Although it has the sign of a zebra crossing, I remember that this is the mainland road where, if a zebra doesn't take care, it will be run over by a car for meat.
I added a few steps to hasten my walk before looking to the side to see this bus, which was in the distance. Its driver frowned and peered out through the side window of the bus. Then, with a mischievous look on his face, he stretched his hand through the window, spreading his palm wide and opening all five fingers.
I knew exactly what the gesture meant, as it is a common way of insulting people here, which means ‘ your father or mother’.
I stepped on the walkway, and the bus drove past. The vehicle was a purple bus, old but brightly painted, which had several stickers taped and different writing on the body of it to beautify it more.
My mind went to a statement written at the back of the purple bus, “ patience is a virtue,” as the bus drove away, and I wondered why the driver wasn't patient.
“Grin grin,” my phone rang, and I looked at its screen to confirm that it was Koye, one of the people I do deliveries for, and I knew it was business time.
“ Hello,” I answered.
“Hello, Femi, I wanted you to help me drop something,” she replied, and within a few minutes, I was in her apartment waiting for the consignment to be delivered.
“ Femi, I bought a few items from the nearby store and was overcharged. I want you to take the receipt and go there,” she said, and I was like, I don't understand.
“ Why can't you go by yourself?” I asked.
“ It is because I don't want to step out now,” she replied.
“ Then go yourself when you are ready,” I replied.
“ This is not in the context of my job,” I concluded, and as I wanted to leave, she pleaded, “Please, Femi, I have spoken to the manager already; yours was just to drop the receipt. He will be waiting for you,” she concluded.
I collected the receipt and went there, but to my surprise, I met another situation there which was also familiar.
The manager truly was waiting for me as Koye said, but I didn't understand what he was talking about.
“ You are the one who wanted to give our company a bad reputation,” he uttered.
“ I don't understand,” I answered.
Koye called, telling me that you said you came here already and you weren't attended to.
“ That is not true, you know,” he continued.
At first, I was shocked, knowing that Koye pleaded for me to be here, so what on earth is the manager saying?
“ Koye said that,” I replied.
“ Yes, she did. Are you surprised that she called to confirm what you told her?” he answered with a wink, and I was like, I don't have talks with the manager.
He collected the receipt, and the angry part was that the overcharged Koye was talking about was two hundred and fifty naira only after the manager corrected the sales.
I was boiling with anger that she sent me here intentionally, wasting my time and putting me through this inconvenient situation with the manager.
I got back to her and said, “What did you tell the manager”
She smiled and replied, “Now you know how embarrassment feels”
I tried to understand her and asked,
“Embarrassment as how”
“ You embarrassed me by turning down a simple request and letting me beg you, so I paid you back,” she answered.
“ So this is what it's all about,” I replied.
“ Yes, it is,” she answered, and I was so angry that I wanted to be vibrating, but something just calmed me down when I remembered the write-up on the purple bus: ‘ patience is virtue,’ and I just knew that the writing was just like a message, so I decided to stay calm no matter what happened.
I turned to leave and heard her saying, “ I sent the payment for your service already,” but I did not reply as I left.
Going back home, I wondered why she decided to send me on such a request when she knew the overcharge was nothing to her, as she could just call the manager to complain, and that is all.
I knew she paid because she wasted my time and for the embarrassment she created for me, so I concluded by reckoning that “ some people like problems”.
If not for the message from the purple bus, I am very sure that I would have barked at her like a bulldog and said what she wouldn't like to hear, and the worst would be not to do her delivery again.