.
Emeka came out in a towel and said, “Why falsely mention my name?” He bluntly said he had been at home all day, while we all fought to believe it.
He was confident.
I said, “Ha, Emeka…”
Silence is the house of Hassan for a while.
One day, curiosity led me to the balcony of his house, where I saw a calabash and some fetish materials! I said to myself, “Emeka has a wide range of ambition.”
I did not permit my children to go out without my permission — because we all shared a public toilet.
One night, Iya Ruth left her son with Emeka overnight! My husband spotted him carrying the child wrapped in red attire. But he wasn’t sure, so he could not confront him. This is because Emeka had turned his back to him.
Emeka — the confident man with a wide range of ambition.
Hmm! There came a day when a fellow tenant narrated a story to me. He told me point-blank: “Be careful of Emeka!” I said, “Alright, I will.”
He was actually a Christian and a spirit-led person. He said (and I will paraphrase):
“When I was looking for a job, Emeka told me that he had one. But we might need to go to an old man who lived far from town on a dusty road. Hmm! I agreed and said we would go the next day. But overnight, I dreamt that I was dancing with masquerades and all the money given to me was directed to Emeka by me. I prayed and got the meaning. I ran away the next day to a friend’s house — just for the meantime — until everything became calm.”
Hmm! After hearing that version, I told him, “God has saved you. Take care and live long.”
Baba Hassan’s house 🏠 had a leaking roof. I would fetch water in my sitting room whenever it rained. I complained severely to him, but he turned deaf ears.
The landlord did not like people gossiping about him. But within this house, we had categories upon categories of characters.
However, this led to Baba Hassan locking the main gate from outside — and he invited the police. Every single person had to use a huge amount of money to bail themselves out.
Wahala be like bicycle, my people!
I soon left the house because of all the issues there.
After leaving, the landlady’s son died — and Emeka too was nowhere to be found. I was not happy at all. Baba’s son died in the arms of Emeka.
If he were found, he would have to beg for his life.
Mama Ruth was sad, and she wept bitterly when I saw her at the marketplace.
Hmm! Emeka must have done rituals with her son. Black magic!
Emeka is a man with bad ambitions.
Confidence!!!
That is my story.
Thank you.