PH CITY

most of the words in the conversations are in the way we talk in Nigeria so it is not totally wrong, I was just trying to catch the same experience

“That’s the thing about this city” Kanka complained as he bit of a piece of peppered meat from the skewered suya we bought on our way back from our outing.

We did this every Saturday, we leave school campus and I would take us out anywhere because I was the rich friend with the money to do so. After the day we walk from a close distance back to school.

“Yeah” I agreed, one of my hands in my pocket and the other holding my own suya in a black polythene bag. I always wondered why Kanka liked to eat his while walking.

“Everybody here just has to struggle by themselves and people are just rough, it’s like we are fighting an every man for himself battle that I don’t know about” he continued “Then again everything is just too expensive they’ll just go and raise price for no reason. For instance now see this suya we bought, only for this four pieces of meat they collected N100 when it was 50 before” then he threw away the stick and licked the spice off his hands.

As he spoke I just nodded quietly in affirmation to what he said as I listened. I didn’t like to talk much Kanka was the talker and that was what made him approach me after one of our lectures, he said I was too quiet for his liking and I just shrugged my shoulders still not saying anything so from then on he always met up with me all the time, it was like he was everywhere. I was kind of forced to be his friend since he was hanging around me all the time.

I liked him though he was nice and outspoken but he could be a bit rough at times, I reprimanded him so I was like his check for his errors.

“Kanka I am tired of walking, let us take bus or taxi back” I grumbled

“Hah, Jide you are already tired. Is this not the normal distance we always walk back” he asked. It wasn’t a question to be answered so I just continued.

“See if you want to continue walking you can continue but I am taking taxi back” I argued

“Okay oh. I you insist but you know it is not remaining that far to walk again, if we just pass-” he was saying but I glared at him and he stopped. I turned to the road to hail any taxi that passed and luckily one stopped.

The battered blue and white car chugged to stop beside me, I bent to the window so I could speak to the driver.

“Where to?” the driver asked me but I was assessing the driver and his car. The car was shabby as usual for most taxis then I looked up at his face staring at the tribal marks he had on his cheeks before I answered

“Ehm, UNIPORT campus side”

“Okay enter I know the place” I ignored him, which Port Harcourt driver didn’t know UNIPORT.

“How much?” I ask him instead

“It’s 200” he said in pidgin as he chewed on his toothpick

“How? It is not too far from here. Collect 100 now” I argued switching quickly to Pidgin English so he wouldn’t think I am a rich child that doesn’t know outside and can be deceived easily. The driver just shook his head insisting he would stick to his price.

“You don’t know that price of fuel has increased?” he asked but it was rhetorical, I meant who didn’t know about the fuel increase. I turned back to look at Kanka, he just stood there arms folded and he wasn’t even helping then he gave me a thumbs up, I faced the driver again.

“Okay, oga take 150” I still continued in pidgin with him, he glanced warily at me from his side view and took out the toothpick from his mouth

“That boy there is joining too?” he asked pointing with his toothpick “Yeah, yes he is” though in my mind I meant to tell him no so Kanka would walk back by himself

“Enter” I pulled the hand to open the door but it didn’t open, I tried again and it felt like the handle was going to break I didn’t want to pay extra so I just rapped on the on the window, the driver turned back stretched himself so he could reach the back and he opened the door from the inside.

“Eh sorry, the door has problem” he muttered with a shaky smile as he scratched the back of his head. I am sure it is not the only place with a problem I mumbled in my head and with that we got into the taxi.

I always felt like all the taxi’s had one smell but it wasn’t too bad, they all had the same dank smell. As we got into the car and sat I sunk into my seat, like really sunk inside, the seat was old and tired. I looked at the driver but he was driving and couldn’t see me, I was sure he wasn’t bothered about the state of the seats as long as they could carry passengers.

“Oga, you will not change the chairs” Kanka asked in pidgin, I mean he spoke pidgin most of the time, he was a PH boy.

“No, I am waiting for something” he replied

I bent my head close to Kanka and whispered in his ear “I am sure he is waiting till a passenger falls through” We both laughed heartily and I was sure the driver felt we were joking about him, he looked up at the rearview mirror and asked what but we didn’t have the time to answer we had already reached our destination. I pushed myself up a little to bring my wallet out of my back pocket, quickly bringing the money out I paid him and we hurried out of the car then he drove of angrily.

