Preordained #ProjectNigeria

4- The Party

Maduka's POV:

Friday night.

The night every person including school children look forward to, the night we all start preparing for even from Wednesday. The night we never want to end but rush through, only to have Monday pop up and begin the unending cycle all over again.

I have never seen a group of people who love Friday nights more than Lagosians.

Jide and I are speeding towards Banana Island.

Banana Island is a place of unrivalled opulence and grandeur. It's an entirely different world from other parts of the country. It's a gated community, and its inhabitants enjoy such luxuries as underground electrical systems and water supply networks, 24 hour-electricity supply (the only other place such privileged is the Nigerian President's residence), extremely tight security, good road layout, a central sewage system and treatment plant and the well-cherished company of fellow wealthy folks.

I wonder how Jide, who is currently singing Phyno's Ezege, gained an invitation to such a party. Jide is Yoruba, but he has crammed all the lyrics, to my amusement. He is a year older than me, a few inches shorter, and very dark skinned with a head shaved clean. Unlike me, Jide keeps a full beard which contrasts sharply with his shiny head.

We went to secondary school together and somehow ended up serving for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Enugu State. He is my true ride or die partner, my buddy. We have been through funny and serious times together, from boarding school to NYSC.

"You sure say I go like this party?" I question. Are you sure I'll like this party?
After a busy day working at my small agricultural consulting firm, I have a pounding head ache.

"Guy, I dey tell you say na turn up na wetin go stop this your head ache," he answers, very confident. Partying will cure your head ache.

"So who's hosting the party?"

"Alhaji Kamarudeen Bello's son, Saheed. Don't you know him?"

"Son of the current Minister of Natural Resources?"

"Exactly. Dude has been in the US since after primary school. Just stepped into Naija and planned this party."

"And you know this guy personally?"

"Yeah. We were best friends from way back and we've been keeping in touch. He personally invited me, even gave copies of my picture and yours to the bouncers."

Jide laughs and I join him.

"Chill oo, this party reach picture level?" Has the party reached this level?

"Yes oo. The girls there will be so hot as hell."

"That's all you know. Woman, woman na wetin full your head." Your head is full of thoughts of women.

Jide is crazy about girls. It doesn't baffle me, really. I was once at that stage, but suddenly I realised it wasn't a necessity to bed women almost every night. Over the years, I have come to realise that there are deeper things than sleeping with women. Sex, to me, is just an activity without emotional connection. It's just like eating, doing the dishes, sweeping the floor.

I admire strong, intelligent women who know their worth. The last girl I had dated had been everything, except that the feeling wore off after a year and we mutually called the whole thing off. I was secretly grateful that I never took her home to see my parents, because my mom would have been counting grand babies from the first moment of meeting her.

"Guess what?" he asks when we are allowed through the gates of the Eko Unity Apartment Complex. This is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Lagos State, with its rent reaching sky-high levels. It has every facility in perfect form, from multiple pools to tennis courts, a gym area, little supermarket, golf course, playground, and many more.