Chapter 5: Lekki Conservation Centre Wahala

For some days, Ngozi busy, I no message her.

I dey count calendar. Every day, I dey check my phone. No message. I dey manage my own, dey help discipline department, dey survive.

Till the day Tobi discharge from hospital, Ngozi message me, say make I come out.

She just drop location, no extra talk. I see am, I pack my bag, carry jacket, waka go.

We go outing. She send chop money, I pack my bag, go.

I dey wonder if na group date or na just flex. As I reach, I see two cars for gate. Big men level.

Na there I see say them carry two cars, eight people, I be number nine.

Everybody wear fine cloth, designer slippers. I dey look my canvas, dey shake head.

I shock small. Everybody don sit down, nobody talk. Ngozi no look me, she just dey play with her nails, maybe dey vex.

Her face cold, her voice low. Her eye dey sharp, but she dey act like I no dey.

The red polish from last time don change to finer one.

This one shine like blood of Jesus. If you see the thing, you go know say money dey.

Somebody call her, "Ngozi, seat no dey again."

One small girl, Ada, try adjust for bench, but space no reach. I dey stand dey look.

Ngozi finally look me, frown, point sightseeing bus near there.

"No be same thing to sit there?"

Her voice sharp. E dey pain me, but I no talk.

Tobi frown: "You go allow am enter sightseeing bus alone?"

He dey act like say na him dey protect me. But I know say na Ngozi he dey eye.

Ngozi vex more. "Wetin concern me? If he like, make he climb roof, no ask me. Why I go care?"

She hiss join. Her friends dey laugh for back.

I smile quick: "I go enter sightseeing bus. Make una enjoy."

I just package myself, dey smile like say e no pain me.

Their cars move, I sit alone for pavilion. E no be tourist season, so people no too plenty—na only me dey. I suppose feel somehow, just go, but I no move.

Na there I sit, dey watch birds dey fly. If rain start, na me and my shadow. My phone dey my pocket, I dey press am small, dey chat with old padi.

Today, as Tobi dey, I know say Ngozi fit drink. Na her way—she dey always drink alone, but for this city, na only me dey pamper her like that.

Last time she drink, na me help am buy cold bottle water. I dey reason if today, she go even remember me.

I wait long. Sightseeing bus finally come. I enter, reach Lekki Conservation Centre, their group don start barbecue.

Smoke full everywhere, suya dey smell. Dem dey play Burna Boy for small speaker. I waka pass, no one greet me.

I no too sabi most of them—maybe just chop with them once or twice. I find one corner, sit from afternoon till evening.

I dey count time. The sun dey fall, breeze dey blow. Mosquito begin bite leg, but I lock up.

Ngozi dey grill suya, no talk. Sometimes, person go hand me suya. The place fine. I chop small, then dey look view, wan stroll.

I dey watch sunset. For my mind, I dey reason how life dey go. I stand up, tell Ngozi I wan stroll.

I tell Ngozi. She no too happy, no look me, just answer sharp sharp.

Her face stiff. "Do as you like."

The Lekki breeze sweet. As pikin wey grow for orphanage, I no dey see play like this.

I feel like say I dey another world. Even as breeze dey slap my face, I dey remember old days for orphanage, how we go climb tree, run for compound till night.

I waka almost one hour, reason say dem suppose don finish chop, I come back.

I dey hope say maybe dem go look for me. As I dey return, everywhere quiet, sky don dark small.

But e no go as I plan. When I reach, everywhere don empty—everybody don go.

Dem don carry car go. Even Ngozi, my own, don vanish. I just stand dey look ground. Na so dem dey do for this Lagos—if you no get level, you fit waka home alone, even if na bush road. E pain me, but wetin I fit do?

Na that time I realise: the worst thing about being footmat be say, nobody send you. If dem like you, dem call you; if dem no like you, dem just leave you behind.

If you no get your own, you fit turn shadow for party. I just dey bite lip, dey reason how I go waka.

Sun dey go down. Sightseeing bus no dey run again. I gats trek come down. Sun don set, I dey alone. Halfway, my phone off.

As I dey trek, leg dey pain me. Bush dey left and right. One rat even run cross road—my heart skip.

I just dey waka jeje. This road remind me of when I run from orphanage as small pikin.

I dey remember that night, how I hide for gutter when rain dey fall, dey shiver, dey pray make morning quick come. I dey whisper, “God abeg, cover me with your hand, make no witch cross my path tonight.”

Same kind of darkness, same blur everywhere, till everywhere dark finish.

Mosquito dey bite me, my eye dey red, but I no cry. For street, you no dey waste tears anyhow.

I no fit find road go house, and my papa and mama no dey come back.

I just dey reason, if to say I get person, e for better. Orphan life dey hard—nobody to call if wahala land.

I look around. Tree shadow for moonlight dey fear person, but me, I no dey fear dark.

I dey tell myself, "Chuka, you don see pass this one before. E go pass."

But hunger dey worry me, my body dey shake, but I gats hold myself—if I faint here, na wahala.

I dey pray make I no jam area boys or police wey go collect last card from my hand.

I waka all night, dey fear all night.

Leg dey pain, mouth dry. When cock crow, I thank God. I see one old security man, greet am, beg make he help me charge phone.

Finally, day break, I wait for danfo, meet driver wey help me charge phone small.

The man friendly. He even give me pure water to cool my throat.

He look back, shock: "My guy, why your face white like this? You sleep here overnight? Why you no call vigilante?"

I just laugh. My shirt tear small. I no get better story.

I force smile, raise my phone. "Phone die, I forget check battery."

He just shake head. "No wahala. Next time, try dey carry extra power bank."

"No dey waka alone for night. If you wan try am, carry person."

He mean well. Na Lagos we dey—nobody dey trust night road.

I call... but maybe, she no count. How I go fit count as madam friend?

For my mind, I dey reason, if person like you, e no go leave you for night bush road.

"Okay, thank you, driver."

I on my phone, see say Ngozi message me last night, say she don go, make I return early.

Her message short. No sorry, no check-up. My chest cold. I just dey smile small, drag my tired body go back seat, sleep.

I dream say I dey inside big house, but nobody dey there with me.

I wake up, cold sweat for my neck, still dey ask: who go really call me their own?