Chapter 3: Humiliation and Survival

Land Rover man shout: "Kneel down! I no get time for you!"

Voice loud, e echo for empty road. He dey use force, dey threaten.

He drag my hair up.

My neck dey pain, my back dey scratch. I dey try hold tears, but e dey drop small-small.

I no fit fight. Even to touch him dey pain me.

Pepper spray don finish my strength. I be like ragdoll, dem fit use me clean floor.

He force me kneel: "Beg my wife!"

He dey push my head, my knee dey grind for tar. Small stone dey enter skin. Pain dey join humiliation.

He push my head down. My face dey burn for ground. The pain…

I dey taste sand, dey smell petrol, dey feel heat from car bonnet. E dey pain, e dey shame me.

Na so person dey wish say make e die.

I dey think, if I die now, na which news dem go carry? Who go tell my side of story?

The woman dey snap me kneeling, dey laugh: "See am, poor man, make I send your kneeling picture to your family, make your mama and pikin see am."

Her laugh dey wicked. She dey record, dey snap, dey plan WhatsApp broadcast. My pain dey be her entertainment.

I dey roll, dey struggle, I no wan kneel.

I dey twist, dey try stand, but dem hold me down. My dignity dey for ground, but my spirit dey shout for help.

I remember papa voice: "Man pikin knee dey ground for prayer, not for oppression." Man pikin knee no be for ground anyhow. Kneel for God, for papa and mama—not for animals like these.

My father teach me—knee dey ground for prayer, for blessing, no be for proud oppressor. I dey shout inside, "God, abeg, save me."

As I dey struggle, Land Rover man vex. He hold my neck from back.

He grip dey tight, e dey squeeze air out of me. I dey struggle, I dey kick.

He dey hiss: "You choke me just now? Now na my turn!"

Revenge dey his eye, wickedness dey his heart. Na so power dey intoxicate.

He press my neck, I no fit breathe.

Air dey finish. I dey see star for afternoon. I dey panic, dey struggle.

I kick, use my head knock him nose.

E pain am. I hear "gbish!" blood begin drip from his nose. I feel small relief for my own pain.

He scream, blood dey flow.

He dey curse, dey rub nose. E shock am, e no expect say I fit fight back.

He curse: "This boy stubborn o! You wan craze me!"

E dey point finger, dey wipe blood. E dey ready for round two, but my strength dey finish.

The woman sneer: "Poor people na only pride dem get. You never hear? The poorer you be, the more you dey hold face. No choke am, you no fit beat am. See there."

She dey mock me, dey parade her pride. Her own na to break my spirit, show her power. I dey look gutter wey she dey point, dey fear wetin go happen next.

She point gutter for road side.

Gutter wide, full of dirty water, mosquito dey hover. My spirit don leave my body small.

Water full everywhere.

Na black, thick water. All manner of rubbish dey float. Na there dem wan use disgrace me pass.

Land Rover man talk: "No be say I no fit beat am, I just no wan use full power."

Na so dem dey boast. If e be ring, e for be another story. Na only advantage dem dey use.

He drag me go there, press my head inside dirty water.

My face dey inside filth. I dey hear laughter, dey taste bitter water, dey see darkness.

I dey struggle, he press knee for my head, dey shout: "Form hard guy! You no dey fear?"

My chest dey block, air dey finish. My life dey flash for my eye. I dey think of my mama for village.

The woman warn: "Honey, abeg, no overdo. No worth three years for jail."

She dey form small concern, but na fake. Na show for crowd, to prove say she get conscience.

He laugh: "No fear, na small injury—no be crime. I go still pay people deal with his family!"

The evil dey for their mouth like honey. Money dey their hand, law dey their back.

She ask: "You sure e no go serious?"

She dey check if dem fit get wahala. For her mind, everything get price, even jail time.

He talk: "No fear. Law say small injury no be big deal. Your husband sabi law."

He dey quote law like say na lawyer. For his head, e get answer for every crime.

He pull my head up, dey smile: "How the dirty water taste? E fit you well."

He dey mock me, dey spit for my pain. My dignity dey for gutter, literally.

I spit water, dey look am with vex.

The taste dey bitter, the pain dey real. I dey cough, dey wish say I fit disappear.

He talk: "I no like as you dey look me. I fit use one day pocket money pay person to remove your eye."

Na threat, plain. For his world, everything na transaction, na cash go settle.

Before I talk, he press my head down again.

I dey drown again, dey gasp, dey choke. My brain dey buzz, but I dey pray for survival.

He vex say he no fit beat me for fair fight, so he dey torture me now.

Na so Lagos wickedness dey. If dem no fit win you, dem go use money, power, or muscle take break you.

I no fit breathe.

My chest dey squeeze, lungs dey tight. I dey wait for miracle.

Cold, dirty water dey my face. I dey struggle, but he no gree.

The water dey enter my mouth, my eye, my nose. My whole body dey weak, my spirit dey faint.

But wetin he no know be say, the water dey help me small.

Na so God dey use foolish thing shame wise. The dirty water dey cool the pepper small. For every suffering, God dey hide small relief.

After pepper spray, na water person need—even dirty water. E help cool my face and hand sharp-sharp.

The pain reduce small. For that gutter, I dey find peace. I dey thank God for little mercy. For Nigeria, sometimes na only grace dey keep person alive. But for this Lagos night, I dey pray make day break find me first.