Chapter 3: Site Boys No Dey Carry Last

Sule, one of the boys, just collect him food box.

Sule na that kind boy wey no dey take nonsense. E dey tall, chest wide, voice dey loud. Today, hunger don join vex for im body.

He open am, raise am show Baba Musa:

He spread the box like evidence for court. Other boys gather, dey look, dey snap with phone, dey shake head.

“Oga, tell me, with this kind food, how we wan chop you finish?”

Voice loud, people for other stalls dey turn look. Even okada men for junction dey slow down to hear gist.

Sule pick one piece of the so-called stewed goat meat with spoon: “See am, na only three pieces of meat, and all of dem na fat!”

He balance meat for spoon, raise am up. Sun dey shine, fat dey drip, people dey laugh small.

Baba Musa look am, point one thin small meat inside the fat: “You no get eye? No be lean meat be that?”

Everybody burst laugh. One bricklayer wey dey back shout, "Baba Musa, fear God!"

I look well. No lean meat dey inside that goat meat, even the colour no get stew for body.

If to say na festival, you go think say na sacrifice dem wan do. The meat dry, stew no dey, boys dey joke say "na goat wey run marathon."

The meat just white, e no sweet for eye.

Na so hunger dey humble person. Boys dey look am with pity.

Sule point the rice: “See, rice self no reach half of wetin we dey get before.”

He knock spoon for box, dey compare with last week own for phone picture.

“You dey talk say one thousand naira for one meat three vegetables, but see am—apart from three big fat meat, where meat dey?”

People dey nod. Dem dey count pieces, dey measure with eye.

“If you no wan give us meat, okay, but vegetable nko? The ugu leaf don dey yellow, yam never peel well, big ata rodo you no even cut am—see as e big, e dey poke person gum.”

He wave big pepper for air, as if na flag. Everybody burst laugh again.

“If food no sweet, okay, but now salt self you dey manage. This soup no get taste at all—how we wan chop am?”

One boy talk, "Baba Musa, you wan use us do mumu?"

People dey agree, dey talk say "Na so, na so!"

Sule no dey exaggerate.

If you check am, na so the food just dey drop for quality. Everybody dey remember when e sweet pass.

When Baba Musa first start dey supply food box for us, he dey try well well.

E go dey beg, dey add extra, dey joke with us. Boys dey hail am, dey call am "Correct man."

Spicy chicken dey full chicken, shredded beef with green pepper get plenty meat.

You go see oil dey float for stew, smell go make your belle dance.

Vegetable dey clean, and he no dey manage oil, salt or sauce.

Even market women dey line up to buy.

But these days, he just dey do anyhow. Food don turn to water, taste no dey.

Everybody dey notice am. Dem dey miss the old days, dey blame am for being greedy.

But Baba Musa no even shame. He collect Sule food box from am.

He raise am up, dey show everybody. As if na trophy.

“If you no like am, abeg, comot! Who beg you make you chop?”

Voice loud, face dey strong, as if na im own site.

He fold hand, dey rock body like say na dance.

He dey bounce, dey twist waist. Boys dey laugh for corner, dey mimic am.

“You dey talk say my food no sweet? Na una taste dey too strong. You sabi how much I dey spend for seasoning just because of una?”

He dey count imaginary money for air, dey shake head like market woman wey dey price garri.

He point me: “Uncle Olumide, na you beg me that year. Now you dey make boys dey complain about me. Wetin be your own? Na so una dey treat person?”

He raise voice, face dey red. Other customers dey look, dey wait wetin I go do.

I no expect am to turn the matter face me.

Na so Naija life be. Today you be helper, tomorrow dem fit use your name do example.

But I no fit drag level with am.

For public, na better make you hold yourself. I no wan disgrace anybody, nor cause wahala wey go make police enter matter.

If I start to argue, fight go just burst.

Na so e dey happen. Site boys get energy, small thing fit spark fight.

So I try talk sense: “Baba Musa, I no dey cause wahala. Na just say your food don really fall hand.”

I lower my voice, try reason am. "Baba Musa, you know say na we dey make your business dey move. Na true, things hard, but you too, make you try dey do well."

“We agree for one thousand naira, one meat three vegetables, soup and rice refill go dey free. Before you dey give us ata dindin, you stop, we no talk.”

I dey list everything so e no go say we dey find trouble. Boys dey nod head, dey say "Na so, na so!"

“Then thick soup turn to water, now soup no dey again, now rice refill too don go. Na we cause am?”

I look am straight, no fear, no laugh.

“Na true!” Sule shout, “You even reduce the food. We dey work since morning, you give us small thing—how we wan full?”

Boys dey chorus, some dey stamp leg, dey clap hand.

Baba Musa just hiss.

He hiss long, mouth dey twist. One market woman laugh for side, cover mouth with scarf.

“Una no dey ever belleful. Even if I give una whole pot, una go still dey find more.”

He shake head, wipe sweat from face. Sun dey shine, but the heat for matter pass weather.

Baba Musa wife see say e don dey pass level, she try drag am back.

She pull him hand small, dey whisper for ear. She whisper, "God abeg, make wahala no burst today." But Baba Musa push am aside gently, eye dey red.

But he push her, stand for there dey form boss.

He chest dey rise, dey fall. Boys dey watch am, dey ready for anything.

“Make I talk am: una site boys, na so una dey find cheap thing. Lunch na one thousand naira, una go chop like say una dey do competition.”

He point finger, voice dey shake. You go think say na judge for court.

“I sure say una no dey chop breakfast or night food, na this one meal una dey use survive.”

Some boys dey nod, some dey vex. Everybody dey remember hunger for home, but nobody wan hear insult.

I just dey watch Baba Musa, heart dey twist. E no know say na my wife dey feed am now—Lagos fit turn friend to stranger overnight.