“My guy, I no fit lie you, sapa dey everywhere o. Me sef never chop since morning”, my friend, Tunde, who I had intended to loan me an urgent 2k said. “Ah! Sapa! Na me and you today”, I murmured to myself as I forced my weak legs home after a long day. 


I was just coming from site and I really wished I had just stayed at home that day. Before you misinterpret me when I said ‘site’, I didn’t mean the house I was building for myself, I meant a house I and others are building for someone else. I’m sure those who have had some sort of experience and relationship with Sapa understand this.


Back to my long day. I woke up early and got to site as early as 8 am, our supervisor has no tolerance for lateness. Fortunately or shall I say, unfortunately? The owner of the house came today with her clean brand new BMW 7 Series. It was the first time we saw her. The BMW was tinted black, the color of the BMW was black, and the tyre rim was pure black. I could swear that BMW can be used to snatch my girlfriend if I had one at the moment. 


To cut the long story short, we discovered we were meant to be paid 4k per day each for our labour, but our supervisor had been paying us 3k. The anger, frustration, and despair in our eyes are enough to give the devil himself a mood swing.


Curses started flying in different languages like when Jesus’ apostles first spoke in tongues during Pentecost. After so much drama and persuasion, we decided to call it a day at 5 pm. 


I dragged myself to the bus terminal with irritation written all over me like a child who was carried by an adult with body odour. 


“Alaye, owo mi da? (Where is my money?)”, the bus conductor asked aggressively, waking me up from my sleep on the bus. “Alaye, calm down, no shout for my head o”, I responded angrily.


I dipped my hands in my pocket in an attempt to give the conductor his money so that he can allow me to continue my rest. I checked my left pocket which I prefer to keep my money in, but I couldn’t find it. It seemed the money is in the right pocket. I checked my right pocket but still couldn’t find my money. I started checking and touching my body like a child who was bitten by a soldier ant.


“Ah! Otilo! (It’s gone!)”, I screamed. I lost guard in the streets of Lagos. I was robbed by a passenger sitting beside me before he left the bus. Thank God for a good Samaritan who paid for my transport fare, the conductor would have dropped me halfway.

 

I was close to my house when I saw Tunde my friend and decided to ask him for help. But unfortunately, he couldn’t as well. It seemed Sapa is really touching everyone. I got home and soaked the last cup of garri I had and slept. I was sure my stomach was angry with me, it kept making this awful noise in the middle of the night. I would have said my stomach groaned all night like a child whose toy was seized, but I don’t want to overuse the word ‘child’. I just wished I could be a child again.


The next morning came and I was ready for work, or should I say site? Just as I was about to leave home, my iPhone 16 (my old model button Nokia) rang. It was Precious, the street’s gistlover. It is not a bad idea to start the day with a gist. I picked up “hello! Have you heard? Tunde the street footballer left Nigeria for the US early this morning.” Precious said and hung up.


Wow! Sapa, nice one. 



Judah Kolawole

Content Writer, Blogger, Social Media Enthusiast.

Oluwatobijudah@gmail.com

2347067912278