Same Difference [A Queer Nigerian Experience]

7 | #JUSTICEFOREHIS

One of the guys coming our way gestured, and I couldn't quite figure out what he was pointing at. He asked, "Is your guy alright?" Maxwell glanced at me, noticing I wasn't steady. He wanted to lend a hand, but I managed to balance myself quickly. The four guys strolled past without any ill intent. The fear mixed with the alcohol had really got to me.

Maxwell kept checking behind, praying nothing would go down. He waited until they were far enough not to hear before saying, "I seriously thought those guys were going to-"

"It's not only you" I chuckled awkwardly, interrupting him, "I was ready to jah to the other side of the road, if I could find my balance."

Maxwell chuckled and nudged me, joking about me being a 'coward' instead of facing them head-on. I'd pick being called a coward over ending up dead any day. Especially with that sandy road making it tough to run-if only the road wasn't such a pain to walk on. We had to lift our legs higher on the walkway just to move faster.

As we neared my hostel, the streets grew dimmer since there weren't many streetlights around. Maxwell boldly took out his phone to use as a flashlight to lead the way. I grew more anxious as we got closer to my hostel, my eyes fixed on the corner to my junction. Suddenly, the phone's flashlight went off, causing my heart to skip a beat. In an effort to startle me, Maxwell yelled, "Ahhhh!".

I was a little rattled. "Funny" I said sarcastically. He was thrilled that he'd caught me off guard, and now I was determined to pull off my own prank. Despite the risk of someone trying to ambush and snatch the phone, since Maxwell was confident enough to flaunt his iPhone 14, I mustered the courage to take mine out and call Ossai. I wanted Ossai to be ready to open the gate by the time we arrived, so I made the call before reaching the gate.

When I dialed his phone, it started ringing, and I really hoped he'd pick up as we were getting closer. Maxwell couldn't hear the ringing since my phone wasn't on speaker, but he realized Ossai wasn't answering. I regretted coming back home even more now, as the call kept ringing. I pondered reaching out to other people but realized I didn't have anyone's number in the compound that I was close enough to call. The only number I had belonged to the caretaker, and I wasn't even certain if he was available.

I considered reaching out to Wilfred for a neighbor's number, since my efforts to reach Ossai were unsuccessful. We eventually arrived at the gate, but Ossai still hadn't picked up. I dialed his number for the third time, with Maxwell anxiously waiting beside me, hoping Ossai would answer and not leave us waiting at the gate. The phone pressed against my ear, my heart pounded as I listened to the phone ring. Suddenly, a frightened look came over my face, and Maxwell noticed my expression change. I stared into the darkness, feeling uneasy as the call continued to ring unanswered.

He suspected I was trying to prank him to get even, so he didn't bother to look back. But, my expression didn't change. "You think it can work for me?" Maxwell assumed I was playing around, "Fine, I'll look." He casually turned, pretending he wasn't affected, and glanced back, finding nothing but darkness. I grinned, feeling rather successful. "I didn't fall for that," Maxwell defended himself. I was in a giggly mood, but then, the call with Ossai disconnected once more.

Maxwell's mischievous mind got to work, and he suggested that we find a way to scale the gate. While I wasn't entirely certain, I vaguely recalled hearing rumors about people climbing to get in. It sounded possible, but I was hesitant as I didn't want us to be mistaken for intruders and face jungle justice. That would have been a terrible way to end. Waking Wilfred up to ask for a neighbor's number was starting to seem like the better option. I was still hesitant to bother him, but I was also getting frustrated with our lack of progress.

Before I could search for Wilfred's number to contact, Ossai returned my call. I was thrilled, quickly swiping to answer, only for the call to abruptly end. I thought to myself, "He's still expecting me to use my own credit." Finally, I got through to him, saying, "We're outside the gate, please come and open it."