Chapter 2: Last Trip, Last Wahala

If you dey drive for keke work, you go always jam wahala passengers; sometimes, e no even be driver fault at all.

Anybody wey don work for road go tell you—Makurdi keke work na by strong mind. Sometimes, customer wahala dey reach, you go dey ask God why you no go learn carpenter work instead. But e no easy to dodge am; na part of the job.

For 2022, na so one story happen for Makurdi. One driver do everything to make sure one passenger no stain him keke—na so e nearly cost am one year work.

Story wey people go still dey talk for pepper soup joint till today. Just because say driver hold him keke like egg, na im wahala find am come.

June 11, Makurdi city centre still dey shine with light well well for night.

Light for Makurdi that day no get rival. PHCN surprise everybody—no blackout, everywhere dey bubble, clubs dey blast Burna Boy from corner, roasted fish smell dey waka for air. For Makurdi, na rare miracle.

Old Musa (na nickname), wey dey drive keke napep since morning, just wan go rest. Na there he get new order for the road.

Old Musa wey dem dey call "Baba OG" for park, don waka tire since morning. Him knuckles dey black from steering, shirt don soak sweat, and na only garri and groundnut he chop since afternoon. Him leg dey pain am, body dey heavy, but pocket still light like sachet water. E dey pray make the last order pay well—maybe he go fit buy suya on the way home.

Pickup point: Palm Avenue and Unity Road junction, Wadata District. Destination: Riverbank Estate.

Generator noise dey mix with pepper soup aroma, and night breeze dey carry gist from open beer parlour.

Anybody wey sabi Makurdi go know say that junction dey hot for night. Na there all the touts and sharp boys dey flex. Riverbank Estate, on the other hand, na place wey big men dey sleep with both eyes closed. The two places no get the same wahala.

Old Musa reason am small, but he still accept the ride.

E weigh am for mind: "Shebi na last trip, make I just finish am." Hunger and tiredness dey fight inside him belle, but money na money.

But e get one kind feeling for him mind, say wahala fit dey.

E be like say mosquito for him ear just dey buzz: "Musa, shine eye." Spirit warn am, but keke driver no dey fear small wahala.

No too long, Old Musa park for the side make he pick him last passenger for the night.

E check him side mirror, park well, off engine, come dey tap horn small small, just in case the passenger still dey find change for beer parlour.

One big man, wey get small pot belly, stand for there, face red, wear white short-sleeve shirt wey get Super Striker print—like say na Children’s Day party im just return from. As he open the front passenger door, e be like say he dey stagger.

The man resemble those wey dey claim 'big boy' for beer parlour, but na 'baby boy' for house. Shirt be like something dem dash am for children party, but him slippers na pure leather—money dey, but sense, e fit dey miss road.

As the man enter, serious alcohol smell just full the keke, make Old Musa frown small.

If to say no be say money dey inside, Old Musa for just reverse, carry empty keke go home. The ogogoro smell strong reach to make person eye water—like fresh pepper. Na only Makurdi you go see person drink this kain.

As Old Musa see as the guy drunk reach, na there he know where that him worry dey come from.

E get as e be when you don dey for street long—you sabi say wahala dey wear perfume. But this one, na full alcoholic cologne.

The pickup area na where beer parlours plenty. To carry person from there for midnight, chance to jam drunkard high.

The area dey hot for night. Police sef dey dodge checkpoint there. If you no sharp, you fit use your own hand collect wahala.

But as person wey don dey drive long, he still hold him work ethics.

Old Musa dey pride himself say him never carry complain go park. No matter how e be, he dey try maintain code—respect passenger, respect self.

He wait make the man wear seatbelt, then as usual, confirm ride details:

“Hello, your phone number end for xxxx, and na Riverbank Estate you dey go, abi?”

Old Musa dey always confirm, because once, person enter him keke, reach half road, shout say na wrong passenger. Since that day, he no dey play.

The man eyes dey empty, dey blink slow like person wey brain don shutdown.

If na cartoon, you go see small birds dey fly round the man head. Eyes red like say him fight with pepper soup.

Old Musa gats repeat himself like three times before the man finally hear am, lean come front, glare, then grumble with clear vex:

“Abeg, you don dey waste time. Just drive, stop all this your talk.”

The guy voice dry, e dey sound like engine wey need oil. People wey dey drink from morning, na dem dey shout pass.

Him manners match the kind smell wey dey come from him mouth.

Old Musa wonder whether this one na son of who? Person wey get home training no fit talk like that—even to conductor.

Old Musa vex for mind, but as professional, him face still dey normal, him just swallow the anger.

For heart, he dey recite Psalm 23. He use left hand touch dashboard small, whisper, "God abeg, cover me for this night." "The Lord is my shepherd, even if keke dey smell like ogogoro..."

E no know say na just the beginning of wahala be this.

If to say Old Musa get power to see tomorrow, maybe he for just drive off. But duty call, and Makurdi road no dey pity.

All wey Old Musa want na to finish the ride make he go house. But even if you dey run from wahala, sometimes na wahala go find you.

Na true dem dey talk am: "Na who waka come, dey find trouble, trouble dey find am too."