Must Read: Igbo-Smoking Keke Driver ( Short Story ) - Season 1 - Episode 3

7 years ago

Must Read: Igbo-Smoking Keke Driver ( Short Story ) - Season 1 - Episode 3

“Oga, why not call the phone?” Someone at the back seat suggested.

I scoffed at the idea. The guy I had seen driving that Keke didn’t look like someone who would return my phone. He was more likely to pocket it or sell it off as soon as he got the chance. I also didn’t want to call because I had actually been hoping that the Keke driver would not have noticed the phone in the back seat before we caught up to him and I didn’t want to draw his attention to it. Unfortunately it seemed I was running out of options and the passenger at the back persisted in his suggestion that I call. Eventually I heeded his advice and used my other phone to put a call through.

It rang the first time but no one picked. I tried again the second time, same response. I waited for a bit then tried again the third time. To my amazement a voice came through from the other side:

“Yes?”

The way he said ‘Yes’ was so calm, as if he was the owner of the phone! Any way I was glad he had picked and was hoping he wouldn’t cut the line. I tumbled out my words in a hurry

“Bros mi, abeg, abeg…”

“Where you dey?” He asked, again calmly, cutting me short.

“Near the Express! And you?”

“I dey Infant Jesus side.”

I gasped, along with all the other passengers who were listening in. Infant Jesus was on the other side of town! How had he gotten there so fast? So we had actually been chasing in the wrong direction?

That is, if he was telling the truth.

“Wait for me at Ibusa junction, make I turn back.” He said, cutting though my thoughts. And then he hung up.
The bus driver cleared at the side of the road and I jumped down, eager to get my phone back. The bus conductor wanted to get some sort of transport fare from me but the bus driver allowed me to go.

I sprinted across to the other side of the road and boarded another Keke heading back into town. I waited for a few minutes then called the Keke driver again but he did not pick. Deep down I was still worried he wouldn’t give the phone to me. The calm way in which he had responded seemed quite unnatural. But I kept going.

Finally I got to Ibusa junction. I paid my fare and tried calling him again. At the second dial he picked the call.

“I’m at Ibusa junction” I announced.

His voice was once again calm. “Okay, you are at Ibusa junction right? Stay there. Stay there o. Don’t move from that place.”

“Where are you now?”

But he immediately cut the phone.