Chapter 7: Shadow No Get Bone
"Abi na that girl from the red sports car?" Ibrahim talk anyhow, Uncle Musa face change. Ibrahim voice small, but e heavy for truck. Uncle Musa frown, teeth dey grind.
"Shut up!" Uncle Musa para for him son and daughter, then turn to me, try form normal. "No vex, Brother Lawal." He rub his hand for trouser, look window again. Air inside truck thick like fufu.
"No wahala. For this kind time, anybody fit dey imagine anything," I reply. I smile to ease tension, but my own mind dey run marathon.
"Brother Lawal, wetin you dey carry for night like this? You sabi drive truck well sha," Uncle Musa change topic. E try shift talk go normal ground, but fear still dey his eye.
"No be plenty load. I dey find person for mountain." I answer with my normal voice, no add sugar, no remove salt. Make dem no suspect.
"You dey find person?" Uncle Musa shock. "Why you use big truck? No be wahala?" Him eye wide, like say I just talk I dey find snake for bush.
"E get wahala, but e sure pass." I talk am like joke, but na truth. For Naija, people dey use what dem get manage wahala.
I smile. "I don dey drive truck pass ten years. Small car no reach me." I flex small, make dem feel say all is well.
"Brother Lawal sabi drive well," Kemi add, eye Uncle Musa, "better pass you." Na woman way be that—she dey support me, try lighten mood.
Uncle Musa keep quiet. Kemi look me again. "Brother Lawal, you get family for this mountain?" She dey pry small, but I no mind. Na human thing.
"No be family I dey find. Na client say make I help am find person wey waka lost for this mountain—na serious matter." I talk am like say na normal contract. For this Naija, if you dey do night waka, better get reason.