THE NAIJA HUSTLE

SIX

💰 ABUJA 💰

I couldn't believe my eyes after all our planning, anxiety and excitement we were finally in Abuja.

Now in Abuja after a long night journey, we came down at the final bus stop which was at the motor park because we didn't know where to go. We stayed at the park because it was still early and honestly we were stranded.

Then the security man who had been staring at us for a while approached us and asked us,

"Senior men ahah una no dry go house". I looked at him contemplating if to answer or not because he called us "senior men" and i knew i had not reached that level in life when Chinedu answered "Oga we no get anywhere to go". He looked at as for sometime as if he was trying to ascertain the authenticity of our story.

Then he said "Wait oo so you mean say una come from where una come from no get plan where you go stay. You no get uncle or aunty wai una fit stay with". When we said we didn't have a place to stay, he smiled like someone who was just awarded a contract. Then he said he can show us a house which was vacant in the estate which he lived in when he was not an duty but first since he was on duty for the next two weeks so we will have to stay in his house for a while.

On getting to this man's house late at night as we had to wait for him to finish his shift for the day, it was noisy from the buzzing sound of a generator. We got inside to find a light skinned woman in wrapper and white blouse sitting on the floor surrounded by four children- two boys and two girls.

The woman who I believed was was Mr John's wife, we later found out was the security man's name, told the children to stand up and welcome their father, which the children did shouting "daddy daddy daddy" like they had not seen him walk through the door intially. "How are you my children" he replied.

Then he introduced us to his wife Silvia, who immediately offered to give us food, but Mr John stopped her telling her that we were not hungry. I looked at this man, in my head at that moment I could think of a million and one curses to lay on Mr John, who told him we weren't hungry but I had to control my mouth and remember the fact that he offered us shelter.

To make matters worse he told his wife if we eat the food will make us wake up late the next day which I thought was the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day.

The next morning when I woke up, Chinedu and Chidi were not in guestroom which we offered to sleep in. "Chinedu, Chidi " I called but I didn't get a response. I quckily got up from the bed and went to the sitting room where I found Chinedu chatting and laughing with Mr John's wife Silvia.

I greeted them and asked where Chidi was and I was told that he went to drop off the children in their school.

"Ahah no be yesterday we come here, how Chidi come know where the children school dey" I asked.

Chinedu then looked at me like I asked a very annoying question then said " We gave him the direction, he will find his way". Then Silvia pointed to the dinning table and told me that the bread, tea and 'akara' was for me, I should eat if I was hungry.

I had taken the food that was left for me and was munching it down when Chidi came back. I asked him how he knew where the children school was and more importantly what Mr John said regarding showing us around.

He sat down on the oval shaped dinning table beside me and said " Men Mr John been tell me say en go show us around when en come back from work this evening and as for the children them know road na kuku escort I been dey escort them".