My aunty took the matter serious and nearly landed us in trouble today.
This evening, my aunty and I were both heading home from work in our car when we came to a checkpoint at Oyigbo Junction.
Only one policeman was standing there with a torch light and a stick.
He pointed a torch and peeped inside the car.
Then smiled.
"Ah ah! Oga, madam dey inside the car with you."
I chuckled.
"Yes sir. Good evening, officer."
"Good evening my brother. How is the family?"
"The family is fine, officer. We are just returning from work now."
"Wow. Wonderful. I see. And us we still dey work o. You know say we no get closing hour. We go dey here from morning till night."
I chuckled.
"Officer that is how it is. Man must hustle."
"We are hustling my brother. No be him I still dey under cold the hustle so. We are hustling."
"Eyaa..."
Officer kept pointing light at my face and inside the car.
"No be eya o. My brother. We are really working for Nigeria. The thing we are doing in this country ehn."
I gulped down saliva.
"Officer I know."
"You know na im you no shine body small. Give your boys something. We dey work for you."
I chuckled again and turned to my aunty.
She kept a straight face and was just looking outside the window.
I knew the policeman needed something but the fear of giving him money in front of my aunty may look like a bribe.
But since she was looking out the window I dipped my hand and brought out one thousand naira.
I was just about to squeeze the money into the officer's hands when my aunty held my hands and collected the money from me.
Policeman shocked.
"Ah! Your aunty too like money o. See as she collect am."
I laughed.
"It is not like that officer."
"Ah ah! Na lawyer she be?"
"No officer."
"Okay, no be lawyer. She get any connection with government?"
"Ah, no sir."
"What is her title in the country?"
"She is my aunty sir."
"Just your aunty. And she the hold money like this?"
"Officer sorry, sir."
"Ah! No wahala. I am just amused."
Before I could stop her from talking she shouted
"Commissioner of police said we should not give bribe to any police officer."
Fear gripped me.
Officer shocked.
Even the shock on his face shocked me too.
Then he laughed.
"Ah ah! Oga this your aunty is very educated o."
I laughed.
"Sorry officer."
"No I am not offended. I am only impressed."
"Kai!"
"Yes. I am. You can go, sir."
"Ah! Officer. Just like that."
"Yes. Just like that. You can go."
So I waved officer and drove off.
While we left the checkpoint my aunty tapped me.
"Samuel you see, you have to be bold. You don't just give money to police officers like that. Change begins with you."
After Oyigbo Junction, we got to Oke and met another checkpoint.
The police officer on seeing our car and plate number just parked us on one side.
I have given them the papers, but for one hour they went to look for torch and oga glasses because according to them, the eyes of their oga cannot see well in the dark.
I told my aunty it may be the brother of the officer at the other checkpoint. And she confirmed to me that they resemble.
Now I am contemplating how to go back and give the officer his one thousand naira and tell him sorry.
This is how this woman will just put me for wahala like that.
