The old office chair, the King's throne.
Published on HivePostify by @oyebolu · Fri Jul 17 2026
[source](https://pixabay.com/vectors/office-chair-meeting-4697391/)
The workshops alongside the market road are a popular spot where Uncle Kay wouldn't miss a day without going. Although many craftsmen work on that extremely large piece of land which has trees like; Mango, Cashews, Coconut, and others that shade the afternoon sun.
Though, Uncle Kay is an electrician who has no shop there but believes that, through other craftsmen opportunities can arise as usual.
This particular Saturday, I joined him and before a twinkle of an eye, he introduced me to his friends; Pa Nnamadi who was the carpenter, Ogindiji, who was the welder, Lady B, who was the tailor, Danni, who was the plumber, and Jonz, who was the panel beater.
“ This is my first cousin that lives in Lagos” he told them and I was welcomed.
“ Na God say make you come now” Pa Nnamadi said talking to Uncle Kay.
“ I just wanted to call you .” Danni takes it from there.
“ That man sitting there needs an electrician ASAP( as soon as possible)” Ogindiji concluded the dialogue and Uncle Kay put his hand on my shoulder.
“ Aburo( young one), the man who ceased to work, would rather starve than get up and cook” he said and continued.
“ Just feel free and enjoy the moment, I will be right back” he concluded and went to the man who was sitting afar and they started talking.
I switched my attention to the other side of the place because the land was extremely big and also near the road.
I saw so many people hawking things and the view was not only busy but also interesting because it was segmented. I saw some people playing football on the mini pitch which was farther at the end of the land, some young girls were playing hopscotch game under a large breadfruit tree and others were deeply engaged in the traditional clapping game. The younger boys piqued my interest when I heard one of them say, “Today's finger counting game, the king has to fight for his throne”
I smiled and sat beside a large mango tree on an old office chair which also had an old table opposite it. The boys started roaming around me and I observed that something was off.
“ What can I do for your friends?” I asked them and one of them said that the spot I sat was where they play their game.
“ Can I get another chair for you from there?” a boy said pointing at Pa Nnamadi’s shop and I replied, “Why not?”. He ran at the top of his speed and I saw him pointing to me and Pa Nnamadi smiled and gave him a chair.
He brought back the chair and I switched my seat, as if I was not interested in their game, brought out my phone, and put the earpiece on.
“ Let's start with you Nnamadi,” one of the boys said. Nnamadi sat on the old office chair and they swiveled the chair in thirty-six degrees counting from one to twenty and Nnamadi stood up straight immediately and the children started counting one to twenty again. Most of them flew into vertigo and fell while a few who stood continued until the last person standing.
“ This is today's king of the game” they chorused and a boy called Kachi sat on the old office chair while others stood around the table and started picking numbers. “ I pick six,” Kachi said. “ I pick five” Nnamadi followed and so others picked too..
The rhyme of the counting-out game made me laugh so hard that my ribs wanted to crack but I just concentrated on my phone as if what made me laugh was from that source. “ After round one original Panadol extra o tu gbe de” was sung repeatedly and counting occurred.
The winners were selected, until it remained a loser who was given a hot slap on the back of his hand by all the players simultaneously.
The only thing that I observed is that if the king loses, he will not be slapped then I understood why the King’s throne was also contested for.
“ Aburo mii( my young sibling)” I heard a familiar voice from a distance and I saw Uncle Kay moving closer holding some packages in his hand.
“ I thought you would be interested in soccer and I went to the pitch first,” he said.
“ I am” I replied and stood up. “ Let's go watch some, the first team has started their match,” he said. “ Shall we” I replied and looked back at the young boys, smiled knowing that they already made my day with their game including the old office chair which was the King's throne.
Tags: #fiction#writing#inkwellprompt#theinkwell