I. Odawna

6.12 pm

Hawa dey under me dey scream sey I dey fire am too hard. Ein nails dey enter my back; she wrap ein leg round my waist; she dey shout things wey go make ein old girl faint. The AC dey full nyanya but the room still dey smell like sin, sweat den smoke.

We dey fuck for mattress top sekof my money never dey reach bed frame. She dey beg me for Ga inside. Ao! Ao! Aagbe mi ee! Aagbe mi ee! Somebody for outside go think sey true-true I dey kill am. If I stop dey blaze the toto right now, she go vex me. Women. I no dey understand dem. She always dey complain sey I dey fire too hard. She say anytime we finish dey fuck ein walking all change. She say ein mommee always dey ask am, why ein walking change? Wey she always dey tell am sey she fall-don.

Every Tuesday after school, Hawa dey fall-don.

6.40 pm

After sex, Hawa dey like talk about ein life. She tell me sey the reason she fail ein final exams two times be sekof ein parents want marry am to some old Alhaji as soon as she ’plete Secondary School. She tell me sey she get head waa. She even write the exams give some girl wey she pass. She start dey cry.

I shon school long time so I no know school matter, but I dey barb pain. Pain be somtin I dey see, normal. So anytime Hawa start dey cry for my mattress top, I wan tell am sey everything go be alright. But I no dey fit talk am. Sekof I know sey, she know sey no be everything wey go be fine for life inside. So, instead sey I go lie am, I tell am sey if she ever need mattress sleep top she fit come my side. She laugh. She say I be smooth operator wey she start touch-touch me.

The sex always be sweeter after the tears. This time, I no dey fuck am too hard.

7.30 pm

Castro den Lankai dey bang the door for my small self-contain. Dem dey shout sey make I commot. I no taya dey fuck? Even as dem dey outside, I fit smell the wee dem fini dey smoke.

Hawa dey adjust ein hijab. She dey make ready go house. Ein face all make serious. I kai how ein face change-change just some minutes ago as she dey moan for my mattress top. Right now she do ein face like somebody wey smell somtin e no dey like. Maybe she dey kai sey I be good-for-nothing. Ruffian. Vagabond. Kuborlor. Maybe she just no want go house. I shout tell Castro den Lankai sey make dem fuck off. Hawa giddop from the bed wey I see sey ebi true, ein walkings really change. I don my shadda wey I commot plus am. Castro den Lankai watch as we dey commot the room, wey dem start laugh. Hawa no give dem eye sef. She just watch ein front as she dey galley. She no even talk “Bye.” She carry ein plenty buttocks like water-balloon dey go.

7.35 pm

Me, Castro den Lankai dey smoke inside some condemned car near some fitting shop. In fact this be the same car wey Castro take lose ein virginity to Akosua Indomie. Dem-times, before plantain start dey cost, we dey call am Akosua Kelewele sekof that be what she dey sell. We for add what she dey sell to ein name sekof we get plenty women for here wey demma name be Akosua. We get Akosua Pawpaw, she dey sell fruits. We get Akosua Ntos, she dey sell tomatoes. We even get Akosua Gbemi, she dey sell eku egbemi. But if she hear that name, she fit slap we.

We be the Sobolo Boys. As we be kiddies, Lankai always dey talk blood be thick pass water, but e no thick pass sobolo. We dey call wona-selves Sobolo Boys sekof we know sey wona bond thick pass blood. Nothing dey wey I no go do for Castro or Lankai, wey I know sey dem too go fit die give me. We be the original Hakuna Matata. The real Asheee Gbeyie. E dey mean sey we no get any worries, wey we dey fear nothing.

