Reverse Back
Wale had been watching his mum for over an hour. All he was waiting for was a sign. Once Mumsie got into her house gown, she was no longer stepping outside the house. He strolled casually past the door of her room again, just to double-check. Her side of the duplex was away from the car lot. He had plans today. His girlfriend, Joke, was passing out from university today, and he had to make a bold statement.
“Mum, I’m going to Jide’s place to watch football.”
He already knew her response.
“Why are you the one always going to watch football in other people’s houses? Why don’t they ever come to yours?”
That was her typical response. It did not mean yes or no.
Besides, Wale was a graduate now, about to begin his NYSC service. He was a man already, just counting down to when he would get his own place and join the labour market. He looked forward to it.
Joke could join him at any time of the day or week. No curfews. No getting Ubers late at night. No explanations.
Wale already had a change of clothes in his backpack. He tossed it into his mum’s brand-new Nord jeep. It was a gift from the state governor in appreciation of a job well done as a director in the civil service.
Her other car was not even on Jide’s radar. A 2018 Toyota Corolla.
The car had seen better days. It had been a victim of his siblings taking turns to learn how to drive.
His younger sister wanted nothing to do with his plan. She did not threaten to tell on him, but she made no bones about not protecting him if trouble came.
Wale was determined. He had to show up, and in style.
The convocation ceremony would be packed with Joke’s relatives and friends by now. A perfect time to make a grand entrance.
The Nord engine came to life. It was dead silent.
Had it been the Camry, his mother would have looked out of the window.
There was one last problem, though: opening the creaky gate without his mother hearing it.
Wale was determined. He had planned this getaway for weeks.
“You don’t have to do that,” Joke had tried to convince him.
“Who cares whether you’re mobile or not? I don’t. I’m happy to see you join me in celebration. That’s all that matters to me.”
Wale appreciated her kind words.
Who cares? Well, I do.
All those girls dating yahoo boys will now have their men bring Benz. It’s me that will come with legedy Benz. Mba!
Wale had gotten some old engine oil from the previous car service and used it to lubricate all the gate hinges. He opened the gates without a sound, executing the perfect getaway.
Soon, he was there.
And it was a spectacle.
They all saw him step down from the new Nord jeep. He crossed over, walking like a king, and joined them at the other end. Every step he took. Every glance. He enjoyed it.
A side hug was enough when he finally got to Joke. Her father’s prying eyes were palpable. He curtsied to both her parents, then joined Joke and her friends as the partying continued. Group photographs, snacks, food, cold fizzy drinks. It was like a summertime cookout. Only that this was on campus. The food was great. The atmosphere was even better. When it was time to go home, Wale’s car came in handy. Her cousins wanted to ride with them.
He looked at Joke as if to say, See? Imagine I came without a ride?
But he wished it had been another group of cousins riding with them.
These ones were young and carrying lots of snacks and fizzy drinks.
As they got into the car, Wale wore a fake smile as he looked at Joke’s parents and relatives.
“Please don’t spill anything in the car,” was the first thing Wale blurted out as soon as they hit the road.
One eye on the road, the other on the children in the back.
At every stop, he checked their oily hands, the sugar crumbs from the doughnuts and the jam remnants around their mouths. His mother’s interior was cream. His eyes darted between the road and the children behind him. So much so that he almost rammed into a car in front of him.
“Are you okay, Wale?” a worried Joke asked. That was close.
He nodded and looked behind him. One of the children had spilled Fanta on the interior.
“Jesus!” he exclaimed.
Joke looked back.
“Oh my gosh! Dara, I thought I told you to hold that drink firmly. Give it to me now.”
She snatched it from him, secured the lid and placed it beside her. She did the same for the other younger cousins.
“Babe, don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get rid of the orange stain. Ok?”
Now it was evening, approaching 6 p.m. The sky had already started turning orange as the sun began to set. There was construction going on next door to Joke’s family home. Tipper trucks were going in and out, depositing and collecting more sand. Wale and Joke were in a world of their own. They couldn’t care less. Both reclined in their seats, holding hands. Their lips were about to meet when—
CHRUNCH!
A minute earlier, one of the labourers had been on the street where Wale was parked, instructing the driver of the particular truck to reverse.
“Oya! Oya! Dey come! Reverse back!”
The driver misjudged the distance and rammed into Wale’s mother’s jeep, instantly crushing the car’s lighter-coloured rear fender. The impact jolted Joke and Wale forward. The sound had not been good at all. They stared at each other.
Wale stepped out slowly, hoping it was not as bad as it sounded. His heart was pounding. Everything around him seemed to go radio silent. His eyes darted between the faces of the labourers and driver of the truck. He tried to read their expressions. That did not look so great either. He summoned the courage and looked. His shoulders sank.
“Sorry, sir. I no know say the motor near like that.”
Joke and Wale just stared at the damage. All Wale could hear was his younger sister’s warning. I should have listened, he thought to himself.
“What are we going to do now?” Joke asked.
He scanned the damage. Fortunately, no lights were broken.
She came closer to him and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Wale. What do we do now?”
“I have no idea. And tomorrow is Sunday. There’s thanksgiving service. My mum will be using this car tomorrow morning.”
Joke turned away, sighing deeply. He finally turned towards the driver of the tipper truck and the labourer. He had momentarily switched off and could not hear a thing they were saying. He was preoccupied with his sister’s warnings and his mum’s reaction if the vehicle came back home looking like this.He thought about how she would react. The shock and the yelling. And then, because it was a Sunday morning and she would probably be overwhelmed with emotions, she would likely sink her teeth into his skin and scratch him with her nails.
It had happened before. So he was not guessing. The men kept prostrating and begging Wale. Completely ignoring their antics, he asked, “Who is the project manager here?”