The Wine Gift (Short Story)
Chibundu was very angry as he left the headmaster’s office.
“I’m the one that looked for trouble,” he blamed himself. “If I had just visited my parents and left as I planned, this embarrassment would not have happened.”
As he was about to start the engine of his ageing Toyota Cressida, some female teachers seemed to have recognised him and hailed, asking him to meet them.
He got out and banged the car door to join the ladies, who had all been his teachers at one time or the other during his days as a pupil at that community primary school. In his hurry, he forgot to remove his car key from the ignition.
He walked over to the ladies where they stood outside Primary 5A classroom, Mrs. Ugwuowo’s class. They exchanged pleasantries and the ladies were delighted to learn that he was a staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, having obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics from their state university.
The women took in Chibundu’s handsome face, strong physique and two-piece suit. They began to tease him about his love life.
“Has any girl seized you yet? I’m asking because my Vero is still available o,” Mrs. Ugwuowo interposed. Vero was her second daughter and two years younger than Chibundu.
He assured them that he was still single and told them of his car key. They called a “versatile” young male teacher to help him.
Once the car door was open, Chibundu looked at the bottle of non-alcoholic wine on the passenger seat and made a quick decision. He picked up the wine in its green supermarket bag and went back to Mrs. Ugwuowo.
It was still break time and she had gone into her classroom. The two ladies with her were on their way to their classrooms but came right back as they saw Chibundu approach.
It’s just as well, he thought.
He presented the wine to the women as a token of his appreciation for their dedication in teaching him and their kindness while he was a pupil at the school.
The ladies were so pleased. They prayed for him, popped the wine and drank a toast to his health and prosperity with plastic cups from Mrs. Ugwuowo’s desk drawer.
No one subjected him to an “inquisition” about when and where he bought the drink, unlike the headmaster, he noted.
Chibundu drove away with mixed feelings. The headmaster, Mr. Ibe, had been instrumental in pulling him out of a gang of bad boys he had joined in Primary 6 and advised his mum to send him to a secondary school in a faraway state to avoid “reinfestation” as he called it.
Chibundu had always told himself that one day he would come to thank Mr. Ibe but the occasion was ruined because rather than express his gratitude first, he presented the wine and Mr. Ibe was engrossed in finding the expiry date.
After they both searched for about a minute, Chibundu saw it at the bottom of the label. But that portion was so squeezed as to make the figures unclear and Mr. Ibe rejected the drink on that account.
Questions were swirling in Chibundu’s mind. Should he have gone to substitute the drink at the supermarket? Was he wrong to consider Mr. Ibe’s response harsh?
He consoled hinself that he had visited the school and that his good gesture was appreciated, even though it was not by the person he intended it for.
-The end-
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja
I’d like to chat with you.
Do you think Mr. Ibe was right in rejecting the drink?
Would you have reacted as Chibundu did if you were in his shoes?
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I don’t see anything wrong in Mr Ibe rejecting the drink, cos he checked out for the expiry date of the drink to be sure that the drink was still good. If I were to be in Chibundu’s shoes, I would have return to change the drink, or get a brand new one with the expiry date legible enough.
It’s better Mr Ibe rejected the drink, rather than pretend and collect it, then after, he dispose it.
Nice, but some think he was rude. Happy Sunday!
I guess Mr Ibe still has issues of trust with Chibundu, so I don’t blame him but in Chibundu’s shoes, I’ll be upset because I know I brought the gift with gladness and appreciation in mind. If I were Mr Ibe, I’d take the drink.
Hi Chingere! I hope you’re fine.
This type of misunderstanding can really annoy someone. But it shouldn’t be allowed to ruin whatever relationship they may have.
I think Mr. Ibe is wrong in rejecting the drink. When one gifts another, it shows that you are highly valued by that person. Accepting the gift at superficial level, at least, should be a very good way of reciprocating Chibundu’s kind gesture.
Of course, I will feel hurt but will try as much as possible to wipe it off my mind.
You’re right sir, however, Chibundu must not let it affect his relationship with Mr Ibe
Mr Ibe was wrong rejecting the wine. He should have maturely appreciated Chibundu despite the expiry date of the wine.
His good gesture could have eventually triggered Chibundu to make changes at the supermarket.