As we dey smoke, Lankai kai we some matter. One time police come zua Lankai, Castro den me go counterback. Dem say ebi sekof somebody steal Razak ein car. Razak be Castro ein landlord. As the police barb we, dem say we be gang. I ask dem what dey show sey we be gang? Dem say wona lips make black from smoking. We dey counter-back six days before dem release we. As we dey inside, some dadaba boy – ein name be Ivan – come dey inside for three hours. Ivan booze for town wey e take ein car knock down some girl. The girl die for hospital, but the policemen treat Ivan like ebi lesser god. Ein old boy socket some money to the girl ein family den the police wey the case die. Ivan fit kill somebody but e no be case, but we wey we no steal car sef dem say we be criminals.

If them make bored den the police go slap-slap we, dey tell we sey ebi “interrogation.” I ask demma champion, Seargent Pinto, sey if this be how dem dey treat we as we no do anytin, what dem go do if dem catch we sey we dey do somtin? Pinto answer me plus slap.

Make anybody ask me, I go tell dem sey ebi the police wey be the gang for streets.

8.15pm

We fini dey smoke wey we start search chow. By this time Sweetie dey come close ein shop, so we galley fast catch ein there ask am sey rice still dey anaa? She say yeah rice dey, we make lucky. Sometimes I dey feel sey Sweetie dey wait we before she close. I know sey she den Castro get somtin do before, sekof Castro tell we some time. That move Castro do help we waa. Any time we come Sweetie ein there, she dey give we free chow.

II. Additrom

11pm

As we enter Rasta’s Pub wey we see the Ayigbe Town boys, like we for know sey trouble go dey. Castro hit some money wey he say make we take go drink for Rasta’s Pub. We high wey we booze fucking. The Ayigbe Town boys too booze for the other side. We dey fit tell sey them be Ayigbe Town boys sekof the way them dey talk.

If boys-boys meet wey booze plenty, nobody for tell you sey somtin go happen. Lankai wey start am today. The booze enter ein head wey he start dey shout sey nobody for Ayigbe Town go fit me for fight inside. Everybro for here know sey Lankai dey fool. But if you no know am you go feel sey e make serious. Sekof I know am, I know sey e just dey pass inside laugh me. I try signal am sey make e shon, but e no watch my face sef. E continue dey fool. E dey shout say as dem born me the nurses dey call me Terror sekof dem spank me wey I frown. I no cry. I start dey laugh. Ebi some foolish story wey I tell Lankai one time. Then we all high wey we dey crack jokes. But right now, e dey talk wona jokes like ebi serious matter. Dis be what dey happen if you booze wey you san high. The Ayigbe Town boys dey hear we. Dem no dey like the nonsense Castro den Lankai dey talk. Ebi as dem make quiet for demma table wey everybody know sey fight dey come pae.

11.30pm

The DJ dey blast some Black Sherif song.

Of course I fucked up…

The Ayigbe Town boys giddop from demma side come wona corner. We too we giddop, stand firm dey wait dem. Ten toes.

It is what it is….

If you dey streets you go know sey if somebro dey come greet you plus blow, you no dey sit down collect am. If you sit down e dey mean sey you lose the fight before e start.

Can’t nobody stop a man….

Some short guy tell the Ayigbe Town boys sey make dem cool down. Ein name be Tawfiq. Be like ebe am wey dey control the boys. The matter be simple matter. Ayigbe Town go bring hero take face me. Lankai den Castro ’gree. Den I no want do again sekof for the group inside me wey I get sense. But as my boys put demma mouth for ground, e no be me wey go shit for inside. So me too I ’gree.

They say, “When it’s on then it’s on, we can’t stop till it’s done”…

12am

Plenty motorbikes come. The Ayigbe Town boys call demma squad. Demma engines dey sound like thunder. We no shake. Odawna boys too start dey commot one one sekof dem hear motorbikes for demma hood inside. For here, we no dey sleep if somtin dey happen. Even if wona boys no dey like we, dem go dey wona back sekof this be where we from. Lankai dey give me vim sey this thing go be easy.

