Chapter 3: Street Survival

I cover my forehead wey dey bleed, and from everybody face, I fit guess wetin sup.

I use handkerchief dab the blood. Everybody eye dey on me. E be like movie. Some people dey try hide laugh. Others dey look like say dem wan cry. Lagos office life!

Even though my mind vex well, for peace to reign, I give everybody calm look and signal make dem keep quiet.

I raise hand up, wave am small. "Abeg, make una cool down." My voice low but steady. For my mind, I dey talk to myself too: make I no go overreact and spoil everything.

"Everybody, abeg make una go back. I don more or less understand wetin happen. As sales head, I go make sure una get answer."

I try form big man, even as pain dey catch me. My voice dey shake small, but I gats hold ground. Dem need hope, even if na fake one. For Naija, hope dey scarce.

Na wah o. Year-end bonus matter never settle, now my face don join wahala.

As I dey think, e be like say village people just dey monitor me. Bonus wahala still dey ground, now na my face don collect new mark. Shey na so person dey get promotion for Lagos?

"Okay, oga, we hear you. We dey go. But try go health centre make dem dress that wound."

Ngozi voice still dey shake. She carry my bag, dey look my face with concern. Musa just dey nod, him eye no gree calm down.

"I go bring keke. Make una help oga go downstairs."

Baba Leke already dey wave for security post. Lagos no dey carry last. Everybody dey rally round to help. Even Aunty Bukky hide for corner, dey peep me. She dey try hide her face. I know say she feel small shame.

For road to health centre, I look mirror.

Na commercial tricycle I enter. As I dey go, I borrow small mirror from the driver, check my face. The wound long like mark of destiny. Even driver shake head say, "Oga, who beat you?" I just hiss. Na Lagos wahala.

Keke horn dey blast for my ear, conductor dey shout, "Ojuelegba, enter with your change!"

Na wa, the wound no small at all.

E be like say dem use new blade do am. Blood dey rush, I dey press handkerchief like say na competition. Nurse for clinic just dey look me with pity. For her face, e clear say this one na office wahala.

As I still dey vex, Oga Chukwudi call me.

Before I answer, my hand dey shake. I squeeze my phone, try calm myself.

My phone dey ring sotay, I no wan pick. But as I see the name, my mind tell me say make I answer. Na my oga, if I no pick, tomorrow wahala go double.

"Tunde, as sales head, na you carry everybody go accounts dey make wahala. You dey vex for accounts or na me, the oga, you dey vex for?"

Him voice sharp like blade. No greeting, no ask about my wound. E pain me. After all the sweat, na like this? Na so dem dey do for Lagos office.

I reason am, after all the years wey I follow Chukwudi build this company, at least small respect suppose dey.

True talk. I remember all the runs wey we don do, the night wey we dey brainstorm for my parlour, even the time I lend am small money when company wan fold. Loyalty na one kain thing for Naija.

But after I hear this one, I know say I don overrate myself.

Na so e be. If you too dey try, dem go see you finish. I swallow my vex, just calm down. No let anger spoil your shine.

I swallow my vex and answer:

My voice soft, even as my chest dey boil. "Oga Chukwudi, na just year-end bonus we go ask for accounts. No be wahala—na small misunderstanding. Christmas dey come, everybody just wan enjoy holiday. Oga, about the year-end bonus..."

I try mellow my voice make e no be like say I dey quarrel. After all, na Christmas. Everybody for Lagos dey hustle for small bonus. I dey hope say him go understand, show small compassion.

"Misunderstanding? Year-end bonus? Your whole department block accounts office! Na misunderstanding be that? My sister from accounts come dey collect beating, you still dey talk year-end bonus?"

See as e twist the story. Na so dem dey do for Naija, turn victim to villain sharp-sharp. E pain me. Even my wound dey pain more.

"You get two options: resign or forget year-end bonus. Your own bonus alone fit pay office rent for one year. Since your department no dey hear word, na you as oga go carry the blame."

My chest dey drum, but I no go let am see my fear.

See threat. Just like that. After all the runs, na blame e dey share. E no even mention say I get wound. Some Ogas no dey care if you die for work, as long as money dey flow.

I just laugh out of vex. Some people no get shame at all.

My laugh na that kain dry one. If to say I fit record am, e go trend for Twitter. This life, you gats develop thick skin. E pain me wella, but I hold am.

When we dey chase that project, na me drink sotay I get ulcer for belle.

True true. I remember that time, I dey swallow antacid like sweet, dey pray make my stomach no cut. My wife warn me, but I say na for company progress. See as e take reward me.

"Oga Chukwudi, we fit apologize to Aunty Bukky for wetin happen. But about my team and my own year-end bonus, abeg, try pay us. Everybody don work tire this year—I no fit face my people like this."

I humble myself, beg well. My team dey look up to me. Lagos wahala, but man no fit fail him people. If dem no see bonus, dem go reason say I chop their money.

"Tunde, two options: resign or forget year-end bonus. Na only that. Pick one. You hear me so?"

Oga voice no get joy. No mercy. Na so e cut call, no allow me talk finish. I just look my phone like say na stone.

He just cut call.

Na so. No time for discussion. For Lagos, na who hold power dey set law. I just drop phone, shake head. My wound dey pain, my mind dey pain join.

I laugh, but e pain me. To find money hard, but to swallow this kain rubbish worse.

The laugh wey dey come out from my mouth no get sweetness. E be like say I dey try use am cover shame. Man dey try, but e no dey easy. For my mind, I dey plan my next move. Lagos no dey pity person.

Every word na force. E no send right or wrong, na him people e dey protect.

For this Naija, if you no get long leg, forget am. I see say family matter strong pass work. E dey everywhere. For office, for street, even for church. Na so e be.

Forget. Tomorrow I go company go see am face to face.

Na that kain stubbornness dey help man survive for Lagos. E fit no pay today, but e go show say I no be mumu. I go waka go office, see am, no matter how e take look me.

Lagos no dey favour person wey dey hide. Tomorrow, I go show face.