Chapter 5: Who Go Chop Last?

Sule nearly faint for anger. “Why we go buy am? We no dey chop!”

Sule voice crack, hand dey shake. Boys dey form ring, dey talk "No buy, no buy!"

Baba Musa argue, full of confidence:

He rest hand for hip, dey do like market woman. "Who go chop am if una no buy? Food na money!"

“Because I don already cook, all na money.”

He dey talk like say na government work. Boys dey mock am, dey hiss.

I frown: “Baba Musa, this one no pure. Like you talk, we no sign contract, and you say you no want our business again. How you go force us buy?”

I dey try reason with am. My face hard, but I no raise hand. I dey look am steady, no blink.

“I say from tomorrow I no dey do una business. Today, I don already prepare food, una no give me notice. Wetin make I do with all these food box?”

He dey rub head, dey look like say na we cause im problem. For my mind, I dey wonder if na madness dey worry am.

He just dey reason like person wey no get shame.

Some of my boys dey talk for back, "Na greed dey do this man."

I nod: “Okay, how many remain?”

My voice calm, but for inside, vex dey boil. Boys dey watch, dey wait wetin I go do.

Sule dey para: “Uncle Olumide, no let am ride us. This man just dey oppress us!”

Sule dey pant, dey shift leg. Other boys dey clap back, dey echo am.

Sule talk true.

Boys dey see am. If person wey you help dey oppress you, e dey pain.

For these three years, Baba Musa don hammer. He no be that man wey dey count change and dey fear to talk.

Now na him dey form boss for area. Na him dey dictate price, voice dey loud, swagger dey body.

Now he get new house, buy car.

He dey drive one small Corolla, na im children dey wear fine uniform now. Everybody dey notice the change.

He and him wife don fat join, voice don loud pass before.

E no easy for Naija, but once person hammer, you go see for body. Now na dem dey talk for meeting.

Nobody dey ride am again, na him come dey ride people.

People dey gossip say, "Na so e dey happen, money don show, person don change."

I wave Sule make he calm down.

I do hand for air, "No worry. Make we settle am."

Baba Musa count the food box, dey smile like say na jackpot.

He dey count with biro, dey tap calculator. Boys dey hiss, dey laugh for back.

Because some people don already chop, sixty-two food box remain.

Na plenty food be that. Boys dey calculate for head, dey reason if to take am go home.

At one thousand naira each, I just send am sixty-two thousand naira sharp sharp.

I transfer the money with my phone, boys dey watch, dey thank me small. Hunger no dey let person do strong head for long.

Baba Musa wife talk make I leave the change.

She dey plead, dey talk say "Oga, no worry about change, abeg."

Baba Musa insist: “Why I go leave am? For these three years, the ata dindin wey dem chop pass that two thousand naira. I no go leave the change.”

He dey count pepper bottle as if na gold. Boys dey shake head, dey mutter "Na wah o!"

“People like una need lesson, so una go stop to dey take advantage. Wetin we dey do na correct thing.”

He dey talk like say na im be law. Some people for queue dey laugh, some dey nod, dey support am.

As I see say e no get shame, I no argue. I carry the food box waka with my people.

We gather the boxes, dey move. One or two boys dey joke say "Na today we go chop reach midnight."

That time, more than ten students from the dance academy show.

Dem dey wear matching t-shirt, face fresh. Some dey press phone, dey snap selfie.

Dem be class reps, come carry food box, each one carry like ten.

Dem dey arrange am for line, dey talk small small English. Some dey complain say "No too much oil o!"

Baba Musa smile give dem, within minutes, he sell more than four hundred.

His face light up. E dey hail the students, dey package box well. Na so business dey move for Lagos.

As the food box nearly finish, Baba Musa carry phone do video.

He dey laugh, dey dance small, voice dey shake.

He upload am for TikTok Naija, dey show off:

“Baba Musa food box, big portion, better price, one thousand naira and you go belleful! Today don sell finish—no come dey find am!”

He dey shout "God don butter my bread!" as students dey dance for background. Boys dey watch, dey shake head, dey talk say "Na so e be."

I carry the food box go back site.

Sun don set small, breeze dey blow, boys dey drag leg. Everybody dey hungry, but small happiness dey as food dey.

I tell Sule make he call those wey never chop, say na my treat.

Sule dey run up and down, dey shout "Oya, food don land! Oga say make una chop, no complain!"

Sule dey chop dey complain, “This one worth one thousand naira so?”

He dey taste meat, dey pick out fat. Boys dey laugh, dey pour zobo, dey gist.

Boys dey wash food down with cold sachet water and zobo, dey slap back of neck, dey gist.

Another boy join: “Baba Musa dey change menu for different people o. You see as he dey smile for those students.”

He dey mimic Baba Musa, dey twist face, boys dey laugh. "If na us, face go hard; if na students, na smile everywhere!"

I sip zobo: “Na because dem dey easy for am. You no see wetin dey inside the student food box? At most small rice, few leaves of ugu, small yam, no single piece of goat meat—na only fried tofu.”

I dey show dem sample from one of the boxes wey I swap with student. Boys dey open mouth, dey shake head. "Na so!"

Sule open mouth: “He dey sell like this, and students still dey buy?”

He dey wonder, eye big. As night fall, I look my boys—hunger chop us, but pride still dey. For this Lagos, today you dey up, tomorrow you dey beg. Who next go chop last?