I asked bola and she said the landlord came and locked the empty room. Part of me was like, “ if you for no tell those guys, na so you for come dey find were you go stay.” Thank God say I don get house. I told bola about my new accommodation. Adaobi was not around. I collected both girls number before leaving. Thank God say I no even get load sef. I carry my only bag come go school gate for my new accommodation.
As I moved in with Uchenna and Abisoko, we became good friends. Another chapter, phase in my life began. My life never remained the same. Our story became a tale of great friends, Gbadebo, Uchenna and Abisoko.
As I began staying with Uchena and Abisoko, I came to know more about them. Uchenna was in Biological Science Department. He’s family were Okay financially. He said his parents were late but has an uncle who is a business man in Aba. The uncle sponsors his education. Uchenna loves clothes and accessories and love to live a lifestyle of the rich with girls chasing him. He has a caring heart but also a good liar. The kind of lies he tells makes Alhaji Lia a saint. He loves money a lot and with a bold attitude. He’s social with. He sugar coated mouth. He did pre-degree 2 times and failed. The final one he did, he finally passed which gave him admission into FUNAAB. He doesn’t like going to school. Copy and paste be him own.
Abisoko himself is from Ijaw in Delta state but their family is based in Lagos. He’s in the same department with me, Microbiology. His dad is a retired civil servant in one of the Lagos state ministry. His mom was a police officer.
As time went on, I noticed that Abisoko and Uchenna don’t read. After school hours, they play computer games, go to Osiele to mate with prostitutes. They discuss about the richest students, the ones that has the baddest cars, the ones into yahoo (internet scam) and even the ones wey dey do Google sef. They often mingle with guys with big cars. Me sef, I no wan talk too much, na them dey feed me for the house, accommodate me. They even pay my transportation fee. It made me not to really want to talk to them. Infact, Abisoko dash me one small phone make I dey use sef. Let it not be that they are helping me and I was being ungrateful. Sometimes they bring girls all the way from Moshood Abiola polytechnic(Mapoly). The girls would spend the weekend. Them go dey call me “jew, holly-pass.” I didn’t want to go into that kind of life.
This particular weekend, I wasn’t doing anything at home. Uchenna and Abisoko were preparing to go to Mapoly. They demanded I follow them. I didn’t want it to look as if I was always keeping to myself. Knowing fully well that Uchenna has a sugar coated mouth. He tried to convince me that I should be free. In as much that I was there to read, that does not mean I shouldn’t be social, meet new people. “He said they were not going there to bring back girls to sleep with. They were only going to see somebody who was having her birthday party that day.” Uchenna’s words did the magic, I quit agree with what he said about being a loner. I decided to follow them. Infact Abisoko dashed me one of the new clothes he bought. He even gave me his canvas to put on. Na so I join them and we waka enter ojere, Mapoly for the birthday bash.
Na so we reach there, come see bump shots display. I had never seen women dressed so badly in real life, only in movies. Even for Funaab sef, the ladies their dressing are moderate. This one for Mapoly na hell fire. Ladies were drinking themselves to stupor. My guys just dey order for alcohol, me I tell them say na soft drink. They said no soft drink. Everything wey dey there na alcohol. Abisoko said I should take smirnoff , that it doesn’t contain much alcohol. I told him I can’t. He started showing me some ladies that were taking smirnoff. Some sef don take like 7 bottles. He also showed me those that were taking heavy alcoholic drink. Abisoko said those people who are not into alcohols or heavy alcoholic drinks, they go for smirnoff. Na so Uchenna with him sweet mouth come. He convinced me that I should atleast take something. Infact he came along with the person celebrating the birthday. They said smirnoff no go do me anything. I finally tell them make them bring the smirnoff. Them bring am and I drank it. I loved it.
After the birthday celebration, so many were so drunk. I told my guys, Uchenna and Abisoko that we should leave. Uchenna said I should hold on a little bit that he wants to meet someone very important. And I began wetin. After about 30 minutes, people had already started leaving. Uchenna came to me. We began looking for Abisoko. We no know where he enter. I called his number but it was not going through. Na so we dey outside. I come dey see cars wey line up. Young guys in their mid-20s. They were entering their various cars and leaving. Me sef look am, think say poverty na bastard. I wished I had that kind of money. Uchenna told me that one of them was his secondary school mate whom he just collected his mobile number. He was the one he went to meet the other time he left us. And I asked him how they managed to acquire so much money at that young age. “Gbadebo, you no go understand. If we get home, I go gist you,” he said to me. The way uchenna talked, he was not looking happy. He looked sad.
Abisoko came out from God knows were and we left. We got home very late. It was a taxi we chattered that took us home.
When we got home, we all slept in the big parlour. Uchenna said he would be going back to his former venture, internet scam. “Yahoo yahoo! Shey you dey scam before?” I asked foolishly. “Yes nah! Only be say he no chop anything come out. Na hunger kill am comot,” Abisoko replied as we all laughed. But I was shocked, never knew Uchenna was into internet scam. “Me, I no fit do all those kind thing,” I said to them. “Dat one na you, no be me nah,” uchenna said.
As I slept that night, I wondered why my guys, good friends were doing Yahoo yahoo. Me, I no want wahala ooo. I have hear several stories of police hunting internet scammers. Since I was staying there, I no want wahala.
The next day, uchenna and Abisoko went to Mapoly. They said they want to make contact with the guys over there who will help them bounce back in scamming business.
The attitude of these two guys continued. They barely go to school. They were always in Mapoly. And each time they were coming back, they come with freshly mint naira and dollar notes. If I ask them how they got it, Abisoko would say, “Shey you no wan follow us, why you com dey ask who give us money.” Though Uchenna had earlier told me that their guys over there in Mapoly are hitting the white men so badly. Dem just dey maga dem big time. So after making huge amount of money, they would just give them (Uchenna and other friends) some small money.
I was terribly hungry this particular Saturday and there was nothing at home. Uchenna and Abisoko don leave me go Mapoly. Exam was fast approaching and I was seriously preparing for it. I wanted to go to Iya Balikis shop to get fresh pepper and tomatoes so I could prepare concoction rice. But the rice sef no dey house. I decided to go outside