Circle, Accra – Episode 2

 

Circle, Accra!!

Chapter two (Kiosk Estate)

 

Femi was beginning to see Ghana from a different perspective, she thought Nigeria and Benin were the only places where 419 existed, but what she just experienced since she arrived in Ghana is just so disheartening, and anytime it hit her mind, she just let the tears flow.

The lady who hosted Femi could feel her pains; she did her best to explain certain things to her, especially concerning her stay in Ghana.

 

Femi: You have not told me your name yet?

Lady: Oh sorry Femi….I’m Yvette, but everyone calls me Tequila

Femi: Whaat? Tequila, how did you come by that name jorrr?

Tequila: From SHS, was my nickname, but now it’s a brand here in Circle

Femi: See ooo, you carry brand sef, heyyyy…Tequila

Tequila: Look, whoever told you it’s easy to make it here in Ghana lied to you, I have been here for the past five years, and nothing, you just have to hustle and keep the change, Ghana is not easy girl.

Femi: I no get option na, I go find work do

Tequila: Are you listening to me at all? Here, if you don’t have a certificate from a higher institution, you wouldn’t find any decent job, unless you create one yourself, or you know someone, like a politician

Femi: The same story for Naija, so what work you dey do now now

Tequila: Work? When the city sleeps, we hawk

Femi: Weytin be that one too, we hawk?

Tequila: I know a lot of girls from your place, A lot of Girls from Warri, Lagos and Abuja, I’ll take you to them so that you talk to them

Femi: Okay

 

The two ladies went back to the streets of circle to get some new stuff for Femi, she had some money left on her, Tequila also convinced Femi to sell her smart phone to the phone dealers, she made a good price out of it and got herself a “Yam phone”, she told her she wouldn’t need a smart phone for now.

 

Tequila: Smartphones are for those who have enough money, you can get a new one when you settle, and selling it will help you manage your stuff.

Femi: Okay, I see

Tequila: And as you can see, where we stay now isn’t the best place, it’s a kiosk, and the owner will be mad if he gets to know we are two in there, so I’ll talk to him and see whether he will let us stay together.

Femi: What if he no gree?

Tequila: Oh, you can manage a kiosk hostel yourself, he will come around very soon to take his money, and we pay GHS5.00 everyday

Femi: The blue one abi?

Tequila: Yeah, the blue one

Femi: Okay, then I go get one, you see, your place too small

Tequila: Okay, nice idea, but you will pay GHS30.00 in advance for your own kiosk, you can manage that

 

Femi knew she had no other option than to adjust into the circle life, everyone for himself/herself, the street for us all.

The kiosk keeper soon arrived for his daily cash, he was good to give out a more spacious kiosk to Femi, but the problem is, it was not made of wood (container), so it will trap heat, but that is far better than the rest, he told them the rest leak when it rains, and furthermore, it was in the rainy season, so the place wouldn’t be too hot.

 

Man: Buy standing fan, gimme money make I get you some

Tequila: Don’t worry, she will get it later

Man: Okay ooo, thank you for bringing me a customer, you won’t pay rent for the next three days

Tequila: I hear, thank you landlord

Man: But you have to let your Naija friend come visit me ooo

Tequila: Not now, please

Femi: Weytin he dey talk?

Tequila: Don’t mind him, just flattering

“Look, everything here is illegal, you don’t have to give money out easily, not even to me, not someone you knew earlier, this place is a kiosk estate, we have fire outbreaks every now and then, we have drug dealers here, we have thieves, armed robbers, murderers, fake pastors, rapist and what have you all leaving here, there is no single decent person living in this ghetto, we can be evicted anytime from now, so you don’t have to own a lot of luxurious stuff…and don’t look into the faces of people too….just mind your business, don’t try to settle fights even if it involves death…This is a ghetto”…Tequila warned the new horn.

 

Femi: You say decent person no dey live for here, what be you? You be Angel Michael or Devil inn pikin?

Tequila: I’m a hustler, just wait, you will understand everything okay

Femi: Okay ooo Madam.

 

The two were on their way to get some food when they met this young guys running with full flight towards them, Tequila quickly held Femi’s hand and dashed off towards the direction the guys went.

 

Femi: Why you dey run?

Tequila: If you hear, ”scartey”, like they are shouting now, run!

Femi: Run to where?

Tequila: To where you will be safe

Femi: But what am I running from? adey mad?

Tequila: You know, the guys here are really stubborn, especially the drug peddlers, so they always attract the police here, and the police will arrest anyone they see here

Femi: This place be Warri….Warri oooo Warri!!!

Tequila: Hahahahaaa

 

Femi was now a little bright now, she just needs to adopt the life hacks she mastered in Nigeria in order to survive in Ghana, Tequila had also told her, and some of the criminals and 419 guys are mostly from Nigeria, so she really has to involve Nigerian instincts here.

“And hey, I forgot to tell you this, if you buy something here and they wrap it in an envelope, walk away don’t buy or accept it, and also don’t buy any phone in a phone case, you will go home and be greeted by the sight of key soap bar instead of a phone”…Tequila said laughing.

 

 

To be continued……

 

Danny Biitka©

0577288877/0541165045

2018®

 

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