Mabel called Dr Obinna and he told
them he was around. They got dressed, locked the house and left. As they got to
the road, a keke that was carrying
three young men suddenly stopped in front of them. Mabel and Cynthia moved back
in haste, wanting to run, and then they heard a familiar voice calling their
names from the Keke. They turned around
and looked into the keke. It was
Anselem, their cousin with two of his friends. He came down and walked towards
them. When he got to them, they hugged.
“Why were you going
back like that?” he asked, looking puzzled.
“My brother,” Mabel
said, breathing fast. “Things are happening these days o.”
“The way you people
stopped was frightening,” Cynthia added.
“You are right to be
cautious,” Anselem said. “As election is fast approaching, everywhere is bad.” “Apart
from election-related crimes,” Cynthia said. “Some people can just decide to…”
Mabel
nudged her.
“I hope no one is
giving you girls trouble?” Anselem asked them.
“None that we cannot
handle,” Mabel said, looking at Cynthia to give her a ‘don’t-tell’ sign.
Cynthia looked away.
“So someone is
giving you girls trouble and you did not tell me,” Anselem said.
“It has already been
handled,” Mabel said. “Moreover, I didn’t know you were in town sef.”
“I have been off and
on though but I will be around for a while.”
“Ok.”
“So, any nonsense from
anybody, let me know ok.”
“Ok.”
“You know I gat your
back right?”
“Of course I do.”
“Just help us deal
with all these guys cat-calling us,” Cynthia said.
“Haba,” Anselem
said, laughing “That one is normal for fine ladies like you. If no guy
cat-calls you, then you need to look at yourself in the mirror because
something is wrong. I cat-call fine ladies too, so it is not an offence.”
Mabel
and Cynthia laughed.
“But if they cross
boundary,” Anselem said. “Then I can step in and push them back.”
“Ok.”
They asked after their family
members. Then they heard the keke man
honk his horn.
“Let me be going,”
Anselem said. “My guys are waiting for me.”
“You don’t want to
come and see us abi,” Mabel said as they walked with him back to the keke.
“My sister it’s not
like that,” he said. “Everywhere tight o.”
“Eiyaa.”
“Just trying to
hustle one or two things. Man finish
school, finish service, to get job na another wahala.”
“Too much long story
these days.”
“Even with MSc, e still hard. One of my
friends in that keke is a Masters Degree holder, yet we are all hustling
together to find something doing.”
“My brother, the
situation is tiring.”
“Na person wey know person dey get job.
Very soon, Cynthia will join us.”
“It is not my
portion,” Cynthia said, clicking her fingers.
“So what are you
trying to do now?” Mabel asked him.
“One or two
businesses,” he said.
“Hope they are not
illegal?”
“Depending on what
you call illegal.”
“Hmm, Anse anse,
take it easy o.”
“Don’t worry
yourself. I am a church boy.”
“Tell Uncle Leo to
help you get a job na.”
“Don’t even go
there. There is nothing I have not done for that man. I wash his cars
severally, run errands for him, yet he keeps promising me without fulfilling
them.
“Nawa o.”
“I am also trying to
leave this country sef.”
“To where?”
“Europe.”
“Don’t go through Libya
o.”
“Am I mad?”
They
got to the keke and Anselem introduced his friends to them. They hitted on Mabel and Cynthia.
“Leave them o,”
Anselem told his friends. “Una hand no reach them.”
He
entered the keke, and waved at Mabel
and Cynthia as the keke drove off.
“Kai!” Mabel said
and exhaled. “We would have run and fall inside gutter because of Anselem.”
They
burst into laughter.
“See what fear can
do,” Cynthia said.
“It’s well o.”
“We had better be
going,” Cynthia said, looking at her watch.
“Yes. So we will
meet up.”
“And so you can do
the pregnancy test.”
Mabel
stopped in her tracks and gave Cynthia a feigned stern look.
“Am kidding,”
Cynthia said.
They flagged down a keke to take them straight to the
hospital. They bargained price, agreed on an amount and entered.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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