Diary of an Okada rider.

JOANITA.

Jaji scratched his head,his finger nails digging deep into his scalp. With one hand he wiped the beads of perspiration that had formed circles around his eyebrows.
"You're asking after...?" The man in the Honda Crv eyed him impatiently before his eyes reverted to the gate. He blasted the car horn long and hard,obvious annoyance etching his face.
"Sir, i'm looking for Joanita,sir."
"Joan - who? Are you outta your fucking mind? Huh? No one by that fucking name lives in this fucking house! If you and your motor cycle don't get the hell outta my fucking sight this fucking moment,Man, i'll get real mad at ya! " The Crv man spat.
 Jaji stared at the obese-looking creature sitting on the driver's side, and thought to himself,you fucking pig! If to say no be abroad you fucking go, You for get levels? Even with dis my Okada work, if dem put me and you for ground na me dem go fucking choose, put you inside fucking cage! Fucking Idiot.." 
   But Jaji kept mute and turned on the ignition of his Okada instead. He stepped on the accelerator and fired away.
Joanita. Joanita. Her name reverberated on his mind as he skidded through the streets of Coral city in search of passengers. How could she have given him a fake house address? He shook off the feeling of hurt and betrayal as his mind tumbled back to the previous day he'd first encountered her. It was raining around mid-day and she stood there like an angel, so heart-crushingly beautiful...and drenched! And she wouldn't take shelter nearby. His eyes were drawn to the shape of the gorgeous mounds on her chest which seemed to stare right at him defiantly. Quickly he moved his gaze to her oval face. Oh goodness, she had the most beautiful face he had ever set his eyes on!
" Hello Angel. Why are you standing in the rain? You should have found a place to take shelter."
 At once Jaji's command in English language was auto-set. Instinctively he knew her type : The type to listen to a well spoken man, irrespective of his looks.  Dammit, he was an Okada man but had experienced the 4 walls of a classroom, hadn't?
Had his parents lived, he would be a graduate today...
 Well,now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. He shrugged his broad shoulders and went on, "Please Angel, get on my motorcycle. I need to get you out of the rain. "
 She hesitated.
"Please.."
Jaji momentarily thought that he was even prepared to stand in the rain should she decline the offer to go with him.
He saw the moment she wordlessly conceded and he shifted his frame to accommodate her behind him.  A few seconds later he was riding them to a nearby Eatery & Bar. When they got there,he assisted her in alighting and preceded her in. He pulled out two seats and gestured at her to sit on one of them. She smiled and muttered 'thank you' under her breathe. Now,Jaji's eyes took in all of her. If he had thought her beautiful before he had probably been wrong. No adjective quite described the goddess sitting by his side now. Without thinking, he took off his denim shirt and offered her.
"No, thank you. I'm perfectly O.K."
"Come on, Angel -"
"My name is Joanita."
He tested the name on her lips. It sounded exotic.
"You see,rain drops on my body feels like heaven. I have always loved the rain." she lowered her eyelids demurely.
"Really?" he found that somewhat interesting.
She nodded. "Right from when I was a kid."
"Hey Miss! Please come." Jaji took his eyes away from her for a moment to beckon on a hovering waiter.
"Good afternoon sir. Good afternoon Ma. What do you care for?" The waiter. She wouldnt even spare a glance at him. Her full gaze was intently on Joanita's bosom, unblinking.
Oh, he had nearly forgotten. Her nipples were still arrogantly taut in that wet T-shirt.
"Joanita? " He touched her lightly on the arm.
"I don't want anything. I'm fine. Thank you."
"Come on Angel. Anything on me."
"I'm not hungry."
"I insist."
Joanita rolled her eyes. Her chin lifted and then she started to reel out her order."I want 2 portions of fried rice, roast chicken - yeah I like drumsticks,3 drumsticks please..with fried plantain. Make sure it's very ripe plantain. Is there Salad? " The waiter nodded in the positive. "Good. Include 2 portions of Salad with plenty cream.."
Jaji's heart sank.
 He heard her continue to order. Goodness, did angels eat this much?! Thought she said she wasn't hungry?  If only he knew,he wouldn't have persisted. Now she had literarily bore a hole in his pocket!
"..and a glass of Chapman. " she concluded with a bright smile.
"Sure. " Jaji swallowed, returning the smile.
"Sir, what d'you want? " 'twas the waiter again.
"Give me just a bottle of water."
"Is that all, sir? " was it amusement he saw lurking around her lips?
"Yes."
"I forgot to ask your name," began Joanita, once the waiter took her leave.
"I'm Jaji."
"Jaji? Such an unusual name. But I like it." Her smile was infectious.
"Thank you." Jaji found himself smiling with her, instantly forgetting the hole in his pocket.
The meal arrived a few minutes later.
He sipped his glass of water and watched her swallow each spoonful of food gingerly. She was so beautiful, he thought. Goodness, Joanita was worth every dime he had.
  Half an hour later they stepped out of the eatery with her address scribbled in a piece of paper and neatly tucked inside his breast pocket. He dropped her off by Railway junction and promised to visit the next day.
 "Oga you no dey see? Carry ya Okada yansh face dat side nah! " bellowed a taxi driver from behind him. Jaji's thoughts rudely returned from memory lane.
" Make you carry ya motor head face dat side too! " Jaji retorted angrily.
Joanita. Joanita.
He wished he wouldn't think of her as he manoeuvred his way through the traffic at Coral junction.
And then a midget flagged him to a halt. " where you dey go?" he asked.
"I no stop you o. "
"You say wetin? " And then Jaji saw he was cross-eyed.
Midget. Crossed eyes. Hmmm... only you? Jaji seethed inwardly and screeched away.
To be continued.
Written by Osarhieme Okungbowa.

*Hey guys, hope you had a wonderful read? Will continue shortly. Tell me what you think.. looking forward to hearing from you.