On The Streets of Lagos....

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See, it was not so hard to fancy Ajeps. His entire being oozes of a kind of Swagga not common in other agberos. For one, he was always neat and well kept. And his steps had a definitive bounce to them. If tables turned, that man would have been a man of poise. I think my endearment towards him began when he first attempted to speak English to me. I was more intrigued than amused, and well, I did not laugh at him.

 Halo Boys, I ear that pe, you use to go, class,” shey, you wee teaching me one or tow?

You should have seen the stern look on his face. Something passed there for just a second.



  *******


Padi e, go buy me garri and pure water; mortuary standard, epa- everything sha, you don get?. 
And I will shake my head, or answer “ I get” running as fast as my young legs could carry me. Ajeps always had change; beta life was forever first on top of the wads of cash that seem to struggle to fit into his pockets. And I will dash off like a flash, my young legs carrying me as fast as they could. When I got back, he will squeeze 10 naira notes in my hand and rub my skodo head. And I’d tuck the money into my pocket. Happy to run any other errand.
Soon, this became my everyday routine, back from school—change my clothes—eat or not, run off to Ajepeaye. I had started my small savings, his ten naira mattered. But God helps me if Iya Oniboli caught me.
On one of such days, my Mother came to Ajepeaye’s Lungu, and her timing was nothing short of perfection. I was running back from Iya Waheedi’s kiosk with the natural perspiration gracing my forehead. Her partly turned back made it too hard for me to recognize her silhouette. Koboko in hand, she swirled around so fast, that I still think of the whole situation as a bad dream. That day, I got just one whip of the koboko, but I have marks on my left arm to this day as a trophy for disobedience. 

Baba Aladura don warn me against you this yeye Agbero, I say make you leave my pikin. Abi na swear?Chai, if anything do my pikin for this lungu, Ajepe, one of us go rush go heaven go greet baba God.

And with fuming breathes, she dragged my ears back to the stall. That day, all I could think about was the ten Naira Maami made me lose.

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