Na Gbola dey save me for this Lagos Part 8

By the time I reach house, e don late wella. The driver drop me for front of our house, but I no go inside. I call Mama Uka, ozugbo…

Matthew; good evening o. Na just now I dey come back. I dey wonder if we go still see this night”

Mama Uka; e don late na. E remain small make 11 knack. Abeg, make we leave am tomorrow morning. I go first go market, when I come back, I go call you make you meet me for our usual place, we go tey for there, as you no gimme today, you go gimme plenty tomorrow”

Matthew; that one no go possible, na why I talk this night. That my uncle dey come early mormor to pick me, tomorrow. If we no meet this night, I no know when we go meet again o”

Mama Uka; which kain thing be this? This your werey uncle dey since o, e no come back, na immediately I fresh you up to be my baby, naim he come back. Be like something dey worry am for head sha, kai”

Matthew; na so life be. If you see as the thing dey pain me eeh, but wetin I go do na? The man really wan help us”

Mama Uka; okay, no wahala. You know wetin go happen? Dey come my house now, I go sneak you in through the back door, make my children no see you, but you go sleep for here o, na tomorrow morning you go comot”

Matthew; that one no be issue, I go do anything for you like this. You na my savior, you be my destiny helper, na you put me where God take help me”

Mama Uka; you deserve am, my honey, you too sweet. Na the one wey my hand reach I dey do. No just worry yourself, we go dey find ways to dey meet steady, and I go continue dey take care of you, I go make sure say you no go lack anything. Oya begin come, make you no waka too late for night. Use okada o”

Matthew; abeg eeh, I wan enter house now, my mama dey wait for me. I go flash you, make you call me, I go put you for speaker, so that you go tell me say you need make I go work night for one of your joints, say you get gig for there. You know say I never sleep outside before, I no wan make my mama panic”

Mama Uka; wetin I go talk no be issue. Your mama kukuma believe me wella, so no shaking. Flash me, I dey wait”…

I cut the call, kon enter house. My mama and my younger brother dey house dey wait for me. Immediately I enter, my brother begin hail me, he carry me up, turn round, den drop me for ground, begin use hand dey clean my shoes. My mama don yarn am about the house and car, him dey very ready to follow me move to lekki. I ask am how much him dey make for mechanic where him dey work, he say e no reach 15kpa per month, but na make e no be like say he no dey do anything, na why he still dey work for the man. I tell am make im no worry, say poverty don over for us. I go dey sama am 50kpa every month, make him dey use hold body, until he find wetin im go use im life do.

My guy wan faint. The way im shout eeh, I carry hand cover im mouth, make neighbors no think say na another thing. As im jump up and down finish, he tell me say na school dey hungry am to go, say im wan go finish waec, write jamb and enter university. As na 17 years he dey and im get correct head for school, the boy na heavy efico. The kain assurance wey I give am eeh, like say I load money somewhere. I know say Peppe go run am for me, she go put my brother for unilag. Even if she no accept to dey pay the school fees, I go dey run am na, 500kpa no be small money. Na once a year dem dey pay school fees and accommodation, but na every month half a mil go dey land my account. Who dey check am?

I tell them to pack their bags and everything wey dem need to move out, say driver dey come early in the morning to come lift us go the new crib. We no kukuma get properties for the house, even the smallest television no dey. Na just old plates, pots and stove, with things wey my mama dey use do her frying business. Those ones no go follow us go the new house, we no go carry poverty dey enter lekki, God forbid.

I tell my brother say im fit stay back, to come later, so that he go enter work tomorrow, to tell him oga say him no dey work again, but guy no gree o, say he go call am for phone. I wan laugh kpai, my mama and my brother just dey act film for me. As dem calm down, I codedly flash Mama Uka, she call back ozugbo. I put am for speaker, the call happen as I expect, my mama no argue am at all, but she almost cast the thing. Omo, she begin thank Mama Uka for the car and new house for Lekki, na so I use speed cut the call. See me, see trouble o. Parole wey just dey start, naim maale wan cast for me. She worry me to call Mama Uka back, say she wan cool down pray for am, I no gree o, I tell am say I don thank am reach. The main person wey she go thank na my big madam, Peppe, wey she go see tomorrow. I just dey pray make e no be say Mama Uka hear everything wey my mama talk o, if not, yawa don dey.

Before I comot, I switch my sim to the iphone, kon carry the Techno phone give my mama, na so another drama start again…

Matthew; maale, where your sim dey?