Kanka and I just stood on the sidewalk still laughing. Another of our outing has ended the same way, us laughing about something. It was like something awkward or funny always happened after we went out.

Kanka had stopped laughing but I was still smiling and he just looked at me like I was crazy.

“Guy, stop laughing. Somebody will think you are mad” Kanka said punching my arm, I just stared back at him still smiling.

“Bia, Jide it is okay. Joke has finished” he said pushing me again

“Okay, okay. I have heard, let us go inside”

We didn’t stay in the hostels on campus instead we stayed in the lodges off campus because the hostels were always bad in most public universities. When we got to our lodge, some of our other house mates were outside gisting* or playing whot (a card game) we greeted them and went to our rooms, I would have liked to stay out there with them but the next day was Sunday so I wanted to go to bed early for mass the next morning.

“Good night” I said to Kanka as I got into my room, he was in the room beside mine

“Ah, you’re going to bed already” he exclaimed. I looked at my watch it was ten minutes to eight.

“What? Is it too early?”

“Yes now”

“Kanka tomorrow is Sunday and I have some assignments pending”

He shrugged his shoulders “Anyways, I am going somewhere and I have to see my mum” He left and I went into my room and sat at my study table.

Kanka’s mother was sick in the hospital and his family wasn’t so well off so he had to work small jobs to help raise money for her bills. I offered him money but he had too much pride to accept it, he said he would feel more comfortable working for it and that she wasn’t dying so I let it be.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, brought it out and looked at the screen it was a credit alert from my bank of 50,000 from my father. Swiping open the phone I typed in my password and opened my WhatsApp. I had to thank him immediately if not we would have a lot of trouble between us.

‘Thank you sir for accepting my request for the money’ I typed in properly, I reread it to find errors no matter how short it was and sent it, looking at it again I felt like it was too shabby so I added a little more

‘I will try to spend it wisely and give you a detailed review of my spending’ I felt more satisfied. When I turned I noticed the suya in polythene bag beside me along with few other things I bought, I had completely forgotten about them. Touching it the suya was still warm I decided to eat now after all I didn’t have the strength to cook anything now.

I was getting ready for church the next morning then I got a call from Kanka’s sister, I answered the call

‘Yes’ I was trying to put on my cuff links

‘Um, this is Jide right?’

‘Yes’

‘Please hurry to the hospital now, the teaching hospital’ she was crying

‘What is wrong, you are getting me tensed up’

‘It’s Kanka’ and that was what it took, I dropped my phone. I still heard her calling me over the phone. I threw my cuff links and picked up the phone, running out of my room got outside and hailed the first keke that I saw and I just barked teaching hospital. We got there I just threw the money to the driver and ran into the hospital, and grabbed the nurse walking past

“Where’s the room for the emergency” but she just angrily stared at me then pulled her arm free

“Who are you?” she asked

“I am sorry but where is the emergency ward?” I tried to sound polite but truly I was scared

After giving me a onceover she answered “Go down that hall the last door. Are you family?” I ignored her question and rushed down the hall. I burst into the room and I saw him, the ever vibrant Kanka, with so many friends and was always smiling or moving around was now confined to the bed wires running around him. I was broken by the sight of him.

I sat down beside him and held his hand before he stirred

“My God Kanka” I cried, he looked at me and seeing the tears in my eyes he laughed softly as his energy could carry him.

“Stop laughing this is serious. What happened?” he looked at me and tears streamed from his eyes.

“You are scaring me! What happened?” gripping my hand tighter and told me what happened.

He had joined a robbery scheme to earn money for his mother and it didn’t go well, he had gotten caught in crossfire with the police. He had maned to escape with bullet shots to his hand and stomach.

“Kanka I told you to let me help didn’t I?”

“My pride would have been really hurt and I-” but I cut him off “What pride eh?! What kind of rubbish pride is that?!” I shouted “was the pride that cost your live worth it?” He looked at me, squeezed my hand and smiled

“I am shocked you can shout” I pulled my hand from his hold

“How much for your treatment?”

“No I won’t tell you, just leave it” I wanted to hit him but seeing his state I reconsidered “Kanka seriously”

“I am being serious, rather take the money and help my mum”

“I will help the both of you”

“No it won’t be necessary for me but my mum, she needs it” I opened my mouth to say something but seeing the expression on his face I understood.

“It’s the city right it does things to you, now its condition takes your life” i said solemly

*gisting - just like conversing