Am sorry for the late update Geniuses. I've finally gotten over my writer's block and decided to write something.
Please after this chapter don't forget to suggest a song
One love❤️❤️❤️
Days passed, weeks was not left behind, months tagged along yet the bond between Obi and I grew stronger.
Yes! stronger like five and six, he taught me everything I need to know about living under the bridge. More laws inclusive.
I was learning fast, now I could even hang on a moving bus without falling and breaking a tooth, being a bus conductor wasn't a child's play but yet interesting. I joined obi in using gin as mouth wash and soon my teeth was becoming brown probably just as my life is now
It was Obi's words; he always says proudly that his teeth is as rotten as his life, well I never understood that till now. We only have our bath once every week at a local bathroom inside the market where we pay a sum of #100. Other than that, we just stay under the rain then dry up our selves later.
The people living under the bridge were one big heterogenous group of people without no relation whatsoever.
It was headed by some set of people who collects the rent and maintain the unmaintainable people.
The flyover was also filled with underage children surprisingly both boys and girls, some joined the cultist group and could even handle a gun, some died of starvation, some stole, some killed and some are just living without a cause.
Most of the time I wonder where their parents. Well according to Obi, some mothers are nothing but surrogate mothers who only help in fulfilling God's command 'Go into the word and multiply' since God didn't specify if they should be taken care of.
Life wasn't as rosy as I thought it would be, there were days we slept on empty stomachs, they were days we'd run and sleep in market stalls because of the constant fights under bridge, there were days we'd work like hell with nothing to show for at the end of the day. Lot more happened and even worse. No one cared, not even the government nor the people, to them all we were rouges that should not be as associated with or cared for. We were a pain in the ass and all they wished for is to get rid of us.
They had a general name for us - thugs. It doesn't matter to them if we act like the hoodlums or not, it didn't matter to them how we got here, our story never mattered to them, our behavior was not a distinguishing factor so far we all lived under the bridge; we were the outcast of the city.
I don't blame them for judging, Infant I don't know who to blame
The society was accustomed to the fact that we were rebels and my fellow rougues never seized to show them the true definition of rougues.
Today was like every usual day, I sat down at a corner of a closed stall along with Obi and some of our friends who also sleeps beside our space under the bridge.
"You no see bukunti (did you see bukunti - bukunti is the nickname given to one our mates because of his fatness) he is in prison o" Jaja 21, who was the oldest in our group informed and we all looked at him in awe.
"Weytin he do sef? (what did he do) " Ade the newest in our midst asked and we all nodded approving the question.
"The police saw cocaine inside his pocket and zoom - to prison straight" he said as his beard full face expressed pity obi said he has never seen Jaja shave his beard.
"But that guy no fit do anything na, he no fit even kill cockroach ( but that guy can't do anything, he can't even kill a cockroach" I added this time.
Bukunti who is just 16 years old happens to be one of the fragile looking boys with only an overweight size but in reality he is always as scared as shit. Although he came in newly last two month but he'd never do what we do for a living instead he begged from people. There was no way he would have the guts to take cocaine.
"Leave that thing Tomy, we all know he did not carry that thing so there is a dead rat smelling around Jagunmolu and we must find that out" Jaja added nodding.
"So this is like an investigation?" I asked.
"Butunki is one of us and we can't leave him there, he'd die within two days" he replied and we all nodded considering the way butunki would always cry when when there is no food but instead Bobo bursted out in laughter.
"Una funny die o ( you guys are funny ) na for where you one begin to investigate (where do you want to start your investigation!) Wait , so if you na know the truth who would believe you then, shey na police or government? ( is it the police or the government?) Even if they believe you then who told you that Jagunmolu won't shut your mouth in silence? Ehn? answer na? who told you that you are not writing your death wish" He asked but none of us could answer because we all knew he was right, there is no way we would prove butunki innocence, no one would listen to us instead they would arrest us and Jagunmolu would probably send people to kill is over there.
We've heard of such case before where someone tried to report his evil deeds but instead he was arrested and days later he died an unknown death - but we all knew what happened.
Jagunmolu happens to be a drug dealer and hardened criminal who no one tampers with, although he doesn't stay under the bridge but yet he uses us as an undercover for his criminal acts. What amaze me is the fact that the authorities knows that he is a criminal but won't still arrest him instead they'll arrest us
"So what should we do now?" I asked a rhetorical question. Of course no one knows what to do next.
The people at the top sowed the seed yet we are at the receiving end. The world is so unfair. Where are the rights? Where is the freedom they promised us? Are we no longer citizens?
The gathering became so silent and only the voices of those selling and buying could be heard. The situation at hand was like the case of the rats looking for how to Bell the Cat.
We knew the cat and we have the bell but there are no ladder nor rope to Bell the cat. No one would be so courageous to try belling the cat without dying.
Just like the rats, we shook our heads negativity.
"You people should get out of here I want to open my shop" a woman spoke rudely and we all looked up to see an angry looking woman. She was a typical young yoruba woman looking at the way she dressed and tied her gele (head tie). Her both hands firmly held her fat waist and she was standing and shaking like she was ready for a fight.
If only she knew what we were thinking about.
We all stood up sluggishly and started walking out.
"See them, jobless goats" she hissed and immediately obi turned to her direction.
"Your mates were opening their shops in the morning and you are just getting here now, is it our fault you fought with your husband this morning over food money" he insulted with a loud hiss.
"Ode (fool) and you open that rotten teeth you call teeth to talk to me. See me see trouble o) she stood aback and clapped her hands.
"Ewu (goat) see as your future look like my teeth. Even hypo sef no fit clean am ( even a bleaching agent can't clean it)" he cursed aloud but instead I dragged him out of there while others followed suit leaving the poor woman let those words sink into her.
She should have never mentioned anything about teeth to Obi.
"Guy, you for don leave that woman alone na (you should have left that woman alone)" I advised as we crossed to road to make our way back to the bridge.
"Abeg leave me, that woman no get sense jawe, my eye big pass her whole brain (leave me alone, that woman has no sense, my eyeball is bigger than her whole brain)" he said mockingly as we all bursted out in laughter.
"How you take know say she fight her husband (how did you know that she fought with her husband)" Jaja asked.
"Can't you see the red mark on her face, her husband might have slapped her" obi replied
"Hmm obi Obi. Na you o, after you na you." I hailed him raising my two hands up as we walked our way to the bridge.
"Tomy!! Obi!!" We saw Bidemi running towards our direction and shouting our name.
"What happened?" I questioned as he got to our side panting heavily.
"Run__ run.... Buti...." He said still breathing heavily.
"Baba chill and talk well" obi said impatiently while the poor boy stood straight and tried to relax.
"Butunki at the prison has confessed" he said more calmly.
"Thank God, Did he mention Jagunmolu name?" I said eagerly.
"I wish but no, they said he mentioned names of those who also carried cocaine for people" he replied shaking his head.
"Then which kind of confession did he make"
"The police are searching everywhere now including the bridge, am sorry but the names he mentioned was both of you - Obi and Thomas".