Lagos - Sights and Sounds: Part 1

Adventures in a 'Keke-maruwa' 

So I went to Bible study with my mum today. On our way back, we decided to take the infamous keke home. The first one we got into broke down after about 30 seconds. The engine simply went off, no apologies, nothing.
We got down from the machine and stood at the side of the road, trying to hail another to take us home. After 3 minutes, the broken down machine started up. But rather than pick us up, the driver simply sped past us. My mother goes 'After dropping us in the middle of nowhere, you now drove off without thinking twice, hyan' lol.

Finally, after about 20 kekes had driven past, we got one going in the direction we were headed. We got in and immediately noticed it was not empty as we imagined. There was a fairly large man sitting in the other corner at the back. When the keke began moving, the driver and the man began speaking a language that was either Ghanian or Igbo (my mother and I are not in agreement here lol). So at this point I'm thinking 'ok its dark and this is Lagos. If they try anything, we can jump out at the traffic light'. We turn the corner, the man drops off and the driver picks up two more passengers - more men - and mum and I calm down.
Trust Lagos, there is traffic.
We drive a few minutes and notice these girls trying to hail a cab across from us. Our driver acts as the middle man because, well, they couldn't see the taxi guy.

Girls: To Ajah.
Driver (to girls): He said #5000. You dey go? (Are you going?)
Girls: (gesture for him to move)
Driver (to taxi guy): They no get money. (They don't have money).

We all laugh.

Driver: They wan go Ajah this night na for club now. Before e go reach Ajah today eh.... (They want to go to Ajah this night for a club. With the traffic, they won't get there early).
Mi: But a taxi to Ajah though??
Driver and other passengers: You can just take bus to Shita. Then CMS, then you get Ajah straight. (You can take a bus to Shita, then to CMS and then get another one going from CMS to Ajah). 
Mi: But they weren't dressed for bus hopping.
Driver: Eh no be to take am reach near Ajah. Then if they get a place like Shita for there, na to enter taxi N200 reach where you dey go. The people way you dey meet go see say na taxi you come with. Then runs gees fit tell the guy say the taxi na N7000. After all one girl do am to mi na. When we reach near the hotel, she tell mi say make I drop am, drop am. I talk say we never reach, na im she say she no wan make the guy see am.
(They can take the buses till they get close to Ajah. When they arrive at Ajah, if there is a place like 'Shita' close by, they can then get a taxi for N200 (Naira). The people they plan on meeting at Ajah would see them arrive in a taxi. For girls meeting their 'sugar daddies', they can simply tell him the taxi costs N7000. A girl has done it with him before. When he got close to the hotel she was going to, she asked him to drop her off so the man she was going to meet would not see her). 

lol.

We arrived at our stop and dropped off. Here is the conversation with my mum:
Mum: I was just praying as soon as we got on that keke. I thought it was only the driver, only to see the big man at the back with him.
Mi: Mi too, I was worried for a second.
Mum: I was ready to hit his head with my book (a hardcover she came with) if they tried anything.
Mi: looool mum though?? I thought we could just jump out at the stop.
Mum: Yes I figured you'd have thought of that since you were at the edge. But I was prepared to tell you not to worry because I have my weapon with mi. I was ready to knock that his head self!! I thought the plan was to take us to Shita and drive off from there. Since we weren't going to Shita, I was ready to knock him until he agreed to drop us off.
Mi: O_o looool your mind has gone a bit too far though.

And that was my evening today.

xoxo