I will feel bad like Chibundu but will immediately get it off my mind.
The headmaster should have first appreciated the effort of Chibundu before anything else.
And Chibundu shouldn’t have equally taken it to heart. The headmaster is just being cautious of his health.
Balanced advice. Bless you!
I was thought by an elder in my community that when you are offered a gift, especially from a family member, a friend, or an acquaintance, you should accept it even though you have no intention of keeping it. Mr. Ibe should have just accepted the gift and that would have made Chibundu feel good.
That’s one way of looking at it. But then Chibundu wouldn’t have learnt the importance of checking the expiry dates on the things he buys.
The headmaster would have first appreciate his efforts first, then explain to him that he don’t take drink that have expired or the expiry date is not properly written or visible ……of course it’s so understandable and pleasing to the ear
Chibundu should have changed the wine to one with more legible expiry date, Mr Ibe was just being cautious and curious just like any one would be. Chibundu shouldn’t have taken Mr Obi’s action to heart.
Sounds reasonable!
I think Mr. Ibe was wrong by rejecting the gift because it was a gift not an entitlement. We should always try to appreciate anything called gift from people .
Mr Ibe shouldn’t have rejected the gift, a gift is usually a form of appreciation
My mum will always say if you don’t feel comfortable about taking a gift from someone don’t do it than taking it and throwing it away.
Mr Ibe was not comfortable with the gift so I think it’s okay he didn’t collect it plus the expiry date was not clear.
In life you can be accepted or rejected by people everybody most not accept you or your efforts.
The head master would have appreciated chibundu first for the gift he brought and chibundu on the other hand was not supposed to feel sad because the headmaster was just being careful of what he takes into his body.
The headmaster wasn’t all wrong for rejecting the drink simply because he put his health first. However, he should have appreciated Chibundu’s kind gesture for remembering him after all the past years.
When someone loves you, your wellbeing becomes their concern even if it hurts you.
Chibundu shouldn’t take it personal because the headmaster only reacted that was cause he cares for his heath and probably he may have had past experience with expired beverage before
I would have reacted like Chibundu or rather I will abandon the drink at the man’s office .The headmaster is very wrong .
Human feelings are complex.
Sometimes we are blind to that of someone else’s.
If someone put a thought to a gift and give it to you, it’s only polite to accept it. Rejecting a gift because he was unsure of the expiry date doesn’t seem courteous tome, God bless the teachers.
Mr. Ibe isn’t wrong with the way he acted, infact he did the right thing.
In my own opinion Mr Ibe action was wrong,why would someone offer u a drink instead of him to appreciate,he is busy looking for expiration date and if i were to be in Chibundu shoes i would just overlook it and not read meaning to it.
Mr ibe was quite rude to chibundu, checking the expiry date before appreciating his kind gesture he should have thanked him first before saying anything but say with politeness
Mr Ibe was right in rejecting the drink, because it’s probably his principle though he should not have outrightly done so. He should have first thanked chibundu, then go on to correct him.
Chibundu on the other hand should not be angry because Mr Ibe did not obviously mean to be seen as an ingrate he was merely being principled on his own terms.
Mr. Ibe should’ve kindly in a subtle way told chibundu that the wine has expired instead of plainly rejecting it, that singular act shows that he’s ungrateful even tho the drink was expired.
The headmaster wasn’t wrong, it’s better he rejected the drink than accepting it only to dispose it when chinedu must have left his office. And I believe that chinedu must have learnt to be cautious of the expiry date of any product he is buying.
For me tho, Mr Ibe is wrong. He should have accepted the drink.
In life, you can never please everybody regardless of your efforts.
From the scene that played out at the office, two things can be deduced:
Chibundu is careless or carefree (probably that accounts for why he also forgot his car key in his vehicle) and the headmaster is too cautious.
This major characteristics of the two did not quite blend during the brief interaction as they are two complete opposites. Both of them need to work on their behaviours for better relationships with themselves and the society.
My mother would say,” accept and appreciate the gift, but if you feel uneasy about it; then, you can cast it off later.”
Mr. ibe would appreciated his efforts in bringing the drink before any other thing and even tho the drink was possibly expired he would have accepted it, knowing he won’t drink it later on.
