Mama Togo's insolence

As I crawled out from underneath my blanket the inviting smell of mama Togo's food beckoning upon and titillating Inner recess of my taste buds, through force of habit I quickly felt my inner pocket and was comforted by the reassuring bulge of my previous days takings, I yawned and stretched carefully folding my sleeping cardboard and putting it away with the blanket and pillow in the small hidden niche at the base of the bridge we all kept our sleeping apparel.

After washing my face and quickly rinsing my mouth I tucked my fore finger into my mouth using it as a make shift tooth brush the water as lubricant scrubbed both sides including the insides of my teeth before spitting the excess water out, morning ablutions done and out of the way.

Mama Togo's divine riposte beckoning upon me I made my way to the ramshackle lean to that served as her buka,I stepped over the gutter running across the frontage and meandered my way through side stepping a small pool of water and two young serving girls one tending to a massive pot on the wooden fire while the other was busy washing used plates and cutleries. I settled down on one of the old wooden benches resting against the wall of adjoining building serving as back rest trying to make up my mind on what to have for breakfast.

Mama Togo resplendent on the small easy chair mounted in front of the array of pots finally looked up from counting some money..

Area wetin you dey chop usual?

I replied her irritated audible anger vividly masking my sleep induced facial contours

 "Mama Togo I don tell you no dey call me area again wetin dey cause that kain rubbish nah" "my name na destiny or you fit call me big Papa "

I had barely finished before she burst out laughing gleefully in derision.

“Children of nowadays sef,no be only big papa na "Pamilerin" I go call you because you dey make me laugh.

Answer me,  Wetin you go chop? Usual no meat abi"

The blatant public affront upon my person and my manhood, more of an implied insult than the presumption of inability to add meat to my food.

Right there still seated on the bench I puffed up my chest to double the size, eyes bulging looking as serious and menacing as I could and in my gravest voice deep modulation touching the small bulge of yesterday's takings for Dutch courage I countered hotly

"How much be all the meat wey dey inside your pot sef,you wan make I pay for everything"                 I continued emboldened at the affront..."No dey call me small pikin again o,you know how many people I dey control"

What Mama Togo didn't realise or oblivious to was Aunty Onome junior sister Nkiru seated in the far corner eating and giggling at our early morning to and fro verbal bants..

She wasn't a stranger actually although we were not exactly friends, Nkiru was the most beautiful and exquisite girl I have ever laid eyes on, even though she was most likely around same age of 16years as I am.we all looked at her each time she passed in front of Bala's shop where we hung out when we were not working.
Her Aunty maintained a small stand at the other end of the street leading to our area where she sold recharge cards, since she brought her sister from the village she made it a point to block her from speaking to any one of us probably protecting her from our morally wayward ways and behaviours.


It seemed my strongly worded protestations made all of them laugh even more, out of ideas I just gave up in a strategic bid to curtail my embarrassment.

Face burning I tersely said "Put 2 meat and 1 ponmo for my usual”

 I said in my best big boy voice improvisation stealing glances at Nkiru to gauge her reaction to my splurging.

As Mama Togo hailed me in mock obeisance...

"Chief Dr make I add turkey and boiled egg too"

Even with Nkiru Present I was not prepared to do more damage than necessary to my already depleted finances, so simply ignored her unsolicited attempt at fleecing me.

I collected the proffered plate and handed Mama Togo 500Naira mentally invoking curses on her for causing me an over spend and audible dent in my budget, doing a mental calculation I resolved to enjoy this food as I might be skipping lunch due to the over spend.

With a smirk eyes glinting she handed me the food and as she collected the money mouthed loudly for all to hear "Thank yuh Sah" but I ignored her...savouring both the smarting hurt to my pocket and prospect of impending hunger due to my overspend.

Resolved to making the best use of this 2 meat and 1 ponmo I got up with the plate and moved to change seat near Nkiru, as I placed my plate on the table near her she got up , I realised she had finished eating,but as she brushed lightly past me she smiled briefly and greeted me.

How you dey? In her soft sing song voice..

The mere sound of her voice evaporated every semblance of street smart boldness and bravado I possessed, heart palpitating I simply smiled sheepishly and I nodded acknowledgment but she was already gone.

After making sure she had really turned the corner I carried the food back to Mama Togo

"Mama Togo the meat too strong and teeth dey pain me, remove one meat and one ponmo abeg"

It was as if she was already expecting this...

