Sandra is barely in her mid-twenties but you meet her for the first and decide she's approaching her fortieth year. She's always wearing a grim look that reminds you of the guy in the FBI movie that has to tell his best friend's wife that her husband died after taking a bullet meant for him.
Ojo has to wear a cap every time he leaves the house. Even though he is bothered by his wife's constant teasing about him being too self-conscious and that no one really cares if he hasn't seen his thirtieth birthday but already has a bad case of receding hairline and lately he seems to have been developing a bald spot right in the middle of his head. What's left of his hair if it can still be called that looks more suited to a retired grandpa that spends half his time deciding which child to visit next and the other half thinking of ways to keep his extremely energetic grand-kids entertained while visiting. Kelly is living the life. A high powered job that let's her rub shoulders with the people that walk the corridors of power and micromanage everything going on in the country without even the knowledge of the President. A six figure salary that sits in the bank month after month untouched due to the constant stream of men both young and old that are ready to pamper her care for her for as long as she fancies them.
Festus has always had it rough.
Right from when the stone-cold doctor in the labour room had to smack him really hard just to have him announce his presence to the world to losing his father even before he could recognize him and having to go through practically every relative once the last one got tired of feeding an extra mouth.
Sandra is perpetually grumpy because all the people she ever opened up to only chose to take advantage of her sweet disposition so she changed. She put on layer after layer of protection. She became ill-tempered, brash and caustic. She changed so much that her smile that used to brighten things up became a thing of the past.
Ojo is prematurely bald and aged because he grew up roughing it around in the slums. He had to act twice or even thrice his age if he didn't want to get picked on. All that rough living turned him into a young man at the peak of his prime trapped in the body of a man at the twilight of his life.
Kelly looks like she has it all. Money, men, power. Deep inside she's a little girl screaming for help. The scared little girl that tried to explain to her mother what Uncle Austin everyone's favorite person always did to her when they were alone in the house. The broken girl that decided that the only way to get healing is to play cruel games with men's lives. Seeing Uncle Austin in every man she ever encountered.
Festus is the ragged looking vendor you see by the street corner every morning with a grin that seems fixed on his face. He's the vendor that smiles at you as he hands you your favorite newspapers that took him only a week to know. He's the vendor you scream at to hand you your change even before reaching for your wallet.
Sandra sees him and wonder what it will be like to have people steal his smile the way hers was stolen. She sighs, moves on and tells herself to let go of past demons.
Ojo sees him and snorts in derision at the man that he knows won't survive an hour in the slums looking like he just won the lottery.
Kelly looks at him and wonders what he'll look like after she's done with him. She wonders if he'll still have a lot to smile after she has done a good number on him.
Festus sees them all and every day he is puzzled by why they all look so sad and lost despite seeming to have everything. He's perplexed as to why none of them ever smile. His illiterate conclusion is that educated people have been taught not to smile or even look remotely happy.
Ojo is prematurely bald and aged because he grew up roughing it around in the slums. He had to act twice or even thrice his age if he didn't want to get picked on. All that rough living turned him into a young man at the peak of his prime trapped in the body of a man at the twilight of his life.
Kelly looks like she has it all. Money, men, power. Deep inside she's a little girl screaming for help. The scared little girl that tried to explain to her mother what Uncle Austin everyone's favorite person always did to her when they were alone in the house. The broken girl that decided that the only way to get healing is to play cruel games with men's lives. Seeing Uncle Austin in every man she ever encountered.
Festus is the ragged looking vendor you see by the street corner every morning with a grin that seems fixed on his face. He's the vendor that smiles at you as he hands you your favorite newspapers that took him only a week to know. He's the vendor you scream at to hand you your change even before reaching for your wallet.
Sandra sees him and wonder what it will be like to have people steal his smile the way hers was stolen. She sighs, moves on and tells herself to let go of past demons.
Ojo sees him and snorts in derision at the man that he knows won't survive an hour in the slums looking like he just won the lottery.
Kelly looks at him and wonders what he'll look like after she's done with him. She wonders if he'll still have a lot to smile after she has done a good number on him.
Festus sees them all and every day he is puzzled by why they all look so sad and lost despite seeming to have everything. He's perplexed as to why none of them ever smile. His illiterate conclusion is that educated people have been taught not to smile or even look remotely happy.
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