Alex picked up his luggage from the airport baggage carousel. He looked around and smiled; it was good to be home. He rolled his luggage beside him and walked out of the airport. He hailed an airport taxi and reeled out the address of the Airport hotel.
‘No worry, Oga. I know where you dey go.’ The cab driver said as he stepped out of the car. He opened his boot quickly and dumped Alex’s luggage into it. ‘Go sit inside moto, Oga.’
Alex eased into the car deciding to ride shotgun. He was fascinated by the high rise buildings and he nodded and smiled.
‘Oga, na your first time be dis?’
‘Yes, it is.’ Alex smiled as he looked at the driver.
‘Ah, Oga. This our country na fine country. Just that our leaders no good.’
‘Hmm…’ Alex nodded.
‘We don reach the hotel.’ The driver pointed as he collected a parking tag from the security at the gate. The gate bars were lifted and he drove to the front porch of the hotel. ‘Make I give you my number. Just call me anytime you wan go out. I go come carry you.’
‘Okay?’
The driver reeled out his number and Alex punched it into his phone. He had bought a sim at the airport and he decided to test it. He dialed the number given to him and the driver showed it to him. ‘I don see your number, Oga. Quick quick, you don collect naija number.’ He said excitedly.
‘Yes, I got it at the airport. How much is my bill?’
‘Na just 5k sir.’
‘Wow, isn’t that a lot of money for a short journey?’
‘Ha Oga!’ The driver laughed. ‘Na airport taxi oh. Instead make you just dey waka waka inside airport, na premium service I give you wey I come carry you for front of arrival terminal with car wey get AC. You know you no suppose feel our naija heat.’
‘Hmm…’ Alex grunted as he pulled out his wallet, took out some five hundred and one thousand naira notes and scrutinized them.
‘Na that one wey dey your right hand be one thousand naira. The one wey dey your left na five hundred naira.’
Alex looked at the driver and smiled his thanks. He pulled out four more pieces of the one thousand naira notes from his wallet. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Jide.’
‘Okay Je-day. Thank you.’ Alex said as he handed over the cash to him.
A porter was already waiting to receive Alex’s luggage. Jide pocketed the cash and eased out of the car quickly to open the booth. He took out the boxes and handed them over to the porter.
‘Thank you Oga. No forget to call me oh.’ Jide called out as Alex eased out of the car and walked into the hotel.
******
‘Where you wan go, Oga?’ Jide asked Alex as he sat in the taxi the next morning.
‘I just want to go sight-seeing. I don’t have any place in mind.’ Alex replied.
‘Hmm….make I carry you go beach. We get fine beach for Lagos and maybe you go even try our food sef. You fit chop pepper?’
‘A little.’
‘Correct!’ Jide laughed as he drove out of the hotel premises. ‘I go carry you go chop. You go chop pepper soup, correct buka iyan with efo elemi meje, nkwobi, suya……
‘Am I eating all this today?’ Alex asked cutting him short.
‘Ha, if your stomok fit carry all, why not?’
‘We’ll see when we get there.’ Alex said as he took out his camera and started capturing shots of the city.
*
The traffic on Ikorodu road was a long stretch and Jide decided to take a shorter route. ‘I wan pass inside Yaba. Dem don talk am for radio this morning dat traffic dey third mainland bridge. I no even understand wetin dey cause traffic for this Lagos. You go reach front, you no go see anything.’
‘Is that right?’
‘Yes oh. Nothing go dey front, meanwhile traffic go dey. Lagos traffic no dey get sense.’
Alex laughed. ‘Is that a University?’ He asked pointing when he saw students walking in and out of a campus.
‘Yes, na Unilag be dat?’
‘Wow! Can I have a look?’
‘You wan make we go inside?’
‘Yeah, I just want to have a look and see how a University in Nigeria looks like.’ Alex shrugged.
‘Okay.’ Jide replied as he did a detour and faced the University of Lagos.
As they drove in, Alex picked up his camera and began to take pictures. He asked Jide to drive slowly so he could capture the beauty of the environment.
‘Wow, look at that.’ Alex said as he pointed to the area overlooking the lagoon. ‘I want to go there.’
‘We no go reach beach today oh, Oga.’
‘Don’t worry, we will. Park here.’ Alex instructed. He eased out of the car, walked towards the seating area and starting taking shots.
He was about walking back to the car when he saw some students performing a drama at a corner. He noticed they were oblivious of his presence so he decided to watch them and capture a few shots.
‘Okay guys.’ Let’s call it a day and meet tomorrow same time. The guy dressed in a black tee-shirt on a pair of washed jeans who seemed like their leader spoke. He shook the hands of the guys and gave the ladies a high-five. The three guys who had been acting plus their leader dispersed in groups of twos in different directions, leaving three girls behind.
