A Cabbie's December

Chapter One

Any working class person who lives or has lived in Lagos would testify to what Seye Matthew is going through right now.

His right hand found it's way to his throbbing head and rubbed his temporal soothingly. He huffed as he realized he had passed the pharmacy and going back at the traffic circle would mean he would be stuck in another bout of traffic.

He checked the glowing neon light beside the dashboard and blinked twice to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. The time was nine twenty-eight PM.

Where did all the time go? Last he checked, it was a few minutes past eight. He suddenly remembered he didn't even eat lunch not to talk of dinner.

He was already used to it. Most times, he would forget to eat breakfast and would only remember when the worms in his stomach protested much later. Even then, he would only buy a bottle of Coke or Nutri-milk and the common Nigerian snack, gala, which is actually what others would call sausage roll.

Seye thought it was funny how almost every product in Nigeria went by the names of the first or most popular of their kinds. The same way every toothpaste was called closeup or every noodles, Indomie.

The GLK before his own Toyota Camry came to life and Seye ignited his too, grateful that the line was finally moving. He had barely driven for a minute when he had to step on the brakes again. He waited to see if the wait would be temporary but sighed softly when the GLK put off the engine.

He also turned off his engine and tiredly placed his head on the steering wheel, the honk blaring in the process. Shocked, he raised his head and composed himself. He felt the headache again.

The driver before him stuck out his head and Seye saw that he raised a brow. He ignored as he was too exhausted to argue. Before long, the other driver snaked his head back in.

His stomach growled and he clutched it gently. For some reason he could not fathom, he thought it hurt. And why wouldn't it? He hadn't eaten real food in days.

His mother had called that morning and made him promise to start eating healthy.

He rested his left hand on the door and propped his head on it, making his eyes wander to the giant neon billboard some feet away from where he was. It was an advert for a crypto currency thing.

A friend had introduced it to him days ago, although nothing the guy said made any sense to him, he said he would get back to him. Viewing it on a billboard made it seem like it was a good thing or something of that sort. Maybe he really would get back to the guy after all. All he had to do was put his mind to it.

He was working extra hours to get money despite his mother's constant reminder to take it easy. He did not want to leave everything for the sixty three year old woman whose second husband just died, his own father being the first.

He had a brother who was in his final year of university and he knew they would have to spend a lot in his brother's current level so he was saving towards it and a new apartment.

He wondered why it had to be today that he had decided would be his last working day for the year that the traffic decided to be so long.

He planned to stop working for the year the past week and start to go house hunting but the workaholic in him would not just sit down and watch everything play out.

His stomach grumbled again as he checked the time. Nine fifty PM. He really needed to eat but he would be too tired to prepare himself a meal once he got home.

He weighed the odds of going out to get food in traffic. The line might move before he came back and he didn't want to be the cause of another hold up.

He took his phone and searched for the nearest eatery, too famished to even check the ratings. Luckily, one was just few minutes away from where he was. He clicked on a picture and realized it was in the same vicinity he was.

He would quickly get what he wanted and rush back, hopefully, no harm would be done.

He got out of his car and followed the directions on his map to the eatery. Once inside, he placed his order and went to sit in an open space in the middle of the room.

Before long, the young girl at the counter rang the barbell, signalling him to take his food.

He got up to receive the paper package and found his way out of the eatery, nodding in appreciation at the girl.

As soon as he got out, he noticed there was an argument a few meters away.

Shit. He thought as he realized there was no vehicle in front of his anymore. What he feared would happen actually happened.

With long strides, he got there and threw his food in the passenger seat of the car, bowing in apology at the people glaring daggers at him.

Thank God no one spoke to him or he would have lost his manners.

As he started his car, he heard a loud bang at the rear of his car. Infuriated, he turned off his engine and stepped out.  

A tall, gangly man behind his car glared at him as if daring him to come forward for a fight.

Seye knows it would be wise not to trade words with him but he spoke anyway.

"What was that for now? I apologized and you still thought it was okay to do that." He said calmly.

A woman in the next car came out of her car tiredly and walked up to them, raising her hands as if in surrender.

"Please, don't fight. We are not ready to stay here for another three hours."

Seye sighed and turned to go to his car.

"Yeye taxi driver." The man said and Seye turned to look at him again. The man probably thought that word would get to him but Seye simply shook his head.

The man was a big, buff dude with tattoos, a shaved head and a serious scowl on his face. Lowkey, Seye knew he would not win a fight against him. It was almost Christmas and he would rather spend his money on important stuff than paying for an hospital bed.

Seye got into his car and drove off, trying not to replay the incidence that just played out.

Once he was sure there would be no traffic anymore, he slowed down and reached out to take his paper takeaway. He hungrily bit into the big croissant and ate it all in three mouthfuls.

He would arrive at his house in another ten minutes. He relaxed and decided to enjoy some music on the remaining journey.

Just as he rounded the bend to his neighborhood, a woman's frantic wave made him slow down. She was already running towards his slow moving taxi with her luggage.

"Taxi, I'm going to Ikoyi. How much?"

"I've closed for the day, sorry." Seye said with a frown, he made up his mind not to carry any passenger and start to move his car.

"Haba now. I've been here for twenty minutes." She shouted after his retreating vehicle.

Twenty minutes and she was already complaining, she was probably new in Lagos.

But then, Seye thought, conflicted; Leaving her out there at the road was not nice and Ikoyi was an hour drive from his location if there was no traffic.

He could make it but he was too tired. He glanced at the mirror and saw that the woman was still waving at his car.

With a heavy sigh, he reversed and drove towards her. She hopped into the car, showing appreciation as she adjusted her luggage on the seat. Seye simply nodded and drove out of the neighborhood.

Before he could ask her where exactly she would alight and tell her the price, she was already fast asleep.

°°°
A/N

Hi there, please vote and comment if you liked this chapter.
As funny as it sounds, this is my first time writing romance and a Nigerian themed one at that.
I would try to update all chapters before Christmas as I have a deadline.
I would also endeavor to keep the chapters author's note free so reading would be smooth.
Enjoy the book, thank you:-)