He Left The City To Work As A Truck Pusher & She Never Knew But Fell In Love With Him MERCY JOHNSON

The narrative revolves around Utazi, a senior apprentice in coffin making, who expresses a strong desire to shift his focus to furniture making due to his aversion to coffins, which he associates with death. His mother, however, views his resistance as stubbornness and pushes him to continue in the trade. His father, on the other hand, is less concerned with his career choice and more with his financial stability, particularly when Utazi expresses his intention to marry Assa. Utazi's pursuit of Assa faces significant challenges, primarily from Assa's father, Mazi, who disapproves of Utazi's profession and financial instability. Mazi views Utazi as a "coffee maker" and deems him unsuitable for his daughter. He even goes as far as to insult Utazi's physical appearance and character, dismissing his aspirations to become a furniture maker. Assa, however, deeply loves Utazi and is determined to marry him, even defying her father's wishes. She believes in Utazi's potential and sees him as a responsible man who only needs capital to start his own furniture business. Meanwhile, a wealthy man from the city, Fred, an accountant, is introduced as a potential suitor for Assa, favored by her parents due to his financial standing. Fred's parents send him a message about finding a beautiful girl for him in the village, which happens to be Assa. This news deeply upsets Fred's girlfriend, Lucy, who confronts him about his parents' plans. Lucy, having dated Fred for three years, is unwilling to throw away their relationship and demands that Fred present her to his parents as the woman he intends to marry. However, Fred's parents are adamant about him marrying a village girl and reject Lucy, leading to a heated argument and Lucy ultimately leaving Fred. Utazi, desperate to secure Assa's hand in marriage, seeks financial assistance to pay her bride price. He borrows 50,000 naira from a friend, Joe, who generously offers it as a gift, emphasizing the importance of friendship and supporting Utazi's marriage. However, Utazi, in a misguided attempt to multiply the money quickly, invests it in a lottery-like scheme called "communication lottery," believing it will make him rich overnight. He is convinced he has found the secret to wealth, even boasting about buying cars and auctioning off Fred. This decision leads to the loss of all the money, leaving him devastated and without the funds for Assa's bride price. The pressure on Assa to marry Fred intensifies, especially after Fred's parents pay her bride price. Assa, feeling trapped and unable to fight her father's wishes any longer, tells Utazi to forget about her. She explains that she waited for him to raise the money, but he failed, and she can no longer resist her parents' pressure. Utazi is heartbroken and tries to convince her to run away with him, but Assa refuses, emphasizing that Fred has already paid her bride price and it wouldn't be right. Utazi, still unwilling to give up, seeks help from his friends to confront Fred and prevent him from marrying Assa. They confront Fred, warning him to stay away from Assa, whom they consider Utazi's wife. The confrontation escalates, leading to a physical altercation where Fred is injured. Fred's father reports the incident to the police, leading to Utazi's arrest. During the confrontation, Fred's father disowns Utazi, claiming he is not his biological son. Despite the chaos, Assa's parents proceed with her marriage to Fred. On the wedding day, Fred's father delivers a speech, blessing the union and wishing them prosperity. However, Fred, still reeling from his breakup with Lucy, expresses his intention to return to the city to finish building his house and will come back for Assa later. Assa, seemingly resigned to her fate, accepts her parents' decision. Later, Utazi confronts his master, expressing his continued refusal to make coffins and his desire to focus solely on furniture. This leads to a heated argument, with his master criticizing his stubbornness and lack of respect. Utazi's parents intervene, trying to mediate the conflict, and his mother suggests that Utazi wear a khaki uniform to work to remind him that he is an apprentice, not a master. In a twist of events, Assa returns to Utazi, having left Fred for good. She apologizes for her earlier actions and reaffirms her love for him, stating that nothing will separate them again. Utazi, however, is hurt and demands that she return all the gifts he had given her, including the clothes she is wearing, as a symbol of her rejection. He expresses his deep love and the efforts he made to win her, but her decision to marry Fred deeply wounded him. Assa tearfully explains the immense pressure she was under, reiterating that Fred had already paid her bride price. Utazi, despite his pain, still offers to buy her gifts and escort her, but Assa gently declines, urging him to move on. The story ends with Utazi still deeply in love with Assa, expressing his enduring commitment to her.