The Void Between Hearts ~~ongoing~~

34. Ivan

"Damn!" Mike bangs the counter, the girl jumps, I shake a little. He signals Deji and they take the stairs. I sneak past the reception, catching a glimpse of Ike waiting by the car.

"So did you gals have a good time?" A shrewd pot bellied man asks a group of young girls dressed in nothing more than decent bikinis.

"Chief! Chief!" The girls hail the man, he laughs and his belly bounces three meters in front of him. I join the crowd as a disguise.

10:15am. The sizzling morning sun, coupled with the roughness of the streets has me standing under a tree a few meters from the road. Aside that, I'm trying to keep a low profile.

"Wey you? You don dey stand there long o." A middle aged bald man with yoruba tribal marks approaches me. His skin has a sickly glossiness to the irregular colour patches spread throughout the surface. He could use some rest.

"e Kaasan, sir." Good afternoon, sir.

"Ehen, correct pikin. You dey find drop?"

"Drop sir?"

"Ehn, Şe o nilo, eh, takisi?"

"Yes, taxi."

"Ah!" he yells, I flinch, he laughs, the last time I saw such rotten teeth was never, "you for talk since na." he picks around his mouth with his fingers, "okay, Wa. Wa. Wa." he wipes his fingers on his kaftan. I"m grossed out so I keep standing and watching him. "Ejo o. You no dey go again? I say I go carry you. I get motor, e dey for there. Come may we dey go."

I walk out to meet his surveying eyes. I watch them move from my shoes, to my belt and my watch.

"Oboy, you dey okay?" He asks looking puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm fine sir." I prostrate.

"You no look like pikin wey suppose dey waka waka for road." he waves his hands frantically.

"I just need to get to Life Fountains Hospital, GRA."

"Hmm. Your money go be 1,500."

"You don't take transfers do you?" The way he looks at me makes me prostrate again and say sorry.

"I go carry you go ATM mashin' first." He starts walking. I follow him.

Sitting behind in the old and rusty vehicle, I'm entertained by the irregular pace of my breathing. I squeeze my fingers to preserve some warmth. The yoruba high-life playing in the taxi along with the man's sing along virtual karaoke reminds me of a distant childhood memory.

He stops the car, "if you look that side, you go see ATM mashin' queue no dey that one. Oya do fast." I get down and proceed to the machine.

"Thanks," I hand him the 1,500. He's looking at the rest in my hand.

"You for add something now, as e be say I wait for you." He says.

"Oh, I'm sorry. " I add a thousand. He smiles and restarts the car.

He looks at me through the rear mirror, "you get person for that hospital?"

"Yes, a friend. "

"E no well?"

"I believe that's the condition of people in hospital. "

"o ko ni, ra eso?" he asks,

"Fruits?"

"Eh now, person wey dey go see person wey no well dey suppose buy fruits. Make the person fit chop get in body back, kakaraka." He sounds like a comedian from an advert.