𝟑𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

~~ 71. ~~

The place was so unfamiliar. He hasn't been to such a place in a long time. The street was also noisy. A mosque was reciting their daily prayer somewhere far away but loud enough to be heard where he was. Music was blaring from a big speaker in front of a barbing salon opposite where he parked his car. The so much noise was already affecting him. And it made him wonder how the people who sat playing games, sitting, talking, and selling in the vicinity were coping with the cacophony in the environment.

People had stopped what they were doing in their shops and they had turned all their attention in his direction. He could see the stares and ogling of the people walking by and those sitting in front of the kiosks were giving his cars. Internally, he was grateful that his car was tinted. But then his subconsciousness reminded him that he will still have to step out of the car.

He unbuckled his seat belt and braced himself for what will come next. He dug his wallet into his pocket, wore his sunglasses, and picked up his phone. Then he climbed out of the car, pressing the lock button which made the car beep.

He could feel eyes boring holes into him. And he tried not to look in any direction where people might be gawking at him and his car.

"Hello, bros. I dey greet oh." A guy said from the barbing opposite his direction. The young man waved with a broad smile as he knew him before.

Demilade seemed shocked by the enthusiasm he used in greeting him. So he waved back with a nod. And he watched the guy's smile grow wider.

"I love your ride bro. Na money be that." He said in pidgin.

Demilade looked from him to his Nissan GT-R. A small smile tugged on his lips.

"Thanks." He said loud enough for him to hear. The guy nodded in affirmation. The older men around him looked perplexed for a reason unknown to him. Then he turned away from them to the direction of the gate where he was originally heading to. 

He noticed it wasn't locked so he tried pulling it but it didn't budge.

"You push it inside." The guy from earlier said loudly. He glanced at him and he did as he told him before he turned around and mouthed thanks to him before entering the compound.

He looked around him as he stepped into the compound. The compound was a bit spacious. The paint on the walls was already faded and the posterior part was peeling off. The compound looked plain but was neat. There was a narrow shallow drainage at the side of the wall that lead from gods-knows-where to the gate and out to the street. And an old Camry was parked somewhere at the beginning of the compound.

The house a three-story building was on the right side of the wall. It looked old, and rowdy and seemed quite tight for people to live in. He wondered how many people lives in the house.

"Good morning o. Who are you asking for?" A woman's voice woke him from his reverie.

He turned around in the direction where the voice has sounded from. And he saw a slender tall woman whom he assumed was an Igbo woman due to her skin color and her tone. Two other women were at her side. One was round and robust with darker skin color and she was playing Dunsin Oyekan's song 'Imole de' on a medium size Media Player that looked like a cup and at the same time washing clothes. The other woman was picking beans in a big tray on her thigh, oblivious to what was going on.

The first two women were ogling at him. It was surprising that women their age could stare at him like they were staring at a model that just popped out of a magazine cover. A broad smile of admiration was on the face of the second woman. But the other woman was quick to mask her expression and it turned to a stern and suspicious look.