Something interesting happened on my way toOshodi this morning. At the park this roughmean-looking conductor also known as“agbero” in Yoruba was screaming forpassengers, his vernacular oscillating betweenYoruba and pidgin English.“Oshod! Oshod!” He shouted angrily as I alongwith some other passengers scuttled for seats.There was this beautiful young lady whocouldn’t throw caution and decorum to thewind but waited patiently until the bus wasalmost filled. Then she pleaded to sit by theagbero until somebody came down then shewould pay for a proper seat.The agbero didn’t even look at her pretty face,he hissed and shouted to the driver to movethat why didn’t she rush when others wererushing. The girl started pleading in Yorubaand clean ‘oyinbo’ english; “please, ejó, helpme out sir, I know you are a good man, nevermind all this shout you have been shouting(people burst into laughter). Let me sit byyour side please”.Finally with much squeezing of face theagbero relented and she sat beside him. It wasa tight squeeze but she didn’t complain butrather started praising the agbero. He in turnstarted teasing her, speaking (and sometimesspitting by mistake) into her face but the girlnever looked away, she never let the smileleave her face. He asked her where she workedand she replied that she was a student in theUniversity of Lagos (UNILAG) studyingaccounting. He teased her in Yoruba abouther boyfriend and car (maybe asking why herboyfriend didn’t drop her at her destination…she laughed it off and continued to gist withthe guy in Yoruba.When she reached her junction the agberoalighted the bus for her to come down. Shedid and paid her transport fare, then theagbero told her to give him a peck on thecheek for being so ‘gentlemanly’. At this pointsome of us became indignant, haba! He hadbeen teasing her since, he should let her go.Another argument almost ensued between theagbero and the passengers although it wasnot as if the agbero was really serious, he toldher to go. Then it happened! She jumpedforward and gave him a peck on the cheek! Weall shouted, the agbero was quiet out ofsurprise. She then waved bye and ran down toher street.The driver and other people started to hail theagbero, see hailing! The guy was just formingboss, saying he knew he was irresistible etcand others were yabbing (taunting) him, somewere yabbing the girl and we moved on andsuddenly the bus was quiet, show over. Thenthe agbero put his head down and becameuncharacteristically quiet. The driver soonasked the guy why he wasn’t calling out bus-stop abi the girl don do am jazz (cast a spellon him). The agbero said something in YorubaI didn’t get and then his voice becameemotional and believe it or not HE STARTEDCRYING. Others were now consoling him inYoruba. When I asked what the problem was,the lady beside me explained that the agberosaid he just realised he would never be able toget a girl like that in his life because he’s anuneducated bus conductor and she was goingto be a graduate. He was weeping because heknew no girl of her class might ever do to himwhat that girl just did, to touch a dirty personlike himself; that the girl is nice and wellbrought-up and if he had money he wouldhave chased after her. So the passengers wereconsoling him in Yoruba that he would gohigher in life and be able to marry a girl likethat. He should not cry because itwas not theend of the road for him.That really touched me.For a moment in that agbero’s life, his facadeof a street thug fell away and he was avulnerable emotional aspiring young man, justlike everybody else...oh what a lifE.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 06:34:42 +0000
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