Chapter 5: Acting and Bargain

As I dey start, the woman come ask, "Sorry, how long e go take to open the door?"

Her voice low, as if she dey fear say spirit fit hear us. She hold her wrapper tight, dey bite her lip small.

"About ten minutes," I reply as I dey work.

I dey lie small, but na business. If you talk true time, dem go feel say e too easy.

"Abeg... fit do am quick small?"

She shift leg, glance back again. Her eye red, I no know if na cry or sleeplessness.

I look her well, see as her eye dey waka up and down, like person wey dey watch something for my back. She dey peep the corridor behind me, whether by mistake or on purpose.

I dey reason say maybe she dey fear thief, or something worse. Lagos night no get respect.

I turn look, na only dark corridor I see, nobody dey.

But I smell kerosene faintly, maybe from lamp or another flat. Everywhere quiet except for my own heart wey dey beat small small.

I bone, tell her, "This lock stubborn well, but I go try hurry."

I smile small, so she fit relax. Customer wey dey panic fit make you spoil work.

To talk true, I fit open that lock sharp sharp. But I dey always delay—if you open am too fast, customer go feel say the money too much, dem go dey vex.

I go just dey whine screwdriver, dey look my phone, dey hum one old Fela song for my mind. Sometimes I go wipe sweat for face even if e no dey. Na small acting dey help this business. I fit even hiss and shake head like say the lock dey vex me.

I learn am the hard way before. One time, I use wire and small hook open cross lock for person. E no even reach one minute. The owner shock, when e time to pay, dem begin price me. I explain say na skill, no be by time, dem no gree. Last last, dem dash me one thousand naira, chase me comot.

The memory still pain me; the man talk say na juju I use. Since that day, I dey carry small towel to wipe face, make work look hard.

Since then, I wise. No matter how easy, no matter how the person dey panic, I must spend at least ten minutes. I don know say this work no be only skill, na acting join. People like to see say you dey sweat for their money.

For Lagos, everybody dey suspect sharp guy. If you too sharp, dem go think say you be thief.