"Hehehehe see chief Dr controller, nothing do the meat o very succulent"

My brain whirling metal faculty churning out a succession and as quickly rejecting different ideas I lowered my voice and bent down

"Mama Togo why you dey behave like dis nah, person no fit joke with you again, no forget say I be customer o no dey let fall my hand now you want people to dey disrespect me "

The stupid woman clearly enjoying herself just burst out laughing for what seemed like ages before she finally albeit reluctantly  collected the plate and removing the meat and ponmo.

Singing the popular dancehall tune "some people be number 1 dem dey do like number 10".....her accompanying sniggering didn't bother me as much as 1 of the serving girls and one old fool customer not minding his business.

Until Mama Togo give me back the money for the meat and ponmo I bit my lips and unleashed my angst on the girl.

"Wetin dey worry you no make me wozz you for dia o with that your yeye laff"

The girls as if she had it in for me before quickly retorted "Abe abeg o wozz who,na you get my mouth abi make I no laugh again"

Seeing a veritable outlet to dissipate my anger I made to advance as Mama Togo fished in her money box and proffered the money with a parting shot "Chief Dr Controller Oya take money o"

A normally abstract and mundane comment nevertheless elicited loud laughter from all of them.

"Mama Togo you dey show yourself o" I then redirected my anger transferring the aggression towards the server that was laughing loudest and replied me

"You no be your fault o if no be mama Togo wey cause am,shey me and you be mate" as I finished eating the rest of the food  quickly to resume my dumping business I downed 2 cups of water and walked out in my best swagger.

The old man sniggered as I walked past him  “old papa respect yourself o me I no send I go give you your size now"

The serving girl probably confident I could not do anything due to Mama Togo's presence squared up as I walked past realising futility of my present position I half whispered loud enough for all to hear
 "Na me you dey carry shoulder for abi,shebi I know say na sandgrouse area you dey pass go house I go catch you for road "

She retorted hotly even before I finished "You no fit do nothing go pack 1million of yourself make you photocopy I no dey fear you"

I didn't answer her as I turned the corner and made my way towards "Senator's" shop the man who rented out the two wheeled cart we use for collecting and dumping refuse.

All I could think of was the unexpected boon of Nkiru’s divinely inspired smile that morning which seemed to have banished my normally pessimistic morning mien. As my mind got busy extrapolating the brief "emotional encounter"

A wide smile stretching out the taut stress induced facial muscles etched upon my face as I greeted Haruna with a cheerful smile to his bemusement even though he was owing me 800Naira,I moved on and jumped over the over flowing gutter which carried the coagulated liquid unmentionables down to the stagnant canal on the far side of mechanic village where the toilets are situated..

I jumped shot and a little back splash of the water on my bare skin staining back of my shorts...I quickly cleaned it with the rag round my neck and continued on enthusiasm and mood un dampened.

I slowly drifted off daydream about a future longed for “how I was going to save enough money to afford a room and enrol myself in school, then purchasing new clothes and shoes for Nkiru and her sister. Surely Aunty Onome will have no choice but to look upon me favourably.

My school books on one hand resplendent in new smart clothes with an eye glass to show how intelligent I had become, I will ask for Nkiru's hand in marriage handing over all the nice things I had bought for them both to critical acclaim.

Beaming with warm smiles and a sunny and welcoming disposition Aunty Onome will ask me about school and I will regale her with lofty accounts including my plans for Nkiru.

With the gifts and a promise of more to come from no less than a genteel and ambitious social climber she will have no choice but to give me Nkiru's hands in Marriage.

Still lost in the thought of my reflective state oblivious to my surroundings until I abruptly bumped into someone snapping me out of my self-induced reverie. I looked up to see Nkiru's smiling face for a few seconds before it morphed into "Senator's" glowering face.

"Where you dey since? He inquired and continued

Aboy don carry your cart o,you go manage that one wey the tire get problem today ..wey my money?"

I quickly paid him and rushed over to manoeuvre the cart out of the compound quickly joining the early morning commuters and melting into the multitude traversing the busy main road, as I pushed my cart out on the main road whistling and singing my advert
Thoughts of Nkiru temporarily suppressed and hidden away in that happy place where my aspirations and thought process run in wild abandon to be called upon in the privacy and warm cocoon of a place rarely visited nevertheless sure and ready escape in times of mental upheavals.