Chapter 2: VIP Ticket, Small Victory

I carry Zainab go amusement park service desk, give our tickets to the attendant, talk serious, “Abeg, help me upgrade to VIP tickets.” I show my ATM card, heart dey beat—make dem no go say POS no get network.

As I talk am, the attendant eye dey wide. The counter glass get small crack, the fan dey blow hot air, but I no send.

VIP tickets na special pass—dem cost well, but you fit jump queue. Dem dey shine like MTN recharge card for exam hall—rare and precious.

I no be big man, but I wan be papa wey no dey disappoint him pikin.

For this country, na only parents wey dey do extra dey get respect for eye of pikin. I go try my best.

I wan make my daughter know say her papa dey keep promise.

Zainab dey look me with trust, her eyes dey shine again small. I know say today must better.

The attendant look me surprise, “You wan upgrade now? E no too late so? You fit no ride plenty.”

She dey try help me reason, voice get small pity. Other people dey watch.

I answer, “No wahala. Abeg, help me upgrade.”

My mind dey set. Wetin be money if e no fit bring happiness for my pikin?

As she see say I ready pay, she quickly change our tickets to VIP pass.

She punch the computer fast, call one aboki to bring the VIP band. Zainab dey smile now.

I do small calculation for my mind, tell Zainab softly, “After roller coaster, we fit still go giant swing. Now, you go ride the two.”

I dey reason time, dey hope say we fit catch both. E go sweet am if today end well.

Zainab whisper, “E cost well, Daddy. I fit try get 100 again next time.”

She dey reason my pocket, sharp girl. I laugh small, rub her cheek, “Na you be my pikin.”

I rub her head, smile, “Daddy don promise, so e go do am.”

She hug me tight, whisper, "Thank you, Daddy." My chest soft small.

She hold my hand, happy, run go with the VIP ticket.

Her smile dey shine, like morning sun after rain. The whole wahala just fade for my mind.

As I see her smile like that, all my vex just disappear.

True true, happiness of pikin na remedy for vex. My heart dey light, like say I don win lottery.

We waka go roller coaster entrance again. The tour guide still dey arrange him people. As he see me, he sneer, “See this bush man, you get mind come back?”

He talk loud, try shame me. I just look am, no answer, dey focus on my mission. No be today dem start to use mouth run person down.

I no answer am, I just give staff the VIP ticket, ask, “We fit ride now?”

Staff check band, see VIP, him eye light up. He nod, show us the special gate.

Staff see VIP pass, nod, quickly open special gate for us.

E open gate sharp sharp, dey wave us in. Some people dey look us with surprise.

Tour guide shock.

Him mouth open like say mosquito enter. He no expect am at all.

As we wan enter, he rush come block us, complain to staff, “You don already put closed sign! Why you go let them enter?”

Him voice dey high, like person wey dey lose bet for viewing centre. Him people dey surround am.

Staff answer, “We put sign early because your group too many.”

He try talk am gently, dey avoid eye contact. E clear say e wan avoid trouble.

Tour guide don dey panic, “No try am! Two of my people no go ride! I go pay from my pocket!”

He dey squeeze face, look him people. Some dey shout, "Wetin dey happen?"

I talk coldly, “We just dey follow rule.”

My voice low but firm. Zainab dey behind me, dey nod head.

Tour guide come vex more. He climb rail, block us, shout, “Make my people go first! I count number before queue. Why you dey cut line?”

He dey sweat, dey shout, dey jump for the queue like agbero wey conductor shortchange.

I hold myself, “Because I get VIP ticket. Na rule be that, abi no be so?”

I use my best calm voice, no raise hand, just dey look staff.

He hiss, “So because you get money, you fit oppress people?”

He dey twist matter, voice dey sharp, try gather pity from crowd.

I just look am—his logic just dey somehow. Na him dey bully others, but na me e dey call oppressor.

I shake head, no talk again. For my mind, na so Naija people dey twist story, turn person to villain.

Tour guide turn face him group, shout, “This man dey use VIP ticket chase two of our brothers and sisters! We don already count number. Una gree for this?”

E dey hype dem, dey try scatter everywhere. Some dey nod, others dey look ground.

Some people shout, “No!” Others just quiet, fear say na dem go miss out.

The ones wey quiet dey reason how their own pikin go feel if dem nor ride. The noise dey rise.

Staff try explain, “Dem get VIP ticket. For our park, VIP no dey queue.”

He talk am with small courage, voice dey tremble. He try hold ground.

Tour guide shout, “So our fifty tickets no reach him two? You go take responsibility? Because of two people, you go ignore my whole group?”

E dey dramatize, chest out, dey point finger. Some of his people dey record with phone.

Staff no know wetin to talk. Tour guide threaten, “If two of my people no ride today, I go carry all my tours go another park! I must look after my people!”

He dey form leader, dey boast, like say him be union chairman. Some dey clap for am.

He talk am like say na champion. Some of his group even clap, touched by his talk.

The ones wey clap dey do so with small hope say e fit change anything. I just dey observe.

Tour guide stand on railing, declare, “Brothers and sisters, e no easy to come enjoy. Now person dey use money oppress us. We go gree?”

Him voice dey ring for park. Small pikin dey laugh, some mama dey shake head. Na so drama dey start for Naija.

Group shout, “No!”

Some even stamp leg, try ginger spirit. The thing dey turn protest.

Tour guide begin sing, “Unity dey power, unity dey power!”

Na so, like political rally, him people follow. Some dey wave scarf, one boy use bottle drum.

All his people take phone dey record, join sing:

“This power na iron, this power na steel, harder than iron, stronger than steel!”

E be like Naija union strike song. People for other rides dey peep, dey wonder wetin dey happen.

As I dey look them dey do all this gra-gra, my body dey hot.

But as Zainab squeeze my hand, her smile dey remind me why I dey here. I focus on my own, block noise.

Staff no fit do anything. He bend, whisper to me, “Oga, abeg, fit try another ride?”

He dey beg, voice low. I fit see say e don tire for today. The wahala don pass him power.

I just dey vex. To carry my pikin come enjoy na wahala like this...

But for my mind, I talk, "Na Naija we dey. If you no get leg, you must find sense. But me and my pikin go enjoy today, by fire by force."

Tomorrow, I go gist my wife how Zainab school one big man for queue—e go sweet her.