Chapter 3: Musa's Hustle & The Festival Dilemma

Me, I no be anything special. I drop out from secondary school before I finish.

Na for Kogi I grow. My papa na bricklayer, mama sell okpa. School no work, but I get street sense. Hustle dey my blood.

Since I no get any skill, I just dey do park security work.

Security job no be big man work, but e dey feed person. Every morning, I iron uniform, shine shoe, make sure say my appearance no shame my people.

I dey work hard, my monthly salary just pass thirty-five thousand naira. During holidays, I dey do dispatch rider work, add another ten thousand join.

You know Naija hustle. Man must survive, even if road rough. Rain or sun, I dey do my round, dey check gate, dey greet everybody.

I dey chop alone, my family no dey suffer, I no dey spend anyhow, so every month I dey try save small.

My own enjoyment na cold Fanta once a week, sometimes suya for junction. No be everybody wey get sense dey flex.

Every month, I dey remove five or six thousand naira to support orphan children.

This one, I dey do am because I sabi wetin e mean to get nobody. Small rice, garri, I dey send go one orphanage wey dey outskirts. Sometimes, na small, but e mean something.

I grow up like them, so I sabi the pain. No be big money—just say I no go buy plenty cigarette.

Na street teach me empathy. My mama always talk say, "If you see person wey no get, help as you fit. E go follow you for future."

As New Yam Festival dey come, most of my colleagues go house or waka go flex.

Town dey empty, even market dey dull small. Na only people wey like party dey waka. For security post, na me remain, even boss respect am.

I volunteer to do night shift.

Some people say na mumu work, but I sabi say na my calling. Night shift dey quiet, spirit dey rest, and I fit reason life well.

After all, nothing dey for house for me. Better make I help others and collect small overtime.

House lonely, no babe, just my transistor radio and two plates. Overtime na small money, but e dey build man small small.

But I no expect say this simple decision go cost me my life.

Who go think say, to do good, wahala fit jump you? But life no dey warn person.

Last time, na so e happen. I hear the shout for help, rush go, see say na girl fall inside water.

She wear red joggers, hair tie like small pikin. Na university babe, face fine but panic dey her eye. I just know say e go be problem.

Without thinking, I jump enter, pull her out.

No time for sense that day. Just raw reaction. Water cold, my heart dey pound, but I hold her tight. If I miss grip, e fit drown.

After I save her, she just kneel down, dey knock head for ground, dey beg me with tears make I help save her dog.

Dog wey dey shake for river, I see am, but e don disappear as I dey drag her. She dey cry, dey use Hausa accent beg, "Abeg, oga, save my dog. E be like my pikin."

The river cold die, but I no even send, I jump back inside. More than half hour, I still no see the dog.

I dive, I search, I call, even promise myself say if I see the dog, I go carry am go mosque for thanksgiving. But e be like say spirit don collect the dog.

No choice, I drag myself come out, explain say I don try my best.

I dey shake like generator wey get bad plug. My voice crack, but I tell her say I do my best. I no fit kill myself for dog.

Both of us dey soak, water full body. Human life better pass animal own; we suppose go change cloth, drink ginger tea.

Village people dey talk say if you survive river that cold, you suppose do thanksgiving. But this babe no send.

But the girl just lose control, begin curse me, call me dog killer, say I no even try at all.

She kick sand, dey scream, dey drag my name. Even small children stop dey play, dey watch her drama.

I no fit talk, I point my wet cloth: "You think say here warm? You know how cold that water be?"

My teeth dey clash. I try smile, but e no come out. I no even sure if she dey hear me at all.

"I risk my life save you, spend half hour find your dog, now you dey blame me say I no try?"

For my mind, I dey count how many time I fit die for stranger. My spirit dey vex, but I still dey gentle.

I don see plenty story online where person help, dem go still bite am. To avoid wahala, I just treat her like mad dog, vex, turn dey go.

My mama dey always warn me: "No put mouth for matter wey no concern you." I wish say I hear am that day.

But who go believe say, na that time, the girl rush go roadside, begin shout for help.

Her voice loud, e scatter everywhere. Even conductor wey dey pass slow down, dey look.

She even start rumour say I dey touch her anyhow when I save her for water.

People gather, dey look me like say na goat thief. My hand dey tremble, sweat dey my armpit despite the cold.

"You pervert! When you save me, you dey touch everywhere, but when e reach my dog, you no fit do anything!"

She point finger, eye red, mouth dey tremble. Her wahala no get limit.

"That one na my only friend! If you no save am, you suppose pay with your life!"

I look her, mouth open. Na only God know how this world dey run.

But people wey pass get sense. Nobody curse me—instead, dem dey point finger at the girl, say she no dey reasonable.

One old mama just hiss, say, "If person save your life, you dey curse am?" Even young boys dey whisper, "Na this one dem dey call wahala girl."

How you wan save person without touching am?

Everybody dey reason am. If you no grip person well, e go drown. Who dey think of nonsense for that kain condition?

That water cold die. If you jump inside without warm up, cramp fit catch you, you fit even freeze. To even save her na miracle.

