Lady Reveals How A Widow Who Sells 'Akara' For A Living Became A Landlord In Lagos

There’s a woman who lives two streets away from where I stay, her husband passed on years back. On my way back from work one day, I stopped at the suya spot close to my house to buy suya when this woman approached me & said she wanted to talk to me. After buying the suya, we both went to the house. She explained how rough things have been for her since her husband left & how her little kiosk wasn’t able to cater for her & her 5kids. She came to see if there was a way I could help with a loan of 50k payable in 3 months.
Inside I smiled; cos she sees me dress in suit & head out to work everyday she must assume my dad owns the bank & I can influence policy & get them to give a loan to a non-customer. Long serving customers find it difficult accessing loan’s let alone someone without an account. I told her I would get back to her in a day or two. I discussed it with husband when he returned & we decided to help her. The following day I sent someone to her place with cash & she showed up minutes later to come say thank you.
Few weeks later she shut down her kiosk on the street and moved further to the main road, picked a spot & started selling akara, yam, pufpuf, agege bread & ogi. She would head out very early cos I always see her on my way to work as early as 6/6.30am. In the evenings on my way back I would see her still there but this time with her kids. One Saturday she comes to the house to return the loan. She then says she wants me to help her with opening an account. I promised to get her account opening forms, guide how how to fill it & told her to go return it to the branch nearest to the house.
Few months later she pays us a visit, says she will hardly be at her spot as she will be spending time at a building site just after ikotun-egbe. Building, I asked? She said they have had the land for a very long time & she now wants to start building from the proceeds of her akara sales. Akara seller started constructing a one storey building meanwhile every morning I would wear suit, head to work & be called madam!