Affect

She was one of the four that got married four months into their lives in the women endowment center. Training being given to them by the women hired from the city as Mr. Johnson directed them. She added another half spoon of milk and stirred. "I hope it's perfect to how he likes it" she thought to herself.

The woman's name is Nneka Iju, one of those Mr Johnson shuffled just two weeks earlier to the kitchen department as they refer to the room catering for refreshment and feeding. Shuffling trolleys upstairs and downstairs from the third floor the kitchen is located had been where Nneka found herself from the library section she started in months back.

"How do you see it?" She asked her colleague and the lady tasting the coffee nodes in agreement "excellent" she said. Nneka shuffles away to the boss office, she doesn't want stories, especially one coming from the boss himself. The man she has come to realize doesn't raise his voice or point in anger but he never forgets. "No entering his black book in any way" she muttered as she knocked on the door. The trolleys all shuffled off either down or upwards depending where your name appears in the roster.

In the beginning, the ladies had marvelled at the quantity of the coffee served to them and the tiny cups it came in, it became a reference joke to them only for them to realize its efficacy on them and their output within days.

Initially, Mr. Johnson had intentionally left them to go on the heavy starch and carbohydrate some stuff themselves on and some that come on empty stomach just to see how they respond to the teaching given them and the output in the work they do. He had instructed the educators to focus on the effect of their meal on themselves, their studies and their output. So weak that some doze off in their cubicles or snoring in the books open before them till he introduces coffee and a slice of bread.

Within days, some were talking and working like machines till they heard a bell ringing over their heads for break time. Those tiny coffee and tiny cups it came in sharpens their alertness that they don't miss the difference. Their jokes changed.

He started from the basics to educate the ladies. Those things he knew its effect will be felt on their family lives easily. from personal hygiene to the importance of a balanced diet, clean waters and environment to their health and wealth. Those things he knew will manifest on their kids and husbands. Four months on, he's seeing a little shift on how they talk, relate and carry themselves; that four got married within months practising what they are taught wasn't a surprise to him.

"I believe we are running not walking" he said to the LG staff that like to while away his recess time in his office. "The effect is so noticeable that the male folks are feeling its ripple effect already" he beamed to the man that doesn't miss much himself, he's there from day-one.

"Of course, I can see that only you should have thrown the door open to all from the Local Government area" the man was thinking of his daughters, niece and cousins.

"Of course, we wanted to see how it pans out here before opening up new places in a few towns in the LGA" the man stirred.

"Do you have such a plan?" He asked "in my community of Ibeoye, there is a lot of land to utilize for such and the king will heartily grant the land on free basis" he said positioning his community.

"Are you sure?- the elders will not be as stubborn as the ones from here?"

"Nah. In that community, there is no much such mad elders to my knowledge that is seeking for whom to pocket"

"Then, I will think about it and let you know of my stand soon"

The LGA man left him that day back to his office with a million thoughts running around in his head. He's not only sure that the king and his cabinet will be in support, they have heard of the happenings in Umueke community and were dreaming of seeing their wards there.

The weather was extraordinarily cool on his back that day as never before on his way back since making Mr. Johnson's office his break time base. The cloud, milky color made his daydreaming more perfect that very afternoon. He made no effort to restrain his thoughts running wild.

Back home that day from work, energized not only by free coffee but by the hope that his dream might become a reality soon, he called his wife and had a long, fulfilling talk with her on the issue as they mapped out a strategy to be five steps ahead of others before the d-day.

A month later into his tutoring of his wife on the requirements he noticed in Umueke, he enrolled his niece and cousins without telling them his reasons for his sudden interest in their exposure lives. "my closeness to Mr Johnson, I tend to utilize to the best of my knowledge" he muttered to himself.

Four months into his discussion with Mr Johnson on the issue, he received a letter from him one cool morning in his office on the issue.

That afternoon, he did not wait for the break time to fly to Umueke on the issue. He was so eager to get things rolling that he asked for an emergency day off from work for the rest of the day.

"Are you sure of all these promises from the king?" Mr Johnson asked him.

"These elders, some are in the habit of thinking you are encroaching on their source of income that their stand on every suggestion is no"

"worry not. I have discussed this in detail with the king and his cabinet and they are fully in support of every move you want to make about the project" the LGA man assured him.

Observing him, Mr Johnson believes he is talking sense. "then when will I get to meet the elders for this and start the project"

"we can go see them today in the evening if you are free or I tell you you are coming tomorrow for the meeting"

" Tomorrow will be perfect"

They departed on that note and the man headed back to his community to lay structures for tomorrow's meeting, whistling as he rode back home on his run down motorcycle.