chapter 2
Rumour had it that Dr. Nweze's brain was boiling with maths. People said he could add and subtract huge figures in his brain and give the correct answer in a matter of seconds. His brain worked like a huge computer.
Dr. Nweze was certainly a celebrity in the field of mathematics. His fame went beyond the African shores. In Australia, he was heard of. Nigeria was therefore proud of such an illustrious son who placed her name so conspicuously on the map of the world. Such then was the international reputation of Dr.M.C. Nweze before his visit to Mike's school.
There was another interesting side. Dr. Nweze story. This was the romantic side. Dr. Nweze did not come back to the university alone. He come back with a most charming, young English girl. Susan was her name. Susan was a piece of beauty, a sort of an artist's creation. Her dark, long hair fell on her shoulders and trailed dawn her back. Her figure was a model - no physical blemish anywhere. When she walked you had a titillating experience of seeing a glimpse of pure woman formed for the pleasure of man.
Dr. Nweze fell in love with Susan while studying in London. At first it was a casual affair. Then it grew deeper and deeper into a strong inviolable love. After Mr. Nweze had been crowned in America with his Ph.D. degree, he come back to London where he was given a more lovely crown namely, Susan. After their marriage in London, Susan's father who was a rich business man, gave them the lamp sum of £6,000 to start life with. yes, not six hundred pounds but six thousand pounds, in addition to such a beautiful girl, was given to one man. It was certainly a strange story. It sounded too good to be true yet it was true!
After the principal had introduced Dr. Nweze he also introduced his wife to the staff and students. Here you meet with Mrs. Nweze, MA. History' he declared. It was another bombshell. So the sweet beautiful thing was not a brainless beauty! A double blessing indeed! Dr. and Mrs. Nweze seemed to have had more than their own share blessings. It was like the biblical saying: Those who have will be given more '. Dr. and Mrs. Nweze were both Senior lecturers at the University of Ibadan. They had called to Mike's school just to say hello to the principal, Mr. Adeola who was an old friend and schoolmate of Dr. Nweze. But the principal, not wanting to miss such a fine opportunity of showing off his celebrated friend, persuaded Dr. Nweze to impart some friendly advice to his staff and students.
Dr. Nweze spoke admirably and the staff and students listened in appreciative silence punctuated by warn applause. One student made everybody laugh when he brought out one tough problem from C.V. Durell and asked the learned doctor of mathematics to solve it within seconds. It was, on the whole, an interesting visit a visit which had a tremendous impact on Mike kukume. The visit influenced him three strong resolutions:-
1) to get a university degree before his death;
2). to visit London by air and
3). to come back to Nigeria with a beautiful English girl like Dr. M. C. Nweze.
That was six years ago. He had not done badly at all. He was now an undergraduate, a second-year student in the History Department and very soon, his dream of getting a university degree would be fulfilled. And now thanks be to Allah, his second and third dream were now within sight. Thanks be to the NUNS(National Union of Nigeria Students) for organizing the yearly summer flight to enable students travel abroad for sight seeing and vacation jobs. But for Mike kukume however, it was a glorious opportunity not only for sight-seeing and earning a lot of money for doing some fabulous jobs abroad but also to come back with a really beautiful English girl whose father would be rich enough to gave them the lump sum of £6,000 to start life with!