Totally embarrassed

I have experienced quite a number of embarrassing moments but this particular one that happened a few years ago strikes my mind whenever I reflect on the most embarrassing moments I have gone through.

I left home on that particular morning for work. I was working in a highschool as a Mathematics teacher. I had 1000 naira with me and the cost of my transportation was fifty naira. I needed to give my brother 500 naira out of the money that morning.

I approached a roadside vendor to help me change the money to lower denominations. The vendor changed the 1000 naira into two 500 naira notes. I immediately handed one to my brother while I pocketed the other one before boarding a commercial motorcycle popularly known as Okada.

It was a journey of about five minutes and when we arrived at my school's gate, I reached out to my pocket and handed the 500 naira note to him. He collected it and was making an attempt to give me 450 naira as my change when the texture of the money I gave him struck his attention. He viewed the money closely and gave it back to me accusing me that I gave him a fake naira note.

Initially, I was confused. I collected the money and explained to him that I never knew the money was fake. My explanations fell on deaf ears. The Okada rider accused me of intentionally trying to pay him with fake currency. I flared up and became frank in telling him that I was given the money that morning. I took the blame of not checking the note properly before pocketing it when I was given. He waved aside all I was saying and he demanded for his morning.

I didn't have any other note with me and as a result I told him to let me enter the school premises to check if any of my colleagues could lend me money to pay him.

Oga, give me my money. If you can easily make an attempt of giving me fake money, how am I sure that you would come out to give me anything if I allow you to go inside.

This statement from the Okada rider made me weak and totally embarrassed. The guy insisted that I shouldn't go anywhere until I pay him his money there and then.

A colleague, Stephen, coincidentally came out of the premises to go and buy something outside the school. He met me in the state of pleading with the Okada rider and he asked to be briefed of what the problem was. I took my time to explain to him and when it got to the turn of the rider to make a comment, he accused me of being "your 419 friend". 419 is a popular term used in Nigeria to describe a fraudulent act or individual. At this point, there were two more colleagues that stopped by as they were coming to school and entering the gate.

I gave them the money and they all shouted, Mr Ojo at the same time before Stephen asked me how I collected such a glaringly fake currency note. The Okada rider interrupted and said,

You see! I told you people that your friend is a fraudulent person. This is exactly how they behave when they are caught.

From our three years experience as colleagues, Stephen knew me well as someone that detests fraud. He took an exception to how the Okada rider addressed me because of the issue.

As much as I blame him for not being vigilant enough when he collected this money, I am sure that Mr Ojo can't intentionally give you this money.

Stephen addressed the rider before dipping hands into his pocket to bring out 50 naira to pay the fare. In all of these, I was in a down moment, highly embarrassed and dumbfounded. The Okada rider left and I appreciated my colleagues' intervention.

My colleagues, stemming from our previous relationships, agreed that the whole thing was a mistake from my side but the Okada rider believed that I was just trying to defend myself with flimsy reasons after being caught in the act of fraud. I couldn't convince the latter.

After closing from work in the evening of that day, I headed straight to the roadside vendor to give him back the fake currency note. To my utmost surprise, he claimed that he wasn't the one that gave me the money. He collected the note to check and he was displaying it to others around him telling them that there was no way he would deal with such obviously fake currency notes. Others were corroborating what he was saying asking me why I didn't reject the money immediately I was given. I quietly collected my money and went back home.

I destroyed the currency note and learned my lesson to always scrutinize any currency note handed to me to ascertain the genuineness before collection. I was embarrassed by my ignorance.

Posted using Neoxian City