I think those women were not disciplined enough, because their approach towards chibundu was somewhat questionable.Did they actually forgot that he was once their student? Or is it because he’s now rich and probably living fine.anyways that’s my opinion though.
An expiry date is very important in any product, I believe the headmaster was trying to teach him to be cautious when buying things, especially things that goes into the human body.
This was a really good story.
i enjoyed this one.
I don’t see anything wrong in Mr Ibe rejecting the drink, cause he checked out for the expiry date of the drink to be sure that the drink was still good. If I were to be in Chibundu’s shoes, I would have return to change the drink.
If I we’re in chibundu’s shoes I’ll open the wine while still in the headmaster’s office and drink it. I don’t blame the headmaster because he has no idea how much the wine cost and where the wine was gotten from, I believe once he sees me drinking it he will certainly join me.
It was really thoughtful about Chibundu to appreciate his teachers for their efforts in being part of his success.
The headmaster cared for just his health and nothing more which was not good cuz it’s left Chinedu angry.
Mr Ibe I believe lacks courtesy and manner of approach. It is very rude to reject a gift from someone, especially on a very unnecessary account. A simple thank you would have been better. He can then dispose the drink later on of he feels insecure about it. I admire Chibundu’s self control and direction of thought after the whole incident. At least, he still returned the kind gestures. It takes maturity to react the way he reacted.
It’s very rude to reject a gift. And its not like chibundu had any idea the drink had expired. He should have appreciated the gift atleast
I won’t blame both of them. It’s good Mr Ibe reject the drink rather throwing it away. But Chibudu should feel bad as a human being but that shouldn’t stop him from getting another wine in the supper market.
Thanks ma for this lovely story.
I feel Mr Ibe overreacted. He should have understood that people change and receive Chibundu’s gift with open arms.
It is humane to feel angry, inquisitive, disappointed. But it is preferable if Mr Ibe had accepted it, for it was out of thankfulness. He could choose whether to dispose or not later.
It is not appropriate to reject gifts but since the headmaster did it for a candid reason, Chibundu was not supposed to be angry.
Giving and accepting gift is good but we should avoid taking ones that are detrimental to our health.
Mr. Ibe was wrong to have rejected the drink for the flimsy excuse of not clearly identified the expiry date of the wine.
Sometimes, in life its not about the size of the gift that matters, it is the worth. This was a kind gesture and shouldn’t be treated with such indifferent attitude.
Most times, it’s the thought that counts, many people don’t realize that.
I think Mr. Ibe would’ve accepted the wine at least in the public and then made sure he searched for the expiry date to be convinced that the wine had or hadn’t expired.
This is because, he might have not seen it as a result of his age and probably poor sight.
The headmaster was not wrong in rejecting the drink because this shows that he is cautious of such thing and mindful of his health and it teaches us to always check for expiration dates when ever we buy a good
Mr Ibe was rude to have rejected the young man’s gift, but his loss, and Mrs Ugwuowo and the other women’s gain.
It’s funny how sometimes, we fail to realize how our actions tend to hurt other people. This is why it’s important to have this skill called emotional intelligence.
I really think what Mr. Ibe did was wrong, checking out for the expiry date is quite good, but his harsh reaction towards chidindu was uncalled for.
If I were chidindu I will also be annoyed because I had come with good intentions and not harm.
I wouldn’t blame Mr. Ibe, as a learned man, be seems to be very critical about all that concerns him, from the days when he was instrumental to the deliverance of Chibundu from wrong association to the critical checking of the wine for am expiry date. It doesn’t take things to chance, he’s also a detailed person. It his nature anyway, and mr. Chibindu being that he is indebted to mr. Ibe, should have no reason to be upset and also mr. Ibe being elderly ageaybe did not want anything that would harm his body system. As a younger person, Chibundu could have been more patient in order not to forfeit the reason he came to the school because he left with a mixed feeling. In other words the reason for going to the school was not fully attained. But all the same, he’s human and it’s understandable to feel hurt.
I think Mr Ibe was wrong for rejecting the drink. It was even wrong for him to start checking the expiry date right in front of the young man that came to appreciate him, but at the same time chibundu was not supposed to be too angry as the man was only looking out for his health even though he did it the wrong way
For me it’s how the ladies quickly opened the drink without checking it out.
