Something Like Love

CHAPTER ONE

Ireti sighed, hands on her hips,eyes widened. She glared desperately into the faces of the many taxi drivers that had tried to forcefully grab her luggage from her.She had screamed which brought them all to a halt, but only for few seconds,because they immediately started towards her again.
"I don't need a taxi! And I don't need anyone to touch me or my box again!" She screamed,again.
"But madam, my car neat well well" driver one said.
"No mind am, I get AC,him no get o"another countered.
"Tar,shut up there, na me first see her" yet another driver spoke.
She sighed, cleared her throat and kept walking. Few followed,others stayed to obviously scan for other potential customers.
"Madam,how far na, where you dey go"
"Madam,where you dey go,na Camry I dey use,white,e neat"
She halted,sighed and faced them.
"I have someone coming to pick me up already,thank you"she lied
With that, she kept moving,hoping they would back off.
"Madam, abeg na, why you no won make I carry you".
God she screamed mentally, how possible.

She didn't even have anyone coming to pick her, but Ginika had advised her to request for an Uber ride, as the airport taxi drivers charges insanely.

Ireti
I ordered a ride and  called the driver.
"Hello, how close are you?' I ask, impatiently
"Very close ma, I'm at car wash"
I don't even know where that is, I just hoped it was close.
"Madam, please you'll have to save my number, and act like you know me once I arrive" I heard him say.
"What?why is that".
"it's FAAN, I'll explain when I come ma"
"Okay"
I knew FAAN meant federal airport authority of Nigeria, but I didn't understand what that has to do with me saving his name, I checked the app for his name nevertheless and saved it.
The sun shone so harshly like a rebellious child.i searched my bag for my sunshade,just as I was about to rest my opened handbag on my box, something crashed into me,well not into me, but into my bag and then I saw it on the floor, with the contents scattered all around. I stared at my  Ushas powder pallet-broken! Oh no! My favourite shade was the broken part. Today, couldn't get any worse.
" I am so sorry, miss"
I looked at the sorry man, he was tall, handsome, his skin colour was exactly like the shade of my broken powder.
Oh,what is wrong with me
"You just broke my powder, my favourite shade at that" did I just say that? I mental slapped myself.

"I am sorry, I wasn't looking, I would have loved to drive you to a store,and get you as much of that powder as you want, but I'm afraid I can't,I am in a hurry, but here" he brought out his card "please call me,I'll make it up to you please".

I just started at him, is he for real? Drive me to a store? Buy me, nonsense! This guy is sick.
"I didn't ask you to buy me another, it's fine, just bend over,help me pack my stuff into my bag,except the broken powder ofcourse, and I'll forgive you" I said that as slowly as I could.
He stared at me, I thought he wouldn't,but he bent down and did it hurriedly,handed me my bag, harshly and went off. He was honestly in a hurry, I had a feeling if he wasn't, he would have argued with me, or why else would he stuff my bag into my hand like that. I didn't believe I asked him to do that too.
The uber guy called me, I located him, he dropped my luggage at the boot, and just as he was about to enter, some men approached us,men wearing lemon green vests bearing the insignia and initials of FAAN.
With the look on his face,I knew he recognized them.
"What's your name" he quickly asked me
" Ireti Coker"
They got to us, "yes, are you a cab driver?"
"No" he replied.
"Let us have your phone"
"For what? What do you need his phone for?" I heard myself asked sternly, I didn't even know what was going on, I was supposed to shut up.
"We want to confirm if he's an e-driver,"
"Why?, Fred is my driver, he works for me, what is all this embarrassment?"
"Mada-"
I quickly cut him short," Don't madam me! Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is? Do you want me to call him?eh?do you?" I glared at him, he moved back, the other man, who hasn't said anything spoke."we're sorry ma, we just wanted to make sure he isn't an Uber driver, because we have taxi drivers here inside the airport an-"
"I don't care, Fred get into the car,now! I'm late"
Fred who hasn't said anything, who couldn't say anything, because fear was on him, I noticed he was scared when the officer asked for his phone, he would have given them if i hadn't intervened,he jumped into the car, locked it and quickly drove off.
If at all, I know how Lagos works, I didn't really know what happened back there, but I took cue from why Fred asked me to save his number,and I knew this officers were up to an exploitation scheme.
"Thank you madam, my name is Frank tho" he chuckled.
"Oh, Frank,what was that about"
" That's how they do, We learned that cab drivers at the airport pay group fees to FAAN to operate and this is why they are not letting us come and pick their passengers without paying, if you hadn't saved me ,I would have paid a fine"
"Really, how much"
"20k or 25k, depending on my luck"
"What? That's not fair, I see Lagos hasn't changed"
"Madam, it's everywhere o,not only Lagos,if you haven't threatened then with your daddy, they would have searched my phone and that's all"
"Wow, I didn't even know they'll fall for it, I just used it,someone once told me government workers don't like that phrase "do you know me?do you know who I am? Especially,do you know who my father is?"
He started laughing as I was talking, and I couldn't help but laugh too. Today has been the longest day of my life.
"Who is your daddy?"
"Otedola" I replied and we both laughed.

My bestfriend Ginika, is getting married on Saturday, and I came home just to be her chief.we had been awoken enemies in secondary school, only to turn out as best friends, who would have thought?I sent her a message that I'm on my way to the hotel, and that I wasn't going home,atleast not yet.today was a very dramatic one for me, I wasn't ready to face the real drama queen in my life-my mom. I needed a good and happy sleep on my first night in Lagos, since eight years.

A knock on my room door, I knew it was ginika, she's spending my First night in Nigeria with me at the hotel:
I opened the door, smiling, my smile faded.

''what are you doing here?''