KUSI (A pidgin story)
KUSI - Episode 2
©Amah's Heart.
i come sit down for the restaurant. the girl wey dey serve food come stand for my side.
"wetin you wan chop?
she ask me, she no even smile give me sef.
i already know wetin i go chop. that ogbono soup don enter my eyes finish.
"i want ogbono soup with fufu...that type wey that man dey chop for there?
i come point the man, she turn look the person wey i dey point come look me back.
"a plate of ogbono soup with fufuf na three hundred and fifty naira but if you want that man type i go add extra meat, everything go be five hundred naira. make i go bring a plate for you?
she say na three hundred and fifty naira but na only two hundred naira i hold for my money.
i keep quiet dey reason wetin i fit do.
the girl vex as she asked me again.
“wetin you dey talk na…Make I bring the ogbono with fufu for you abi make I dey go?
i decided to ask her wetin dey my mind
“I fit price?…una no dey sell two hundred naira own…?
the girl come dey vex.
“ah ah…which kind person you be, which planet you come from sef?…nawa for you o…a plate na three hundred and fifty naira. we no dey sell two hundred naira food for here. if I even manage give you the food, meat no go dey inside, I go commot all the small small fish wey dey inside the soup…na only small soup and eba I go fit give you for two hundred naira. talk fast I get plenty thing wey I wan do joor… we no dey sell crayfish for here, no come dey price a plate of food as if na crayfish you wan buy,
Okay…no wahala…go bring the one plate of ogbono and fufu come…
The thing wey do me be like say they super glue me for that place wey I sit, my body come dey do me like say if I no chop the food my name no go be Kusi again. I don swallow spit tire as I stand there they look people wey they chop. I know say this food I no go fit escapam. if I commot one hundred and fifty naira take add for my two hundred, my mama no go too vex, If she vex too much I go pay her back from my little savings,
as I see the girl they come with the food na so I balance well for chair. she come drop the food for table, no be say the face of the soup they too attractive. e no too make sense like that, and na only one meat dey inside the ogbono soup, she no even give me water to wash hand, she show me one tap were people dey wash hand for there. na there I come go wash hand, come start to they eat the food, as I eat finish na that time my brain come reset. after I don chop finish I remember say the food sef no too sweet like that, my mama own sweet passam.
the food seller come ask me whether I wan drink mineral abi malt.
as I look people wey dey chop for their I come see sey almost all the table get malt or other soft drinks for their front, so I come tell the girl say I go drink malt.
I think say na free drink, maybe na wetin them dey use give their customer so that they go use step down the food wey they chop. but as she bring the malt, aah the malt they sweat, very cold malt. I come open na m with my teeth come drink everything finish. i belch come get myself.
but money good o.
as the sells girl come ask for money I come carry three hundred and fifty naira givam, she come shout for me come say the money for malt and pure water nko?
which kind talk be this one again. na only two sachet of pure water I drink, I think say na all the money including the malt be three hundred and fifty naira.
I come squeeze face, all the food wey I don chop sef commot for my body as she talk say my total money na five hundred naira. she say one malt for there na one hundred and fifty naira.
as she call that five hundred naira as if na chicken change, i no even fit argue. shebi na me carry my longer throat come chop for their place, if something never do you, person no go fit learn something.
e pain me as I commot five hundred naira givam, which kind mumu thing wey I do na, I don happy finish today say I sell all the market I come still carry my hand wound myself, hmmm!
as I reach house that day my mama don come back, I no fit explain the mumu wey I don do to her. how I go open my mouth tell her say I enter restaurant come spend a whole five hundred naira for food, she go vex for me, and I no wan make she dey vex. I jejely go comot three hundred naira from the money wey I dey save come take add for her, so that her money go complete. she happy as I sell all the market and all the money complete, she come cook correct okro soup with smoke fish that night, I come take style askam how much she take cook the soup,
she tell me say everything wey she spend for the okro soup na one thousand three hundred naira.
I come remember the money wey I spend for just a plate of food for that restaurant, come shake my head, that kind thing no go fit happen again, God no go allow me do that kind mumu.
The following day I carry fruits go market, I tell my mama make she dey give me fruits because e dey move market fast pass the groundnut wey I dey sell before, , she come agree,
my brother’s and sister’s them go school, my mama get one small shop where she dey stay sell, as I enter market that day. before you go know wetin dey happen I don sell finish, i run go house go carry another one again, as I dey pass that restaurant place, the aroma again come enter my nose, this one strong pass yesterday own.
e come be like say the thing they call my name, but I stand strong I no fit be mumu two times, my mumu don do. I no fit fall maga for them again, I waka pass fast fast, i continue to dey sell my market.
Today better pass yesterday, because I even recover the five hundred wey I take chop mama put yesterday.
I happy well well. as I dey sell, I dey put all the money for my pocket. later, I say make I relax count all the money wey I don make today, I no come see money again, I come dey search all my pocket but no money. I wan mad, which kind thing be this, na later I come notice say my pocket get hole, maybe the money fit don fall from there, na him I start to they waka all the market they search for ground weather I fit see the money, I come they pray make person never see the money for ground come take am.
but I search and search I no see the money, cry they hungry me but I no fit cry. wetin I go tell my mama, and all the money wey I make today fit rich six thousand five hundred, which kind mistake I come do today again, aaah, this kind thing they painful, e pain me reach my bone marrow.
As tears wan they come down for my eyes na so I blink am back, after I don hustle for this hot sun finish, from morning till this evening I come still lost money, na so the thing do me o,
as night come dey reach, I come dey go house small small, I still they reason wetin I go tell my mama for the money wey lost, I come pass through one long road, I no wan reach house fast. I wan delay well well, because fear they catch me.
So I come go sit down on top of one bridge they reason my life. i they wait make darkness come before I go face judgment for my mama hand,
As I sit down for their na so I come hear person they cry, as I look I see one girl stand close to the bridge side. she hold the bridge iron they cry.
I no talk, everybody get their own problem, me i get my own.
I come even dey vex as I they reason why the girl no go allow me to worry about my life in peace, her cry come dey disturb me.
I still sit down for the pedestrian bridge they look as motor they speed past for under and people still wan cross the main road. they just they risk their lives, people no too they use the pedestrian bridge, so na only few people they pass.
later e come be like say na only me and the girl wey dey cry dey there. darkness don come, and I wan start to they go house, because I know say my mama go dey find me.
As I stand up to go na so I see the girl wan jump down for the bridge.
she wan jump down and kill her self.
haa! wetin make this fine girl want to commit suicide, which kind thing go give her that kind moral.
As I see the girl wan jump, I rush as fast as my leg fit carry me, I just hold her before she go jump. na so me and she just fall back for ground there.
she come they struggle with me, she come dey beat me they talk
“Leave me…I want to die..,leave me let me die..
And this girl na correct fine girl. which kind wahala be this one na? I no come reason myself again na so I hold the girl tight so that she no go fit commot for my hand go jump and die.
But wetin go make this kind fine girl wan go commit suicide?
Well, I go still know that one later but now make I still hold her tight until she calm down.
i go reason my own problem later.
tbc
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