IN THE STREETS OF LAGOS

EPISODE 3

Ojuelegba! Ojuelegba! a raggedly looking man standing beside a Danfo bus called out for passengers. It was a Monday morning and as usual, the roads were already bustling with people and cars as early as 6:00 am. As the traffic built up steadily, it induced adrenaline into the bloodstream of individuals rushing to meet up for one purpose or the other. With car horns blaring loudly, coupled with different people displaying and selling products of varying type, size, quantity, and quality and pedestrians that were all over the place, the road was a complete wreak of noise and distractions. Victoria and her friend, Kemi moved headlong through the crowd desperately trying to meet up for their daily routinely job at Ozone Cinema, Yaba. Their face turned pale as they struggled and eventually made it to the front row of the crowded queue, only to realize that they had missed the first BRT bus they were usually fond of taking because, it was very affordable even though, it tended to be quite slow most times due to its massiveness. Kemi let out an audible sigh... "so much for Lagos being so populated; she hissed". The second BRT bus hadn't arrived yet, the people queuing up in anticipation of its arrival were twice as much the crowd they've witnessed every other day. "Abeg na me dey for here... make una go back go join line", a woman presumed to be in her late forties interrupted them from behind. Checking their watches, they were five minutes late already because, according to their routine, they should be on the bus heading towards work by at least 7:20 am in other for them to meet up with the 8:00 am deadline. They resorted to going with a bike which would be way faster but quite expensive. It seemed like the best alternative at the moment anyway. They looked around and could barely decipher why today was especially so noisy with a lot of people moving to and fro....especially because transportation to various destinations was so scarce and the price was a little bit over the top from the norm. "It's only in Lagos that small rain will fall and the price of transportation goes up automatically," a man beside them said with a taint of  frustration in his voice. They were about to flag down a bike when a mini Toyota Camry abruptly pulled up in front of them and the driver waved; "Yaba! two person enter with your 100 naira change... change no dey oh". They both scanned the car and shortly noticed two men seated already; one in the passenger's seat next to the driver and one at the back seat. They immediately hopped in as some people started running towards the vehicle in other to maneuver them recognizing the chance to escape the idea of spending more on transportation. The vehicle drove off and they pitched a heavy sigh of relief.

In less than four minutes, the driver started to make somewhat of a conversation, asking a dark rancid man sitting next to Victoria, about what was inside a supposed bag of tomatoes in the boot of the car. "Oga abeg, no carry me go station... I swear na only tomato dey for inside the bag", he looked agitated as he tried to open the door to let himself out of the car. "You no wan tell me wetin dey inside that bag bah?... As you see me so e dey do you like say na play I dey play...make I carry you go station first na there you go talk everything wey you no wan talk for here" the driver said. They were both confused and more interested in getting to work on time. "Ummm please sir just drop us at Yaba first; Kemi muttered. But instead of indulging her, he just looked at her through the front view mirror before returning to the interrogation. " What do you have inside the bag of tomatoes? the driver asked... but this time, with more antagonism. "Oga abeg, na 1.2 million dollars dey inside the bag", he burst out. It was Victoria that first let out an outburst as she stared at the frantic man sitting beside her with awe... " Jesus Christ!!. The driver spoke again... " how you manage get that kind money? I just wan help you in case police stop us so, talk now oh". He stammered; "I worked for a very rich man in Kano as his gate man. For sometime now, he get serious kidney problem...and just two days ago, he became very sick and they rushed him to the hospital where he died later on". I rushed back to the house immediately I heard the news just before his family would return from the hospital, I knew he had money somewhere so, I searched his room over and over again... I saw a bag under one of the cupboards, I checked it and saw the money.... then I ran away. I come enter night bus from Kano to Lagos... As I reach here, I say make I buy bag of tomatoes wey I go use hide am wella... I swear na wetin happen be that oga". It was then that it dawned on them that they have entered 'wahala'... but instead of joining the conversation, they just waited in anticipation of what was going to happen next. "You go share that money between all of us, 100 million Naira each, then, the remaining na you go carry am" the driver said. "I don't want any money, please just drop us off we're already late for work". The frantic man gave Victoria chills as she thought he was going to harm her..." Do you work for the police"? he turned and asked her with a stern look. "No oh, she raised her hands in defiance. "So we will go somewhere safe and secure to share the money and we all have to promise to keep this a secret... we will go later on and take an oath too for anyone who fails to keep it a secret; he looked into the front view mirror again. "Then after that, we'll go our separate ways".  It was Kemi that spoke up now ''but why would you steal the money in the first place, money belonging to a dead man! For your information, this money might even be cursed... we don't want it"; she said as she stroke Victoria lightly as she noticed she was beginning to like the idea of having a share of the money."I have three children and I don experience poverty full belle... those girls you see flexing money and riding the best cars in places like Lekki, do you know how they made so much money? Na opportunity like this dem no miss oh... so shine your eye" the man in the passenger seat finally spoke up for the first time. 'How much is the highest amount you've ever deposited into your bank account? the driver asked again. Suddenly, Kemi realized that the whole focus was on them and she was bothered that they were so interested in sharing the money with them even after insisting they wanted nothing of it. Something is definitely wrong somewhere. "Trust me, girls, you need this money... you know in your heart that the job you're rushing to would never give you the kind of money you want". At this point, the driver passed where they were supposed to stop and their hearts raced... " please drop us oh, they yelled frantically. He kept on driving, "You no dey go again?... the place we go share the money no far again". Yes, yes we no dey go again, abeg. The man close to Victoria held her hands trying to suppress her as he held out a knife and placed it on her neck. Kemi seeing this, went haywire. " Kidnappers oh! she protruded her head out of the window and shouted as much as her voice could carry her and it attracted a lot of onlookers as the car drove by. Trying to avoid problems that would arise from creating a scene especially because the car glass windows were down revealing what transpired inside the car, he halted making way for them to get down. "As you no wan get sense, E go be", the driver said before he drove off.

They both froze and shivered with fear immediately they got down. " Waka oloshi e no go better for you" Kemi gestured her hands upwards cursing after them. After getting ahold of themselves and explaining their ordeals to the little crowd that had already formed around them, they stopped a Keke Napep to take them back to their place of work. Recognizing the amount of explanation they had to make to their boss, they said a prayer and went into his office. They told him everything. " Ahh you almost got scammed", he exclaimed. Most times they'll end up blackmailing or even doing horrendous things to people who fall for their tricks... I don't even think there was any money in the boot. But notwithstanding, you're here already and you're safe so get back to work... all I can say is ' Eko o ni baje o'.





- your ideal writer

JUANITA'S
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