Chapter 2: Bush Route, Street Sense

Navigation dey show say we dey near where we dey go.

For map, the road just dey snake inside bush like python. I dey watch as the blue dot move near one place wey even Google never sabi well.

Just fifteen minutes remain.

My chest dey pump small. Time dey go, night dey deep. Even for Lagos, people dey fear this kain route when everywhere don dark. Na only strong head fit drive here without prayer.

This place wey we dey go ehn, na real bush—mosquitoes dey dance for head, and sometimes you fit hear goat bleat from far compound. If no be say the money plenty small, even as I sabi the area, I no go gree come here for night.

You fit hear frog and cricket dey play band for background. Once in a while, one keke go pass, but nothing serious. Dem don talk say dem go build estate here, but na only block and bush I dey see.

But this girl? Na here she dey come do interview.

No be say na company headquarters, or even normal plaza—just bush and one old signboard. The kain confidence wey she get shock me.

She dey eager and fear dey catch am at the same time, her face dey shine hope, but her eye get that fear wey Lagos dey teach person. The hope wey dey her eye na the kind wey make you wan help but you fit no get the power. She dey grip her bag like say na prayer book dey inside.

Her voice get serious local accent, she dey try form better English but e just dey scatter.

If you listen well, you go hear one Edo and Delta mix for her tongue, but she dey struggle put “sir” for end of every call, like say na formality go help her pass the interview.

I dey peep her for mirror, dey worry for her.

My mind dey play her future—if anything do am, na her family go dey cry for radio, dey find missing person.

She slim, small body, wear white shirt and black short skirt wey no fit her age, come throw one coat on top for cold. Coat wey don see better days, maybe borrowed from auntie, still get small tear for armpit.

Na one kain fashion sense; skirt short like say na school pikin, white shirt too big, coat wey dem don manage clean. She dey try look sharp, but you go see say struggle dey the dressing.

She just dey copy one style wey she see for TikTok Naija or somewhere, dey try form office babe. But anybody wey get eye go sabi say na night market or Jumia she buy all her cloth—the whole thing no even reach ten thousand naira.

All those Lekki office girls go just laugh. But who no go dey try blend in, especially as first interview dey on ground.

She hug one big canvas bag like say na her life dey inside.

Na so girls dey do when dem dey fear—bag big, but you go think say she carry all her property enter.

Her face pure, glasses big for her eye, hair tie for up like small pikin.

Glasses too big, like say she dey borrow am. Her hair tie dey one kind—yellow scarf wey don old, but she try arrange am like small madam.

All the ride, na phone she dey use.

For Naija, phone na person best friend. Even inside bush, she dey cling to am like say na spiritual protection.

She dey call her boyfriend, her mama, and one oga wey arrange the interview for her.

Her mouth no dey rest. If call cut, she go message. If message enter, she go giggle or frown, depending on the answer.

She dey check her phone screen every minute—MTN bar dey dance up and down.

I no even see chance talk to her at all.

Any time I wan talk, she go just dey nod, press phone. Na so new generation dey behave; e pain me, but I gree.

For my mind, I dey vex—these days, young girls too easy to deceive.

Na true talk. Dem dey think say as long as man wear suit or speak big grammar, e mean say him legit. Everybody dey rush quick money now, na so scam dey spread.

For New Year’s Eve, she carry herself enter illegal cab, dey go interview for bush, and she no even suspect anything.

I dey wonder where her sense of danger go. As e be now, no be every ride person suppose enter, especially for night.

Wetin shock me pass, from all her calls—

As I dey hear her gist, I dey wonder whether dem dey do prayer for her house at all. Na so family go just push you enter wahala because of small hope.

Her family and boyfriend sef no see anything wrong.

Na so dem dey happy, dey praise her, dey tell her make she try shine for interview. Nobody even ask, "Where be the place? Who you sabi there?"

Dem dey happy for her, dey think say she don hammer big job.

You go hear her mama dey pray, "God go do am for you." Nobody dey suspect say e fit be set up.

Dem no even sabi as job wahala dey everywhere now?

If to say na my mama, she go dey ask question tire. For this Naija, every small opportunity get long story behind am.

Sixty thousand every month, plus full health insurance, house, food, and accommodation.

E shock me. Even oil company dey cut staff. Who dey give all this one for fresher?

See me, wey go big university—one of the top schools for Naija—my salary sef chop cut by forty percent this year.

I dey remember when dem dey hail me say I be graduate. Now, dem dey pity me as I dey hustle for road.

To pay rent and buy baby milk, I dey do day work, come dey drive illegal cab for night.

This life ehn, if you no get side hustle, hunger fit finish you. Even my wife dey look me like say I suppose dey do more.

Even as I dey hustle New Year, no rest, everything join, I no dey see pass fifteen thousand for one month.

If not for grace, hunger for finish my family. Na only God dey run things now.

So who I be?

Sometimes, I dey ask myself. After all the wahala, na so so hustle.

If this company no be scam, make I write my name Musa Olatunji upside down.

Even my late papa go laugh for grave if this kain miracle happen.

As I dey hear all this, my body dey vex. I don see mumu people before, but this girl and her family na another level.

I wan talk, but I just dey shake my head. For Naija now, trust no dey anywhere again, but dem still dey behave like olden days.

I tap brake, dey slow down from sixty to forty kilometers per hour.

I just dey drive like person wey dey watch horror film—eye dey shine, mind dey calculate. I dey drag leg, make time dey go.

I dey try use style make the journey long small.

If I fit delay small, maybe light go show, or she go change her mind.

When she finish her second call to her boyfriend—na pure local language—before she go dial another person, I just cut in.

Na as her laugh die, I take chance. My mouth dry small, but I gree make I try.

I arrange my words well.

"Sister, abeg, who dey do interview for New Year’s Eve night? No be scam be this?"

I speak calm, but serious. For Lagos, na only person wey wan run you package go call interview by this time.