Chapter 7: Lagos Fear Choke

When I wake, na my bed I see myself.

My head dey pound, my mouth dry. I dey look around, dey wonder how I take reach here.

Wahala!

I dey sweat, dey fear. I dey check my pocket, everything still dey. I dey thank God.

I no even mind say my head dey pain me, I rush out.

I dey check kitchen, parlour, dey call Morayo name. I dey fear say something happen.

Morayo dey there, as usual, dey arrange food.

She dey hum, dey fry stew. Her face calm, no wahala. I dey breathe out.

I hold her hand, dey worry:

I dey look her eye, dey search for sign. I dey ask myself if she know anything.

"Small Baba do anything to you last night?"

I dey check her body, dey look for scratch. She just dey wonder.

She look me, dey wonder.

Her face pure, her eye no get fear. I dey relax small.

"No, na him bring you back, then comot. Wetin happen?"

Her voice soft, concern dey inside. I dey shake head, dey try form say nothing dey.

I look her well, my mind calm.

I dey watch her move, dey check if she dey hide anything. But she just dey normal.

"Nothing. Make we chop."

I dey force smile, dey try act like say all dey okay.

This time, she cook catfish stew. The way she cut the fish—every line straight like ruler.

The fish dey soft, pepper dey enter body. The cut still dey perfect, like say she use scale. I dey look am, dey reason everything Small Baba talk.

I remember wetin Small Baba talk. Na lie him talk, or Morayo really...

My mind dey do mathematics. I dey try remember if I see her go out last night. I dey confuse.

I look her—her eyes still clear, her face still dey calm.

She dey smile, dey serve me. No sign say she do anything bad. I dey relax small.

After we chop, my cousin call me, say make I come.

My phone dey ring, I see him name. My heart dey skip, because I know say when him call, na business.

I tell Morayo make she no go anywhere, then rush go.

I dey warn her, dey beg her say make she wait. She nod, no argue.

For road, I notice Small Baba door—him shoe no dey. Who know where him go?

I dey peep, dey wonder if e travel. I dey pray make wahala no reach my side.

I no send, I drive go my cousin place.

I dey focus on my own. I dey tell myself say everything go dey alright.

Na him teach me this prison gate work. He get crew wey dey do the same.

He dey sharp, street wise. Na him show me how to spot the women, how to talk, how to collect their trust.

We go gain the women trust. If we tire, we hand them over to him.

He dey pay well, no question. Some go stay with us, some we go pass to him. E get plan for all of them.

He go send them abroad. Wetin happen after, he no dey talk—but as money dey enter, e no fit be good.

I dey suspect say e dey do trafficking, but as long as I dey get my cut, I no dey ask question.

He always talk say: women wey just comot prison, no family, no friend—na like weed, nobody send them.

He dey laugh, dey say na we dey do society favour. I dey nod, dey pretend say I believe.

Even if dem don change, people still see them as bad.

For this Lagos, once you carry prison tag, na only God fit clean your name. I dey use that fact hold my heart strong.

We remove them—na better work be that.

He dey always say, if we no do am, dem go suffer pass. I dey try believe am, but sometimes my mind dey shake.

After each woman, he dey pay me. Others go use the money anyhow, but I dey save, dey hope say I go buy house, get real home.

I dey dream say one day, I go leave this life, buy land, build house for Ikorodu. But for now, na survival.

To avoid wahala, my cousin dey base for one scrapyard for town edge. After dem check me well, I meet am for back office.

The area dey rough—boys dey smoke, iron dey everywhere. I greet gate man, dem search me, then I enter.

He hug me, slap my shoulder.

He dey always do am—na him way to show say e dey happy. I dey smile, dey try relax.

"You dey try, I hear say you pick fine babe this time."

He dey wink, dey laugh. I dey nod, dey try form humble.

I light cigarette, smile.

I dey watch am, dey wait for wetin he go talk next.

He look me, dey laugh.

He dey tap table, dey shake head. "You dey enjoy o."

"So, you don chop am?"

He dey ask with sly smile. I dey look ground, dey form say I no hear.

I bend head, dey shame. He laugh, punch my shoulder.

He dey tease me, dey call me small boy. I dey vex small, but I no talk.

"You no get liver!"

He dey laugh, dey shake head. I dey try defend myself, but he no gree.

He bring out one small glass bottle, throw give me—one pill dey inside.

The bottle cold, the pill white. I dey look am, dey wonder wetin e mean.

"Tonight, give her this. She go sleep like log—you fit do anything."

He dey smile, dey talk like say na normal thing. My heart dey beat.

I pause, he eye me.

He dey wait my answer, dey check if I go gree.

"Wetin? You dey fear say she go call police?"

He dey laugh, dey tap my back. I dey shake head.

I return the bottle.

I dey give am back, dey form say I no need am. My mind dey heavy.

"Thanks, cousin, but I want make she enter my bed by herself."

I dey talk soft, dey try act like say I be good guy.

He thumbs up.

He dey nod, dey respect my choice. But I fit see say he no really care.

"You try. But no waste time—I need her soon. Enjoy, but bring her come in few days."

His voice strong, no room for argument. I dey nod, dey plan how I go do am.

I nod, waka go.

I dey waka slow, my mind dey heavy. I dey pray make Morayo no suspect anything.

As I dey drive home, my mind dey heavy.

I dey think, dey calculate. I dey feel guilt, but I dey tell myself say na survival.

True true, I like Morayo. I no want give her up quick.

I dey imagine say if things different, I fit keep her. But I know say Lagos no dey play.

But I no get choice. If you cross my cousin, na die.

I dey fear am. E get boys everywhere. If you mess up, na gutter you go sleep.

I no wan die. So, Morayo must go.

I dey repeat am for my mind, dey try convince myself.

As I reach my door, cold catch me. The light for house bad—even for day, I dey use bulb.

I dey fumble for key, hand dey shake. I dey pray say nothing bad happen.

But now, window dark like say night.

Everywhere quiet, no sound. My heart dey beat, sweat dey my face.

Morayo run?

I dey fear, dey call her name. I dey check if her bag still dey.

Fear catch me, I dey find my key, open door sharp sharp.

I dey rush, dey almost break door. My mind dey jump.

Light come on—and wetin I see inside make me shout for fear.

My leg weak, my voice crack. I dey freeze for door, dey try understand wetin dey happen. For Lagos, you fit see anything, but this one pass me.

For Lagos, fear get levels—but this one choke.