The Ride
By Patrick Anyanwu
His tires screeched as his mouth cursed
Lagos monstrously busy traffic, he reckoned a race track
Like in a Hollywood car chase, he breaks every rule
Then, another driver too rough for his comfort, tumbles through
Our man, his ease, diseased
Not easing on speed though, foot glued down on the gas
More aggressive road mayhem than a ride
He spits a deluge of venomous curses
Dispensed for one drive, but all got a dose
He pulls out a bottle of perfume
Synced with the shift of the gear, curses turn to incantations
He sprays himself
His nitro inject
An amulet in a spray
Then, in a heartbeat, as the gear snicks, incantations return to curses
Another lap
Another show down
Road rage on steroids
He presses down, shoving through
Maybe he was cast in a Mad Max sequel but missed the shoot
Passengers scream fear and concern
But I’m too tired to complain
Nonetheless couldn’t help marvel at the audacious confidence
In a spray bottle and words
Oh well, I too have my confidence
He who keeps Patrick, does not sleep nor slumber
My elder brother in the storm-tossed boat thought the same
I closed my eyes to rest a bit till my stop
● Anyanwu, a Lagos resident, sent this via WhatsApp.
