Unnecessary Frustration

Just like other nights,  the house of Mr. Okafor was without  power, and enveloped in darkness, just like other houses. The blackouts in the country had become excessively recurrent, the people had adjusted to living in darkness. Suffering but smiling. Aside from the curses laid out on the power company anytime the power supply was  interrupted, no one seemed to have taken any legal action.

Mr. Okafor, a middle class business man in his early forties,  lived in a flat in a Lagos suburb, with his wife,  five kids and his nephew, Chike. He was a happy family man but lost his temper easily when frustrated. The prickly heat that filled his house with gloom, caused by the lack of power,  was enough to trigger his frustration. For this reason,  he had acquired two generator sets.

Dinner was already served, however, Mr. Okafor wouldn't settle for it yet until the breeze from the fan in his living room cooled down the steamy Eba and hot Oha soup and his sweaty body. The time was already 8pm,  the time Mr. Okafor customarily  powers on his generator set, as an economic game plan since petrol started selling for a high N150 per liter. He went downstairs with  Chike to power on the generator set, located some few foots away from the flat for safety reasons.

Usually the generator starts after the first or second yank of its starter,  but it would not start yet, even after the umpteenth trial.  This too was enough to trigger Mr. Okafor's fury.  He could not call  the generator repairers who fix the machine,  he knew it would take only a miracle to get them to leave their workshop at that time of the night,  owing to their busy schedule.  The other generator he has was not in good shape, the engine knocked as a result of overload, Chike used it to iron his clothes two days ago  for a job interview,  an interview that was later postponed.

The breeze had ceased,  the mosquitoes were actively present and the chattering sounds of generator sets in the neighborhood filled the air mixed with   carbon fumes. Mr. Okafor was tenacious, he never gave up on things so easily without a fight. Bearing in mind his food,  the heat and the television program, He sent Chike to get his  box of tools so that he could try some first aid on the generator.

He replaced the plug with a spare but after a series of attempted starting, the engine gave a cough but failed to start. He got the engine oil changed yet the engine remained cold. Then he went as far as cleaning the carburetor. Cautiously, but with enough force he thrust the starter,  the engine kicked, whined and then was silent.  Mr. Okafor's light complexion was already turning red,  one couldn't be sure if his redness was caused by the mosquitoes or bile level. He was filled with rage already but yet he wouldn't stop trying to get the generator to start. Such was Mr. Okafor's fury that he continued thrusting the generator starter but this time around with an increase in the force applied and frequency.  This he continued until the tensile strength of the starter rope failed to hold and it got shared into two. One with the generator,  curled up inside the machine and the other in the tight fist of Mr. Okafor. Realizing nothing can be done to start the generator when the rope is cut,  angrily he left to eat his dinner which must have been cold.

He was barely 5 feet away from his flat when he heard,  "Up Nepa!".  A phrase,  usually in a cheerful tone,  exclaimed in utter exhilaration by people living in that part of Lagos indicates supply of power from the power company. Mr. Okafor on hearing the sound of joy, a prickle of excitement ran up his spine. He increased his pace,  hastened up to his flat leaving Chike trailing behind.

He switched on his appliances: First the Fan,  next the T.V.  and then the Air conditioner, then he settled for his dinner. He called Chike to get him a wash hand basin and when it was set,  he said the grace before meal.
Just as he was about to dip a handful morsel into his soup,  the power supply was interrupted.  "Ndi Ara!" he yelled,  cursing the power company.