It teaches that we should learn to enquire before taking actions.
Mr,Ibe was an honest man and he was concerned about his health but he should’ve collected the wine 🍷 It shows sign of appreciation and regard for Chibundu and that doesn’t mean he will drink it after, he should have been matured enough
Although Mr Ibe was being cautious, it is rude to reject a gift, after all Chibundu’s intentions were pure.
Mr Ibe shouldn’t have rejected the gift.
He could have just collected the wine and appreciate.and checking the expiry date in front of the young man that came to appreciate him is bad
Mr Ibe is wrong in rejecting the drink, he would have accepted it not to hurt his feelings and a sign of self wishing him well and later dispose it
Mr Ibe could have accepted the gift and maybe give to it someone, since it was obvious he wasn’t pleased with the wine gift. One major thing was lacking between them was communication. Chibundu could have started the reason he was there b4 presenting his gift.
Mr ibe was wrong in rejecting the wine even though he didn’t want it , he could have collected it and appreciated them for it.
For me, Mr Ibe is totally wrong in rejecting the gift,in as much as he is trying to clear his curiosity, he would have just accepted the gift even though he doesn’t want or need it. If I am Chibundu, I will feel very bad about that singular act.
The headmaster should have at least, appreciate chibundu
And chibundu shouldn’t have taken it to heart
He was only trying to reciprocate for his kindness and help but it did argur well as expected by Chibundu, I know that feeling 😅
Mr. Ibe shouldn’t have questioned Chibundu. Rather, he should have accepted the gift with thanks, then when Chibundu leaves, he can go ahead to check for the expiry date. Instead of embarrassing him (Chibundu) like that.
I think Mr Ibe should have collected the drink even though he discovered that it was expired.
Chibundu shouldn’t have gotten angry at Mr Ibe, am sure he would have also done the same thing.
Rejection gift is really annoying so I think Mr. Ibe was wrong to reject the gift(wine) he should have collected it and throw it away after they left or give it to another person
Why do I have the feeling that mister Ibe is troublesome and streak💔
Innocent Chibundu.
Anyways the man is not all that wrong, considering his health and what he takes in
This is just an example of what they say”another man poison is another man’s food “, since the headmaster rejected the drink other teachers appreciated it
I guess Mr Ibe still has issues of trust with Chibundu, so I don’t blame him but in Chibundu’s shoes, I’ll be upset because I know I brought the gift with gladness and appreciation in mind. If I were Mr Ibe, I’d take the drink.
I think he was wrong by rejecting the token of appreciation, and definitely like Chibundu. I would’ve done the same
I don’t blame any of them Mr Ibe saw the wine was not good that was why he reacted that and as for chinbundu his only human he is tend to feel offended
Mr Ibe may have reasons for not accepting the wine but he should have appreciated Chibundu’s effort by collecting the gift even if he wouldn’t make use of it eventually.
By checking the expiry date, he cared more about his health than his stomach. This is because a single drop of an expired wine might make him spend thousands in the hospital or even lead to his death.
Mr ibe was wrong for rejecting the gift. It was just a sign of kind gesture
Mr ibe should have accepted the gift first and appreciated him for it before anything else because that is the right thing to do.
I really don’t see why Mr ibe rejected the gift, sure it hurts when people rejects the gift we offer to them out of the goodness of our hearts but Chibundu shouldn’t feel sad, after all the women were pleased with the offering and appreciated it.
Mr. Ibe is wrong for rejecting the drink, Chibundu on the side should have been careful enough to check the expiry date of the drink. But that shouldn’t have ended on a bad note between the two of them, a little conversation and understanding could have helped
Mr Ibe acted based on his own principal as a human being…
What chibundu should have done was reason from his point of view..
In my opinion, the headmaster was not wrong in rejecting the wine… maybe he did it on health grounds. However, there are more polite ways of rejecting the wine without offending the giver. Maybe he should have received the drink from him. Afterwards, he can check for whatever he was looking for and then dispose it if it doesn’t suit his standards.
