Oga Martins - Season 1 - Episode 5

Episode 5 years ago

Oga Martins - Season 1 - Episode 5

Martins dragged his feet towards the gate of his house oblivious to the little children who were playing ‘suwe’ in front of the compound. After his meeting with Aisha’s boss, he was sure he didn’t have a job anymore. Now he had an understanding of what Job in the Bible meant when he said what he feared had greatly come upon him. For some reason, he had messed up, stuttering his way through the presentation like a teenage boy who was asking a girl he liked out for the first time and couldn’t find the words. Although disappointed, he wasn’t surprised when the man told him he was not interested and perhaps he could come back when he had better offers. One golden opportunity to save his job and he had lost it to anxiety and nervousness because he thought the day was jinxed already Well, he was sure of one thing: whether the day was jinxed or not, he had definitely jinxed his job and that led to a lot of problems for him, top of which was his house rent.

The landlord had come to knock on his door over the weekend to remind him and he had proudly told him there would be no delays this time since he now has a better job. He had even arrogantly said he would move out because he wasn’t satisfied with the living conditions. Of course his landlord had told him he was free to go since there were ten other people ready to take his place. Now that he had no job, he wondered what he would do. Moving out of course was out of the question with the going rate of rent in Lagos especially for first time house rents. With a job, he could afford to; he wasn’t looking for something elegant, just better. Without a job, he would only be shooting himself in the leg. He considered going back to doing menial jobs but knew it would take substantial time before he can raise the money except of course Deji found a way to, which had been the case for some time now.

“Don’t enter my house?”
One of the children shouted attracting Martins’ attention. He turned and saw a boy standing outside the rectangular box drawn on the ground looking fiercely at a girl who stood with one leg raised. She had a confused look on her face as she gave the rectangular box an assessing look s if to judge how to proceed. She eventually turned to the boy, her look pleading.

“Please now,” Martins heard her say
“No! Don’t enter my house!”

Martins shook his head at the realization that at every level, the strong preyed on the weak. People who have an advantage over you will use it against you if they have to. Martins saw himself in the little girl. He considered going to beg Ada for his job and asking for another opportunity but hadn’t processed the thought through when he was distracted by another voice as he stepped into the compound.

“Oga Martins! Welcome oooo.”
“Mama Ruka, good evening”.

“Evening. I don dey find you since morning.”
“E-ehn? Any better? Hope no problem?”
“Problem no dey for now but e go soon dey if you no go fetch my water”

Martins frowned, not sure what she was talking about. “Which water?”

“I hear say na you use my water baff this morning. Which kain rubbish be that one? I fetch the water for you? Oya, halele! Take, go fetch my water back before ground open mouth swallow you for here!”

“Ha-ha!” Martins exclaimed, surprised.

It was common practice in the compound for people to take other people’s water for various reasons and he couldn’t say he had not been guilty of the act but he especially steered clear of two people in particular, Mama Ruka and Mama Nkiru, because of their troublesome nature. Besides, he had don rub and shine that morning.
“Mama Ruka, abeg I no….”

She didn’t let him complete the sentence. She interrupts, shaking visibly, her voice raised. It was obvious she was prepared for trouble. “No beg me o! No beg me rara. Just collect this bucket from my hand, go fetch the water come. I don dey wait you since morning.”

Other neighbors come out, curious about the noise. They watch the drama unfold
“I no carry your water now!” Martins raised his voice in frustration

“Hun! Oga Martins you know me! You know me well! Ask Comfort!

Comfort glared at her from where she stood and hissed. Mama Ruka had given the young lady a good beating over spreading clothes on the line. Comfort had moved her clothes to create space to spread hers and Mama Ruka had not found it funny. Although Comfort had put up a good fight, Mama Ruka was no match for her since she was huge, tall and had the strength of a bull. The only person who could match her trouble for trouble was Mama Nkiru. When the two of them fought, the others watched and had a good time at it too. Their fights were unpredictable as you never know who would take the day. Because the two women had injured each other often enough when they got physical, by some mutual unspoken agreement, they’ve learnt to keep it verbal.

Too consumed with the need for Martins to fetch her water, she did not hear otherwise a slap might have landed on Comfort’s cheek
“Collect this bucket from my hand now go fetch the water come!” she addressed Martins, her look fierce. She roughly takes Martins hand to shove the bucket into it but he struggles with her as he protests.

“Mama Ruka, wetin now! I say I no use your water! Na rub and shine I take go office today!”
“Na lie!”

Martins collected the bucket and stared at her, upset. He turned and is about to walk away when she dragged him back with his trouser. “Where you dey go?”

“Let me enter my room and put my things down then I’ll fetch your water” Martins suggested.

“Enter where? You don see mumu abi? Drop your bag for here. I go help you watch am till you come back. Go fetch this water come first.”

“Haba! Mama Ruka. How you go talk say make he go fetch water with suit and tie?” Fidelis, a concerned neighbor interjected.

“Hey! Pawpaw head. I call you? How dis one take be your concern? Is it your suit? Abi na your tie? Face your own before I face you this evening ooo”

“Mama Nkiru no dey house today. You for sabi who be oga for this compound.” Fidelis mumbled under his breath as he turned to return to his room, but his mumbling was loud enough for Mama Ruka to hear.

Without much ado, she ran to him and dragged him back by his shoulder. In a flash two hot slaps landed on his face. Fidelis reacted immediately by hitting her and soon, there was pandemonium in the compound as they both begin to wrestle. It took the other tenants almost twenty minutes to get them separated, each nursing different wounds in different parts of the body. But the man behind the whole fight – Oga Martins – had disappeared from the scene.

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