Night Runs – chapter 15 – Time

Chapter 15

Time

Adio stared from the window as his car sped past the serene estates of Oniru, a suburb in Lagos where modern and smart houses lined every corner of the road.

These houses were painted in white, grey or any bland color as though in a choreographed sequence to distract marauders from the opulence that laid waste within.

Adio’s thoughts wandered to the lives of the residents. Everyone was probably in their homes living their lives – or at least believing they were. They’d get up, look in the mirror, get back into bed and do it all over again, cycling rapidly between night and day. While he was here working his fingers to the bone to earn enough money to enjoy life only for a few days before he joined the rat race again.

There was no rest, none in sight for his weary body.

Sometimes he felt sorry for himself, at other times, he wished he had an alternative plan to get rich in Lagos without the guilt of cheating or swindling others. The legitimate alternative to wealth seemed long and tortuous, offering no respite as each day leaves every bone in his body pulverized and every living tissue shredded.

“What a life!”

“Shut up Don!” He muttered to himself.

“I beg your pardon?” came a masculine voice from the backseat.

“Oh no sir, I didn’t say anything worthy of note.”

“Right!”

The fleeting moment between his next words hung heavily in thick silence.

“You speak well and with good English. You have a formal education, don’t you?”

“Oh yes sir. That is correct.” Adio didn’t think of the need to provide further details.

“Your helper has finally located you.”

“Shut up!”

“Did you say something?”

“I meant to say, I graduated from the State University.”

“That is interesting. How long ago was this?

“Six years, sir!”

“Did you work in any formal organization at any point?”

“Looks like you are in an interview session already bro.” Don’s voice crept into his thoughts again.

“Yes, I did. I worked two years in a pharmaceutical marketing company just after my youth service.”

“Interesting. Interesting.” The voice of the man at the backseat trailed off.

Adio drove on, his eyes fixed on the intersection ahead where the malfunctioning traffic light consented to the building chaos of cars, motorcycles and tricycles locked in the battle for the right of way.

He approached the intersection with caution. It was starting to look like a long wait in traffic.

“Why did you leave your first job?”

“Those employers can be very insensitive sir. They gave me an unassailable sales target and made my life unbearable with the working conditions. Trust me sir, I am very hardworking and can hold my own, but I later found out that they did the same thing to every employee to frustrate them out of the company.”

Adio paused for effect.

“They owed me almost 6months salary before I quit.”

“You suffer no be small bro!”

“Shut up! Don.”

“I see. How long have you been driving the cab?”

Adio eyes darted left and right as he looked keenly at the traffic ahead, shaking his head at the increasing noise from the car honks and the lack of respect for traffic rules by the tricyclists around his car. Some had started to drive in the opposite direction.

“Maybe he wants to offer you a job bro?”

“I got a loan from the bank to buy this Toyota two years ago after I had struggled to find another job in the industry in futility.”

“Honestly, I am quite impressed with your choice of words and diction. You speak so fluently.” The man paused as though taking mental notes before exhaling deeply. “Futility”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You better pitch your skills now before the man changes his mind, bro.”

“How profitable has this been for you?”

“It pays most of my bills and the monthly repayment on the loan. It certainly won’t make me rich.”

“Right! Everyone desires to be rich.” His voice bellied the smugness of a man basking too long in critical ardor.

Adio didn’t mind the questions, after all he spent most part of his driving time in absolute silence. One of his passengers had fallen asleep the moment he joined him in the air-conditioned car. Another spent the whole time hunched over his mobile phone. One passenger even had a headpiece over his ears throughout the journey, singling aloud with a terribly irritating hoarse voice as he drove on.

For all it was worth, this was a positive engagement with his current passenger. The man with a full beard over his face speaking as though he owned a company of his own.

“Why the hell is he dressed in a suit and taking a late cab if he was a CEO.” Don critiqued.

“Maybe he is trying to be security conscious. Its 12.20am in the morning Don.” Adio murmured in defense of his passenger.

Blinding lights from three tricycles driving in the opposite direction pierced through his eyes causing immeasurable pain all of a sudden. Instinctively, he shut his eyes forcefully then raised his fore arm to shield his face. The moment could have lasted forever, because when he opened his eyes, first in a squint, his view was no longer that of a chaotic road intersection.

He was still seated behind the steering wheel of his car, but there was no passenger in the back seat, no voice in his head, nor was there any road ahead.

White noise permeated the eerie scene ahead of him.

He was alive. He could feel his heart beating, but something strange was happening and he had no clue what it was.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion, like time stood still, except that this time, he could move his hands, heads and he could hear his own heartbeat.

Was he in a trance?

When he tried to speak, his voice echoed through in painful blubber and still in slow motion. He closed his mouth in awe.

What was this about? One minute he was driving a passenger to Iponri, Surulere and the next minute, he was all by himself.

Did he time travel?

But this didn’t feel like time travelling, there were no swirling lights or tunnels like in the movies. He had no idea where in the time continuum he currently was.

The fog ahead began to clear, and images started to form. His eyes darted around questioning his vision.

When the fog cleared, he could discern the image of himself standing by the seaside with a beautiful woman in a wedding gown by his side. They had just shared an intimate kiss, the one that succeeds “You may kiss the bride.”

Alas! They were at their own wedding. There was a modest crowd including Baba Ramota in colorful agbada and cap to match.

He was clad in a cream-colored suit, while his bride adorned a white lacey gown that accentuated her bust.

It felt so real, as though he was suddenly sucked into a future state. He needed to see the face of his bride; she looked oddly familiar. And so, he strained his neck and cocked his head to get a better view.

She looked like his neighbor. The one who had cared for him when he was down with cholera weeks earlier. It couldn’t be, he doubted. She looked dashingly beautiful.

Confused, he started to speak.

******

“You should move now, the traffic warden has cleared the logjam. Move quickly.” Came the voice from the backseat.

Jolted back to the present state, at first Adio couldn’t remember a thing. A kaleidoscope of emotions confused his brain. Confusion, shock, fear, pleasure, worry, disappointment and finally anger.

What was that about?

Did he truly time travel?

Continue the story here.