Chapter 6: Free-for-All

Others gather round truck. The air dey tense, like before rain.

Outside, dem dey talk. Everybody dey use coded voice, dey size each other up.

"We be five—how we go share am? First come, first serve?" One talk, im dey rub chest.

"Heh," one guy laugh, "First come, first serve? I be pro boxer. If na fight, make una come." Na so bragging dey start.

"You… Even if you strong, you no fit beat all of us." Another voice enter, e dey sound like person wey sabi knife fight.

"Make we no argue. Make we reason am." Wise one enter, the kind wey dey calm wahala.

"Abeg, make una hear me," last young guy talk. "I get plan." Im eye sharp, e dey play chess for mind.

"Which plan?"

Im look others, smile. Na the smile wey dey make person fear—like cat wey see mouse.

"You sabi who I be? If you no know, make I tell you—Okechukwu, pikin of Okezie Group chairman." Big name for big wahala.

"You wan carry coin, but you fit keep am? You no fear say you go end like this guy?" Street sense dey talk.

"See my plan: coin go me, I give each of una ten million cheque, then everybody go house, act like nothing happen. How?" Na the kind talk wey dey make mouth water.

Others look each other. After long time, one talk, voice dey shake,

"I gree."

"Me too." Money dey silence argument.

As dem sign cheque, deal seal. For Naija, handshake fit change destiny.

The five men happy, waka go back of truck, open cargo. Hope full their belle.

Next thing, dem shock. Everybody dey look like say dem see juju.

Because truck empty—nobody dey inside. Na pure magic.