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"Eh eh eh! Aa eh! Broda eh!!!..." Boom and boom goes the loudest speaker playing across the ecstatic halls of the nightclub, a song by 2Baba titled 'See Me So'. Jiggling, dancing and swaying movements are visible everywhere, with many energetic and youthful people crammed closely together; some standing akimbo and in pairs engaged with one another by the bar and others across various corners of the club ridden with multi-coloured light rays piercing through the dark ambience of the vicinity nearly intentional in its murkiness. The V.I.P. section, a half floor above, partially overlies the rest of the crowd by a baronial balcony with eccentrically set couches and aesthetically hybrid sintered stone tables for premium clients. Below this level, on the ground floor, are some marble pavement seats attached to the walls of the nightclub. They are large enough to accommodate up to five or seven guests seated side by side. Upon one of these lounging slabs with leather back cushions are Wilson, Shola and Efe, with Osas and Godfrey standing slightly adjacent near the wall on either side. They're on a boy's night out and also on a mini-celebration spree due to Shola's recent award-winner status. Although as far as most are concerned, a good excuse to party is not one that should ever go unharnessed. Each of them is holding a drink in hand, some soft, others much stronger. They're all engaged in bustling conversations, some with each other and others with females sitting on neighbouring pavements or standing beside at intimate distances. Shola and Wilson however, seemingly remain the only bachelors of moderation in sight hanging out with quaint cans of butch soda.

They have been here for about two and a half hours having fun, eating barbecue fish, smoked meat kebab and dancing their sorrows away. Considering the kind of popular club they are in, the night remains quite young.
Shola says, as he finishes up his drink, "Bro, I need to start heading home."

"Man wait a while, let's all go together." Wilson insists.

"Guyy.. It's nearly ten thirty. I have to go to work tomorrow. And you know how rough my neighbourhood is."

"I know, but you won't get any public transport at this time. Wait, so that Godfrey can drop us both off with his car. He lives close to my neighbourhood around Ekehuan road. We can drop you off first at Kpako junction before we drive home. Or we could convince Efe and Osas that we should leave, so that you can follow them rather than have to go home alone."

"No worries at all. As long as you drop me off at the junction of my street, I can make it home just fine. And we both know that this party is just beginning for Osas and Efe. They won't be coming any time soon. And Efe is already too drunk to drive sensibly."

Wilson laughs, turning to observe Efe swaying like a leaf about to fall off a branch, "Okay, no wahala," he responds, "I'll talk to Godfrey.." Then he moves closer to whisper, ".. once he is done with that fine girl."

Shola chuckles in response and brings out his phone to check some new messages coming in.

Less than a few minutes later, Wilson beckons, "Wow, Shola.. look who's over there."

Shola's curious eyes turn immediately to a further adjacent end of the club where he sights exactly what he perhaps would've wished he did not, but also is somewhat glad that he did see. Raising a brow and pursing his lips, he then lets out a nearly silent but notably condescending hiss.

It is Nancy, his ex flame. She appears to be very scantily dressed within a group of rugged looking boys, some of whom Shola and Wilson can recognize. Most prominent amongst them is Kingsley, the chief philanderer of Kpako neighbourhood and the currently ecstatic boulder Nancy is zestfully grinding upon and against while seemingly under the influence of a substance. The boys around her are equally very high and intermittently letting out bouts of laughter as they cheer her efforts in ferrally making out with the eagerly perspiring and handsy Kingsley. Shola always knew that Nancy enjoyed partying hard and liked to have edgy fun, but never had he actually witnessed her express lewdness so publicly before without an atom of care for her surroundings. Perhaps he truly did not fully know her. It seems to him as though she is on a hedonistic spiral and possibly ready to drive off a cliff without brakes at her current pace. Watching the girl he once knew who had other sides to her aside from the one currently on full display, he finds himself truly in a state of partial shock, pervasive revulsion and deep down, a bit of empathy toward what he perceives to be an existential plight. Although summarily, he finds himself quite relieved that he no longer has to deal with all he felt he had to deal with during their relationship.

Slowly turning his jaw from side to side, he remarks, "This girl.."

"..You dodged a bullet, my bro. In many ways." Wilson remarks, "Now you see all that we had been telling you all along about this girl. She has no boundaries. And you are better off without her. You're better off placing more value on yourself."

"Very true." Shola smiles, "..I value myself bro. It's just that somehow I thought I could be the one to change her. I thought that things would progress for the better if the love was strong enough, true enough and relentless enough. I have learnt this lesson the hard way for sure. But I'm glad I did."

"Well, I'm glad you did too.." Wilson responds with laughter.

