Chapter 2: Who Dem Be?

Make I note am: the guy name na Chuka. Him dey do food delivery hustle. Every morning by eight o’clock sharp, he don disappear commot house, and no dey come back until after ten at night when him shift finish.

Na normal guy, nothing too flashy, but him sabi ride bike like say na his papa born Okada. Sometimes, you go hear am dey whistle Wande Coal song as he dey waka go work. Him always carry one small backpack and if you look well, you go see say him shoe dey shine pass other delivery boys for area. Bros dey try package.

The babe na Morayo. She dey work as manicurist for one braid stand wey dey near the junction. She dey start work by nine, close by eight, and dey take four days off every month for herself.

Morayo fine no be here—yellow pawpaw, small gap for teeth, and that her laugh wey dey burst like egusi for hot oil. If breeze dey blow her hair, you go think say she dey act for Nigerian music video. For that braid stand, everybody dey hail her, even small pikin for compound sabi her.

As I dey talk so, time don pass eleven for night. Chuka and Morayo dey their room, dem just finish one hot session.

If you hear their laughter and the way dem dey gasp, you go know say the thing dey sweet dem no be small. E remain make dem play Tiwa Savage on top to finish am. For Lagos, na only for night you fit get that kind peace—when danfo horn don reduce and generator hum dey calm like lullaby.

Na about two minutes e last before dem cool down.

E short, but e hot. Na so life be sometimes—quick fire, quick cool. I just dey smile as I dey watch them arrange themselves, Morayo dey adjust wrapper, Chuka dey use towel wipe sweat for face.

I quietly drop my telescope, mind begin waka back to my own past.

Omo, for that moment, I just dey think about my own dry love life. Even the last babe wey I toast, she ghost me after two weeks. I just dey ask myself, "See as you dey here dey peep, when your mate dey enjoy?" Na so I carry my frustration enter sleep that night.