The ritual of baptism by fire is standard in Nigeria. The ritual of living with mayhem, chaos and confusion is everywhere and anywhere you turn to in Ibadan. To burn time, I followed my morning routine to the hilt.
Press up, squat, my bowl of pab (ogi) with assorted agunmus, Bible study and prayer. That takes me to 11.00am.
Thereafter, I drive out to see the boys overseeing my business. Cash out, then I disappeared into the air looking for fun or fight depending on what anybody brings my way. Digba, a friend, looked at the van I just bought.
He encircled the car like the dreaded VIO officers on Nigerian roads. He could not believe what he was seeing. He gave me a high five.
“Teejay, o try o. They have not baptised your van for you. Ni igboro Ibadan,” Digba said, holding my hand in admiration.
Digba was born, bread and buttered in Lagos. He relocated to Ibadan to avoid the violence, area boys gangsterism and extortion of Lagos. He is a typical Ijesha man.
Digba is highly opinionated, stubborn and has little regard for women. He considers them as kalokalo – money machine!! When we settled down, I probed further. He then said that he was impressed that my van has not had any scratch on the body work even though I commute to my business every day with the vehicle.
What Digba said is every driver’s nightmare on Ibadan road. The dragons on the road are the okada riders, danfo and maruwa drivers. They manoeuvre recklessly on the road.
They frustrate you every inch of the way.
