Chapter 3: Standstill and Stubborn Head

The girl look me one kind.

Her eyebrow rise, mouth twist like say I talk nonsense. The kain look wey she give me fit turn cold water hot.

She mumble, no too polite,

"You don hear finish, abeg forget am. No put hope for there. Our group dey do national secret project—no be everybody fit enter."

She talk the thing with small pride, but you go hear fear for back of her throat. E be like say she dey recite wetin dem tell am.

Omo, I just burst laugh.

I no fit hold am. For this kain matter, laughter na medicine.

I look her for mirror, then I just tire, carry hand signal, park for roadside.

I flash hazard light two times, make she know say na real stop.

She no expect am at all.

Her eye wide, she adjust for seat, canvas bag nearly fall from her lap. She dey breathe fast.

She hold her canvas bag tight.

Her knuckles white, she dey ready make anything happen. For bush, nobody go hear shout.

"Wh-what you dey do? Why you park like that?"

Her voice shake, almost crack. I fit see say she wan shout if I near am too much.

I no wan make she fear, so I quick explain.

"No fear, I no be bad person. I just wan talk to you small. You no fit go this interview."

I dey try talk calm, make she hear me well. I even lower my voice so she no go think say I dey craze.

"Na scam company be this, call you come night for bush. I dey fear say you go enter, dem no go let you come out."

I even dey reason, maybe na ritual people dey plan something.

"You no dey watch news? World no pure—pyramid scam, organ thief, people dey carry women and pikin anyhow."

I dey remember all the story for Punch, how dem dey kidnap girls anyhow. Even police self dey fear bush this period.

"From your accent, you no be from here. This area? Dem talk say na new development zone, but na old village dem scatter here, nobody dey, company no dey here at all."

I dey try give her street sense. All this area, na only land speculators dey waka around. No be say any company dey truly build anything.

"You too young—I no fit just watch you waka enter wahala."

I dey remember my younger sister face. If na her, I no go forgive myself if anything happen.

"Abeg, make I do good thing today. No go. I go carry you go back city free of charge, no worry."

As I talk am, my voice even choke. I dey beg God make she hear me, make nothing spoil for my hand.

Her eye dey red, tears wan drop.

She just dey blink fast, like say she dey hold herself strong. The thing dey pain me.

She grab her phone, dey dial.

Her hand dey shake, but she no even look me. She dey type number, ear pressed tight to phone.

She dey check her phone screen every minute—MTN bar dey dance up and down.

I think say na police she dey call, my mind jump small.

I even dey reason if I go just run enter car, dey explain myself if police land.

After all, na illegal cab I dey drive, and police dey waka up and down for New Year.

You know our police; dem fit just carry me go station for nothing.

But na her boyfriend she call.

"Hello? Wetin again?"

As the call connect, I relax small.

My breath slow small. E mean say I still get time talk sense into dem.

But the girl just burst cry, put the call for speaker.

The kain cry wey she cry, e get as e be. Na mixture of fear and frustration.

"Baby, the taxi driver park for road before we reach, he wan rob me?"

She dey shake. Her voice sharp, she dey struggle form victim.

She hold her chest.

I see her hand dey press her breast, like say na there her confidence dey hide.

"Baby, abeg come save me! God punish this driver if him try nonsense!"

The call loud, echo for car like church speaker.

......

I never weak reach like this before.

My hand dey sweat. I dey think, "Who send me message for this night?"

I wan explain, but na curse full the phone.

Warri boys no dey take nonsense. As the voice enter, na pure curse and gra-gra.

"Thunder fire you! Nonsense illegal cab man, touch my babe make I see! You sabi who Brother Efe be?"

The guy dey shout like say him dey nearby, ready to burst car glass.

"Try am, I go carry my boys come scatter you!"

That "carry my boys" line na classic. If you dey Lagos, you go sabi say na empty threat, but e still fit fear person.

The guy get Warri accent, but I hear everything.

E dey run mouth, use pidgin, then switch to English when e wan threaten.

Which kind couple be this?

For my mind, I dey hiss—na so dem dey form hard man for phone, but if wahala land, everybody go run.

I no fit hold am again—my own vex show.

I squeeze steering, voice go up. For this work, na only strong voice dey help you.

"Who you dey insult, small boy? You know wetin dey happen?"

My own pidgin even change, I switch to sharp Yoruba inflection, make dem know say no be every cab man be mumu.

"If I be bad person, I go allow your babe call for help? Na save I dey save her, you dey hear me?"

I dey try reason am; if na kidnapper I be, e for don happen.

"Your babe dey enter scam—una no understand?"

Na so I dey shout, dey try break her stubborn head.

The girl cry more.

Her sob dey loud, tears dey run for her cheek. She dey act as if na film.

"Wuwuwu, baby, he hear company secret, now dey talk say na scam."

Her voice high, words dey scatter. You go pity am, but she no dey listen.

The guy for phone don tire, voice dey harsh.

You fit hear say e dey street. He dey para, maybe dey smoke.

"You no get sense? Your mama no tell you say make you no dey talk outside?"

He dey vex, dey insult both of us join.

Then he face me, curse worse.

He add Yoruba and Warri curse together. "If you move her, thunder go strike you!"

"Nonsense cab man, we sabi your kind. Scam or no scam, na our matter! Mind your business! Shut up!"

His voice high, spit go dey fly if he dey here.

"Drop her, collect your money, disappear. No dey put mouth!"

Na so street people dey talk. Everybody for dem self now. No trust, no help, just dey survive.

So na so my good heart turn me to mumu.

For my mind, I just surrender. Who dey help for this country again? Help person, you turn enemy.

No wahala, una wan die, go ahead.

I just dey pray nothing go spoil for my shift.

I go drop you there. Anything wey happen, no call me.

If anything do am, na her people go run up and down, but me? I don wash hand for the matter.