I HAVE DRUNK STRANGE WATERS - EPISODE 40

 

EPISODE 40

After much pleas and persuasions from Kike I agreed to take Mama to my cousin's wedding at Ekiti that was how we sealed the deal that weekend. I was happy I can now attend my wedding without any hassle. Kike even helped me prepare for the occasion out of gratitude that I agreed to go.

I took a day's leave and we left for Calabar on Friday Morning, I asked Cynthia to help book the hotel where my Relatives would stay because Mama had managed to get an 18-seater bus filled with some of our relatives and her friends. I gave all my attire to Mama to take with her and I drove behind them in my car.

We had calculated that we would get to Calabar in the evening so that I can greet my in-laws and familiarize myself with my surrounding before the engagement which is to take place on Friday but the day was a disaster. It started when the rain started drizzling and then it became heavier until we couldn’t see the road again. 

I parked at a nearby filling station, the bus Mama chartered had gone ahead of my car and I had thought the driver would have the sense to stop somewhere too.

My phone rang suddenly and it was Mama “Hello Maami”

“Hello Femi Oko mi, where are you?”

“I parked at a nearby filling station; I’m waiting for the rain to go down”

“Ha! No wonder we didn’t see you drive past, Our bus almost had an accident, the four tyres burst suddenly and we are in the middle of one bush”

“The road is slimy, the stupid driver should have stopped!” I shouted angrily.

“Eh Eh! Do you think it is Kike’s handwork? That girl is a tough witch o! With all the money I paid a prophet to help me tame her spiritually so that she won’t attack us, see what is happening now” Mama said in a panic.

“If it is Kike’s handwork you will all be dead already. I have been trying to reach Cynthia since morning but her line was switched off”

“Same here,” Mama said anxiously.

“Did the driver carry extra tyres along?”

“Just one and the four tyres are badly damaged, what will happen now?”

“Everybody should wait in the car, I will try and get fairly used tyres when the rain stops, ask the driver to call me so that I can locate you easily,” I said and dropped the phone.

I had kept two hundred thousand naira in cash inside my car to spend during the wedding; I wanted to impress Cynthia’s family every chance I got. I tipped one of the fuel attendants and asked him to watch my car for me, after taking fifty thousand naira out of the money inside my car to get fairly used tyres.

It was an unknown location and I trekked for miles without getting a vulcanizer, I was almost giving up because the darkness is already setting in and I’m scared of something happening to Mama and the other relatives that followed her when I spotted a dirty-looking boy carrying a jerry-can keg.

“Hello fine boy, do you know where I can get a vulcanizer around here? I need to get some tyres” I said with one of my winning smiles.

“Who you be? You na ritual person?” the boy said as he eyed me suspiciously. 

“Oh no! We are coming from Lagos and got stranded around here” I said and watched his face light up when he heard Lagos.

“No problem Oga, I go help you but you go drop something sha,” he said licking his dirty lips.

I stared at the boy and guessed his age to be around 14 years but I may be wrong because most of those street boys have stunted growth due to poverty. “I will give you something after helping me get the tyres,” I said smiling again to reassure him.

“Twenty thousand or no deal,” the boy said with a naughty look.

 “Is the 20k for the tyres or for settling you?” I asked looking shocked.

“He be like say you no ready, dey waka go” he hissed and walked away. He has taken about ten steps before I came out of the shock.

“Come! I’ll give you 5k, please help me” I said looking desperate.

“He be like say you no dey hear word, you will give me 20k now now and I go carry you go correct place where you go get tyres,” he said drawing his ears as if I was deaf.

“10k…” I saw him walking away again before I could finish and I walked after him pleading.

“Stop following me Oga or else I go shout say you be ritual person, dem go burn you now now” he said shouting.

I started sweating profusely, I dipped my hands into my pocket and counted 20k, he snatched the money from my hand before I could stretch my hand to give it to him and he counted it slowly.

“You be better person! Follow me” he said and started walking fast. I had to run to catch up with him, I felt like knocking his head from behind because he was very short but I changed my mind out of fear. We are already in the Eastern part of the country and I feared being mobbed. 

After walking for about 15 minutes we entered an open area and I could see old cars parked everywhere, I guessed it was a mechanic workshop. The boy asked me to wait for him and he walked up to another dirty-looking boy standing in one corner.

“Where is Oga Alo? I don carry market come” he said and the boy pointed to one dark alley beside the workshop.

“Go call am, tell him say na as usual,” the boy said and I watched the other boy walk into the alley. About 5 minutes later a dirty fat man with a pot belly came out of the alley, he has eyes like that of a hawk.

“Solo!!! Boy wey sabi!” he hailed the boy and I watched as his eyes lit up with pride.

“Oga Alo see your fish, he be Lagos man wey dey look for tyres. Treat him well and don’t forget my as usual” the boy said and started walking away.

“Wait! You have not completed the deal yet, what if he can’t get the tyres for me?” I said hurriedly in frustration.

“No worry Oga, I get any type of tyre you want whether Tokunbo, Nigerian used, or fairly new ones. Ask anyone for this area, na only me dey sell tyres" the man said with a reassuring smile and I watched Solo walk away.

“I need fairly used ones, just 3, for the 18-seater bus”, I said hurriedly.

“No wahala now, I get am”

“How much?”

“Oga just gives me 150k for the three tires, I want to do you well because na Solo bring you,” he said with a pleasant smile.

“150 what!!! Is that what you do in the East here?” I shouted in shock. 

To be Continued…

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