Chapter 3: Sharp Guy Secrets

My name na Bello Musa, na locksmith work I dey do. This tonight own na number forty-seven job for today.

Sometimes, I dey wonder how my leg no break. Forty-seven jobs for one day, na only hustle fit cause am. My hands dey rough, my nails dey black for grease, but money no dey dirty.

The lock for Room 14B, Block D, Palm Grove Estate—the same lock wey I spoil with my hand that afternoon.

As I dey go, I dey remember as I do am. That time, sun dey hot, the corridor dey smell like egusi and paint. Nobody dey look my side, so I use broom wey I borrow from one cleaner, break small piece inside the keyhole.

Truth be say, e too easy. Just put broomstick for inside the keyhole, break am so small piece go remain inside. The key no go fit enter finish, and even if person force am, the key fit break inside. Anyhow, the door no go open.

That day, I even laugh small for my mind—na pure art. I dey proud as I dey waka go. Person fit call am bad, but for this city, na sharpness dey help person chop.

Na that time I go show as the saviour. I go help open the door, still convince the person to change the lock cylinder. Service fee, unlocking fee, replacement fee—if you no sabi collect all this money, you never start for this business.

Na so I dey balance my account. For Lagos, you gats dey wise. If you no sabi chop with sense, hunger go chase you like area boys.

You fit dey wonder why I dey do this kind thing. The truth be say, business no easy at all—especially for our work. To find customer na wahala.

Sometimes I go sit for shop dey look road, dey count Keke and Danfo wey pass, dey pray say one person go lose key. I don dey this work five years, so I sabi as e dey be.

Normally, we go dey paste small small advert for stairwell and corridor. Most times, na people wey forget or lose their key dey call us. But that one no too plenty. Worse still, advert full everywhere, so even the small customer wey remain fit no see your own.

Sometimes, dem go even paste advert on top my own! Dem no get respect at all. I don fight two boys for that same estate before because of am. Competition strong like ogiri for hot soup.

So, to get business, I dey create my own customer. To spoil lock na the sharpest way wey I know.

My baba for Iseyin talk say if business no come, make you find am. I dey follow that advice like religion.

For normal mechanical lock, broomstick dey work. For electronic lock, na tin foil and magnet, but make I no talk that one now.

That one na big secret, e no dey textbook. No be every work man fit try am.

But you gats use sense choose who you go target. I dey pick every other floor, and only one house for each floor—if e too much, people go suspect. I go also remove every other locksmith advert for that floor, leave only my own. So, anybody wey get wahala go know who to call.

I dey waka for corridor, dey peel off other people card like old suya paper. Sometimes I dey chop small slap from security, but I dey find my daily bread.

Since I start this method, business just dey flow. Late night call like tonight own no dey surprise me—people dey waka up and down anyhow. My phone dey always on.

One time, one landlord even threaten to arrest me for area. But na God hand I dey. Customer must show.