Trotro Diaries: An Every Day Thing -Eleven

Episode 11

Last car! last car!!

It was a cold night in the city. At such times only a few brave, hardworking,….. ok let’s call a spade for what it is. Only the greedy drivers will be seen lurking about at that time of the night ready to prey on desperate passengers.  

Last car! Last car!!

A good call tactic that all bus conductors must learn is the ‘last car’ false cry. Unsuspecting passengers will fall for it, leaving behind whatever last-minute purchase they had intended on a rush to board the bus.

Last cat! Last car!!

Nighttime especially was a very good time to make rounds. Nighttime equalled easy passengers and easy passengers equalled more easy money.

A desperate passenger eager to reach home before the day gets too late will easily pay two times the normal fare.

Now as a very religious and God-fearing man that Massa is, he made sure to pour libations and give a cut of the earnings to street beggars. A very reasonable percentage.

Red was mostly on the fence with this one. In the first instance, this was the only time he earned more from his pinch pocket of a boss so how could he reject the extra money? 

Secondly, the passengers had agreed to the fare so what could a mere conductor do about that?

Then there were the teachings of his upbringing nagging his conscience. To maintain balance, Red has decided to keep his mouth shut and leave things be. After all, he was not the one charging the fare.

“Last seat! Last seat going oh!” Red adjusted his brown sweatshirt against the unfriendly chilly night envying the huddled bodies in the bus. Even though they looked tired at least they were warm in their misery.

“Red load this car let’s go!”

Red tried not to make an annoyed groan. ‘Red hurry up’ only meant the night has not ended for them yet. It was already 10 pm and Massa was still itching to go again after this drop-off.

Massa lets go the bus is full

Red you look dead than the dead why?

For once Red was glad to see Boom’s face. The officer hardly ate out of his office and this was one of the rare if not only occasions that Red did not find his presence irritating especially after the mate found out Boom had banned Sule from the station.

Speaking or thinking of Sule always angered Red to want nothing but Boom’s head on a pitch as the ball but today the mate decided to set it aside for the moment.

E be my master oh.

Red had been talking with his hands over his eyes so he missed the expectant look from the uniform man. Thinking he was being ignored he raised his head to see what the officer was up to.

Seeing the look he continued in between yawns.

Too many rounds. His answer was simple and misleading.

Naa why are you giving the young man such hard tasks when you know his work schedule?

The young woman was bringing Red’s food to him at that moment Red announced his problem to Boom. From the look on her face, it was clear that one, she was very much angry with the officer about Sule and two Red was about to get a tongue lashing.

“I will er..send officer Tim for my usual”. Boom marched off not ready to deal with the particular female this day. He did what he did and had no regret or explanation to owe.

“Before you go take headache take join my own inside, make I tell you what I mean”.

Unable to hold her laughter in, Naa burst into very annoying cackling that had Red wishing he could exchange his head for someone else’s.

“Oh, my poor baby!”. Red felt pampered and remembered the days he was still young with his mother, how she cooed at him when he was hurt.

Noticing the longing look on Red’s face, Naa quit the forehead patting. She had brought a cool rag for that purpose along with the food until officer bad luck showed his face.

“My mummy dey erhem!” Red stopped himself before he made his woman think she was with a mummy boy.

“Oh” there was an awkward moment between the two before Red asked Naa why she had laughed earlier.

“My aunty is making your boss observe compulsory afternoon fasts until she meets his demands”

The question had only been asked to elevate the mood now Red stopped eating to give her a listening ear.

“Stop giving me that look,” Naa taunted.

“Wetin look?” Red answered her quickly.

“Like this”, she replied with a contorted smile.

Red had to laugh despite his headache. This girl, he thought watching her scrunched up face.

“Am serious la!”

Grabbing a hold of her smacking hand, Red sobered up to hear her complain for the hundredth time about her dislike for Boom.

“What even annoys me most is that he feels no remorse. Onikpa buulu!”

“Naa abeg you paaa. If he cam here cam arrest you now I no go fit fight with my headache”

With a sceptical look, his lady addresses him. “So you can fight him for me without the headache eh?”

“Of course la!” woman can lead you to an early death.

“Oh Red! The only downside of the whole thing is the lack of sleep and red eyes you have!”

“Plass headache” he added pathetically milking her affections for as long as possible.

“If only my aunt will not be so bent on buying the latest iPhone”

Red was absentmindedly enjoying the cool rag on his head until that last statement.

Like a possessed masquerade, he jumped up rushing out of the food joint. 

Naa wondered where he was headed with his headache at such speed. Shrugging it off, she covered his ‘aportoryuwa’ of fufu to keep for his return.  

Where is Red off to? Boom, or perhaps Massa’s wife?

Previous episode

To be continued…….new episode every WEEKEND. Subscribe to receive notifications. Leave your comments below.

By Jamila Abdul Wahab Follow on Twitter @activetvgh

Send stories to: news@myactiveonline.com WhatsApp to +233 591 521 188 Follow us @activetvgh

Author