Demma hero giddon for ein bike top wey I shake. Ei! The guy tall wey e san thick. Dis be somebro wey dey chew metal every morning, afternoon, gbɛkɛ. E kai me of dem-times some film bi, Conan the Barber or somtin so. Ein name be Abas but ein guy-name be Goliath. Castro laugh wey e say if this be Goliath den me my name be David. The Ayigbe Town boys dey laugh me. Dem say dis no be Bible wey David go fit defeat Goliath. God no dey here. Like God here ein sef go beg me sey make I no try Goliath.

Tawfiq den ein boys decide sey dem go settle the matter plus arm-wrestling. These days we no dey fight unless ebi necessary. Dem put bet for top. If I chop, me den my boys go take Goliath ein bike. If Goliath chop, the Ayigbe Town boys go take Lankai ein bike sekof I no get bike. That be when Lankai start shake. He turn watch me wey e ask me if I be sure sey I go fit Goliath for arm-wrestling inside. I start dey laugh. So all this while he dey make moff my boy no even get vim for my back? Fucking guy.

12.20am

Somebody take table come. Me den Goliath sit dey face wona body. He hold my hand pɛ wey I know sey Lankai go lose ein bike. Goliath ein hand check like iron. As we dey come start the match, Rasta — the guy wey dey own the pub — talk say this match be too easy, we for make the game hard small. He say if we do am so, that one go show who be the true hero. My heart start dey pound for my chest inside sekof I know what the man dey come talk. The Ayigbe Town boys ask the old man what e dey talk? Wetin e go like make dem do? Rasta smile some wicked smile.

He swallow ein beer finish wey e talk sey we for Jump.

1am

Dem name Odawna after Odaw River. Ebi Ga name. E dey mean “at the mouth of the Odaw River.” As Accra dey develop, dem turn the river into some big gutter. The gutter dey go all the way to the Korle Lagoon. But dem never change the name.

Train dey pass this side. E dey commot Tema every morning, den san go back every gbɛkɛ. More people dey use the train sekof e cheap pass trotro. We always dey laugh sey the train taya, wey the people wey dey top too dem taya. This be Accra. Everybody taya.

As we be kiddies, we come meet some tradition for here. If you wan prove sey you be hardguy, you for jump over the tracks as the train dey your front. Ebi very foolish game. Long time ago some boys die as dem dey play, so the growees no allow make them continue dey play dis foolish game. Even we Sobolo Boys wey we do everything before, we never try Jump.

Till today.

Lankai no dey care sey I never Jump before. He kai sey then times as we be kiddies for school den I be sports-boy. I know run. He dey talk dis matter wey I kai am sey we all lef school JHS 2. For here, if your talent no be book, make you forget school. Future no dey give you. We lef school sekof Castro dawg school. Den-times, Castro dey love cook. Till this day we no know who for Accra ein chow dey bee pass Castro. He tell wona teacher sey e go love do Home Economics for SS, the teacher start laugh am. E tell am sey Home Economics be course only girls dey do. He be girl anaa? So e dawg the school. Wey Lankai den me too dawg the school so sey e no go make lonely.

1.40am

We all booze, but we manage galley go the train tracks ein body. E knack 1.40am. The train dey reach here 7am. The plan be sey we go wait till the train come. We all find some corner for floor top wey we bed.

III. Odaw Railway Station

6am

Ebi Lankai ein bet so I tell am sey make e giddop me. I no fit sleep proper sef. Cars dey speed for Ring Road top. Everybody dey go job early sekof nobody wan dey traffic inside. But sekof everybody pick mind sey dem go lef early, the traffic start already. For life inside, if your eye tear too much you dey cry blood.

The boys wey dey push coffee cart come. Dem finish demma night shift so dem dey exchange plus the people dem dey push am morning-tee. Dem dey buy bread for some bakery. Some of the boys buy small bread take chop, wey the rest buy go sell. The whole place dey smell like bread.

