The Lottery Connived With My Mind And Confused Me

"ADE'S JOURNAL", 97

  Numbers jump haphazardly, on a printed off white sheet of paper. Slumber had long left my tired eyes and only adrenaline, pumped hard into my blood and prompts me to believe and hold onto hope. I am not alone, I see young men, mostly buying the tickets and believing that luck would somehow, someday, shine on their fingertips. Everyday, I hear tales of young boys, even girls, winning the lottery. I just pray and hope that, this time, I win. I shuffle and shift and then, finally sit at the edge of a rusty, yellow bus. It’s thick twin black stripes outside, shout and announced to all that it was commercial. And that I was stuck with the masses. Inside, was not any better, the walls Pierce at my sides, and protruding metal, jabs at my thighs. And I’m dodging a sharp roughly soldered corner of this death trap. My eyes stray and I spot a simple beautiful young lady. I pray, quietly that the slim young girl would join me on my seat. This bus that allows four passengers, for now we are three. But two hefty others, have taking up most of the space and are squashing me towards the wall of the bus. Then it, my lottery ticket, almost flies away and I grip tighter and keep the paper firmly in-between my fingertips. I stare away from the white sheet of tiny paper and watch the entrance. My eyes drift for a moment, as an overweight man, shoves me closer and nudges me nearer to the edge of this mangled, poorly, put together secondhand bus. An overweight woman joined us and I knew that, I was doomed. It was my threat’s and loud grumble that made them adjust and stop squashing me. As I was about this to shout some more, the hefty man by my side asked if my number was close. He too had lottery tickets, I looked and he showed me numbers that looked like mine. My heart skipped and I crossed checked it with mine, I had won....

        This new Year, has shined fame and fortune my way. I screamed and announced my victory. I called my friends and shouted songs of praise, they followed me. Sang with me, their lead singer. I would not done at a local, raz place, no. I am a winner now, and the new hotel on Awolowo way is perfect. I pay for the entire bus ride and noisily, enter the beautiful hotel. Drinks on me, order one plate each and dine and start this new year with dignity. The Eba, was spun and cooked and carved beautifully into a lovely spiral. The wheat meal too is Crafted into a work of art and the ogbono soup. Lord have mercy, I tell you. One should win a lottery at least, once in a lifetime. The alcohol is sweeter and I am a little high, I think. That does not matter, what matters, is now. The yellow pawpaw, Christina is locked into my arm and feeding me, slices of pomo. I  feel tired and so drunk, my eyes are beginning to close. I am the king and my jokes are outrageously funny. Until the bill comes, it’s the zero’s that clears my eyes. My guest’s are suspicious and ask if I’m alright. I swear I am and bring out my ticket and behind it is where I penned my winnings. It is one hundred thousand less than the bill. I try to talk but the hefty security guard, confiscates all our phones. Christina is crying now, the phone with her, is not hers. My fellow gambler’s are quick to say, they did not expect to pay. I cannot talk, but they can’t shut up. They give up, my address and where I work. And like a zombie, I follow the security men, people on the streets are asking questions. The answer embarrasses me and I want to enter the ground. This embarrassment has just started. I am charged to court and the press are taking pictures and asking me questions. All I have to say, is that… The Lottery Connived With My Mind And Confused Me. I could not blame the devil, this early in the year. How on earth, am I supposed to pay back the money? Maybe, my sister can help. After all, she is now a celebrity.

‘Why, how do you know he has changed?’
 The questions bombarded me and I could not help, but get defensive.
‘Did you try, And if you did, for how long?’
'Ade, it’s easy For You, who has sane siblings to preach'
'My siblings are sane, but I have aunts and uncles with brain touch'
  Nnoye was getting on my nerves, I believe the reason she is worried is because of all the attention, this her brother is getting in the news.
‘Just look at the text he sent ‘
 I collected her phone and read it’s contents. For an incarcerated man, he had liver.
‘Have you finished reading it?’
‘Nnoye, he wants money'
‘He is my half brother, I don’t have to give my full brothers, anything’
'So, you will let him, carry out his threat’s’
‘Ask only people who excel in blackmailing people’
'Ade, help me'
‘How?’
'I see now, why you avoid people?’
‘How much does he want?’
'His currency is TIME'
‘I don’t understand’
‘He wants to be in my entourage’
 I was laughing so hard, that I fell off my chair.
'You don’t think, I can afford one?’
‘Explain to me, how you can’
'It does not have to be true, they just need to think it is'
'okay ooo, good luck’
 I crawled back into my chair, wiping tears from my eyes.
‘So how long are you willing to make it work?’'
‘don’t joke, o'
 If my poi t didn’t sink in the first time, I decided to screw it into her thick skull.
‘How much are you willing to invest?
'Ade, everything is a joke to you’
‘No vex'

‘But I know, that you are right’
‘I'm only trying, to help'
‘Eh, thank you’
‘Think, Emerson said ‘nothing is but thinking makes it so’
‘And Deal says, everyday my people dey inside…’
'So, you will bail him out’
'Not me, my aunt. But I will contribute fifty to helping him out’
'If you were going to help him, why grumble?’
‘I’m worried, his negativity will spill into my life’
'So, he will move about with you?’
'Relax, not here. But to public functions’
'Well, if you don’t. He will drag your name down’
'He knows me, he wo t try it'
 I was tired, the holidays had drained me and I wanted to go home.
‘Henrik is waiting for me'
 It was a lie, but I had enough if her grumbling.
'We will catch up later’
 Nnoye hugs me tight and I too hug her. She was so much more lively than Daniel’s new babe. Who is now his ex.

‘I thought you said, they won’t be back until midnight’
 I flash my WhatsApp towards Nnoye and quickly face it back to me.
'He is on his way home’
 I am relieved to be away from her, it’s fun to hang with her, no doubt. But I had other things to attend to.

Baking a Gateau cake was a priority, the new year was different. I could tell
'Action speaks louder than words, the simple test of showing a crowd of people you have changed. Is to change’
 I was updating Ajoke.
‘That your friend, Nnoye. She will never cha'
   A word from my heart would not be enough, i figured you already knew that. I try as much as i can to give you all you want. But we both know its hard to be on the same page all the time.
   One thing is for sure we all want 'peace' so is that the word we need. Many of us are not at war yet a lot of us are at war. Am i making any sense?
Hopefully yes. The other word we long for is 'love' but there are so many lovers and loved ones out there so why are they still searching? What are they still searching for.
A phrase comes to mind...the grass is always greener on the other side. How true this is.
  My mind is drifting again I a little worried about the future, mine and yours. It brings to mind a poem I wrote, a while back.

When the truth prevails.
When the truth prevails a country grows.
When the people get involved the country evolves.
When the people believe, the people take charge.
When the people act, the government becomes responsible.
When the people have hope, they hold the government responsible.
When the people try harder, their efforts are rewarded.
When the truth prevails the true state of the country shows.
Now you know. Its Glowing and growing, my dreams about you.

  The words she said and the heat from the baking pan, boiled my skin and cooked it instantly. I could not scream or talk, I almost dropped the baked Gateau cake. But Because, all it did was bring the truth to the surface. The inevitable to light, about our friend Celine in France..

Reminding you To stay anew, would you?






**Season 1, Episode 97**
**"ADE'S JOURNAL", 97, COPYRIGHT 2017**
**BUSOLA ELEGBEDE, COPYRIGHT 2017**