(The scene opens in Alaba Market, there is hustling and bustling in the space, a young woman walks into a shopping complex with her boyfriend to do some shopping)
Jessica: Babe! (Holding tightly unto her boyfriend Emmanuel's arm) Remember the wig you promised to get me and the bags for my birthday.
Emmanuel: Wig again, Jessica do you want to kill me, you have almost twenty wigs you this girl, you will manage your wigs o! The money I have on me is to finish my building project at Meiran (He slowly but abruptly removes her hands from his left arm).
Jessica: Babe now!, Please I'll do anything
Emmanuel: Onyeoshi, nothing for you joor, I'll leave you inside this store now
Jessica: (Flares up instantly) Why are you calling me a thief, is it a crime to spend on me
Emmanuel: No, it's not, but it becomes a crime when you keep on spending money like it's a commodity
Jessica: That's why it's called currency, it's meant to flow and be spent.
Emmanuel: Yes but on assets and not on liabilities, in the next five years the wigs wouldn't be worth that price anymore
Jessica: Okay I've heard, just give me ₦1M I won't spend too much.
Emmanuel: Let me see (He searches his pocket) Okay I've found it (He pulls out his STANBIC IBTC Card) This card has ₦500k on it, get yourself a wig and handbag, and don't ask me for another one again
(Jessica enters into the handbag section looking at the price tags)
Jessica: Omo see this HERMES and it's even brown, let me check the price (She looks down) ahhh... this is 800k keh! Omo e go far. Oh.
(She checks around the store but she doesn't find the ones she likes as they are either expensive or not in the colour she wants)
Omo, and if I tell this my babe now he'll not add to this ₦500k and I don't have money again, this 9-5 no dey pay
(A shady figure resembling a shrewd movie character notices her visible frustration)
Akpan: Madam, how you dey!
Jessica: (Afraid and angry) Wetin, what do you want.
Akpan: I been notice say you been wan buy bag but you no later buy, my name na Akpan and I be wholesaler, I get all these things for store for cheap cheap price and you go like am (He pulls out his phone, a Samsung Fold 5) See am madam, check am original quality and na better one, e go last.
Jessica: You sure, because I no too dey trust all these Igbo men so.
Akpan: I go be for you, we even get CAC certificate, follow me come shop see as e be.
(Jessica reluctantly agrees and they go to his shop, she is amazed at the large setup and true to his word, he is the CEO, one of his salesgirls comes to collect his bag)
Chinyere: (Running and kneels down) Oga welcome sir! Madam welcome to Akpan & Sons Worldwide. What do you want ma
Jessica: I want to buy wig and handbag
Chinyere: Okay, what's your budget ma?
Jessica: 300k
Chinyere: Alright, let's go there ma, I'm sure you'll like our affordable options.
(Shortly Jessica is done shopping and she pays and leaves, but not before thanking Oga Akpan).
Jessica: Hello Oga Akpan, God bless you sir! I dey go, my fiancé dey wait for me.
(She leaves happily and smiling)
(Thinks out loud) This boy thinks he has sense, I've moved and successfully saved ₦200k, he wan whine Benin babe.
(She soon gets to the car, where Emmanuel looks visibly tired and frustrated)
Emmanuel: You used two hours to just buy wig and handbag? Omo women ehn, anyways we bought foodstuffs and provisions and we have to start planning our wedding...
(He starts driving and the scene fades).
(The next scene opens up after three weeks when Jessica notices the bag is peeling and the wig starts itching her head while she's driving back from work)
Jessica: Why this wig dey itch my head na, wigs no dey itch my scalp like this, let me ask my Alexa first, cause omo (She itches it again!) Hey Alexa, my new wig that I purchased recently itches a lot and the new Hermes bag I got for ₦150k is starting to peel, what's the issue.
ALEXA: Hello Jessie, unfortunately I'm sad to break it to you that the products you purchased are substandard and sadly, they are not expected to last, to verify this check if the bag came with a tag labelled HERMES, if not they are fake then there is a high tendency the wig is synthetic and not normal, however it is advisable that you verify this from a trusted vendor when opportuned.
Jessica: Thanks Alexa
ALEXA: You're welcome
Jessica: I talk am, Oga Akpan go hear from my lawyer, speaking of my lawyer I'll call him when I get home, justice must be served.
(When she gets home and parks her car, she dials Lawyer Mayowa's line and he picks the call immediately)
Lawyer Mayowa: Hello Jessica, how are you and how's work going and how is your husband.
Jessica: Uncle Mayowa, I'm fine o and everything is good, recently I got a bag and a wig and after verifying from my Alexa I discovered they sold me fake stuff, but I wanted to tell you about it whether there's a remedy for me at law.
Lawyer Mayowa: Yes you do, but tell me about the details of your purchase and I need you to be totally honest with me, then why did you get another bag and wig cause I know you have a lot of them
Jessica: (Breathes deeply) So sir, I went to Alaba three weeks ago with Emma and he gave me ₦500k to shop for a bag and a bag, unfortunately, the originals were too expensive so I had to go to one Igbo man's shop and I got the bag and wig for ₦300k.
Lawyer Mayowa: First of all, you made a mistake by going to a down shop because those boys sell Aba made and fake products, also you said that Emmanuel gave you half a million, so where did the remaining money go if I may ask?
Jessica: So sir, the thing was that I was broke at the time and I used the remaining ₦200k for personal funds.
Lawyer Mayowa: This is bad! Really bad, as your lawyer I won't lie to you, legally we have a case against them but your man would be involved and he'll find out because I'm sure that you connived with their staff to move the money, yes or yes?
Jessica: Yes sir, I hope you won't tell him.
Lawyer Mayowa: Never, you'll never hear that from my mouth, when I was called to the bar, I swore an oath of secrecy and I'm not ready to breach that agreement.
However, you're a big girl nah, you should learn to save money, I started saving and investing seriously when I was eighteen and now I'm in my fifties and that gave birth to my big assets and net worth, imagine I splurged all that money on nonsense, I won't be here talking to you.
Jessica: So what do we do about the wig and bag sir?
Lawyer Mayowa: You can give out the wig and bag or you can dispose of them, do you prefer material benefits over your potential marriage and family?
Jessica: No sir, I'm not going to do that
Lawyer Mayowa: Good, because to me, some battles are better left unfought due to the bitter aftermath.
Jessica: Thank you sir, I'll start applying the advise, I'll call you later sir and I'll send your consultation fee when I settle down at home.
Lawyer Mayowa: Alright dear, you can end the call
(She ends the call and Lawyer Mayowa starts soliloquizing)
Omo, women sha! And she has not yet gotten married to him, anyways "wetin concern me", none of them will hear from me on the issue again!
Alot