𝓛𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓼

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𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝑼𝒏𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍.
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The last Sunday of every month is what they call visiting day at Unwana's school. I never miss anyone, and I have no intention of missing this one either. I won't lie; I usually have conflicting emotions on days like this. I am overjoyed to see my daughter, and when the visitation day is over and she is returning to her dormitory, I feel my heart collapse in despair.

I make an effort to forget about my recent encounter with Ubong. And if one day my daughter ever learns who her real father is, I will eventually have to deal with him and how that will affect her, but not today.

I wake up as early as 5 a.m. to prepare all the things I will take along with me, keeping in mind all the items I know my kid would require.

I settle on one of the couches in my living room to prepare her provisions, which include a large tin of Milo and Peak milk, a pack of cube sugar, oxford cabin biscuits, cornflakes,  golden morn cereal, and a bottle of her preferred beverage, Tasty Time blackcurrant. I locate a nice nylon bag that can hold the seven cups of garri I put inside of it. To prevent the garri from spilling out, I carefully knotted the end and laid that aside as well.

The bottle of roasted groundnuts I got the day before comes to mind right away, and I dash to the dining table to grab it and also the bathing soap and detergent I unknowingly kept on the table. I take them all to the living room and set them down with the rest. Now that this stage is complete, I move on to the next.

I stroll into the bedroom and straight to my wardrobe. I take out a pair of neatly folded school uniform shirts, daywear, and Sunday white, which I collected from my tailor yesterday. And also, the new set of underwear I bought from Agboju Market last Sunday.

Unwana never stopped nagging about how her uniforms and underwear were stolen from her. Even though I'm convinced most of them were misplaced because of her carelessness, I still have to get her new ones.

I take them all to the living room and arrange them inside a strong, medium-size, 𝑮𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒂-𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕-𝒈𝒐 bag with a hard zip. I thought of going along with the new sandals Mrs. Adebanjo bought for her, but then I realized she will be entering a new class soon and she will need new things too, so I dropped the sandals back into my wardrobe.

I quickly rush into the kitchen, which is now engulfed in the sweet smell of jelly rice that I'm cooking. I take the clean hand towel that is hanging on the kitchen cabinet and use it to carefully uncover the pot and release the hot steam. I gently use the serving wooden spoon to give it a little stir before turning off the fire.

I take out two packs of Happy Hour drinks, a sealed bowl of home-made cookies, and another of peanuts, which I baked the night before. I bring them all to the living room and arrange them delicately inside the bag.

Unwana loves to take her food back to her dormitory. I guess she wants to eat with her friends, so I dish the rice into two small food flasks, one that she will take to her dorm and the other that she will eat on the visiting ground. Then, I put two fried turkeys in each flask before locking them tightly.

I put the food flasks in a portable bag that I will hold in my hand during the journey. Letting out a gentle sigh, I inspect the bags one last time to make sure I've put in everything. Knowing that I'm unable to prepare the pepper meat as promised bothered me, owing to having little cash left, and by my calculations, I still need to set aside some pocket money for her. I plan to just tell her I forgot and make it up to her.

My wall clock reads 7:50 a.m. I race inside my room, take off my clothes, and dash to the restroom.

Since yesterday, I had in mind the dress I would wear today: it was a comfortable, green-flowered dress made of a thin, supple fabric. It is the first dress I notice hanging among the others in my wardrobe. I take it out, slip into it, and adorn my pretty face with light make-up.

Before leaving the house, I glance at the clock, and I'm happy I made good time. I lock the front door behind me, watching my steps as I carefully transport the heavy bag down the stairs. I usually take a tricycle to Alakija, but then I thought I should just use a bike to Navy Gate instead.

"Okada!" I call out, halting a commercial bike on sight.

"Madam, morning oo!" He greets.

"Abeg I dey go Navy Gate." I informed him in pidgin English.

"Oya na, enter." He offers, trying to collect the heavy bag from me.

"No worry, I go hol’am." I hold back the bag. "How much?" I ask.

"Madam, na two hundred naira." He announces.

"Watin happen? All the money wey you no make since the beginning of this week, na for my head you wan make am abi? No be hundred  naira una dey collect?" I inquired loudly. "Something wey no far sef, I no blame you, na mumu una dey like." I complain harshly.

“Ah Madam! no be fight na, oya, enter.” He finally agrees to take me for my price. “You hold change?” He asks.

"Eh," I reply as I get on the bike.

I must have been rude speaking to the bike man, but if you don’t speak that way, they will take you for nuts. "For Lagos, everybody eye dey shuk oo so, person gaz wise up." I voice within me.

I get off the bike at the gate and hurry through it to the barracks park, which is situated opposite the Nigerian Navy Secondary School. I take another bike to the senior rate mess; there, a straight bus is made available to take us to the command secondary school at Ipaja.

But getting there, I realize I am the first person to arrive; I’m even earlier than the Navy wives living in the barracks whose children are at the school.

1111 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉𝖘

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𝕃𝕖𝕥 𝕦𝕤 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕪  𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠. 𝕀𝕤 𝕚𝕥, 𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕒 𝕓𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕠𝕣 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝?
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ENGLISH.                                 PIDGIN

Okada -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  Bike

"Abeg I dey go Navy Gate." -  -  "Please, I'm going to Navy Gate."

"Oya na, enter."  -  -  -  -  "It's ok, climb on."

"No worry, I go, hol’am." -  -  "Don't worry, I will hold it."

Na -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  It is/ Is it?

"Watin happen? All the money wey you no make since the beginning of this week, na for my head you wan make am abi? No be hundred  naira una dey collect?" I inquired loudly. "Something wey no far sef, I no blame you, na mumu una dey like." -  -  -  -
-  -  -  -
"What happen? All the money you could not make since the beginning of this week, is it on me you want to make all? Is it not hundred  naira all you (Bike riders) used to collect?" I inquired loudly. "The place is not that far, I do not blame you, you all like unclever people ."

“Ah Madam! no be fight na, oya, enter.” -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  “Ah Madam! We are not fighting,
ok, climb on.”

For Lagos, everybody eye dey shuk oo so, person gaz wise up." -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  In Lagos, everybody is very observant, a person needs to be smart."