Aiyegbami had this eerie weirdness about it, you seldomly saw girls loitering around at night, it was more silent than other parts of Ago-iwoye. Even the scanty bars that were opened weren't playing loud music. Aiyegbami was one of the places they warned you about when you gained admission into the institution. The house in which we were to meet Uche was a three bedroom flat. It must have been built in the mid 80's, it had the architecture. Guys were infront of the building, most of them topless, cups of 'shepe' was in abundant, while tobacco filled the air. A small looking boy of no more than 18 came to us
Boy: who una dey find
Abayomi: Uche
Boy: wetin happen?
Abayomi: him say make we come block am for here.
Boy: wait, I dey come, make I go ask am.
Somehow, being alone with Abayomi here started to look like a bad idea. I saw the tall frame of Uche emerge from the door, he had a stick of cigarette sticking from his mouth.
Uche: my people how una dey?
Abayomi: we dey o…howfar?
I didn't bother with the pleasantries. That I had agreed to go along with him didn't mean I would be all smiley. Uche led us into the sitting room where a lovely pool table was, there was a two-sitter cushion by the left, I didn't bother waiting for uche to tell me to sit, I sat. He and Abayomi stood by the pool table to discuss.
Abayomi: hope you haven't spoken with National yet?
Uche: No, we would meet tomorrow though
Abayomi: is there a way we can work through this?
Uche: what are you suggesting?
Abayomi: reduction in the money you want to sponsor us with, so you might not have complete monopoly?
Uche: what has changed from the last time we spoke?
Abayomi: my partner and I just think we need some kind of security..
Uche: is there something we should know about?
I looked at Uche, if he had anything to do with the incidence, he didn't show it.
Abayomi: not at all, except ofcuz what happened at the rally.
Uche: yes I heard about that. I wouldn't be able to decide on what you are offering, I would have to discuss with my client.
Me: that's another requirement, we need to meet this client..
Uche smiled…
Uche: the funny thing was that he told me you would say this..he is inside with a visitor, he would come out soon..
Abayomi and Uche started discussing about politics, from Osoba to Gbenga Daniel and how PDP was going to rule Nigeria for 50yrs. They were arguing when a girl came out of one of the rooms, with the way she walked and how her hair looked, she had definitely just be f----d..i knew her. She was one of those so called big girls that spent most of their time at Gate-way with politicians. Coming outside from the same room where she had exited from was the guy that had been with Uche at Bele, he had remarkably small eyes, very dark with a sharp-low hair-cut. He was on singlet and boxers but that didn't make him any less charismatic, the way he walked was almost like he was a model, but there was a darkness about him that doesn't suit a model. He didn't bother escorting his f--k-mate, instead he gently came to sit down beside me.