Obaro Okeoghene
Sep 6, 2018 · 4 min read

ADVENTURES OF A WAKAJUGBE part 10

I stood in front of my mirror, adjusted the collar of my white dress, sucked in my stomach and posed to admire the perfect shape that would have been mine if only I didn’t like food so much and was allergic to exercising... Oh well, perhaps a miracle can happen and one day I’ll wake up looking like a perfect “coca-cola” bottle, perfect figure eight(8), I watched and smiled wistfully at my wishful thinking... If wishes indeed were horses.

I took out my smallest pair of earrings, my favorite red and silver pair. Today I’ll be travelling and “yanga" was not on the memo, Comfort all the way. I quickly took a dash of powder with my brush, applied it lavishly on my face, applied my lip gloss, fussed with my hair tying it into a bun and I was ready for the day. Like I said the agenda of the day was comfort as against yanga!

I looked at the time and it was 12.30 pm, I still had enough time to get to Mbiama junction and wait for my ride which was slated for 3pm. Sothe thing is this, I have a work thing to attend in Benin, so rather than going on my own, I convinced my colleague in port Harcourt to drive down and pick me up at mbiama so we could have a road trip, talking and catching up all the way, plus I will kuku save that transport money to use for something else.

So I started the walk out of my street. As I passed I noticed the appreciative glances I was getting, hmmmm I wonder why?

Just then a car drove past me with two guys inside, I watched as they stared at me until they passed me and continued staring even after they had passed until an oncoming vehicle blew a loud horn to herald it’s presence. They quickly turned their eyes back on the road and continued on their way. I laughed and shook my head, to think that today I didn’t even put in any effort into looking good.

As I passed by the blue gate, I noticed that my greeting neighbor was nowhere in sight. It dawned on me just then that I hadn’t seen him for a while and that I missed his exuberant greetings. wow, like the saying goes, you never value what you have until you lose it. I hope he’s okay though.

I got to the road and luckily found a keke immediately.

Rider : madam where? He asked distracted.

Me: Tombia junction

Rider :100 naira oh

I wasn’t exactly in the mood to haggle price with him so I entered, my silence indicating my acceptance of the fare. There were two other occupants of the keke; a middle aged man and a young Muslim girl. As I got in, I attempted to greet them but noticed that the occupants were engrossed in themselves and whatever discussion they were having, especially the man right beside man.

I sat down and feigned disinterest, but my antenna was fired up, my curiosity was at its peak. So the man continued talking..

Man: wow, me I like Muslims a lot oh, especially the girls. They are very... Very.. (and words failed him)

Keke rider: haaa Muslim girls dey fine well well oh. That time when I dey north I know na. Only be say we no dey see them of not I for don razzle one na, dem too fine.

Man: wow, you see am, I will not mind if you can find one for me oh..

At that my aproko could not let me sit quietly, so I turned to get a better view of the speaker... And all I could see was nose...., Lolz, no kidding! That and the way he was staring at the young girl, obviously enamoured by her. I looked at the girl and all she was doing was smiling and wringing her hands. Okay this was going to be more interesting than I thought.

Man: so are you promising me that you will look for someone for me? Like one of your sisters? Infact I’ll have to take your number so I can call you...

Girl : ha! Me I marry woman oh, no oh.

Keke rider : no oh na married woman oh, her husband go just kill you. No try am oh

Man: no be to call you toast you oh, na to remind you of the plan now, so that you no go forget.

Rider: what if you come call at the wrong time, when her husband dey house.

Man: that’s why na she go tell me when to call her now. I no go just call her anytime I like...

I was alarmed at what I was hearing, to think that this man was planning to call a Hausa man’s wife for whatever reason at all, especially planning to do it so her husband won’t find out, Kai! He is a bad guy. I did not trust his intentions at all. I turned to look at the girl and she was still smiling and wait.... Even blushing this time. Wow! Okkkk ….

To be continued

Obaro Okeoghene

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Unbridled expressions of fiction and non fiction alike. A blog that entertains, unravels, and attempts to reveal the workings of the mind of the writer.