Well, Mr Ibe should have accepted the wine gratefully and appreciated him even if he was going to look or check out for expiry date for health purpose
Maybe Mr Ibe was wrong in rejecting the wine, but I think his real wrong was not considering the feelings of Chibundu. A lot of people do this as well, you let your wisdom surpress your humanity. We should learn to always think about how our actions would affect those on the receiving end.
In my opinion, the headmaster would’ve accepted the gift. Chibundu offering a gift to him shows that he values the headmaster.
Rejecting the gift made Chibundu to feel bad, which is not his real intention.
Patience is a virtue everyone must possess, very important.
Accepting the wine should be a good way of reciprocating Chibundu’s kind gesture.
In this story, personally, I feel all that matters is the fact that chibundu was grateful.
He wouldn’t blame his headmaster though.
Realized elderlies tend to care more about things regarding the health, so he rejecting the bottle of wine doesn’t necessarily mean he rejected his gratitude.
Mr Ibe was wrong for rejecting the wine, he could have just taken it and disposed of it later. But all in all, the wine was still appreciated by the other teachers.
Appreciation really matters a lot. Mr Ibe was wrong
Mr ibe wouldn’t have rejected the gift because it was not intentional.
I would feel hurt by Mr Ibe’s rejection if I was chibundu. He should have still accepted the gift.
Mr ibe could have rejected the wine politely of course out of his good intentions towards him, he helped humanity besides his reward in heaven is far greater than the wine.
One thing I learnt while growing was never to reject a gift, especially in public.
Mr Ibe was wrong for rejecting the gift even though he cared for his health,he should have collected it even though he won’t drink it afterwards.
Considering the fact that he was being cautious of his health, I think he would have appreciated the drink first and them maybe politely stated the fact that the drink was expired. He would have understood after his appreciation of the drink.
Mr Ibe’s reaction is clearly because of trust issues,knowing that Chinundu was once a notorious boy. But as an experienced man,he should be open to the fact that people change from bad to good and not everyone is out to hurt him,he should have at least accepted the wine and kept it in his office instead of rejecting it. I don’t think Chibundu was wrong for giving it to someone else.
The headmaster was wrong for rejecting the gift. He should have accepted firsr. From my own point of view, when someone gifts you, it is from a place of love. Although he was wrong for rejecting it but if he hadn’t, Chibundu wouldn’t have known the important of checking expiry date.
Although it may be he doesn’t trust him anymore, but i feel MR Ibe should have just accepted the drink
For me Mr Ibe was wrong. He should have collected the drink and be grateful. If it was me too I’ll be pissed off. So many people are ignorant that’s why they buy stuffs and fall sick not knowing the product they bought has expired but nevertheless it was a gift and was meant to be appreciated.
Sometimes, certain things need to be overlooked in order for you not to hurt the other person.
Mr. Ibe was actually wrong in rejecting the wine as it was presented to him as a gift, a token of appreciation for that matter.He should have just collected the wine and decide later if he wants to drink it or not because of the expiring date. Chibudun, on his part was also wrong by gifting the wine to the teachers despite knowing that the wine must have expired.
Did he know that? Read the story again.
I think Mr Ibe made the wise choice by rejecting the drink.
I think one should always check the expiry dates of drinks regardless of who gifts it to you.
Mr Ibe’s rejection of the wine means he still has his misgivings about chibundu. Atleast, he should have collected and maybe do away with it later.
Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
Well two wrongs they say can never make a right, Ibe was wrong by not having to check the expiry date,(sometimes in provision store the staff sometimes forgets to remove some of the goods that they expiry due) it wasn’t his fault as he couldn’t show his full appreciation to his ever guiding principle, but i still think it doesn’t look as bad as he paints it to the principal who i think understood his kind loving gesture as he quiet recognize the fact that he came around after all this while to show his token of appreciation.
(Action they say are far more louder than voice) He can still do better next time
I think if I were Mr Ibe I would have collected the wine from him even though I may not drink it than rejecting it seeing that he does not owe me that but out of love and appreciation.
Mr Ibe should have collected the wine. At least to show respect and regard.
Mr Ibe, I felt like he did it all wrong because why will you reject a gift Infront of the person that give you the gift, instead of rejecting it in front of him it would have been better doing it in his back(absence).
