ENVY 1

SEPTEMBER 15, 2000

HARMATTAN.

“Ese why don’t you reconsider staying with Dr. Ben? You know you’ll be comfortable there, you will have a whole apartment to yourself at his boys quarters, I don’t want you sharing room with some total strangers, one can never trust anyone these days” her mother said again in what seemed as her last attempt to convince her. Her mother has really been on her nerve. That had been part of her parents’ plans all along even before she secured admission; they had everything thought out for her, typical of all rich parents with few kids to spoil. In her case it was just her and Richard who was currently studying abroad, she would have gone abroad too but her mother wanted one of her kids close. She didn't actually mind schooling in Nigeria, in fact she was looking forward to it, that was why she had refused to stay with the Dr. she intended to be as regular a student as she could be, that was one plan of her parents’ she wouldn’t agree too, she had allowed them pick the school and the course, she wouldn’t make them dictate how she was going to live her life in school. They were sited at the back of the Mercedes-Benz as Ambrose drove them from Benin to Ife, “Mummy don’t worry, I am going to be okay, I don’t want to live alone with Dr, Ben, I want to be a regular student, stay in the hostel, walk with other students to lecture halls, and compare notes and ideas with other students” her mother sighed “okay okay, but the Doctor’s offer still stands in case you change your mind” Ese couldn’t help but smile, it was not easy winning an argument with her mum, even her dad hardly did, her mum could be very persuasive, little wonder she was making it big in her law firm, there were even whispers of her being made a SAN soon. Ese kept herself busy by looking at the landscape as Ambrose sped towards Ife.

                                                                     ***

 Siji was having a bad day, it was just as if the gods were having fun with him. He had woken up very early that day just so he could meet up with Pago, they had planned to travel to school together, Pago had a car and Siji was to meet him at Ojota but the ill-fated danfo he took from home had a flat tire and it took almost forever for the driver and his conductor to fix it. Knowing Pago from experience, Siji was sure he would not meet Pago by the time he got to their point of rendezvous; he thought of calling him from the phone booth close by but he realized that he had used up his call card, very few people could afford mobile phones, few people like Pago, others like him own call cards, the rest have to depend on the postal service to reach loved ones. He heard that in Ghana even bus conductors had mobile phones; he couldn’t wait for the time when almost every Nigerian would own a mobile phone. Even calling Pago to wait for him wouldn’t work, patience wasn't one of Pago’s virtues, in fact when it comes to virtues Pago would always rate low, and who needs virtue anyway when one was an Adebantu. “Oya e wole.... enter enter” the conductor shouted and shook Siji out of his thoughts, everyone boarded the danfo for the second time that morning and the driver sped down Ikorodu road towards Ojota. When he got to Ojota he couldn’t stop himself from checking the spot where he was to meet Pago even though he knew it would be a wasted effort, and just as he suspected, the spot was empty. He entered the bus station and walked towards the bus that had a sign post saying “Lagos to Ilesa/Ife” on it, the bus that looked as though it needed some panel beating, was full but for two spaces left at the backseat, he would have preferred to seat at the front with the driver but both front seats were taken and he couldn’t wait for a next bus because the bus seemed to be the last one going to Ife for the day. He had no choice but to settle for the backseat, but he intended to seat beside the window and luckily the seat beside the window was unoccupied, God forbid he seats beside the fat woman with tribal marks designing her face, who was seated in the middle of the backseat. The last passenger will take the space between him and her, he hates sitting with overweight people while traveling, they always do cheat him off his space. He managed to squeeze his tall lanky frame into the backseat, he paid his fare and was just settling down when a fat and huge breasted woman in a shot sleeved buba appeared by the window “Ogbeni, se’o foju ni? Didn’t you see the polythene bag on that seat?” Siji was confused, the huge breasted woman was obviously talking to him and she wasn’t smiling “sun s’egbe lo’un before I vent my annoyance on you” she hissed. He wasn’t in any mood to take on a pissed woman so he hurriedly moved to sit beside the woman with the tribal marks, as he moved, his legs hit something on the floor, it was a polythene bag, obviously the pissed-off woman’s, he picked it and dropped it on her seat, the woman didn’t seem appeased by his act “awon oloriburuku, that’s how they behave, they drop one’s bag on the floor and claim one’s seat...” she continued in Yoruba as she got in the bus to claim her seat. A voluminous book was brought where all passengers filled in some required information just in case something bad happened on the journey, he had always being weary of filling such books, it’s as if one is praying for evil. He quelled the superstitious thought, collected the book, and filled his details, he wrote Ma’ami’s name and address as whom to be contacted in case something happened ‘Oh! Maami'  he thought of her and smiled fondly, one couldn’t be raised by her and not be superstitious, no matter how educated one may end up being.  He paid his fare after filling the book. When everyone was done filling the book, the bus took off. Siji was sandwiched between two fat women; the pissed-off one raised her left arm and placed it on the seat behind his head, exposing her very hairy armpit. He moved slightly away from her but he had little space to shift to because Madam tribal-mark dipped her hand into her bag and brought out a Nokia handset and faced him saying “omo mi dakun, help me search for Safaru on this phone and call him for me” Siji took the phone, called Safaru and gave it back to her just as it started ringing, “Safaru! Safaru! pemi pada I only wanted to flash you” she shouted into the phone and gave it back to Siji to help her cut the call. ‘Safaru must be a rich dude Siji thought to himself as he cut the call. Madam pissed-off was already snoring and his head kept hitting her heavy boobs anytime they ran into a pothole, she was obviously oblivious. Safaru called back and Madam tribal-mark shouted again “k’are omo da da, I want to report Salifa to you…”. -This day couldn’t get any worse- Siji thought, as the driver drove towards Ibadan. If only he knew.        

  Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano,

he studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa Fluently and he is trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and playing some indoor games.