I Met A Masquerade

File Picture

I met a masquerade..literally

Was in the market last Saturday for grocery shopping even though I was meant to meet up with a friend -Ibifiri earlier but the date did not work out and yours truly was to blame...

First thing I observed on getting near was the vast number of 'beings' in different shapes and sizes heavily draped in layers and layers of colorful getups, like 3 times more than the file picture above. And the heat was intense o.

Interestingly, all of them were brandishing canes; more interestingly, they were accosting people walking by; most interestingly, almost all of their targets were females.

As I weaved my way through the moving wall of crowds, I did my best to avoid these creatures and succeeded, or so I thought.

45mins later, 2 'bagco' bags heavier, I had all but forgotten about these colorful beings and had to make one last stop by the girl selling catfish just by the main market.

Waiting for her to package my beloved fish, there appeared beside me one of these beings waving his cane menacingly and asking for money. Had no idea they spend money in the realm they live!

When confronted with such scenario, you usually have 2 options:

1) Play ball and grease their palm and they ll leave you alone jeje
2) Dont play ball and beg them and they might have pity on you

I mentally added a third option immediately

3) Dont play ball, call their bluff and get away with it (or risk being flogged)

And that was exactly the path I chose.

Aint no lazy ojuju taking my money to go and shack something later.

The guy..sorry the ojuju was persistent, refusing to bulge until I play ball and I also staunchly refused to bulge. He or it sounded youthful too.

I even told him or it that I would be happy if he paid for my fish after showing him what I had left to transport me back home. Or did he want me to trek home just because hes hungy? He kept begging (he must have forgotten he was holding a cane)

After much fruitless persuasion, the ojuju eventually left me when he or it realised that his prey was one very stingy woman and went after other (frightened) prospects. Lol...

Risky one, I know.

Got me wondering how everybody and every nation else is advancing and some are inclined on retrogressing.

I mean, in this day and age to have young able bodied men hiding under layers of filthy rags to terrify and extort hapless human beings rather than getting down to dignified labor like (almost) everyone else.

PS: Next time you get accosted by one...lend yourself brain o