Chapter 8: Pepper Soup Boys

For hostel, I dey chill with cold Coke, dey watch gold price dey rise. As my mind dey shake, I sharply sell all my gold for top price. I don make A8-level money.

My phone dey buzz – alert, alert. I just dey smile, dey tap leg. Na so life suppose be.

But before I finish one Coke, gold price begin fall. I happy, ask my guys wetin dem wan chop—today na my treat.

Dem begin shout, "Femi, you too get sense! See as you sharp." I just dey blush, dey pose like baller.

Most of them like pepper, talk say make we try that new Calabar pepper soup joint. Everybody gree.

One guy talk say na only their goat meat dey make sense, another say their catfish dey sweet. For hostel, food na big talk.

One guy say, “Abeg, make dem add kpomo and bush meat, no be only goat meat.”

One fat guy look around, ask, "Where Okechukwu dey? Him phone no go. He dey come?"

The guy with glasses turn to me, "Femi, you and Okechukwu close. Try call am."

I check my phone – no missed call. I try dial, e no pick. I reason say e fit dey manage pain for house.

Normally, the other guys no too gel with Okechukwu; dem say him get wahala. Na only me dey run with am, dey carry am follow body, dey pay for food.

I dey remember all the times I gree pay for shawarma, and e no even say thank you. Na today I know say e no be real friend.

Before I fit talk, Okechukwu burst enter. Him face white, legs dey shake—anesthesia don clear, pain dey finish am.

The way e take limp enter, na so everybody pause. Some dey look am, some dey try hide laugh.

Everybody shock as dem see am. The glasses guy try help, "Okechukwu, wetin happen? You wan go health centre?"

For hostel, if person sick, na everybody dey contribute. But this one, nobody wan near Okechukwu, wahala too much.

The fat guy, sharp, just shout, "Okechukwu, you really go do that bead runz, abi?"

The question loud, e echo for room. Everybody dey wait answer.

Okechukwu always feel say people dey mock am. He just hiss, "No need. When I recover, all of una no go reach my level again. No need to dey form nice."

Pride dey talk. But pain dey show for e face. Na so Naija boys dey do—e better make you die with pride than show say you weak.

Fat guy say, "No wahala."

The fat guy just wave hand, like say e don drop am for ground.

Then e look Okechukwu, "Since you go dey above us, Femi dey treat us pepper soup tonight, so you no need come."

The way he take talk am, everybody burst laugh. Okechukwu face change, eyes wide.

As he hear am, Okechukwu start dey panic.

E dey look me, dey look table, as if na small thing remain make e burst cry.

Him no dey like miss free things. If e miss, e go pain am.

For hostel, food na survival. Even big boys go humble when food land.

He face me, "Femi, you sabi say I get surgery today, na today you dey treat everybody? If you no wan carry me, just talk. No dey form."

Na so Okechukwu dey try use pity run me street. But I lock up.

I just look am.

I sip my Coke, do as if I no dey hear. The guys dey look me, dey wait my reaction.

As I no gree, Okechukwu push, "Since I no fit go, just run me my share as cash. Normally, I dey chop eight beef, two goat meat, half catfish, two noodles, potato, ugba, pomo, cow leg, cow tail, drink join. Call am 20k, I no even dey ask for extra."

Na so e count everything, boys begin laugh. Person wey just do surgery dey talk food. Okechukwu wahala too much.

I shock for Okechukwu shamelessness. I never see person like that.

Na so I raise eyebrow. I say, "You dey craze? Na me dey treat, you dey find take away? You no fit come, you dey ask for cash? Na dream you dey."

As I talk am, Okechukwu rush, fear say he go miss food. "Who talk say I no dey go? I dey go, I dey go."

E begin wear slippers, dey adjust shirt. All the pain, e forget.

I look am, "You just do surgery for your thing, you sure say you fit chop pepper soup with us?"

I dey pity e destiny. Some people na food go kill dem.

Okechukwu nod. He look all of us, smile, "If you no take advantage, you be mumu. I hear say this new pepper soup joint na correct—cheapest meat na 2k per plate."

Everybody bust laugh. For Naija, no matter the wahala, boys go still find reason chop. Life na cruise, na so we dey roll. For hostel, wahala no dey finish, but as long as food dey, everybody go smile—even Okechukwu.