Today...

Morning

So I awoke this morning at a quarter to eight a.m. I didn't know it was that far into the morning already 'cos it's been raining from late at night. I didn't even know when dad left for his trip this morning. So I laid back in bed, played some music and munched on some candy, trying to wait it off, but as it is, 9am there's no sign the rain is abating. Maybe the mistake I made was not getting up to shower and do other "get-ready" stuff, so I can leave when I wish. Instead, when I saw it wouldn't stop raining at 9, I started heating bath water and doing all the other stuff. 9:30, it's still raining hard on the roof, I pick up my umbrella and rucksack then walked outta the house.

Rode a bike to the bus stop, the streets are wet and of course muddy. Life in the 'burbs! Any how sha, no much vehicles on the road. I wondered how many people are like damning the consequences at that moment, snuggling their pillows or loved ones in bed. I fought the thought of regret from being out there in that cold weather. I miss my bed and the smell of my room, Snooky and Snookum lying idly in bed till I return, the jar of Chocolate spread beside my pillow, always there to console me when I'm feeling down. Aaarrgh, I tried to forget..as I walked towards the long bus, popularly called "El Rufai bus". It's the only one around headed for Abuja city at the moment, and I wouldn't waste time messing up my boots waiting for a car to pull over, so I jumped in. Looking about in the car, I saw faces numb from the cold sitting at the backseat already. I paid and then took a window seat. I hate it when someone else controls my access to fresh air when I'm going to be riding for over >10-20mins. I took out "Nighttime is my time" (which by the way is a frigging good thriller) from my carry-on and started reading, while waiting for the driver to move. Some dude just bumbles in behind with water dripping from his raincoats. I could've cared less if he didn't decide to sit beside me and grinning at me. I'm like, "Hey, you sure are making me feel warm..." and he's like, "Ok, sorry o! Oloyibo" He gets up, takes off the raincoats and resumes his grinning. I could see him from the side of my face. He takes his seat again and decides to look interestingly into my book, sighing "hmmmm, hmmm" every now and then. He then decides to make conversation when he noticed I was getting pissed and distracted. So I looked up and he's like, "Hmmm, what book is this?" I turned the back cover to him, waited long enough for him to have seen the title. When I try to turn it back and resume reading, he'd be like, "wait, wait, wait first..." He did it like thrice. Sheeesh, man, I feel like jumping u right about now just that with his height and the girth of his hands, I don't stand a chance. Maybe a kick in the groin will fix him...? Next thing he says, "OK...is it in volumes? Which volume is this one, 1, 2 or 3?" I'm like, it's just a novel, maaaan. Now if you can suck your thumb and let me be? No, I didn't say that sha. Maybe he could read minds, he did let me be till I got off the bus. Public transport self na wa.

I got to the client's site, 1hr 30mins late. Ho hum, fire me! Nah, I know you wouldn't even think it. You know you need me, your system will fail without me here and it'd take you months to recover...ego trip, ego boost, yada yada. Before I could settle down to work, the talk from last week about a laptop getting filched turned out true. So it happens that everyone that came within that building between the last day the laptop user was around, saw and used his laptop (Tuesday) and when it was discovered missing, after his trip (Friday) have to make some sort of statement at the police station. WT...? In the light drizzles, we were all packed into a jeep and rode into the Maitama Police station. At the entrance to the station, the faces seen look hungry and angry. One of them had this, 'Una don bring us chop' thing going, by the smirk on his face, perhaps smiling inwardly at the thought of more money-making from the stream of culprits, "bailers" and the sorts streaming in to the premises. All my life, up till that moment this morning I've never had to go into a police station. I only remember going in with a friend who went to pick up his car. He doesn't have a parking space in his crib, but decides to always park his car at the Police station. The building looked so unkempt on the inside. Safe for the signpost at the entrance, it looked like an abandoned structure where some vagrants put up temporarily at night. Such a huge contrast from the surrounding area, with the beautiful buildings in Maitama looming over with huge columns, colonnades.