The girls chatted excitedly and Alex smiled. He was about to walk away when one of the girls looked in his direction. He was immediately struck by her beauty. He looked at his wrist watch. The time read 3:30pm. He shrugged as he decided to walk towards them. If he couldn’t make it to the beach today, he would go tomorrow.
‘Hi.’ Alex said as he got to where the girls were seated.
‘Hello.’ The girl who had looked in his direction responded.
‘I was watching you all and I must say I loved the acting. It was beautiful.’
‘Thank you.’ Another girl responded.
‘My name is Alex.’ He said as he stretched out his hand. ‘I am visiting Nigeria for the first time.’
The girls looked at each other. ‘My name is Ayotunde. Welcome to Nigeria, Alex.’
‘Thank you. Ayot…’ Alex hesitated.
Ayotunde laughed. ‘Ayo is fine.’
Alex smiled and looked at the others.
‘I’m Samantha.’ The second girl stretched her hand as she smiled at Alex. Her friends looked at her with shock on their faces.
Alex took her hand. ‘Hi Samantha. You act good.’
‘Thank you.’ She replied as she held on to his hand.
Alex looked at the third girl and tried to pull his hand from Samantha’s grip. Ayotunde noticed and jabbed her with her elbow. Samantha faked a laugh as she dropped Alex’s hand.
Alex stretched out his hand.
‘I’m Grace.’
‘Grace. That is a beautiful name.’
‘Thank you.’ Grace replied.
‘I hope you are having fun in Nigeria. Where have you been to? Which country are you from? You look Nigerian.’ Samantha bombarded Alex with questions.
Alex laughed as he looked at her. ‘Hey, one question at a time.’
‘Okay. We are all ears.’ Samantha gesticulated.
‘I just got in yesterday and was actually on my way to the beach.’
‘Nice. Do you have company?’ Samantha asked.
Ayotunde and Grace shared a glance.
‘No, I don’t have company. The taxi driver decided to take me there.’
‘Can we join you?’
‘Chinwe!!!’ Ayotunde and Grace shouted at the same time.
‘Chinwe? Is that also your name?’ Alex asked as he looked at Samantha.
‘Yeah, kind of but I don’t really use that name. It’s just on my birth certificate. Everyone calls me Samantha. Sam for short, if you like.’ She laughed as she touched Alex gingerly on the arm.
Ayotunde rolled her eyes while Grace hissed.
‘I don’t mind the company though. Someone else apart from Je-day to show me around.’
‘Who is Je-day?’ Grace asked.
‘Oh, the taxi driver who picked me at the airport yesterday. He is waiting around the corner. I told him I just wanted to capture some shots.’
Grace smiled. ‘I’m sure his name is Jide, not Je-day.’
‘Ji-de.’ Alex tried to pronounce the name just like Grace.
‘Yeah, better.’ She laughed.
‘So are we coming with you?’ Chinwe asked.
Ayotunde stood up. ‘It was nice meeting you Alex. I’m sure you would have fun in Nigeria.’
Grace stood up and picked up her bag. ‘Welcome to Nigeria, Alex.’
‘Ahn…ahn…are you girls going?’ Chinwe asked.
‘Erm…..Ayotunde and I have something to do in our room.’ Grace replied.
‘Yeah. Besides, I only came to watch your show. I have work to do and lectures later today.’ Ayotunde replied. ‘Goodbye Alex.’ She said as she waved at him.
‘Can I at least have your number? I understand if you girls are busy.’ Alex asked trying to fall in line with the duo who were already walking away.
Grace looked at Ayotunde. Alex stretched out his phone and Ayotunde collected it, punched in her number and handed the phone back to Alex.
He dialed the number, tapped the red button and stretched the phone to Grace. ‘Yours too, please?’
Grace did same as Ayotunde and handed the phone back to Alex.
‘Thank you ladies. I appreciate.’
Chinwe was already by his side. ‘I’m ready. She said as she flicked her weaves.’
‘That’s fine. The taxi is somewhere around.’ Alex said as she looked at the two girls walking away.
*****
‘When did she become Samantha?’ Grace asked Ayotunde as they walked towards the cafeteria.
Ayotunde stopped walking and looked at her friend. ‘Ask her nau, sebi she is your friend?’
Grace stopped walking. ‘She is not my friend. She is my course mate. Understood?’
The two girls looked at each other with serious faces and suddenly burst out into laughter.
‘Just see the way she was shaking like someone wey neva see man before.’ Ayotunde shook her body like someone who had a fever.
‘As in, Samantha nko, Samanja ni.’ Grace laughed. ‘I almost didn’t believe it was the same Chin-we, Chin-we.’ She said stressing the name.
……….
The story continues…