Show me the moon (COMPLETED)

Ade

           
"Ogba! Ogba!! E wole pelu change yin o" (Ogba! Ogba!! enter with your complete transport fare) called out the bus conductor to potential passengers. He stood with one leg perched in the bus and one leg dangling outside as the bus moved slowly along Berger Road.

He only wore a faded grey three quarter short, and his dirty looking off white boxers peeked out from the shorts because he was half sagging. On his bare chest were enough hairs to fill a GP tank. He had an old slash wound across his black forehead, probably from a previous fight.

Lagos bus conductors were known for their violence and roughness.

"E wole pelu change yin o, e mi o raye oshi o" (enter with your complete transport fare o, I don't have time for rubbish) he shouted to the passengers again.
Early morning workers rushed into the bus, in a bid to get a good seat. Three people struggled for the front seat but the weaker person was pushed away while the other two squeezed into the seats.

Ade was the last person to enter the bus. He was on his way to his workplace. He worked as a front desk officer in a very big cyber cafe in the town of Ogba, he also doubled as an computer operator there too, whenever they were short of staff and had many customers.

The pay was manageable though; twenty five thousand naira a month, but his transport fare took at least 4,000 naira a month from his salary.

As he entered the bus and sat down, the bus conductor also entered into the bus and squeezed up in front of Ade. He raised his hand to start collecting money from passengers and the demonic smell from his armpit almost ripped Ade's sense of smell apart. It seemed as if the non chalant bus conductor had refused to bathe for 15 years. What a fowl odour!

Ade almost barfed, he quickly turned his nose towards the window but another demonic smell gave his nose a smackdown when the conductor opened his alcohol smelling mouth to ask the passengers for money.
"Hey, owo la teyin" (your money from the back seat) he ordered. Ade bent to one side and snaked his hand towards his jeans trousers and removed a hundred naira note from his pocket. He handed the man the money with disgust and bent his head because hands were stretching from the back to give the conductor money.

All of a sudden, the bus conductor shouted "ah, who be this aunty? One thousand naira on top 100 naira? Where you want make I see 900 naira change? You no hear when I say make you enter with change? Abeg take your money find change for me joor" he proceeded to pass her back the money.

The lady in question refused to collect the money, instead she scrunched up her face. "I no get change, you self get change, you no wan give me. See 500 and 2 2 hundred for your hand" she argued.
"Ah tani werey?"  (Who's this mad person? ") asked the bus conductor " Na ur papa put change for my hand ni? Aunty colleh your money joor, no vex me this early morin. Bring 100 naira joor "

He threw the money at her. The woman was infuriated. "Na your papa be werey, idiot! Come open my purse collect 100 naira. 'Onye ara'!" ( meaning 'mad person' in Igbo language).
"Hehehe see this omo Igbo o, (Igbo child). Make we reash ogba fess. Iffa no go do you something called me a bastard."he fired back.
All these while Ade just wished he could get out of the bus. The smell from the conductor was making him dizzy.
He checked his wristwatch, 7:26 am. He was to resume by 8:00 am. He was still on track. Luckily for him, they got to Ogba bustop a few minutes later.

He quickly alighted from the bus and started walking towards the street where the cyber cafe was situated. At his back he could hear the conductor and the woman shouting at each other. Normal Lagos life...quarrel everywhere, house oh, school o, bus o, work o.
Living in Lagos was pure stress on it's own, especially for the poor. The rich could still manage the hustle and bustle. That's why he vowed to himself that he must be rich someday in the nearest future with the help of God.
His thoughts wandered back to his family. He lived in the family house that his father had built before he died 4 years ago due to a cardiac arrest while Ade was still in school. Ade also shared the 3 bedroom bungalow with his aged mother and 2 siblings who were also in the university.

Thankfully, his father's meagre pension had helped sustain the family a bit after his death. Ade's mum owned a provision shop from part of the pension, front of their house. It helped to keep her busy during the day.
"Hey Ade! How far na?" greeted Joseph a worker in the cafe. He had seen him from afar and ran to meet him so they could walk together to the cafe. " Ehh Jojo, star boy, good morning boss" Ade replied.

"Boss keh? Na you be boss o. Na you sure pass" Joseph teased as they got to the cafe gate. Ade just shook his head in mock pity and opened the gate with the keys which were in his backpack. Joseph had sugar coated mouth and he always used it to his favour.
Always hailing and flattering people, especially young ladies. Jojo was the king of hearts amongst other guys at the cafe but Ade was the quiet one. He wasn't much interested in flirting with girls.

Girls... speaking of which, his mind went back to the pretty fair skinned girl who sold yams to him at Berger market last week. She had this lovely aura about her and he wished to see her once again, even if it meant buying more yams. Her mother was pleasant too, he thought she called the girl 'Nene'. Yes! Nene!.
"Boss...boss, you dey hear me? Ade!" Jojo called out, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry jare, I was thinking of something" he apologized.
Jojo just raised his eyebrows in a cartoon teasing manner. "You're thinking of a woman abi? Just say the truuttthuu, lemme help you. I sabi their scope" he offered.

Ade just shook his head and put on the front desk computer.
"Joseph abeg go clean the computers, no disturb me. Na woman go kill you" he dismissed.
Joseph gave a knowing smile, "if woman no kill me, who will?"

😀😀😀 finally done with chapter 4! Hope you enoyed it? Don't forget to click the star below to vote for this story😉. Thanks for your viewing support, I really appreciate it!