Some people dey nod, dey talk say even chief no fit try am. E mean say, na God save her, not be man.

Even if touch happen, e better pass say you go die, abi?

For Naija, nobody get time for fake morality when life dey risk. All this talk na only for internet.

The girl, as people dey talk, just dey vex more, dey shout say no be just accidental touch—I dey touch everywhere, even inside cloth.

She dey yarn, voice dey break. Some people begin waka. Others dey record with phone, dey hope for drama.

But nobody believe am.

Even vulcanizer for junction just laugh, shake head. "If na pervert, you for no dey alive, madam."

People dey look her like say she craze.

One aboki just talk, "Na ment dey worry this one." The crowd begin disperse.

Water cold like that. If you fall, na die or freeze. Who get time to dey do rubbish?

Nobody wey get sense go believe that kain lie. Life too hard for park to dey joke.

I vex so tey I no fit talk. After I thank people wey defend me, I just wan go—my cloth dey soak, cold dey nearly kill me.

My chest dey heavy. For my mind, I dey pray make thunder fire lie.

But the girl just craze, rush me, dey scratch my face.

Her nail draw blood. Na one baba help hold her, or else, e for worse.

As she dey scream say I be beast, she dey demand make I pay for her dog.

Na only God save me that day. I sidon for gutter, dey hold my face, dey reason how my life take reach like this.

I no even expect am, my face don turn to scratch board.

I see blood for my palm, just dey shake my head. Park people dey look me with pity.

People wey dey there call police.

One woman shout, "Call area DPO! This one don pass joke!"

Police come, carry us go chief's court.

For my mind, na shame. People dey look us like say we be film. Chief don tire for youth wahala.

The girl, sabi say no camera for river side, just dey lie anyhow.

She yarn one long story, tears dey flow, but e no move anybody. Chief just dey look her like person wey chop expired kpof-kpof.

She say she no blind, see road well, na because I try touch her she panic fall inside water.

She turn story round, voice dey break. Her acting no get part two.

She cry say even after she fall, I still dey touch her, her dog die, body no dey.

She dey shake head, use am wipe tears. Na so drama dey start for this town.

She dey cry like goat wey lost pikin for market.

Chief just dey tap table. Some elders dey shake head. E no dey enter.

Me, I dey rush defend myself, my mind just dey pain.

I dey swear with God, dey beg make dem believe me. My whole body dey vibrate with vex.

By then, crowd don scatter.

Na only elders, police, me and her remain. My voice dey hoarse.

No camera, police no fit know who dey talk true, so dem tell us to go house, say dem go follow up.

I just dey reason how wahala fit dey follow me like fly. My hand dey tremble as I waka go.

But the girl no gree leave me. She go online, write five thousand word post, paint herself as victim.

She begin dey write story, dey add salt and pepper, dey tag influencers. Before I fit say jack, my name dey everywhere.

As things dey go bad, I try clear my name online, but e make her attack worse.

Anything I post, she go twist am, talk say na fake remorse. People dey insult my papa join.

She call me loser security guard, twisted old bachelor.

Even my old secondary school friends begin block me for WhatsApp. People believe wetin dem see online.

Even my family WhatsApp group dey buzz, cousin dey ask if na true.

Online gender wahala don full everywhere, her post just blow.

If you see comment section, e be like mad house. Some people dey curse, others dey pray make I die.

I no fit defend myself, I just dey chop insult and accusation.

Night and day, my phone dey ring, my body dey tremble. Sleep run from my eyes.

During that time, she send person message me.

I see strange number flash. Na her friend. She dey use style collect money.

She say if I pay two hundred thousand naira, she go let me rest.

I laugh. For this Naija, na so dem dey do blackmail. I delete the chat.

I swear, I no gree.

Na my pride dey save me. If I pay, na then dem go collect my soul.

As online people dey para, dey talk say dem go find me for real life,

Some people send me death threat. Others dey ask for my address, dey post my picture join.

I no fit take am again, I post screenshot of my monthly donations.

I dey hope say people go see say I no be bad person. Na my last hope be that.

I hope say e go show my character, calm people down.

For small time, the comment section cool. Some people dey ask for proof.

E work small.

But wahala no dey finish. E be like when you pour water for basket.

But the girl somehow find where I dey live, pour petrol, burn my house, burn me alive.

The fire loud, neighbours dey shout. Before I fit escape, flame dey bite my skin. The pain pass anything I fit talk.

Even now, I still dey smell burnt flesh, the pain for my skin never go.

Spirit no dey forget pain. The memory dey burn me from inside.

When I open my eyes again, na the girl cry for help I dey hear.

I open my eyes, dey see the world with new fear. This time, I no fit play mumu again.

I just hiss, turn, run go meet the aunties wey dey dance.

As I waka go, I try forget the shout for help. Wetin no kill you fit try again, but me I no ready for second chance wahala.

"Aunties, abeg increase the music! Make we ginger!"

I try smile, join their dance. My heart dey tight, but I force my leg move with the beat.