This is a beautiful piece, to be honest I don’t blame Chibundu for his harsh behavior towards his headmaster, all he wanted to do was to appreciate his head master for helping in the past, he had no idea that the drink was expired at the first, he bought it from a super market, so I believe his intuition won’t let him think about the expiry date. If the headmaster had politely rejected the drink, it would have been better or at least show it to him rather than behaving rudely to him.
Mr Ibe was wrong in rejecting the gift and he was also rude
I don’t blame him for being rude to the headmaster, I mean all Chibundu wanted to do was to appreciate his head master effort in the past, he had no idea that the drink was expired, he bought form a supermarket so I believe his mind did not allow him to go through the expiry date. I feel the headmaster could have politely rejected the drink, or perhaps after seeing it was expired, he could have brought it to his notice,rather than just being rude to him
Chibundu is sincerely appreciative of Mr. Ibe’s help to him while still in primary six. That is why he buys a drink for him in appreciation.
Mr. Ibe should have disregarded the expiry date of the wine and accepted it.
Mr Ibe should have at least accepted the wine, even if he won’t drink it.
In my opinion, mr Ibe was rude to check the expiring date instead of appreciating it first.
Mr Ibe rejecting the drink was on the basis of the expiry date, I would do same
Rejecting it was rude. Think before you react to people’s gesture, cause some might actually be an act of kindness and the way you react to it matters
Despite the headmaster being watchful of his health does not mean he should reject Chinundu kind gesture of appreciation. Chinundu should also understand his reasons and do better next time.
He could have accepted the drink first but seemingly panacea some ills. on a side note, this piece underscores the importance of checking for the expiring dates of consumables especially.
He should have accepted the drink regardless of the expiration date, to a least show appreciation and make chinundu feel ok.
I think that Mr ibe didn’t mean to reject the wine.I know he must be happy while collecting it . Since he first collected it only to reject it after not expiration date . but he fail to acknowledge his effort which was wrong . Chinundu should be more conscious of gifts he gives people since he already knows the headmaster before. He could have offered some little detail about him.
Guess Mr. Ibe is just like me. If I don’t see the expiry date, I’m not buying anything.
I don’t fault Mr. Ibe over his trust issues. Once a trust is broken, it’s hard to mend the broken pieces.
The story tells us that we should always show appreciation to people who have done good to us in the past -“the ladies were pleased. They prayed for him, popped the wine and drank a toast to his health…” – an excerpt from the story
I felt bad that the wine was expired but there a re many ways to go about rejection. He could have received and since he was that meticulous, he would have disposed it or made it known to Chindindu that though it was expired, he appreciated the thoughtfulness. Sometimes it’s not the gift but the thought behind the gift.
Secondly, Chindindu did a good job hiding his frustration even though he was sad he didn’t check the date himself, the headmaster made it worse for him. Overall he did well handling the situation.
My own opinion I don’t think Mr Ibe is right by checking the expiry date Infront of chibundu,I don’t blame chibundu for seeing it as rude..but the man was actually being cautious tho
Knowing how to relate to people is very necessary especially when their is difference in age.
Ibe should have at least accepted the wine, even if he won’t drink it, and he was so rude
I am of the opinion that, Mr. Ibe, considering the fact that it’s a gift would have just collected wine and dispose it when Chinundu was out after discovering the expiry date.
Also, Chinundu would have checked the expiry date of the wine before buying. I feel this this a big lesson to everyone.
Wow, what an interesting story
Well it’s so amicable of Chibundu to remember his headmaster Mr Ibe, which many wouldn’t do and I think Mr Ibe not accepting Chibundu bottle of wine wasn’t right or wrong because he was just being careful. It’s really hurting actually even though he was acting out of his own morals. I just hope Chibundu understand that. And least there were some other people to accept and appreciate it.
It’s understandable for him to feel disappointed that is gesture of gratitude wasn’t received in the way he had hoped. However, it’s important for Chibudu to remember that not everyone will react the same way to a gift
Mr ibe should have appreciated the drink first before anything else, that’s courtesy, though little things like this should ruin their relationship.
This story reminds me of the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Unfortunately, Chibundu’s gesture of gratitude was not well-received by the headmaster, but it’s important to remember that our actions are not always going to be received the way we intend them to be. It’s still commendable that Chibundu took the time to visit his old teachers and show his appreciation for them.