The koliba-boys also start dey move around plus demma trucks. Dem dey search scrap metal. Hand go, hand come. So life dey. This side be different from the rich people demma side. All the work we dey do for here, we dey do am plus wona hands. People dey call we lazy sekof we be poor, but dem no fit do the work wey we dey do.

6.12am

Lankai bed deep. I giddop from ground wey I go talk to the Ayigbe Town boys. Dem dey bed together. The booze clear for wona eyes inside. Tawfiq no bed. Small pipe dey ein moff inside. E dey smoke hashish. I tap ein body wey e hand me the pipe den lighter. I fire the hashish wey I pull the smoke. Ebi strong. We dey watch the people wey dey walk for the street top. Dem all dey go work or school. As dem catch wona side, either sey dem go start walk fast or dem go cross road. We be rough boys.

I know sey the hashish start dey job sekof I start laugh. Tawfiq also dey laugh. He pull some of the hashish wey e take give me. I pull again. I tell am sey I dey laugh sekof the people dey cross the street. Dem dey fear we.

“E no dey worry you?” Tawfiq ask me. Smoke dey commot ein nostrils like exhaust pipe. He dey smile but I know sey ebi the hashish e dey make e smile, no be sey the matter be funny. I pull the hashish again wey I start dey cough. Tawfiq start dey laugh me. Man no for cough if e dey smoke.

“Nah...E no dey...worry me” I beat my chest take commot the smoke wey make I cough.

“E for worry you chale. People for no see you den fear as you no be thief.” Tawfiq talk the matter simple as he pass me the pipe again. Some noise dey wona back. Goliath dey yawn. E open ein mouth gbayaa like excavator. As e stretch I dey watch ein legs. The way ein legs long, I sure sey if this guy Jump, e go fly. My stomach start dey do me styles. I turn wey I see sey Tawfiq dey watch me. He dey wait answer.

“If somebody dey fear me, that be the person ein matter. God know what e dey my heart. My sins be only two: wee den women. I no get time dey thief people.” I tell am.

Tawfiq watch me quiet. He giddop wey e pull me make I stand. As I stand finish he shake my hand.

“You get sense, David. My name be Tawfiq.” He halla me ein name.

I laugh sekof my name no be David. Tawfiq watch the G-shock wey dey ein wrist top. “You for giddop your people. We dey come settle the matter.”

6.50am

I walk go my boys demma side. Lankai still bed, but the other boys all giddop. Castro lef sekof e for go market buy foodstuff take cook. E dey do salad den gari fotor give the women dem dey sell chow for Odawna inside. That be how e dey take get chopmoney. As I hear sey e lef, I no blame am. Money for pocket need pass anytin we dey do for here. Even as the booze clear from wona eyes, nobody want talk sey dis be foolish thing we dey come do. We still go do am.

I kick Lankai take giddop am. E open ein eyes ask me sey e knack how much’e? I show am time. E tell me sey as e bed e dream sey I no win the Jump. I tell am sey make e no tell me foolish things. E say if I want stop, I go fit. E go carry ein bike give the Ayigbe Town boys. After all, what be bike we no fit steal? From Sukura to Caprice more bikes dey wey fit get new owner. I dey understand Lankai. If you fail the Jump e dey mean two things. Either sey you go hurt serious one, or you go die. My boy no want make I die.

The hashish dey my inside so I dey feel like sey I go fit do anything. I go fit fly sef. Who be Goliath? I tell Lankai sey make e relax, I go show the Ayigbe Town boys somtin.

7am

The Ayigbe Town boys gather for wona side wey we explain the game give dem. We show dem where me den Goliath go stand, den where the train for dey before we jump. We mark am plus stone. As dem see how close the thing be, dem all start dey shake demma head. Even Tawfiq ein face change small. But nobody pull out. Nobody talk sey make we just go home. At least that one nobody go die. We still dey.

We all fool.

7.03am

Me den Goliath dey wait the train. The boys too dey. Some dey stand wona back, wey some cross the tracks dey stand against we. Odawna den Ayigbe Town boys all dey mix. We make shi dey wait for the show. Right now, the only thing e lef be the train.

