chapter 5

Chapter Three

he whole street is empty; nobody loves to stay under such heavy rain so as not to develop a cold. He stayed under a cover, with his Curriculum vitae already wet. This is the 13th job he has failed and lost. No money to survive, to go back to his hometown came to his mind but then he thought, his home town wasn't as boisterous as Lagos. Surely, there won't be any job opportunity than to go back to farming or maybe join the Biafra Soldiers like his Father who were still looking for an impossible independence from Nigeria. He thought again that if he goes back home, his mother will surely ask for his wife and probably her grand children of which he wasn't ready for such discussion because he couldn't cater for himself not to take of a family. He remembers again that he needed to send money to his mother in the village every week and sometimes, monthly. All these thoughts scattered his mind again. Sometimes, just a chilled beer can solve these problems. He resolved to visit his friend, Dave Theodore.

When he got home, he locked the door. The landlord knocked on his door repeatedly for some minutes hoping for a response. He, Jefferson didn't reply. The landlord thought he was not back yet. He left the door and left the place.

"Woof! The next time this man comes around, I'm very sure he's going to lock down this place from outside." He thought and said aloud, "I need to act fast" he said. He drops his document on the floor. He entered into the bathroom with his shoulders sagging low in sadness. His gaze went up the mirror from his room beside the wall clock and he rammed his head over his toothbrush and paste.

Memories hit him to stupor. 

“If only he had been there on time, If only he listened to his alarm, if only he had been around, then maybe... Maybe, he would have gotten the job. I am hope I'm not dreaming again, let this just be a dream so I can wake up the next morning and go for the interview, this time around, I won't mess up", he thought to himself. He washed his face and discovered it was reality and not a dream. He went back to sleep preparing for the next day to visit his friend. 

Still awake and brooding over his life and his experience the former day. He heard a loud knock on his door. This time around, he knew again that he was done for knowing that his landlord is a Yoruba man and these men have no control over their anger especially when it comes to their money right. Whilst he stood up from the small wooden bench covered with foam which he called bed. The knock on the door grew louder.

As he opened the door, the landlord pushed him away with some boys.

"Before dusk tomorrow, I want you out of my house!" The landlord said, banging the door closed behind him. He is angry about the rent Jeff owed him for about two years. He felt Jefferson took his patience for granted. This made him embarrass him with some boys, who made loud noise about the whole incident, by scattering the house as the landlord threatens to dispose all his properties on the street.

"Pay me my money, you foolish debtor, all you do is to owe people, you bought Nescafe tea from the poor boy at the junction and up till now, you haven't paid a dime. Who does that?!" The landlord continues again by accusing him even of some vices that he didn't commit. "All you do is go out early and come home late, you are jobless and you are not even married, I wonder how you mother gave birth to this lazy bone" Jeff interrupts the Landlord 

"Well, you can always talk about me, my no job life and even my unmarried life but don't involve my mother into this Baba landlord. I'll pay you your money if I can and if I cant, I'll leave the house and sleep under the bridge at least most of my mates are there. Please, excuse me." He tries to ignore his landlord by showing some signs for him to leave his apartment.

"At least most of your mates sleep under the bridge, did you not also think that most of your mates are making big money by doing legal and illegal jobs. You cannot compare yourself to them. Tomorrow, you'll see, jobless debtor!" The landlord walks out of the house, closing the door hard to the face of Jeff. 

This time around, Jeff is more furious about what happened and he sits down. The next place that he knows he can find solace is his Friend's place which he said he was going to go. He thought, "Where would I sleep if I have to leave this place." 

Jefferson stayed in the government restricted area of Lagos where you have to hustle and bustle for your survival. The place is called 1004 Apartment. It is called so because it was a refugee camp for the internally displaced people during the Nigerian civil war and so, after the Military government transited to a Civilian rule. The 1004 was now renovated to contain a thousand apartments so that the average citizens can live there under the rent which is paid after every six months. Although, some rich corrupt politicians put in some landlord to buy about 20 apartments there so they can rent it to some other people, one of those apartment bought was sold to Jefferson when he came to the city to hustle. He paid exorbitant rent on the power supply that wasn't constant, the vigilantes and even the water supply. The money he used to rent the place was given by his friend, Dave, who owns a liquor store. He rented the apartment and since then he hasn't been able to pay, after agreeing to the ultimatum. When issues like this happens, it is appropriate for the landlord to issue or offer a quick notice and also report to his lawyer and then the Police man but Jeff's landlord wouldn't do that because he got the house illegally and the rent was more than what the state put there. When issues of no rent, they use hoodlums to threaten their tenants until they pay or some of them leaves the apartment.

As he checked his wall clock, it was 12am. He has sunk in his thought again. "Why can't I just have money, with no challenges? Why do I have to keep suffering every time?" He then laid his head to sleep. Sleep only answers to the man who has a settled mind, a disturbed mind doesn't sleep. 

In Lagos, your problems wake you up and sometimes don't make you sleep.

He got to his friend's place, Dave Theodore, the son of the land. His friend is very compassionate but he was involved in illegal deals where he had to import goods which were not licensed by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency. He sold drugs and even liquors.

Dave was already having fun with a lady just as he was about to go into her. The heavyhearted Jefferson arrive the house and knocked like a poor dog ready to eat a left over bone. This heavy knock got Dave angry that he lost his hormone to have the sexual inter course. He goes to the door and found out it was his friend Jeff.

"Guy, what's wrong man! Why are you banging the door like that?" Dave asked, trying to buckle his trouser.

"I am in trouble man, my landlord doesn't want me in his house, can I come over, I need your help big time He replied, already disappointed at himself.

Dave does not have any pity on his friend as he said, "Guy, you just always come at the wrong time. We'll sort it out later." Dave hurriedly tried to enter because he was already in the mood again.

His friend, Jeff burst into tears as he was already frustrated with life and only to come to his bosom friend to seek his help, but he wants to turn him down at his darkest times.

"All right man, I'll talk to you later. Go to my store and treat yourself nice. Tell the attendant to serve you anything you need, I'll be there in a minute so we can talk better." Dave goes into his room as he shut the door and pounced on the lady like a lion pounces on his prey.

The Store was just a stone throw from Dave's apartment. Dave lived in the urban part of Lagos as he was also wealthy but to an extent.