Off to the Market

I ordered for Bolt on my way out, all thanks to Rachel for subscribing for me. In no time, I was at her place, I took my phone out and called her, just to be sure I was at the right building. I described it, and she said I was at the right place and I should walk right in, that she already told the security man she was expecting a friend. I was allowed in, and my mind was blown away, there were 5 cars in the compound; 3 luxury cars (Bentley, Mercedes S Class and BMW 7 series) and 2 exotic cars (Ferrari and Porsche). I looked around and didn't see her Toyota sport 2010 model that she usually drives to work, so I took my phone and called her again.

"Ehm, Rachel. I think I am at the wrong place," I said.

"If you are at the wrong place, how come I am looking at you from the window?" asked Rachel.

"Oh, sorry." I dropped the call.

I saw the door open, and she walked out of the house, wearing a pair of blue jean trousers and a Barcelona jersey.

"She must be a Barcelona fan," I thought to myself.

"Aren't you a little too dressed to be going to the market?" Asked Rachel.

I still wore the same clothes as last night's party.

"Oh, I went to a party last night and spent the night at Josephi—" If I had completed the name and said Josephine, she would know I was having something to do with our boss, or maybe I could be referring to a different Josephine, but I don't know any other Josephine, and she doesn't know that either. I had to stop there to be on the safe side.

" Who is Josephi? Is that a person's name?"

"Joseph, I meant Joseph." I lied, but lucky for me I have a friend named Joseph.

She looked at me suspiciously, like something was off. Well, I acted off, and she knew it.

"Or you spent the night at a woman's house and you want to lie about it," said Rachel.

"Even though I spent the night at a woman's place, I wonder why I am still covering up. I would have said a different name, or not referred to the party. Why am I hiding it from her, if she knew, she would not kill me. What's the big deal?" I thought inwardly.

As I was about to respond, my phone rang, it was Joseph.

No, not Josephine my boss, but Joseph my friend, the one I was currently using to cover up for my lie.

I picked up and put the phone on speaker to prove a point.

"Hello, Joseph, how far?" I asked, hoping he won't say something stupid.

"Jay, wetin dey nah? Omo, last night's party was dope, you missed it. In fact sef, why you dey call me Joseph?"

Last night, Joseph invited me to a party at his place, but I couldn't go because I had to follow Josephine to her friend's party.

And, he doesn't like being called Joseph. He prefers his native name, Ebuka.

"Anyway, me and Sly dey come your house today in the afternoon. No give excuse this time sha," he continued.

I couldn't say anything. I said nothing until he dropped the call. I and Rachel looked at ourselves and burst into laughter.

"Let us go to the market jare," said Rachel.

She gave me the keys to the Mercedes S class. I asked about her Toyota sport, and she said it was with her mechanic, and that he would bring it later in the day. So, we drove to the market.

"So Rachel, who owns all those cars?"

"They all belong to my father. My family stays abroad, I am the only one here. They only come back once in a while."

After her reply, I dropped the talk about the cars and focused on driving the car.

When we got to Wuse 2, there was a serious hold-up from Hotel Dabras, down to the market. We kept driving slowly, and I felt all eyes on the car like they'd never seen a Mercedes S class before. I felt good about myself, driving an S class, but unfortunately, no one saw me driving it because the glasses were all tinted.

Cars kept moving slowly for more than 30 minutes, that was how bad it was until we got to the market gate, I rolled down the window, to pay for a ticket.

"Baba oo, senior bros, I dey hail," said the person selling the ticket.

I noticed how he stretched his head inside the car to observe the interior beauty of the car.

"Anything for we wey dey gate?" He asked.

"No be 100 Naira una dey collect, abi price for ticket don change?" I teased.

"No be so boss," he said and rose his hands up in the air and hailed me again.

"You just dey hail me, you know whether nah me get car, abi nah driver work I dey do."

He looked at me very closely, and said "No talk like that boss, drivers no dey dress as you dress so."

I and Rachel looked at each other and laughed out loud because she told me the same thing about the way I was dressed.

As we kept at it, cars behind started honking in frustration, so I brought out 500 Naira that I don't even have and gave to him because of too much hailing, because of a car that isn't mine.

I drove past the gate and kept driving until I got to the end of the market where foodstuff was sold. I looked for a place and parked the car, and in no time, lots of people were around the car.

"Oga, wetin una wan buy? See my shop there," said one of the sellers.

"I dey sell better tomatoes," said another.

They kept talking and trying to convince I and Rachel to follow them to their various shops. At that instant, I started feeling like I had millions of Naira in my account, but in reality, I was a broke man, driving a friend's father's car.

How we got past the crowd, was a miracle, as we walked inside and started to buy foodstuff.