This
morning, you remembered how you felt some years ago when you were told that your
cousins, Josh and Wale, would be spending their three months long break at our
place. You considered the little space J and W would have to share with you and
your brother. The room was too small and you two always blamed your parents for
lack of foresight while putting up the structure. ‘The rooms could have been bigger
or we could have more rooms for visitors,’ your brother said every time someone
visited. There was a visitor’s room, but grandma was its permanent resident. *Caseclosed!*
So, you started cleaning up for J and W’s arrival. You would pair for each bed
and the only two sockets the room had. The one table you and your brother fought
for would be shared too. You remembered that while you thought about these, all
these, an idea seeped into your head. It made sense. What you remembered were the
chores you and your brother have had to contend with since you returned from boarding
school. The two cars to wash every morning. The dog – Peggy – to feed and clean
up. Laundry… You smiled, thinking J and P would ease the burden…
You are
now grown, and the only thing you remember about J and P’s visit, aside the fun
you all had, was that rather than ease your burden, they swelled it. Guy/babe, that
is how life happens. Most people, like you did and still do, believe that two
heads, or more are always better than one. In fact, they reference it more when
an assignment is about to be taken up, and they feel such assignment would fare
better with more hands. I think so too but it is not always true; there are
times when two heads could just be worse than one. I have proof.
Some days
ago, my brother and fellow housekeeper, Bobo B, had to travel. I returned home some weeks before this and I
am sure the boy must have been thinking the arrival of the Housekeeper in Chief,
which I have always been, would open more space for him to savour his sessional
break. However, it happened that the reverse was the case. Mum, a teacher,
leaves home early every morning hanging some left-over chores on our necks like
medals. I don’t blame her really; it’s her turn to get back at us. Me, I mean.
I did same to her sometime last year. So, she leaves home and unfortunately comes
back to meet most of the chores, left-over chores o, undone. What do we do when
she’s gone? We act like this chore and that chore should be for one person and
so we pass the buck until we end up doing nothing. Was either of us the only
one at home, that wouldn’t have been the case, I am sure. Hence, whenever she
returns, we point accusing fingers at each other. But, you know what? I am the
bad boy, most times. Bobo B could be sooooo enduring.
As I
write this, Bobo B hasn’t returned, but I have been pretty effective without
him. Mum, since schools are on break, has been very helpful too. There are
times I wish that boy would just stay wherever he is; my days have been without
any plate of buck or query being handed to me. And that is where the moral of this post is.
There are times when we should count ourselves lucky to have a partner or more
in discharging a responsibility. It shouldn’t be an excuse to be lazy. If the partner happens to be diligent, we would escape being smeared with shit at the
end of the work. But when the reverse is the case, we can only land our bad
heads and butts, all of us, in a whirlpool of shit. So, when next you are commissioned
for an assignment, have it at the back of your mind that the result may not get
better with more people. What it takes to have a good result may be for you to
be a good head.
PS:
1. This
post was meant to be published last week but my housekeeping thingy stood in
the way. Bobo B is now back and I have been really nice to him.
2. Happy
new month friends.
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