Why me?

Friday, the most celebrated day in the world began horrendously for Nneka. she stood on the streets of Akinikunmi and stopped a bike man that would take her to the bus stop, where she'd board a bus to another bus stop till she got to her office at Ilesanmi.

She had just boarded the bike when it began to make a "tssttt" sound meaning a flat tire. Nneka cursed as she hadn't gotten to her destination. She slashed his fee and alighted.

 She didn't wait too long as she soon saw another bike and flagged it down, casting her mind back to the incident that was making her rush like someone was pursuing her.

When her 5:00am alarm rang like a clarion call, she reached out to the small stool where she always kept her phone and snoozed it till 6:00am, thinking she'd still make it early to work. Alas! Her neighbors had an entirely different plan for her.By the time she rose up to take her bath, the two bathrooms and the only toilet were filled up.

  She banged the three doors with force, baba Mukaila was drowning in the 92.7 Fm news that morning as they read out "Ìròyìn aro yi gbe si etí ìgbó wa pe ènìyàn meta ma lo ku ninu rògbòdiyàn garààgi Orita…", Iya Chike shouted "Ogini? Biko apummaka o', Aunty Grace replied on cue "Who be that? Me no see anybody for here before I enter o make that person take hin time o". There and then, Nneka knew she'd be late.

Bike man: Where you dey go?

Nneka: I dey go Marunniki bus stop

Bike man: Na 150 o

Nneka: Haba no be so na, take 100 naira last

Bike man: No I no go

Nneka, who didn't have the time to haggle further as each minute meant a lot to her said "oya" as she climbed bike and told him to hurry as if it would make any difference. She was late already!

In no time, they got to the bus stop. Luckily for her, she saw an almost filled bus and struggled to enter as was the usual way in a hot morning traffic. She got in but not without a scratch on her clear oyinbo skin. She also got wedged between a woman who carried a basket of  locust beans, irú on her laps and an old man whose bad breath was badly mixed with a familiar odour of seaman alcohol. The result was a horrible stench. Friday morning couldn't have gotten worse for her, as she wondered if her village people were at work.

As they got closer to Akobo highway, the driver sighed saying, "ewo loshi gan? E ko ìranù yin kuro loju ona funmi o laaro kùtùkùtù ajé" as he honked at the people causing a commotion at the front.

A man trying to display his goods cleared his throat saying "Gudu morning my blothers I whant to intloduce to you this cleam wey dey clear spots, pimples and ecsima, biko patlonise me".

It took them roughly ten minutes to clear the road and they continued their journey. When the bus dropped her on the road leading to her office, her brain began to think hard on how she'd give them a  convincing reason for her lateness.

"Good morning Caro, you no go believe am. There was an accident where my motor almost crashed, I almost died. if no be for God ehn…", No that wouldn't work as she'd used it over and over again. 

 "You wouldn't believe it armed men came to my street last night and…" Oh no! It would have been reported in the news. She sighed as she couldn't find any suitable lie till she came face to face with the building. 

She took in deep breaths as she took steps into the building, each step heavier than the last. She hadn't even entered the lobby when she heard "Miss Nneka good morning. Where are you coming from by this time? On the day we are having our new boss come for inspection?" That was Madam Bisi's Margaret Thatcher voice in action. She froze, then turned to give her "Good morning madam ehmmmm I… You know…" with a fake smile plastered on her face.

That's when she saw him, Demola Braithwaite with those dark eyes, well carved cheeks, that damned beautiful smile with his 32 shining like the white marble on the floor, his sexy pose and a 'Nneka good morning" 

That was all she needed. Nneka fainted.