Maale; e dey for my handbag na. I tie am for small nylon, make e no loss. You know say that thing too small, na when I see money buy any tokunbo phone, I go put the sim inside. I just hope say e still dey work, e don tey wey I drop am”

Matthew; go bring am come, make I give you this new phone. I no go dey use 2 phones, while my mama no go get phone at all”

I stretch hand give am the phone…

Maale; eeh, abobo, me, this phone? Chukwu nna. This one too big for me o, na 2 hands I go take dey carry this one. Nna, wetin dey happen? This kain blessing dey sweet me, and e dey fear me at the same time. If say I no hear Mama Uka voice this night, I for begin suspect you. Na me wan use new phone for my life, eeh, abobo?

Na so she begin cry. Na wetin I no dey like be that, e no dey hard, cry go start…

Matthew; abeg, make I come dey go, I no dey like see where you dey cry, e dey tire me. Give Collins your sim, make him put inside the phone for you, him go teach you how to use am. Make una help me pack my clothes, only the new ones o, with my shoes. I no wan carry rags go that new house, at all”…

As I talk finish, I leave them, begin rush to Mama Uka house. 12 don already knack, but Okada still dey road, and the house no far from our house, e no reach 10 minutes sef. When I reach Mama Uka house, I dey opposite the gate of her house, kon call am for phone. She off the front light, kon say make I cross over, she dey for gate dey wait me. Na so this woman sneak me in, like guru wey she be. E be like no be the first time wey she dey sneak in gbola for her house, her tactics dey very sharp.

The first thing wey she do when we reach her room, na to high the tv volume small, make e be like say na people for television dey talk, when we begin talk. See, another guru move…

Mama Uka; bia, I don dey think am since, which house and car your mama dey thank me for? I no understand”

Matthew; oh, na you no hear am wella. She no dey thank you, she say make you follow am thank God, say her brother don rent somewhere for her”

Mama Uka; I know wetin I hear o, my ears no dey pain me. She say na God go bless me for everything wey I dey do for her pikin, the house and car wey I give am. She still dey talk, the phone cut. I been wan call back, but I say make I leave am, since you dey come here”

Matthew; na you no hear well o. You sef think am na, why she go dey thank you for house and car, shey you gimme any house, abi na car you gimme? No be okada I fly take come here? If you gimme house, I no go dey live for batcher na, my uncle no go rent house for us. Think am na”

Mama Uka; na true you talk sha, e fit be say I no hear well. I know say she mention car and house, but no problem, you make sense, I believe you. I hope say you chop belleful today? The kain knackis wey you go give me, go reach 5 rounds, before you comot here for morning. The way e hungry me today eeh, e remain small, I for appear for that lekki to collect one mouth”…

She talk finish, carry my hand put for the kpomo, the place dey warm, she still wear trouser. The next thing, she tell me say she no wear kpata, make I pull the trouser, and chop kpomo, say she go like make I use my teeth small, but make I no bite am. As a sharp guy wey I be, I understand wetin she mean, all those soft bites wey no dey be like bites, I don watch am for mojo wella.

I sha no dey comfortable like I dey with Peppe, Mama Uka too dey shout, and na her house we dey. Small thing wey I go do, this woman go begin shout. Even the tv volume sef, no reach. Na deep inside the night, everywhere don quiet, but this woman go dey shout like small pikin. No be say she sabi take care of herself like Peppe, see as everywhere dey sweat, like say dem pour am fish water. Na only one finger I pùt, she shout, if I kon put reach 4 nko? The last time, na all five enter, the place open wella, but na small thing, compared to my gbola, e big pass 10 fingers together.

E get when e reach, I tell her to take am easy, say her children fit begin knock, to know wetin dey happen, say if she shout again, I no go chop her kpomo, I go only do the knackis, make she rest…

Mama Uka; no vex, abeg. This thing dey enter my brain, you no go dey sweet like this, dey expect me to control myself. Help me chop my kpomo, abeg, na the main koko be that. Knackis no dey complete if mouth no chow kpomo”

Matthew; I know say I be sugar, infact, ice cream sef no reach me, but na your house we dey na. Wetin you go talk, if dem begin knock or suspect something? If say na hotel wey dey now, e for different. Shebi you shout wella the last time, I no talk anything”

Mama Uka; chai, you this boy, you get sense eeh. No be only say you carry big gbola and you sabi use am, you still carry old man sense full body. Make God just bless me wella, make I spoil you. I swear, I go buy you motor for this Lagos wey we dey”…

Inside my mind, I tell am make she no worry about the motor, I don get car already, na send off knackis be this, she better enjoy am as e last.