Pestilence at nineteen

Four

November 30 , 2019. Nigeria.

Jide Raji sat on the jalopy police vehicle , the rain fall had ushered some vague distortion in the aerial , and petrichor filled the environs , he rubbed his palms together and puffed some warm air, he hoped to get a cigarette from his partner on duty. Lately , the road block patrol had been somewhat slow and boring as vehicles didn't frequent the road any longer , they saw it as all muddy and swampy and he wondered why they had to be posted to such mosquito infested area.
He checked the kola in his pocket , it was only forty naira - the bribe collection seemed too unpleasant to behold...what could this money possibly buy in Nigeria these days ? he hissed and tossed the money back to his pocket. He was getting really cold and there was no sign of Kadiri any where. He wondered why Kadiri didn't complain when they were posted to this site , infact , he clamoured for it and was always cool with the unfavourables the environment brought. He and Kadiri had known each other for three years since he was posted from the Lagos to Benin quarters , he knew him to be violent , ribaldrous , risque , and tactful , he was never sloppy in his judgement and he alone knew the ropes on the road. Now was when he needed him the most.
Unable to put up with the cold , he removes his folded cap from his epaulette and covers his head. He cursed the rain which fell under his breath , and motioned himself into the jalopy. Inside the vehicle was more preferable , although the windows in the car were all in bad shape , he appreciated the bodily frame of the mechanical juggernaut for it shielded him from the cold. He tried to liven up the mood by turning on the car radio but transmission was more than lost , the only thing he could deduce from turning on the set was "shhhhsssshhhh" which made him curse the rain more than ever. Sleeping now was the only option he had , he adjusted the chair to a reclining state and ensconced himself to the space , placing his cap on face, he lies , his mind wanders off to different spheres and his primordial thoughts were how to settle his pecuniary and monetary problems...his house rent , his meagre salary as a government worker...
"Open door!" came a voice from outside the vehicle , it was Kadiri , he looked as wild as ever and he looked really rough. Quickly , he opened the door and stormed out with sleepy eyes.
"Wetin happen na Kadiri , sinceee? " he said with his yorubaoid pidgin english , he had learnt quite a great deal of pidgin since he arrived in Benin city.
"I was busy man , handling some stuff...here is the cigarette" he offered him two sticks of Benson cigars and kept the lave for himself. Perfunctorily , he brought out a lighter and helped Jide ignite the cigar. He lit one for himself and they both smoked silently.
" How's Sade?" asked Kadiri puffing out some smoke through his nostrils.
"She's fine " that was the lot he could say, he was terrible with women.
"You laid her ?" he asked smirking lewdly. Jide stared at him unbelievably , he just got to know her in one of their patrols together and here he was asking if he had laid with her. Kadiri was just unbelievable sometimes.
"Don't tell me you have serious intentions with her now newbie!" he said with the voice of a sexual connoisseur.
"I'ld rather not talk about it Kadiri " he said , dropping the small bits of cigar to the ground.
"Very well , don't forget to step on that!" he pointed to the leftover cigar on the floor "it's still flammable" he grinned widely, showcasing some set of disorganized teeth. That was Kadiri for you , always careful and meticulous about things, and this, Jide was well acquainted with. He stepped on the cigar twisting his legs tight on the substance , having done that , he sits on the jalopy brooding over the day's events.
"How much do we have?"
"Forty naira" replied Jide , "this one's something to write home about , I don't know why some people can be just so penurious! " he paused and tried to listen to what he just said , by referring to people who gave them bribe as penurious , he knew he was ironically referring to himself and in a way he refuted the idea.
"Don't worry, money will come. I will squeeze out the money from those riders even if it's the last thing I do" said Kadiri as he smoked the last cigar . He puffed out some more smoke , and threw away the bits which remained , he compressed it to the ground with his legs and rubbed his palms together.
"Money is coming" he assured.