Chapter 4: Lekki Nights and Lagos Hustle

That night.

Musa land for my place for Lekki.

No warning.

Him medical report clean—no wahala at all.

No more fake designer; this time, na simple white T-shirt, jeans, sneakers.

That fine boy hair wey e style before now just dey loose, cover half him face.

Secretary Bisi don yarn am make e try dress like Seyi.

I frown, wan talk, na so e just pull him shirt without warning.

Eight-pack, everything dey arranged.

I no even know if na real or na wash.

E just laugh, "Madam, you no like me as I dress so?"

"Me self no too like am."

As e dey talk, e waka come my side, touch my hand.

I freeze small.

E just be like one street boy with dyed hair dey do anyhow with me.

Until e collect my hair tie, tie him hair into small ponytail.

I just breathe out, relax.

Then I hear am talk:

"Madam, you dey hungry? Make I do indomie for you? Or make I fry egg join? Or I fit run you small pepper soup if you get goat meat."

That breath wey I just release nearly choke me.

E see house help carry dustbin comot from kitchen, e just look small sad: "E be like say you don chop."

I catch the message, pause ask:

"You never chop? You want—"

Before I finish, e say, "Thank you."

E even help himself with excuse: "I gats chop well so I fit do work for you later."

Me: "..."

E go cook three bowls of indomie, clear everything like say e never see food before. E dey slurp the indomie, no send anybody, just dey enjoy.

From him background, no be say e no fit buy food.

I say, "Steak dey fridge."

Musa shake head. "No need. Work first before pay."

I gree.

For one moment, I feel somehow happy—like say I choose correct.

I suppose pick person wey really want the work.

Thirty minutes later, I regret am.

Fresh bath soap scent just dey my body.

Any awkwardness just turn to hotness, no time for second thought.

Musa even remember to dey hype me.

"Madam, you fine no be small. I too lucky."

"Madam, this thing sweet die."

I just feel like say I don reach bottom.

Like say I just hire one village labourer come do permanent work.

I just dey for bed like yam wey dem no peel, sleep no even reach my eye.

As I dey reason my life, I ask, "You chop something?"

"Huh?"

Musa look me, e face pure like say e no understand.

"Yes now, I chop ten tablets—just to make sure you dey alright."

Na cruise e dey catch—no be any medicine, just gra-gra.

Finally, by two in the afternoon, I manage stand up, waist just dey pain me.

Meeting dey wait me—no matter what, I must go office, even if na crawl.

As I dey dress, I hear Musa ask:

"Madam, you fit help me enter Nollywood?"

I just burst laugh, the kain laugh wey only fit come out when you don tire for all the drama wey this city dey show you. I look Musa, shake my head, but inside me, I dey wonder—na so Lagos be: everybody dey use each other, everybody dey run their own hustle. I fit still help am, but first make e sabi say this work no be beans. But for this Lagos, who no dey find connection?