"Wetin una dey talk! " a half drunk Godfrey chimes in, as he ends his earlier conversation with someone else; a female whose cell phone number he just procured.

"Na my guy former babe dey there so." Wilson responds with intended emphasis.

"Wait.. That girl???.. I know her nau! She dey run things with guys for my faculty well well. And almost every weekend, I dey see am for some clubs inside town."

"Wow!" Wilson exclaims before nearly bursting into laughter. Out of sheer second hand embarrassment, Shola tries to ignore their conversation and keeps his head bobbing to the music.

"So na your babe?? " Godfrey asks, tapping Shola on the shoulder.

"No be my babe o!! " he quickly responds before adeptly changing the subject.

About an hour later, a grey sedan pulls over at the entrance to Kpako street. Shola comes out and bids his friends farewell. After adjusting his outer jean jacket, he begins his journey home down the pothole ridden street. Like in many other places across Benin City, once the clock hits ten, no human remains in sight outdoors. Unlike the bright bustling nights of Lagos, Benin is truly a city that sleeps, with every door and gate barricaded to the teeth, as is quintessentially Nigerian, and fences where existent crowned with barbed wires against marauders of chance or intent. The suya barbecue stand at the junction of Kpako is long cold and Mr. Wesley's usually loud shop shows not a sign of animation. Usually, most blackouts last from fifteen to eighteen hours each day. However, recently, the electricity supply to Kpako has been quite faulty, so there has been a full-blown blackout for nearly six days now. A few seconds into this cool night stroll, Shola received a credit alert of his weekly commission of ₦8,500 from his work at Mr. Cosmas' shop. And with a warm smile, he begins to reminisce about his journey so far, and cherish the things he has been able to accomplish and earn for himself through diligent effort, passion and resilience, despite many pervasive socioeconomic limitations and other challenges ranging from social to academic, philosophical and emotional, as he is indeed one of those humans who ponders a lot and is emotionally sensitive sometimes to a fault. He sometimes finds himself feeling dreadfully alone despite being in the presence of a diverse array of people, well-wishers, friends and whatnot, and also despite somewhat enjoying their presence and the engagement it brings, as an extrovert. He tends to only feel more whole and understood around a select few individuals, with other factors seeming still a bit quite complicated. Nevertheless, as a powerful optimist, he lets out soft breath and a blooming smile, reiterating within himself just how much he loves his life, and how much by affirmative conviction, all is great and will continue to progress well enough, perhaps even astronomically so because when the passion and zest for the beauty of life and the beauty other people shine forth are strong enough, it can only get better.

Receiving another text message from one of his highschool friends who now lives in Finland, he beams once more and quickly taps the phone screen to reply. In the next few seconds, he hears a dim call from across the street, "Hey.. sss.."

Looking slightly upward in confusion, he tries to make out what or who made that sound. Without warning, a rabid punch blasts his ribs from behind. Another arm clutches the collar of his jacket and undershirt, peeling off a light layer of skin.

"You deaf!!.." asks one of the assailants.

"Our chairman dey call you, you still dey waka.." another remarks.

In seconds, Shola finds himself surrounded by about four individuals cloaked in an aura of ruthless morbidity and with voices hoarse, as though from the very depths of hell. Their breaths are emitting whiffs of a pungent mixture of burnt cannabis and fermenting alcohol. Even in the darkness, Shola's eyes can easily make out the acrimonious scorn in their demeanours and the irrational primal hostility their postures portend.

He does not dare to scream or resist or retort with force, because he understands, as though once schooled in the art of such danger, the futility and risk involved. "I be no hear, chief. I be no hear." Shola responds, as meek as a lamb, but in a breath articulate enough not to be construed as absolute fragility, because he has lived on the streets long enough to know that, if there is anything such toxic predators would mercilessly devour more than a lamb, it is a lamb with soft bones. Also, only predators with an ounce of empathy or honour seek out a fair battle or spare the weak.

As his triggered nerves fire and his heart continues to pulsate virgorously, he is led by both shoulders across the street to stand before the head of the group of young-looking men. Shola's phone is still in hand although barely, as his sweaty and partially shaky palms are nearly letting it slip off.

"You no know where you dey abi??.. You just loose-guard.. I dey call you, you still dey waka.." says the chairman.

"I be no hear chief.." Shola replies again.

"Your ear daft abi?.. Abi make I put slap for inside your face, make you for dey hear well?.. Bring that phone."

As he yanks the phone out of Shola's hand, the dim light rays from the device cast visibility upon his partially bearded chin and veiny neck which bears a number of thin gold chains above sparsely placed yet sufficiently frightening tattoos. After scanning the screen with dead eyes, he comfortably puts the phone into his pocket and looks forward, in an unspoken declaration that it is now his.