As we stepped inside the building, I felt this whole elementary school scene buildup in my head. The whole corridors messy with water from the roof spilling inside, and feet splish-splashing as they walk over the puddle. Everyone was making small-talk, drinking tea or just trying to dry off their uniform. The rain touched lives this morning!
We were ushered into this room where stacks of "Office Flat File" folders spewed out paper brown from dust at the top of the shelves. I saw a sign somewhere that I couldn't be arsed to read, but I still managed a glance say that "...The Police is Your friend. Bail is free" line. There were "criminals" seated in for some sort of "hearing" and before I could say, "Star Spangled Banner", an officer of some sort hollered that they be taken back to their cells till "someone" who apparently isn't there "provides something" shows up. New customers have arrived, it seems. They were filed and hustled out of the room.

As we took our seats, a lady officer came in and shouted to the officer-in-charge:

Lady Officer: Oga, na dem be dis o!
Officer-In-Charge: Ehen, una welcome. Dem say una steal laptop...

WTH? I had to try to keep a straight face. It felt so real, u know, those whole storylines from the Naija home movies. Pidgin English, uncouth and unprofessional looking officers, dressed hagardly.

Lady Officer: Oya, I wan share paper so una go write una statements. Na who no sabi write here? Na who no sabi write English? All of una sabi write?

She raises her voice as she kept making this announcement. Before she could embarrass herself some more, one "big oga" from a nearby office walks in with a frown and asks "what's going on here?" They give him a background of "these people" and he asks us into his office. In retrospect, I liked his "cut the crap" approach cos after some short introduction, he was able to narrow down his search to some "suspects" and my colleagues and I were asked to leave. For the moment, we are not "case material". I wouldn't be surprised if I'm called back for some reason sha, since I handle most of the hardware there.

What a way to start the day, not after I felt some reluctance to work self...

Barry White

I listened to my "Ultimate Barry White Collection" this weekend and being alone didn't just help. It stung inside me like frostbite, you know that numb feeling on the hand, after spending hours in very low temperatures. That's how it felt. You know, Barry sure has a way with words and his voice is soothing. I'm no lady nor am I trannie, but I know it'd have some wonderful, tummy-churning effect on them ladies, say, you are lying in bed with him and he's talking dirty or whispering those sweet-nothings in your ear, cooing warm air in your ear. *goosebumps* You know what I mean? YEAH. But thinking about it, with all those charm and allure in his personality and music, I wonder how often Barry got it. I mean, no offense to anyone really, i mean like really, and when I say really, I mean really: Not that he was that overweight and I know people who are much bigger than he is who get it and still get it, but my question is did he get it as often and as much as he deserves? Not that I should care, but it's just something that kept roaming in my solitary mind this past weekend as I sat down and listened to his songs. He probably got enough before he died sha and maybe he made the lady/woman or ladies/women happy.

These are the words to the one song I had on repeat most of the time. Like some of my friends say, it's a good baby-making song. Enjoy!

I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby

It feels so good
You lying here next to me
Oh, what a groove
You have no idea how it feels
My hands just won’t keep still
I love you, baby
Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you
I just wanna hold you
Run my fingers through your hair
Ooh
Outta sight
Uh-huh, right there, you like it like that
Closer
Come here, closer, close
Oh, baby
Oh, baby

Give it up, ain’t no use
I can help myself if I’d wanted to
I’m hung up, no doubt
I’m so in love with you, for me there’s no way out

‘Cause deeper and deeper
In love with you I’m falling
Sweeter and sweeter
Your tender words of love keeps calling

Eager and eager, yeah
To feel your lips upon my face
Please her and please her
Any time or any place

I’m gonna love you, love you, love you just a little more, baby
I’m gonna need you, need you, need you every day
I’m gonna want you, want you, want you in every way

Make no mistake for I’ll hold back knowin’
This time it looks like lover is here to stay
As long as I shall live
I’ll give you all I have and all I have to give

‘Cause please her and please her
Any time or any place
Eager and eager
To feel your sweet lips on my face

Deeper and deeper
In love with you I’m falling, yeah
Sweeter and sweeter
Your tender words of love keeps calling

I’m gonna love you, love you, love you just a little more, baby
I’m gonna need you, need you, need you every day
I’m gonna want you, want you, want you in every way

BRB