Chapter 2: No Cash, No Crossing

"Baba Shola, abeg rush go back to the team, carry Doudou go Okpoko Hills."

As I dey hear my name like this, my body just shock small. I know say, once dem call you for emergency, sleep don finish for that night. The call dey enter like bell for my ear, make my heart beat rush like generator wey dem just start.

"Pikin don fall enter mountain cave. The entrance too small, we no fit see where exactly. Na only you and Doudou fit enter."

I feel the weight for my chest. For this rescue work, na we dey be the last hope for people. My mind begin dey run—wetin if I no reach on time? Wetin if something happen to the pikin? My spirit dey shake, but I still gats hold myself strong.

As I hear am, I just jump comot for bed, grab my keys, rush go the team. After I carry Doudou, I drive straight to Okpoko Hills, dey follow the satellite phone coordinates.

I no even brush teeth sef. As I enter my old Toyota, I dey pray make fuel no finish. I dey touch my chest, dey remember my papa prayer: "Oluwa, guide our hands, no let us carry bad news go house." My neighbours for yard just dey peep from window, dem sabi say once I dey rush like this, e mean wahala dey somewhere.

Time na life. The more the pikin dey inside, the less chance say we go fit save am. Halfway, captain call again.

My hand dey shake as I dey adjust steering. I dey chop pothole anyhow for road, but I no even send. Rain dey beat roof, wiper dey try wipe but e no dey clear at all. For my mind, time just dey disappear.

"Use the shortcut climb. The pikin voice don dey low already."

I feel am for my soul. I dey imagine as small pikin go dey cry inside cold cave, the voice dey fade. I no wan make the matter spoil for my hand. I for just carry wings fly go that mountain, if to say e possible.

I quickly open navigation, dey find the fastest road. One river dey for the other side of the mountain—if I use boat, I go reach the cable car entrance sharp sharp, save almost half the time wey climbing go take.

I dey remember say that river no dey joke for rainy season. Water dey rush, if you enter carelessly, na wahala. But as rescue person, risk dey be our daily bread. Na my prayer be say make the river woman just get sense.

As I reach the ferry, I jump enter boat. "Aunty, abeg carry us go the other side!"

My voice crack, I no even get breath again. The boat smell like palm oil, and the plank dey shake, but I just pray make journey quick. People wey dey wait before me dey eye me, some dey shake head—dem no understand the rush, na only me know say life dey hang for line.

But the village woman wey dey row boat no send me. I beg am, "Aunty, abeg now, start the boat! We dey hurry!"

She just look me, twist her mouth. "I fit start am—one hundred per person."

Her face straight as ruler, no smile, no sorry. E be like say she don dey do this work since her mama born am. For this area, if you no get hard mind, dem go use you shine.

My face change. I point the price sign wey dem put for road. "The sign talk say na thirty per person. Why you dey charge hundred?"

Other passengers dey nod, some dey murmur, "Na true, e too much." But nobody gree talk for my side. E be like say dem no want wahala for her hand.

She no even shake. She just talk, "Young man, if you no get money, why you dey waka? The sign talk one thing, my price na another. Na my boat, na me dey set price. One hundred per person, I no go reduce one kobo."

She raise her chin as she talk am. Her pride high like Third Mainland Bridge. Her voice loud, people dey shift small, nobody wan make she pour her wahala on them.

I just sigh. E be like say na one of those wicked people wey dey chop travelers. But to save life dey important pass, I no get time argue. I try bring out my phone to pay, but my pocket empty. I slap my thigh—chai! As I rush commot, I leave my phone inside car.

My mind just blank. I dey feel like make ground open, swallow me. For Lagos, even akara seller dey collect transfer. But for this side, na only raw cash be king. Na so I begin reason my next move, sweat just dey my back, even for cold rain.

To go back now no make sense. I reach as market dey scatter, road don block. I park for village entrance to save time; if I go back, come return, na at least twenty minutes go waka. I search myself, only fifty naira cash dey with me.

For this kain situation, even fifty naira na big thing. I check all my pockets, even inside my rescue boot, but nothing dey. The cold dey bite me, people dey look, I just dey calculate how I go beg this woman.

I come dey beg, "Aunty, abeg take fifty now. I dey rush go mountain. I promise, when I come down, I go pay the rest."

She point Doudou. "You and the dog na two people—two hundred naira. I no go collect less."

Her eyes sharp like she dey count money for heart. Even Doudou sef, as e hear, just bend ear, dey look her. My spirit dey vex, but I gats calm down because of the mission.

Anger just dey boil for my mind, I wan talk, na so satellite phone ring. Captain voice dey shake.

The call just scatter my mind finish. E remind me say every second dey important. I dey see the picture of small pikin dey cold, dey shiver for cave, and me dey here dey argue money. The thing pain me, but no choice.

"Baba Shola, where you dey? Abeg hurry! The pikin life dey hang for thread."

Sweat dey my body. "Aunty, abeg, just carry us cross! People dey wait for mountain make I save them!"

I dey beg, my hand dey shake. My eye dey red, but the woman just dey form hard rock.

She just dey mock me. "Wetin happen, your girlfriend get wahala?"

People wey dey wait for back dey laugh small. For Naija, everybody get mouth for your matter, especially when you dey beg. But for me, this na no time for joke.

I quickly talk, "No o, na pikin wey fall enter cave!"

She hiss. "See this one, shameless—don born pikin already."

Her tongue sharp like blade. I just dey look her, my hand dey shake for anger. I wan explain, but words no dey come out. For my mind, I dey ask, wetin I do reach like this?

I stamp foot. "Aunty, why you dey talk like this? I be search and rescue team member!"

Her eyes shine small. "You dey for search and rescue team?"

The way she look me, e be like say hope go show. Sometimes, when you mention rescue or government work, people dey mellow. But for her face, na another story.

Hope touch me, I nod sharp sharp. For my mind, I know say some people dey help rescue workers sometimes. But captain always tell us make we no use am take do special privilege. If to say I talk am before!

The thing dey pain me say I for just talk am since, but wetin man go do? Na pride dey make person hide him work sometimes for fear of begging. But this one na emergency, no be time for pride.

I wan relax, na so she bone face, "You men for search and rescue, ehn, una dey pretend, dey use rescue do anyhow. Pervert. This boat fare, I no go reduce one kobo."

She even wan push me comot for boat. No matter how I beg, she no gree.

The people for back dey murmur. One old mama even tap her daughter, "Na so e dey be, these rescue people no dey respect." I just shake head, reason say wahala no dey finish.

I just run go car. The waka take another twenty minutes. As I reach, I dey pant, "Show me your account number, make I transfer two hundred."

I dey pant like who just finish marathon. My heart dey knock for chest, and I dey hope say she go gree so I fit rush cross. Doudou dey my side, e dey look me with eye wey dey ask, 'Wet happen again?'

She talk, "Five hundred per person. You and the dog, one thousand. Cash only—no transfer."

She talk am like say she dey announce lottery winner. Her face still straight, wrapper for waist, and she dey tap her paddle for ground like drum.