Chapter 5: The Negotiation

Crowd dey gather for Palm Grove Avenue. Like market day, people dey everywhere, some dey carry umbrella, some dey snap selfie.

Not far, the supermarket owner dey look everywhere. Im dey shine eye, dey look for anything wey resemble magic.

As im hear billionaire announce for livestream say I go inherit money, im face just change, eye dey red. The envy for im face clear pass light.

I bone, just dey wait for Musa. My mind dey do calculation, I dey watch every move.

Three minutes later, over dozen people don gather. People dey form circle, dey argue who go see magician first.

I sharply run, burst enter crowd. I dey dodge like rat wey enter buka, nobody fit notice my movement.

As everybody dey look, I jump enter one delivery truck for corner. I duck low, adjust cap, my heart dey beat.

Na old mini produce truck, paint dey bright, chain store logo dey. The kind truck wey dey supply tomatoes from Jos.

Cargo door slam. The echo loud, but nobody suspect.

Musa step on gas, drive comot Palm Grove Avenue. The way the truck waka, e be like say e dey chase destiny.

……

Everything run as I plan am. My heart dey beat, but my head dey calm.

People snap truck, post am online. Twitter dey hot, Instagram dey burn, everybody dey drop location update.

Plenty people—like hyena—begin chase, plus people wey dey give tip for road. Lagos people sabi run matter.

Before we comot city, dem catch up with Musa. The convoy reach, wahala dey for air.

This time, im dey drive, no time for livestream. The tension for truck fit cut yam.

Im just notice say luxury cars dey block am. Big boys don show.

I reason—dem wan negotiate. Before wahala go start, negotiation na first step for Naija.

Before fight go start, dem go try soft way collect coin. Everybody dey use mouth do magic first.

But Musa, wey no sabi, vex, hold steering tight, jam dem. Im no send, im dey move like Okada on Friday.

The luxury car spin, move meters. Some people for inside dey shout, one dey pray Hail Mary.

Im always dey brag say im sabi drive. Even when traffic dey, im dey maneuver like danfo driver.

Truck heavy, so luxury car no fit do anyhow. If na small car, dem for don push am enter gutter.

Im roll down window, show dem middle finger: "So what if you get money? I no dey move." The street for inside Musa dey show.

But next second, truck shake. E be like earthquake, my head hit cabin wall.

One heavy SUV pull up, driver just dey push am, dey squeeze am for lane. I dey see muscle men for back seat, everybody dey mean.

"So na una dey together now, abi."

Im hit steering, curse, "Una think say una fit bully me because of money? If you get mind, race me!" Na so wahala dey start for road.

Im press accelerator, leave SUV behind. Truck dey fly, engine dey shout.

Im spit outside, vex. The anger for im body fit boil garri.

But im see four, five cars dey gather, block road. Like wedding convoy, dem dey move together.

Musa shock: "Ah, plenty of them…" Im voice small, but hand steady for steering.

But soon, im relax. I dey see am for im eye—guy don ready for battle.

The cars just dey follow. No jam, no block. Na coded movement.

Im hiss, light cigarette with one hand: "All na mouth. Cowards." E dey form hard guy, but I sabi am—fear dey body.

I just dey count time. If to say I fit press fast forward, I for don reach village.

Dem never act because we still dey main road wey get camera. Nobody wan enter police net for broad daylight.

Small time, we go reach mountain road—na there I die last time. My spirit dey remind me, but I dey hold hope.

The main thing, these people be rivals. Na only money join dem, trust no dey. If fight start, na free for all.

Like leopard dey eye the same meat, dem dey careful. Na so Naija be—sharp but cautious.

I reason, up till now… All na street strategy.

If Musa just stop, explain say im be driver, no sabi anything about coin, maybe im go survive. But for this country, even innocent person dey collect slap.

But im no stop. Na so Lagos boys dey—no retreat, no surrender.

I sigh. I sabi am—at least for this side. I dey reason, maybe e get sense pass me.

We be uni mates, learn magic from same oga. Our oga na old Ibadan man, e dey teach us with koboko for hand.

I graduate six months before, so I be small senior. Musa always dey look up to me, but sometimes im stubborn pass goat.

When I first dey perform alone, im always dey support me. E go dey clap loudest, dey gather crowd.

That time, mobile payment never popular. Na cash everything, sometimes I dey beg for change.

One rich pikin watch my show, throw bundle of cash inside gutter, make me pick am for im leg. I feel shame, but street no dey pity.

I pick am. Na so Lagos life be, dignity na luxury.

But Musa rush, punch the rich pikin for nose, tell am to apologize. The area boys gather, scatter the place.

Of course, I no get apology, and I lose two thousand naira. The money waka, but I gain brotherhood.

But from that day, I take am as my padi. If I chop, im must chop.

The truck enter mountain road. Other cars dey close. Musa sense wahala, wind down, shout: "Make una move!" The fear dey voice.

But nobody gree. Everybody dey form strong head. The wahala dey near.

I close my eye, sadness catch me. The pain for my chest heavy, like say I swallow stone.

Like when im fight for me, now im dey shout like knight. Even inside trouble, Musa dey loyal.

The old engine dey shake, but im still dey push, wan show dem say dem no fit bully am. I dey pray inside, "God, save us."

Gbam—

Big crash. Everywhere quiet. The sound heavy, like transformer blow for junction.

Im stuck for driver seat, upside down, blood full face, I no sure if im go survive. My eye dey water, I dey whisper, "No vex, Musa."