Water Does Not Sleep

In the house I lived in, my landlord has been a good man when it comes to the aspect of helping people. Although, he loves money so much. He does not joke with his money. So many people just don't like him in this aspect, but in the aspect of helping people, he's good at it.

We have a pumping machine which we use to pump water from the well. I don't have a generator to be used to pump water, but he does have one. So, anytime the water is down, he always brings out his generator to pump water in the tank just for our use. He has never for once asked for fuel money or any form of money to be used as water rate. He did not add any form of unwanted money to the house rent which people called water rate money.

Image is mine

In the next compound, their landlord has this habit of saying what he is not supposed to say, or I can call it backwards mind. He sees things as though they happen. He believes in superstition being an old man who always sits at home without moving out to see the outside world or what's happening in the town. His children cannot say a word he would listen to. He only believed what he said.

The tenants always come to our compound to fetch water. I never for one asked the reason even though they have a well in their compound. I only believed that maybe our well may look cold in nature. One day when one of them came around to fetch water I had to ask. Although, asking was just not looking good to me as they may think I don't want them to fetch water from our well. After asking the woman, she said “my landlord always locks the well when it's 7pm”. I was shocked to hear that statement. No one would hear that statement without wanting to hear the reason.
“Is there any reason for that habit?” I was so anxious to know. The woman said her landlord believes that water always sleeps at night. Hearing this gave me some idea why so many people do not want others to fetch water from their compound even if it is from the pump. This is common to the Yorubas. They believed that it can cause bad luck to them, and so they always send anyone who comes to their compound to fetch water at night ranging from 7pm to 7am in the morning.

I was still anxious to know and asked further. “When does he open the well after locking it at 7 pm?” She said he always opens it by 7 AM. That's too ridiculous. He was truly a cultured man, but then he was not considering the tenants. Although, some of them would have fetched water before the said time and would have fetched in their pales.

All the tenants always run to our compound to fetch water when they are late to fetch water at the actual time he fixes. He was so strict to his tenants and was a tough and cultured man.

When he was late, his children and wife took over the maintenance of the compound. The fetching of water at the said time was still holding for some period when many of the tenants began to violate the rules. The man's children decided to lift the rule and made everyone fetch water at any time.

A few weeks ago, I went to my neighbor’s house just to pay him a visit. He went out to buy water even with the two water tanks in their compound. I was shocked and did not ask him to tell me the reason. I only believed that there was no water in the tank or they did not pump water or the power holding company did not release power.

I left that day without asking. A week later, I went to their house again to discuss something special. I was tasty and he went out again to buy water. There was electricity and no water in his apartment. I decided to ask this time without waiting a bit. His answer shocked me. He said his landlord always locks his tap when it's 8 pm. I asked him to explain the reason why he must do that. He told me that his landlord believed that the water will waste away and will not be enough to carry them the next day. I believe that it was wickedness. Living in that kind of house is not safe as the landlord is just a stingy soul. I don't know if he has changed.