Crossing the Wall of Fear

Its 6 PM we are in Ikorodu Road in Lagos Nigeria, I am sitting in my Car at the back sit, My driver Ade is getting fatter after 6 months working for me.

He is Yoruba(非洲)约鲁巴人[语] very superstitious also easily scared from so many unexpected dangerous things that can happen in his country.

I remember one day we were on the high way between Lagos to Ibadan, there was a go-slow (as they call traffic jam in local English).We could see on the horizon a fuel tanker in fire with thick black smoke raising to the sky.

And the cars in front had to pass near by.Since they were very close to the Wall of Fear some will stop and pass very close to this man made volcano.

When it was our turn the traffic stopped when the flame was on our right.

And the big black smoke suddenly made a big Boom sound.

And Ade my driver just opened his door and run away leaving me alone at the back

I just jumped from back sit to front driving the car away from the flame feeling the heath from thick doors of Benz.

So Ade is that kind of person, and that day I observe him Fatter and Fatter in their culture being Fat is equal to doing well.

May be they saw people from the richest countries of the world beating the obesity records, they also wanted to have a taste of what they think of being wealthy.

So Ade says that day on Ikorodu road :

Oga (means boss for local language) soon it is going to get dark.It is too dangerous now let us go back home and park the car in safety.

As Lagos is very near Ecuador the sun set all year is at 6.30 pm.

He drove me and left me alone.

I have heard also horrific stories of Armed Robbers part real, part true, attacking peoples house and cutting them into pieces to find out where the owner is hiding their money.

When he left me alone.He did not know that my decision was made, I am a man who is used to live free.

If I listen to locals I have to stay in at night and week ends being a prisoner of my fear .

My future was bleak.

If I follow the crowd, I will live in fear every day of my life.

But if I go out from that prison, I will live a normal life,see the people hear their voice, can watch under the moon light fisher men canoes floating with tide .With the fishermen lying on the boats smoking hemp.

I will see Lagos by night and for this I am ready to live without fear, I am for fearless life.

If there was a reason to fear.

If I need to taste the real taste of Fear.

I rather taste it the minute I will get killed in the hand of my assassins.In any case my prayer was ready for that situation

if and when that will happen.

I would say my Prayer exactly with those words.

-Thanks God to give me such a wonderful life. Thanks for let me know the variety in the beauty of human races.

Thanks to let me see really nice sceneries.

Thank you to let me listen all kind of languages since my childhood and let me hear so many kind of nice music.

I have no regret for now to go to the world of darkness.

After my emergency spiritual plan was ready.

I sit in my car start it and zoom my car across the wall of fear.

It was midnight it was so nice to be on the road where there was nobody else than me.

The day time Lagos was a place of cars with boiling water

from Engine overheated in endless traffic congestion

This day time Hell for drivers was a Night time Paradise

for those who dare to cross the wall of fear.

I am familiar in driving there as many times when ADE show ed of sign of unsafe driving I chose to drive my self asking him to sit behind.

Each time we stopped somewhere people looked with amusement to Oyigbo (White man) useless man working as a Driver for an African man.

So I use my experience to drive at night

Which consist to constantly look on the road to find, a big hole,a fallen tire wheel, Iron barbed wire of armed robbers, fallen stones, any kind of unbelievable objects that they may just be there.

The second work of driver is to look for cigarette bud lightmoving in the darkness.

Is it really cigarette bud?

Not of course.It is the Torch Light with dying battery shaken

by policemen manning a road check point.

Rumors say people were killed just because they did not see the moving bud light.My eyes were like high density night scanner able to detect any small light no matter how microscopic is the size.

Rumors says that they are underpaid, corrupt, siphoning poor man scarce funds for minor traffic offenses, dressing a reversible uniform which has one side police color and the other side is a robber work uniform.

Since I do not believe in rumors, I move near by the moving cigarette bud light in darkness and stop the car.

Opening the light inside. I open the driver window.

I just see very near my head in total darkness the weak torch light and a pair of white eyes staring at me:
I hear a voice from darkness:

Oyigbo (white man)!

Don't you afraid to be outside at this time of the night?

I just act like a fearless movie actor directed by his movie:

director with a laughing and confident friendly voice:

I am not JJC (new comer in their language which means Johnny Just Come) you know?

I am the shun of the shoal (means son of the soil in local accent)

Not knowing that I had a training in local culture that shielded me there.

Than he look to my car -A Mercedes of 8 Cylinder which is called SHAGARI in his country .Shagari was their president before, he has gone but his name became a car model name.

And he says don't you bring something for me?

I do not mind to give him the dash(bribe) he asked me.

I only have a problem with it.

It will shift the balance of power between us oo much to his favor that is the only thing I am not ready for .

I say daringly.

I am a chef cook in Lagos Sheraton Ikeja Hotel

which is not true of course.

Tomorrow I bring you Jollof Rice.(Delicious spicy red rice)

Also if you need a better Job I can help you.

He just wave his hand with the air don't waist my time just ask me to go.

I was admitted with honor across the wall of fear and get a permanent resident card which I will never give it back in future.

For the sounds and sights behind the wall of fear wait till next posting