Chapter 4: Hustle, Hope, and Mascot Sweat

That time wey Suleiman dey hustle for Palm Grove Studios, me I dey do three jobs every day.

As day break, my body go weak. Sometimes na only strong garri I fit chop before I start waka. But hunger no dey kill my spirit that year.

I go wake by 3:30, reach mama put shop by 4:00, finish first shift by 10:30 morning.

The mama put woman, Aunty Bisi, dey call me her second daughter. Sometimes she go dash me two pieces of fried yam for pocket. Na her food keep me strong for morning.

I go house, nap for one hour, then by noon I go wear mascot suit, dey share flyers.

That suit na real punishment. Sweat dey drip for my back, the smell of fried yam and exhaust dey follow me everywhere. My skin for leg don peel finish, na only Vaseline dey save me. Some days, I go dey pray make rain fall, make work cancel.

To share flyers for dry season na wahala. The suit dey hot, e dey stuffy, small pikin go dey kick me for fun.

One small boy even pour Ribena for my back that year. I just dey smile, dey cry inside costume. Lagos children no dey fear anything.

After two hours, sweat go soak me finish like say dem pour me for inside water.

When I remove that suit, na like say I dey reborn. My bra dey wet, even my wig go dey smell. But na so hustle be.

By 2:30 afternoon, I go waka go zobo joint for my third job.

Na one corner for Mushin, dem dey call the place Zobo Palace. Sometimes big boys go come, dey hail me, dey buy zobo, dey toast me. I go just dey shine teeth, dey dodge them.

E far from our house, so I go shower for public bathhouse first. Fifty naira per bath, but after I know the owner, I fit shower whole month for one thousand naira.

The woman for bathhouse na real mama. She go greet me, "Ify, you dey strong o!" I go just laugh, dey thank her.

I close by 10:00 pm. Rest and chop for one hour, then clean everywhere for another half hour.

Sometimes, as I dey mop, my leg go dey shake, but I go tell myself say better day dey come. If dem dash me leftover moi-moi, na like Christmas for my mind.

Around 11:00, I go pick Suleiman from him acting waka, carry am house.

That walk home na the only time I fit breathe well, gist with Suleiman, talk about our dreams. Even if mosquito dey bite us, we go just dey laugh.

All this work go just finish person.

The thing no be beans. My back nearly break that year, but love dey ginger me.

The documentary man try follow me two times but e no fit keep up—e need two days rest before e try again, na the third time e manage record full day.

I still remember the day him leg bend for gutter. I nearly pity am, but na him wahala. He dey wheeze, dey ask for cold water. Me sef dey pity am, but na so life be.

E fall for gutter, dey breathe hard, "How small girl like you dey survive? You no dey tire?"

I just look am, laugh small. Na only hustle fit teach person lesson. "Oga, e no easy, but we dey survive. You dey see me so? Na only God dey help."

"Who say I no dey tire?"

But I no get choice.

Na so my mama dey talk, "When life dey show you pepper, you go cook stew with am." Choice no dey for most of us.

Even with three jobs, add Suleiman small acting money, na so we dey manage reach end of month.

Sometimes, if acting money no drop, na only eba and groundnut soup we dey chop. But we go still laugh, dey plan big things for future.

And the main thing—

The thing wey keep us together, na hope. For that hard time, na only love and small hope dey make person see tomorrow.

For video, I lean for wall, close eye, dey rest while the man dey talk.

You go see as my head dey tilt, mouth dey slightly open. I dey daydream, but I no too show am.

Dark circle under my eye fit swallow half my face, body just dey show tiredness.

My skin for face be like say I fight lion for dream. Even my lips dey crack, but smile still dey hide for corner.

But next thing, like say I hear something, my eye just shine, open wide.

If you watch well, na Suleiman shoe sound make me jolt. Na so I sharp like cat, body just wake up.

All the tiredness just waka commot. Like morning akara, hot and fresh, I run go Suleiman side, hug am.

Even people for studio dey hail us. Some dey shout, "Love nwantinti!"

—Because I love Suleiman. No matter how e hard, how e tire person, e no mean anything for me.

Love dey give person power. Sometimes I dey feel say na juju, but na true love.

For am, I ready fight my family, leave everything dem plan for me, follow am enter strange city, dey hustle together.

My uncle for village still dey vex that I no follow him arrange marriage. E talk say city boys dey spoil women. I no send.

Na love dey make person dey blind like that.

Even my friend Amaka talk say na juju dey worry me. But I just dey laugh, dey dream big dream.