All Chapters of The Father They Threw Away : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Lagos changes a man. When David Okonkwo stepped down from the bus at Oshodi with his small Ghana-Must-Go bag, he was still the village boy who said "Papa, I will build you a big house." Five years later, that boy was dead. The university taught him many things. It taught him accounting. It taught him business. But most importantly, it taught him shame. Shame of his father's accent. Shame of his mother's wrapper. Shame of being called "bush boy" by the rich students in his department. David was brilliant. He graduated with First Class. He got a job in a small bank in Victoria Island. He watched how the rich men talked, how they wore suits, how they drank wine. He wanted that life. So he started to lie. First small lie: "My parents live in Port Harcourt." Then bigger lie: "My father is a retired civil servant." Then the biggest lie: "My parents died in a fire accident when I was young. I am an orphan." Every time he said it, his chest hurt. But every time, people respecte

Jacob lay in the gutter, bleeding. The photo of his son was dirty, stained with mud and blood. The yams he dried for three months for his son were scattered on the tarred road, being crushed by passing cars. Cars were passing. Big cars. Range Rovers. Mercedes. No one stopped. People looked from their windows and drove away. To them, he was just another beggar in Lekki. His elbow was bleeding heavily. His old brown slippers, held together with wire, had fallen off. His wrapper was torn. But the pain in his elbow was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. His own son, the son he sold his land for, the son he sold his goats for, had just ordered security to throw him out like trash. He tried to stand up, but he fell down again. He was too weak. He had not eaten since morning. He had trekked ten hours to see his son. He held the dirty photo to his chest and whispered, "David... why?" Just then, a long black  Autobiography, worth over N80 million, stopped beside him. The car was

David Okon stood frozen at the door of Chief Alao's mansion. His Armani suit, his expensive wine shattered on the floor, his  watch — all suddenly meant nothing. Because in front of him, sitting on a golden chair, was the father he threw into the gutter yesterday. Jacob was clean now. He wore a white native dress, like a king. His wound was treated. He held a cup of tea. But his eyes were not happy. They were sad and disappointed . Chief Alao stood up slowly. He was a big man, tall and powerful. His voice filled the entire living room. "David Okon, you told my secretary you are a self-made man. You told everyone your parents died in a fire. You told  that you rose from nothing." Chief Alao pointed at Jacob. "Is this nothing? Is this man nothing?" David's legs shook. He fell to his knees. The tears came, real tears this time. "Papa... Papa, please..." Jacob stood up. He walked slowly to his son. Every step was heavy. He remembered the goats he sold. The land he sold. The ni

The morning David Okonkwo returned to Villa Literno as a farmer, the entire village came out to watch.No suit. No Rolex. No Benz.David wore a faded singlet that his father gave him, old trousers rolled to the knee, and bare feet in the red mud. In his hands, he held a cutlass — the same cutlass his father had used for forty years.His hands, which used to sign million-dollar cheques and hold wine glasses, were already shaking."From today, you are not CEO," Jacob said, standing in front of his small, broken hut. His voice was firm, but not wicked. Like a teacher. "From today, you are my son again. And my son knows how to farm."David looked at the farm. It was not like his mansion in Lekki. There was no marble tile. The land was dry. The sun was brutal. The yams were small.This was the land his father sold half of to pay his school fees.Sophia called him on video. He answered, sweating."David! Where are you? Your  is blowing up! People saw the village video! They are calling you

The police siren got louder.Everybody in Villa Literno square turned. A white Hilux with "NPF" written on it was struggling on the mud road, kicking up red dust. Behind it was a black Toyota Camry.Sophia smiled. A wicked smile."My father sent them! My father is a commissioner! I called him! He sent police to arrest this old man for kidnapping my husband!" she shouted, pointing at Jacob. She was filming again on Instagram Live."Guys, look! Police is coming to save my husband from this village!"The village women started panicking. "Police! Police don come!"Jacob did not move. He sat on his stool under the mango tree, calm. Chief Alao stood beside him, also calm, sipping palm wine like he was waiting for this.The Hilux stopped. Two policemen with guns came out. A fat man in agbada came out of the Camry — Sophia's father, Commissioner Adeyemi."Where is my son-in-law? Who is holding my son-in-law hostage?" the Commissioner shouted.David stood up from the farm, mud on his legs, cut