Chapter 2: Palm Wine Bar Wahala

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#Narrator:

The adventurer wey no carry anything enter the border town. Na him first waka enter the palm wine bar—a place full of different kinds of people, good for finding information.

As he push the door open, everywhere for bar quiet. Plenty greedy eyes dey look am from head to toe. Make you know say, palm wine bar no be neutral ground o. The bad guys here fit sell their soul just to drink. If stranger enter, na jackpot dem dey see. Especially if you dey carry plenty Umuola coins. The adventurer know say wahala dey, but e too late to run. The bar door bang close, more than hundred hands grab am:

Dem hold him shoulder, pull him back, catch him leg. Dem drag am go deep inside palm wine cellar. Him shout fill the bar, then everywhere quiet as the harmattan breeze blow. Nobody ever know say he don come there before......

The moment you step inside, na so the smell of old palm wine, cigarette, and roasted fish slap your nose. Men dey play draughts, women dey gist for corner, and the smell of pepper soup dey mix with palm wine. People dey play ayo for corner, one man dey argue politics, another dey snore. But as you enter, the place freeze; even the rat wey dey under table stop. Na like you be new goat wey them wan use for festival. Next thing, you no even fit shout; cold hands like garri water grip your arm, and the noise for bar stop as if NEPA take light. The way dem grab you, e resemble area boys wey catch rich man for wrong bus stop.

Small advice: Drinking fit spoil your life. Abeg, follow the guidance.

For Umuola, your story fit end before e even start—if you no hear word.