Chapter 2: Phone Calls and Lost Things

As I dey look her playful eye, I know say na cruise she dey catch, I no even know wetin to reply. Na that time Uncle Auwalu waka come again, him mouth full of smoke and Star. "Wetin dey happen, you like our university boy? Una dey gist well o."

Uncle Auwalu na correct wingman. E no dey mind e own, always dey poke nose for another person palava. E fit use your matter catch cruise for two weeks straight.

"I been like am, but e be like say he no send me," 25 talk with smile, rolling her eye at me for effect.

She talk am like person wey dey tease small pikin. Her eye still dey play, but she dey observe me—one kain look wey dey size my courage.

"No worry, feelings dey grow. I tell you, take care of am well. Our guy na sharp guy—real book person."

Uncle Auwalu fit convince masquerade wear boxers. Na so e dey hype me anyhow. I dey blush but I dey try hide am.

"How feelings wan grow? Today na first time we meet." 25 just dey crack groundnut.

She break another shell, throw am inside mouth, lick her finger small. Lagos babe—e no dey surprise dem. Dem dey take life as e come.

"Wetin you dey talk? First time, una be stranger; second time, una go dey familiar. E go enter body..." Uncle Auwalu laugh with bad eye.

Him laugh scatter everywhere. E get as e dey do, like person wey dey toast old woman for village. Me, I don taya.

I no fit stay there again. The beer don dey high me, my head dey pain, so I just stand, tell dem bye. As I comot karaoke joint, harmattan breeze touch me, I come get myself small.

The cold breeze make my brain reset. Lagos for December na real wahala—heat for afternoon, cold for night. I blow small smoke from my mouth, dey reason my life.

As I reach company lodge, I dey arrange my bed when the lodge phone ring. I pick am, dey wonder who dey call for night.

Na local landline, wey only office and coded babes get number. Na why I dey reason who fit dey call.

"You don reach?" Na woman voice I hear.

The voice soft, but e get that street sharpness. Na that kain voice wey you no fit forget, even if you try.

I ask, "Who you dey find?"

"Na you. You no sabi my voice?" She laugh.

Her laugh ring for ear like bell. I dey suspect who fit dey shine teeth for my matter this late.

"I swear, I no sabi. You be...?"

I dey try form correct, but my mouth dry.

"You dey forget fast o. We just dey drink and gist now now, you don forget?" She dey hint me.

Her tone change, she dey throw side for me like market woman wey dey price fish.

I reason am, just talk, "25?"

My heart skip. I dey hope no be her, but na her.

"Heh... You finally remember."

She sound like person wey dey catch person for lie. I just dey imagine her face for phone.

I ask, "How you take get lodge phone number?"

For my mind, I dey suspect Uncle Auwalu. E fit don run package behind me.

"That your colleague, Uncle Auwalu, give me. Say make I check if you reach lodge well—na concern. He see say you drink well today."

I dey reason, na who get my back between 25 and Uncle Auwalu? Na coded care, but street style.

"Mm... Thanks." I no sure if na 25 or Uncle Auwalu I suppose thank.

For Nigeria, sometimes na your enemy dey run errand wey go save you. E get as life be.

"No thank me jare. Na small thing. Go rest." 25 pause, then ask, "Oya, you really never do am before?"

Her voice drop, one kain soft. Like say she dey beg me talk true.

"Uh..." I pause, then quickly change topic. "So, business today, how e go? How many quick one you do?"

I no wan fall hand for phone, I shift gist go side.

"No just talk. Today slow well. I dey hope say na you go be my first customer."

Her tone low, but she still dey shine teeth. Na coded hustle, but real small pain dey inside.

"No vex."

Her laugh weak. "Heh, e no matter. Go sleep. Me, I no go sleep till midnight—na that time customers dey plenty. Try visit me when you free. If you really be virgin, first time na free, second time half price." She talk "bye bye" sweetly, then cut call.

She soft her voice for the end, like person wey dey talk with small hope. Na so coded runs babes dey try arrange customer.

I enter bed, close eye, but sleep no come. Na 25 face and the way she dey tease me just dey for my head, my body dey hot.

The ceiling fan dey make noise, mosquito dey buzz for my ear. But all I dey see na her eyes, her laugh. Na so crush dey start, no warning.

For some days, I no fit focus for work. Uncle Auwalu just look me, laugh, "Guy, you don fall in love."

He dey shine teeth, dey tap me for back. For office, he dey find chance tease me at all time.

"Oga abeg, you feel say everybody dey like you, always dey find woman."

I dey try dodge am, but Uncle Auwalu no dey ever gree.

"As you dey talk so, na so e dey be. See as you pure. University boy—abeg, eat and woman na normal thing. If you fit no find woman, then no chop food too."

He talk like say na him write syllabus for Lagos street sense. Everybody for office dey laugh, me I just bone.

Uncle Auwalu talk finish, my body just dey itch. 25 face come flash my mind again. As lodge empty for afternoon, I check call log, on impulse, I dial her number.

Hand dey shake as I press number. My mind dey calculate whether I dey craze.

Phone ring—beep, beep—suddenly I wan hang up.

"Hello." As I wan cut, she pick. Na 25 voice.

Her voice rough small, like person wey no sleep well. She quick sabi say na me.

"Na me," I talk after I pause.

Her laugh soft. "I know. Wetin make you remember me?" She sound tired.

I dey reason, I for just cut, but her voice dey hook me.

"You call me that night, na why I return call. I no disturb your sleep, abi?"

I try form normal, no wan sound like stalker.

"No, I dey watch African Magic."

She dey gist like person wey dey hustle for day, work for night. African Magic na escape for most runs girls—na so dem dey cool body.

"If you no rest for day, how you wan work for night?" I ask her.

I try talk as if I care. E shock me say I really dey worry.

"I no get customer last night. Na that time of the month."

She drop am coded, but I pick the message. Lagos girl dey always talk straight, but coded.

"Oh, okay... But you dey sound somehow. Wetin happen?"

I dey feel like make I send her airtime or small cash, but I hold myself.

"Abeg, no just talk. Bad luck today. My friend dey go house, I follow am go motor park for afternoon. As I come back, check pocket, my wallet don miss."

As she talk, e pain me like say na my own.

"Where e take loss? You try find am?"

I dey run mouth, but for my mind, I know say Lagos pickpocket na spirit. If dem carry your thing, forget am.

"Which kind find? Na for danfo dem thief am. I remember say I withdraw money before I enter bus. Just few stops, e don loss. These pickpockets no dey fear God."

Her voice rise small, like say she fit cry. I dey imagine how e pain am.

"You lose much?"

I dey hope say e no be all her money.

"No too much, just few thousands, and some ATM card. Now I go report loss—wahala. The main wahala na one pendant wey dey inside. E no get money value, but na from my mama. That pendant na my mama last gift before she waka. If e loss, e be like say I lose home. Now e don loss."

Her voice break small. For Lagos, sentimental value dey heavy. That kind pendant fit be the only thing wey remind am of home.

"Try report for police station, maybe dem go see am return." I try console am.

I talk am, but I know say police for Lagos go just collect statement, nothing go happen.

"Police no go do anything. Once e loss, e loss. Forget, na my bad luck."

She hiss, voice cold. I feel am for my chest.

As I drop call, I no know why, but the thing just dey my mind. I wan help her find the wallet.

I dey reason, as if I fit waka inside Lagos danfo parks dey find lost thing. But na so hope dey start—just one talk, you go dey think say you fit change world.