7.05am

The train still no come. Like by now e for come, but e make late. Accra we dey, after all. Time just be suggestion.

7.09am

The tracks start dey vibrate wey someone shout sey the train dey come. I no know who shout am, but I want ask am sey ebi am pɛ get eyes? We dey watch the train as e dey come. The driver blow the horn three times sharp. Make we clear the tracks top. The horn be so loud I dey feel am for my chest inside. Like e no be the hashish wey dey my system inside, I run already. I watch Goliath ein face wey I see sey ein too dey watch me. Maybe e dey pray sey if I run e too go fit run. The driver always dey blow the horn as e catch this side sekof we dey love dey walk for the tracks top. We no dey fear anything. Sometimes the train dey knock people sef. But even though Daily Graphic newspaper demma headquarters dey here norr, nobody dey report am.

I start dey breathe deep. I make ready. The train pass the marker wey I start run. One step. Two step. Bend knee. Arms dey in the air like ebi wings.

Fly.

7.13am

The boys for the other side no know what e happen till the train finish dey pass. As the train lef, dem see sey I dey stand wey Goliath dey on the ground. The Odawna boys all dey shout sey we chop bet! David beat Goliath! I just dey there dey laugh. My blood all make hot, wey the hashish still dey make I high. I make happy basaa. My eye get pass beggar e see money for floor.

But make I talk you somtin. That day eh, God dey plus Goliath. Sekof ein legs long, e no calculate the jump better. E jump wey e land the track ein body pɛpɛɛpɛ. Like ein boys no see sey yawa dey come happen, like Goliath die. Ebi ein boys wey come pull am commot the tracks top as the train dey come gidigidi. E dislocate ein ankle, but that one be somtin wey correct bone-setter go fit fix. Bad ankle better pass you go lose your life.

7.20am

Tawfiq carry Goliath ein motorbike keys give me. E say we for do rematch, but this time we go play football. Lankai laugh wey e tell am sey we make ready give dem any day. Football be wona life for here. The Ayigbe Town boys tap demma motorbikes top wey dem lef. Lankai start dey shout sey right now everybody for call me Kɔɔyɔɔ sekof the way I do the jump easy. Kɔɔyɔɔ dey mean “wind” for Ga. We all start dey laugh. My whole life I never get guy-name so today be my outdooring. The boys carry me put demma head top wey dem start dey shout Kɔɔyɔɔ! Kɔɔyɔɔ! Kɔɔyɔɔ!

Somebody talk sey I jump like that plastic ball wey dem dey call am Obey the Wind. Dem name am so sekof if you kick the ball, the wind dey carry am go anywhere e dey like. For there norr, dem change the chant to Obey the wind! Obey the wind! Obey the wind!

7.30am

The boys start dey scatter one by one. Wona eye clear wey we see sey we get things do. The people dem get work lef. The people wey dem no get work also start lef sekof dem for search food chop. Lankai tap ein bike top, wey me too I tap Goliath ein bike top wey we move go Castro ein side so sey we fit gbaa am the full story. We go wait make e finish dey do the chow, den we go help am carry to ein customers. We do that job finish, we go base for the car inside den smoke. After smoking then we go search somtin chop.

7.35am

We dey on the motor wey I see Hawa. She dey go school plus ein girls-girls. I shout ein name. Ein girls turn, but she no turn. I know sey she hear me but still she no turn. For outside, Hawa always dey do like she no know me. Like e for pain me, but e no pain me. She no fit air me. I be the Wind. I tell myself sey if she no dey want make people know sey we dey fuck, that one no be my matter. As for me, I dey for my boys wey dem dey for me. We be the Sobolo Boys. Blood no thick pass wona bond. We be the original Hakuna Matatas. The real Asheee Gbeyie. We no get worries. We dey fear nothing.