Face Me I Face you

Chapter Four

The mouth odour of the man next to you hit you hard, as you both hassle for the tap, it was Saturday.
The day everybody seems to be at home, and suddenly has the urge to wash their clothes, clean their houses, and fetch enough water that would last the next day, because the tap was mostly locked on Sundays.

Tap was located across the street standing over the edge of a gutter, where a wide plank stayed supporting the weight of all the Jerry can and Baffs that stay under the rusted metallic tap.
Normally in every neighbourhood, a man is often seen with a Jerry Can or gallon as most people call it, and women perfectly balance half of their weight of a huge plastic Basin sitting on a little wrap of rag on their heads.

Over the years, such trivial things have decided the type of water fetching instrument both genders use, women always go for their basins and men their Jerry Can, there can be some speculations if a man is sighted with a Basin on his head, after all in a Face Me I Face You compound as this one everyone seems to eat off every topic and create a full-fledged gossip circulating widely around the compound over an insignificant issue.

Luckily you push the man away, and gave him a good glare turn the tap head and watch the water drizzle lazily into your Jerry Can, you could taste the terrible breath in your mouth cursing once more under your breath, you spat into the gutter, and decided not to breathe if that man does as much as coming close to you.

He doesn't look like someone you know, maybe he was from another neighbourhood,  you sighted Jara crossing the street, her clothes drenched by the water that dripped from the Baff that once settled on her head, now it laid lazily on her hand dangling as she walked across the road.

You took a quick look, and the sight of her drenched clothes clung to her body made your mind go south. The mound of her breast fully taking shape in her drenched shirt, the damp clothes outlined everything to the tiniest details. She was...

"Oga, commot that thing, your water don full." The mouth odour man yelled in your direction interrupting your thoughts, the foul smell hitting you once more, your eyes were starting to water at the pungent smell. You gathered the phlegm around the mouth and spat hard.

"Wetin, you wan kill pesin, you no know say your mouth dey smell. You dey carry your mouth odour spread everywhere." You cursed, hissing loudly of the irritation of your nasal system, a flash of hurt appeared on Odor man's face as he felt insulted.

He attempted to give you a reply, to reclaim his bruised ego, but an elderly woman cautioned you to leave the tap without causing any ruckus.
Any elderly person in Nigeria often expects respect back from society, so you and the Odor man let the matter be, and respected her after all she looked like your mother age mate, replying rudely to her is equal to insulting your mother.
If Mama ever hears a whiff of you disrespecting an elderly person she would not hesitate to bring her dried flexible cane and chastised you as a child of hers.

You heaved as you raised the Gallon off the ground and passed Jara, who smiled at your show of strength, you tightened your grip harder on the handle to add more muscle to your lean arm, maybe if you impress her enough they might be some romance between both of you this night.