Chapter 5: Hustle for Hope

As I return work, my mind still dey lost, na only orange tree full my head. I no fit concentrate.

Even for office, my head dey shake like say na generator dey inside. Oga call me, ask if I dey sick. I just say, "Na village wahala, sir."

My oga notice, hint me small before I arrange myself.

He call me inside, say, "Ifedike, village dey wait for you. Make you remember your roots." I nod, gree.

First plan no work, I try plan B.

I bend pride, drop form. Begin dey message people wey I no talk to for years. I even dey check LinkedIn, dey find old school people.

I drop pride, begin message old classmates, friends, even some colleagues.

I even join WhatsApp groups wey I run from before. "Abeg, bros, you fit help?" Na beg I dey beg.

Finally, na one old classmate wey I never talk to for years give me hope.

He dey do well for city, na him dey always wear suit for DP. I surprise say he gree answer me.

At first, na normal gist. He ask why I dey do business instead of my normal work, after university wahala.

He talk, "You sure say things dey okay?" I tell am, "Na help I dey help, bros."

I just laugh.

I use one laughing emoji, try lighten matter. If I no joke, na cry I go cry.

[No be big business, just dey help my village sell something. If not, everything go waste. Work still dey. You get any way fit help?]

I press send, pray say network no go mess up.

After some time, he reply.

His message land like alert. I quick open am.

[How much you get? My uncle get fruit processing factory. E dey do jam, jelly, canned fruit, all those things. Maybe he fit help. I go ask am for you.]

I read am two times. Factory! My body dey shake. I nearly shout for bus, but people for park go think say I don win Baba Ijebu.

As I see this, my mind sweet me.

I stand, dance small for room. Even my roommate dey ask if I don craze.

Processing factory!

That one mean say all the oranges fit go.

If na God, make e do am! I dey pray for miracle, e be like say e don land.

[For real! Thank you, my guy! Village get like three or four hundred tons... If you fit help us sell, e go too good!]

I beg am, no shame at all. If e work, na blessing.

He send me laugh emoji.

[No too happy yet.]

He dey warn me, but hope no let me hear.

[You no know, I just marry this year, wife self dey pregnant. I no fit do am for free o. I fit collect small change...]

He dey yarn truth. Na new family, responsibility dey. I gree.

I quick agree.

As long as my people fit get buyer, make everybody chop small. I no send.

[No wahala, we go run am!]

I dey type like say I be secretary. I no waste time at all.

At this point, I no send how much he wan make. As long as villagers get their money, I dey okay.

Life hard, make we all find way survive. As long as e clean, no wahala.

Who dey work for free? I dey help my family and village, but another person no owe us anything.

If na me, I go do the same. Everybody dey hustle.

With his help, I arrange leave, go meet his uncle, discuss business.

I carry sample orange, arrange myself neat, even borrow shirt from neighbor. Na so I waka enter city.

As I reach, I see say the so-called ‘fruit processing factory’ big well. Machines everywhere, everything dey professional.

The factory smell like fresh juice. Workers dey everywhere, everything neat, order dey. I feel small for body, but I bone.

For production line, different fruit dey. The fine ones go market, the rest dem process. Machines dey sort sharp sharp.

I dey observe, dey learn. My phone full with video and picture. For village, people go shock if them see am.

I just dey look when I hear footsteps for back.

The shoe wey I hear no be village sandal. E loud for tile.

Before the person reach, e voice first land.

Big man voice, thick. "Who dey here?"

“Young man, my nephew say una village dey plant sweet orange?”

I greet am with two hands, bow small. I even bring small kola nut from village, show say I come correct.

I turn quick, offer am kola nut, show say I respect elders well. Even though I no dey chew, I buy for show.

“Yes, uncle, na orange we dey plant. This year harvest good, but original buyer run us street. Village say make I help, but I no get connection, so I ask my friend, na so I jam you. This na last hope..."

I talk am like say my life dey depend on am. For Naija, you no dey hide problem for person wey fit help.

He nod, we enter office, talk long.

We dey talk for long table, big fan dey blow. He ask me question, I answer all. I no let fear show.

He tell me say, as luck get am, one of his orange suppliers mess up, so he get space for hundreds of tons. His nephew mention me.

He talk say, "If your orange sweet, we go buy." I laugh, say, "Oga, our orange dey burst brain. Even market women dey fight for am."

You see, sometimes luck dey work.

As my mama dey talk, "If God dey, man no dey fail." This one na pure luck. My friend fit get small blessing for this help.

To show say I serious, I dey buy food, drinks, organize meeting, no let am pay. My classmate even joke say I don wise up.

He say, "Na now you dey learn street." I laugh. "For this life, you must grease hand."

I just laugh, no fit deny.

Na so Lagos life dey teach person. If you no shine your eye, e go red for you.

Everybody dey hustle.

No shame for hustle, as long as e clean. I reason am, dey thank God for small mercy.

To prove myself, I tell papa pick the finest orange send go, and uncle like am.

We wash, clean, even polish orange before send am. I follow lorry to city. When uncle taste am, he nod.

But he no gree sharp sharp, just say he go ‘think am’ and see how e go be.

He dey play big man game. I no rush am. I just dey patient, dey pray.

We be adults, no need explain everything.

For business, talk less, do more. I gree.

I run up and down, buy gift, show say I mean business.

Even buy cap for am, send small palmwine. Mama say, "Greet elders well, them go bless your way."

One month pass, my pocket dry.

I dey borrow money, dey manage food. But I no show face. Village dey wait.

But finally, we seal the deal.

One evening, I get call. "Ifedike, send your orange." I jump for joy, run go tell papa.

Maybe na my effort move am, but he agree, say make we send orange before Christmas, dem go bring truck come collect.

For village, everybody gather, dey pray. Even chief send praise. Mama cook big pot of soup, call neighbors come chop.