CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The discussion with Dawson’s mother did not go well as expected. Mrs. Corridon refused to allow her son to marry Candida. She said Candida would never make a fitting match for Dawson. According to her, Candida was just a local girl who only attempted WASC but failed.

‘Education is very important nowadays’. 'That we only had our elementary six is enough for us. But I cannot allow my son to marry a girl not properly educated. This is one reason why Justina would have made an excellent wife for you. But you drove her away because of your behavior. Make sure you don’t bring that girl into this house.'

‘You are just prejudiced against Candida. You really do not know what kind of person she is. Why don’t you watch her and then, you can see my point of view, Dawson argued. ‘As for education, what value does it have now that even graduates cannot find decent and well paying jobs to earn a living. Besides education has nothing to do with love.’

When Mr. Corridon came home during the weekend following the discussion, Dawson explained everything to him.

‘It doesn’t really matter much with whom you fell in love, as long as the two of you love each other’, he said.

‘But as it is, you have no foundation yet on which to stand a family. If only you have got a job, that would have been better. Why don’t you wait until you get a job. That will also give your mother time to reconsider things and probably change her mind about the girl. Candida may not be a bad girl. Her parents are also good people.

Dawson thought over this and then decided to increase his efforts in looking for job. Before he went to bed that night, he made a list of all the companies that could hire his services and where he could work. He also wrote six applications which he would post the next day.

Still all his efforts were fruitless. Only once were his efforts encouraged. This was when the Employment Agency with which he had lodged his credentials gave him a letter requiring him to attend an interview with a food processing company. After the interview, he was asked to checked for the results the following week. But when he got there his hopes were crushed. Although the Human Resource manager told him that he was successful during the interview he said the company would not employ any personnel until January the following year. He was therefore placed on the waiting list.

After sometime, and he could not see any possible prospect of getting work in Warri, he began to think of getting out of town. This thought came one morning as he was preparing to go to work-looking for work. He dwelt on the idea and saw it to be good. After all, he had tried his best. Besides, the behavior of his mother had not helped. ‘A change of scene might do me good’, he reasoned.

On the following morning when Dawson woke up, it was raining. He could not go to town as planned. So after taking his breakfast he lay on his bed again. The thought of leaving town became more pressing. And the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. But first of all, he will have to talk to his mother about Candida again, and see if she has changed a bit.

Dawson approached his mother in the evening when she was watching television. She lay full length on the settee while a big ceiling fan busily stir the thick air in the parlor.

‘Mama’, he said as he sat down in one of the chairs. ‘I don’t mean to be offensive, but it’s about Candida I want to talk.’

‘Now, don’t start that again. I wouldn’t want you to spoil my evening with this your talk about Candida. I have told you I cannot give my consent to that marriage. I just know there’s something about that girl, but I can’t explain it.’ replied his mother bringing herself to sit upright.

‘On the other hand', he persisted, 'I would like you to look at her with fresh eyes. Maybe you will see other aspects of her personality.

‘But I say no', she argued. ‘And that is final.’

‘If that’s all you can say’, Dawson said as he stood up.

‘You can as well stop to interfere into whatever I do in future’.

Then in annoyance, he marched out of the room.

In his room, Dawson decided it was time he started to do something. Tomorrow, he told himself he would leave before any person knew.