Chapter 5: Enter Auwalu—Lagos Street King

Just after my confinement, I go meet one person—Auwalu.

After I finish omugwo, my sister-in-law dey gist me about lounge for Victoria Island where big boys dey flex. I go there with my friend, just to clear my head. Na so I jam Auwalu—one sharp Hausa guy with swag, e face fresh like person wey just win Big Brother.

Na street guy I meet for lounge, but na the best womanizer (PUA) I don ever see. I watch am use only water win one fine babe. In just few days, he comot, leave the girl dey craze for am, swear say she no go marry another person.

I sit one corner dey observe. I see am use ordinary smile, ordinary water, just dey talk soft, and babe dey laugh like say she never see man before. When e waka commot, the girl dey cry, dey hold him shirt. I shock! Na so street get level?

That time, I hear say my second daughter dey follow classmates go lounge. I worry, so I invest for the lounge wey them dey go, tell the workers to help me monitor the kids, make dem no enter wahala.

Lagos children dey sharp, so I get to use street sense. I reason say, if I own small share, I fit know everything wey dey happen for inside.

Until Auwalu show face, and the staff no too sure about am, so dem call me make I come check am myself.

I just wear dark glasses, dey hide for one corner, dey check the guy. E too calm, e too sharp. Staff dey fear say e fit carry wahala come, so dem beg me to observe.

I hide for back of lounge, watch as he run him game. After e finish, I warn am say make he no come hunt for my lounge again.

He just dey laugh small, look me with eye wey dey shine like fresh palm wine. Na so I stand, bone face, but inside me, I dey surprise say young boy fit dey this smooth.

He give me one sly, seductive look with him fine eyes. That one look alone, I understand wetin old people dey talk about ‘person wey fit steal your soul.’

I remember my grandma gist: "Person wey get that kind eye fit confuse married woman." E true o.

Lucky for me, I already sabi men like am, or that look for move me too.

I just carry my mind waka. If to say I never see street before, e fit confuse me small. But I no be novice for this Lagos.

As I no gree, he blow one smoke ring, say, “Ah madam, you too dey do mummy, abeg free me small.”

Na so the lounge dey smell of menthol, but e words cut like blade. I just laugh, shake head. Small boy dey call me mummy, but e dey fear my wahala.

Then he give me business card: “Make we be friends. Who know, maybe one day you go need me.”

The card fine, e get gold print. But I reason am: street boy dey give me card? I just smile, throway am inside bag, no send.

That time, I reason am—abeg, why I go need street guy? I no know say I go chop my words soon.

Life get as e be. Na who you look down on fit help you solve big wahala. I no know say na him go save my marriage fight.

When I see am again, na so him shine pass before, get that wild, dangerous look—like wrapper wey breeze dey carry, mysterious, dangerous, just dey drip s*x appeal.

If you see as he arrange him native, fresh cut, designer shoe, you go know say e dey chase big fish. Him presence dey command attention for lounge, even the bouncer dey hail am.

“Fine madam, you finally come find me?”

His voice calm, e no rush talk. He dey use small small pidgin, but e English fit pass banker own. I just smile, bone face.

“Mr. Auwalu, you sabi see future true true. I really need your help.”

As I talk am, I fit see am dey try hide smirk. For Lagos, na only sharp person dey read signs quick like that.

He raise eyebrow, make I talk.

He cross leg, lean back, dey wait. Na so street boys dey behave when dem dey negotiate big business.

I explain my wahala with the side chick, and my request simple: seduce Zainab, even if na just once. With Obinna type, once another man touch her, he no go near am again.

I talk my plan sharp sharp. No dey waste time. If I dey fight woman, I go fight her for wetin she dey pride most. Na so I reason am.

“This kind work tough o…” He rub chin, pretend say e dey hard.

He dey form like say the matter go tire am, but I sabi say na money dey move am.

“Talk your price.”

I no wan waste time. For Lagos, if you dey slow, another person go collect market.

“Babe like Zainab don see everything. Normal format no go work. I go need show myself as top bachelor: yacht, private jet, big cars, fine watch—everything must dey. Money for runs no go small.”

He dey try run format, but me too sharp. I dey watch him eye, dey count the lies inside.

“I no be mumu. All those things you dey show for your WhatsApp status. You get clothes and things. The rest, I trust say you sabi manage am well.”

I dey call him bluff. If you no fit run am, I fit find another guy. Lagos full of sharp boys.

“Why you dey stingy like this? Side chick don reach your door, you still dey hold money.”

He dey tease me, but na negotiation style. I no get time for long talk.

“I no wan make person scam me before divorce self happen.”

My mind dey calculate everything. If I lose Obinna, na only me waka come. No chance to recover if I throway money anyhow.

“You no trust me? So why you come meet me?”

He try press my chest small. But me, I dey control game.

He pretend say he wan waka, I no stop am. Bartender tell me say lately na cheap drink he dey buy—e mean say money no dey flow like before.

I just cross leg, sip my Chapman. Inside lounge, small small gist dey flow, but I dey focus. I sabi say hunger dey move Auwalu, so e no go waka far.

“Ah ah, you no even go beg me?” As I expect, he no fit keep up, come back.

He look back, smile. Na so Lagos dey—who get money dey control story.

“I be client wey dey find person do job. If you no want, I go meet another person. No be only you graduate from that your PUA school.”

I dey test am. If him pride too high, e fit miss chance. Na so e bend, accept.

He just smile, no talk, but sit down back.

“500,000. If you succeed, I pay you 500,000 naira. The rest, bring receipt, I go pay. You go wear listening device so I fit dey monitor everything.”

For Lagos, everything na receipt. I no wan story for police if matter cast. So, e gats wear wire, make I fit get my own evidence.

“Deal.”

This time, no long talk, he gree sharp sharp.

Before I gree sign am, I just whisper small prayer—God, abeg, no let wahala pass my power.

Na so we seal am. For Lagos, handshake no mean anything. But if you fit look person for eye, agreement don stand.

Just as I dey plan how Auwalu go jam Zainab, na so he show me say he be real player. Under five minutes, he already get first contact with her.

As I dey reason am, I know say this one na job for street king. E sharp, e dey quick. If to say na me, I for still dey plan intro.