A visit from his favourite child, although by no means an unusual occurrence, was always a source of pleasure.

He liked to have Shyuote around him when he was at work.
Throwing a small, sharp stone-splinter toward the boy, he called out to him,-- "Come, take this okpanyi and begin weeding where you stand.

Weed toward us until we meet, and we will go home together to the yaya." This was still further a source of displeasure to Shyuote, who above all things disliked work.

He had not come down to the fields to toil.

What he sought for was a friendly chat with his father, a few hours of lounging and loafing near him.