AJEGUNLE: The Tale From The Ghetto (By Fikfaknuel) - Season 1 - Episode 3

7 years ago

AJEGUNLE: The Tale From The Ghetto (By Fikfaknuel) - Season 1 - Episode 3

Saliu was half way through finishing the 'paper of marijuana', as Moji thought, but for a brief moment, he stopped, and looked at the younger one in the eye, then said

"Hold something, e go uplift your spirit"

"Bros, you know sey I can't spoke na" Moji replied, he was still getting used to the art of speaking the language of the streets, Pidgin. He wanted to try and speak it, but his educational background always laughed at his efforts.

"You see those boys wey kala you abi? Na dis thing dey give dem morale. See, if you no wan be mamu, draw small" He stressed, putting the blunt ever closer to the right hand of Moji.

Moji now felt the need to take a whiff, his life was one big bad dream, and if these paper and leaves could lift him out of it, he would happily patronise it. He was going to take this, and develop 'ginger' as street boys called it, he was never going to be intimidated by anyone, ever again. He looked at the marijuana stick, then looked at the person that was gesturing him to take it. They both had striking similarities. For one, the stick was half-used, and this boy seemed to be dangling just over the fires of death. The stick was thin, just like the thin person who smoked it. Moji made up all these in his mind, and then snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he kept someone waiting.

He took the marijuana from his hands, and with carefulness, he placed the un-burnt tip at the side of his lip. If he was going to lose his red lips color, it wasn't going to be the middle. Just as he was about to sU-Ck it in, the disapproving head of Saliu shook, using his finger to motion the stick should be placed at the middle.

The sU-Ck-in proved more fatal than Moji would have thought, as the exhumes found their way to his lungs, and head, which resulted in his eyes turn fiery red, his head to him felt like he carried two persons on it, his chest clasped together in hotness, and generally, he felt like he was dying. After six minutes of painful coughing, he looked up, and saw the devilish grin of Saliu, he was tired of seeing his trademark 'mtn teeth'.

"Welcome" Saliu said, stretching forth his left hand for an handshake.

Moji was taken aback, he had never seen someone shake with the left hand before, even natural left-handers, he knew that this guy wasn't a 'lefty' because all the while, he had been smoking with his right hand. He looked at the hand once more, and in the palm was something, a word tinily written. Moji would later come to know what it meant, and how it would change his life forever.

He accepted the handshake, and afterwards engaged in a friendly hug where only the shoulders hit each other. Moji was new to that too.

"Shit, dem dun call blackie olokpa" Saliu said, with a frightened tone, but a very calm face. Moji was stuck in an hysteria, and began crying, when the policeman approached them, after leaving behind the patrol van on the entrance of the street. Moji looked up to his 'newly found' big brother, searching for suggestions in his facial expressions. He found nothing.

"Oya dey run, comot your slippers" Saliu barked. Almost immediately, Moji obliged, and began running like heaven's gate was closing on him. He ran, without pedalling down his pace, or looking back. He was running when the long legs of Saliu overtook him in the heavenly race.

"I wan surrender oo" Moji screamed from behind as it seemed the policeman was gaining ground at the chase.

"No ooo, continue to dey ture" Saliu ordered. He understood the boy's fear. The blackie olokpa looked wicked. He was once a hit-and-run too, but had now become a 'champion', who had evaded arrest countless times, and had entered the walls of a cell 32 times, and came out.

"You want make him blast my skull?" Moji shouted at the top of his voice, irritated by Saliu's calmness, if only he had such long legs and speed. He was surprised that someone who had been smoking his lungs out was running like Usain Bolt.

"Him no fit shoot, dem go charge am for bullet" Saliu assured with a tone of experience that eluded Moji.

Moji didn't see the huge stone on the ground that Saliu had jumped over some four minutes ago, his eyes were fixated on the street, seeking an escape route. He hit the stone and went down in pain. He called Saliu's name but he instead, continued running. The black olokpa with the countenance of a fearful Edo masquerade closed in on him, as he held his leg in pain. He was arrested.

As he was led back to the patrol van, he cried softly, he thought he had made a friend that would protect him from the wolves of Ajegunle but he was even a wolf. He cried when he remembered the words of his mother, which told him to 'trust no one'. He wondered what will happen to her if he didn't return that day. He was going to the cell because of someone he didn't know, he didn't even know his name.

He cried again.