"So na you be the guy wey we dey find abi?.." he says in near rhetorical fashion.

"Ah, boss, me?.." Shola responds almost softly.

"Na you be the boy wey burst my guy head.. con run.. think sey I no go catch you."

In initial confusion at the wildly unfounded accusation, Shola responds, "No.. no be me o, chief.."

"..You no know sey na me get all the areas for this axis?? Na me dey run this Benin! .."

Shola realizes that this guy is simply trying to gaslight him into extortion and due to his questionable claim of running the entire Benin underground, he is likely a bluffer. However, he may be perhaps dangerous enough to make such a claim to a complete stranger in this kind of neighborhood. Nevertheless, to what extent he is a threat, Shola cannot fully ascertain, and as he remains quite outnumbered by the agitated henchmen behind, he considers it wise to remain humble and find a way to socially wriggle himself out of this situation.

"Ah, chairman.. I no fit do that kind thing. I just dey come back from church so, for Ekehuan side. Na evening vital renewal program we get since. We just dey finish. Na now I wan just reach house."

The chairman raises a brow and asks, "Which church be dat? "

"Winning Rock Ministries. Ahh.. the spirit fulfillment today ehn, no be here. Our body just dey hot.. We no even know when time take teach eleven o' clock. God is good!.."

Wincing partially in confused disgust, he then remarks in a low tone, "See ehn.. as I dey look you so.. just dey go. If you turn back, you will die this night."

"Okay, chief.." Shola responds. Then he shortly points to the gangster's pocket, saying, ".. my phone.."

"YOU DEY MAD!!" he barks furiously, "..Which phone??.. Which phone??.."

Immediately, Shola begins to walk away fearfully, not uttering another word.

"..You for wait, make I burst you head!.. Bastard!!" the mobster exclaims, before Shola phases farther into the darkness.

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Glossary
"Wetin una dey talk! " - "What're you guys talking about!"
"Na my guy former babe dey there so." - "That's my man's ex-girlfriend over there."
".. She dey run things with guys for my faculty well well. And almost every weekend, I dey see am for some clubs inside town." - ".. She has gotten involved with a lot of guys at my faculty as well. And almost every weekend, I see her in some clubs across town." 
"So na your babe?? " - "So she's your girlfriend??"
"No be my babe o!! " - "She is not my girlfriend!"
"Our chairman dey call you, you still dey waka.." - "Our boss is calling you, and you're still walking.."
"I be no hear, chief. I be no hear." - "I didn't hear, chief. I didn't hear."
"You no know where you dey abi??.. You just loose-guard.. I dey call you, you still dey waka.." - "You don't know where you are huh??.. You're just walking unbothered.. I was calling you, and you were still bloody walking.."
"Your ear daft abi?.. Abi make I put slap for inside your face, make you for dey hear well?.." - "You're a deaf fool right?.. Maybe I should smash your face in, so that you can hear properly.."
"So na you be the guy wey we dey find abi?.." - "So, you're the guy we've been looking for?"
"Ah, boss, me?.." - "Uhh.. boss, me?"
"Na you be the boy wey burst my guy head.. con run.. think sey I no go catch you." - "You're the guy who smashed the head of one of my men.. and ran away. Did you think I wouldn't catch you?"
"No.. no be me o, chief.." - "No.. it wasn't me, chief.."
"..You no know sey na me get all the areas for this axis?? Na me dey run this Benin! .." - "Don't you know I'm the one in charge of all the neighborhoods in this axis?? That I run the entire city of Benin!"
"Ah, chairman.. I no fit do that kind thing. I just dey come back from church so, for Ekehuan side. Na evening vital renewal program we get since. We just dey finish. Na now I wan just reach house." - "Ohh, boss.. I could never do such a thing. I'm just coming back from church at Ekehuan. We've had an evening 'vital renewal program' since. We just finished and I was on my way home."
"Which church be dat? " - "What church is that?"
"Winning Rock Ministries. Ahh.. the spirit fulfillment today ehn, no be here. Our body just dey hot.. We no even know when time take teach eleven o' clock.." - "Winning Rock Ministries. Ohh.. the spirit fulfillment today was so immense. Our souls were literally on fire for the lord.. We didn't even know when the time reached eleven o'clock"
"See ehn.. as I dey look you so.. just dey go." - "You know what.. as I'm looking at you, right now.. I want you to start walking away."
"YOU DEY MAD!!" - "ARE YOU CRAZY!!"
"..You for wait, make I burst you head!.." - "Should've waited for me to pop your head!.."