CHAPTER 1

I am still finding it difficult to believe that a simple friendly smile actually led to my problem. It was a smile that almost cost me my life and left me with a deep scar across my face. A simple smile I had innocently returned as a mark of respect to a beautiful woman who first started the smile sharing. Although if someone had warned me and categorically told me that I might regret my birthday this year, I don’t know if I would have believed him, given the fact that this yearly day was always a very important day in my life, as a 40 year old journalist.
The whole drama had began on my birthday, a day I wanted to celebrate quietly alone, to overpower the fangs of loneliness that wanted to suppress me indoors and also repress my happiness on this all important day. I thought it was more important to get out of the house and have a change of scene, away from my various problems and worries. I wanted my mind to catch fun and my eyes to catch a glimpse of something fresh, spectacular or inspiring. It was these motivational factors that inspired my mood that day Saturday as I confidently stepped into the Calabash Bar around 5:36pm, I knew the exact time, because I noted it from my pricey wrist watch. It was actually my first time at the Calabash, an African exquisite joint with strictly African designs and rich handmade touch, including the large bar with gaily and lively people.
It was the right kind of scenario I was looking for at that moment and it suited my mood. This is the right place, I told myself with a tickled feeling of excitement, as the sultry voice of Tiwa Savage filtered out smoothly from some hidden speakers and her seductive shape dance seductively from a large plasma TV at a corner of the expanse bar with many eyes glued admiringly to her dancing steps.
I took in the atmosphere and quietly studied my environment as I sauntered confidently into the setting in my blue jean and multi colour African print shirt and loose sandals. I made straight for the bar, picked a seat and smiled broadly at a masculine barman and then ordered for a drink.
I busied my eyes with stolen stares at the crowd and quietly noted some faces, both men and women. They also either stared back at me with blank eyes or frown up before returning their gaze elsewhere. I smiled to myself and relaxed more to enjoy the atmosphere with the music and the gaily people around. I took a long swing at my bottle after rejecting the glass cup from the barman and was in the process of lighting up a stick of cigarette when a well dressed man about my age, stepped into the bar with one of the most beautiful female face and figure any man would wish to claim and any woman would wish to possess, if given the opportunity.
I blinked my eyes twice at the female figure in a red satin dress and felt a sharp rise to the tickling of my heart. I equally noted the sudden momentary pause of the various activities going on inside the crowded bar as some of the men and women sprang up from their seats and stared admiringly or jealously at the couple. It was as if the time stopped at that moment as all attention centered on the newcomer. Then she did the unexpected. The woman suddenly turned her gaze towards me and gave me one of the most charming smiles that ever came my way.
Mesmerized and perplexed by this harmless smile, I did the right thing at that moment, or so I thought. I blinked my eyes and gave her one of my most realistic sweet smiles. Then trouble tumbled in. Her companion, a tall broad shouldered guy with a square head and a snake like eyes, noted the exchange of smiles between us and then let out a wolfish grin. He piloted her towards a reserved table for two and then watched as she dropped her curvy shape into one of the seats. He then dropped his big frame on the next seat where he could observe the other curious eyes inside the bar. The head chef suddenly dashed forward to their table, bowed with a wide smile, took their orders and then scurried away as if someone was actually after his life.
Then the homage paying began. I was surprised and curious as I watched some of the men abandoned their seats, sauntered to their isolated table and respectfully bow their heads in greeting in an homage fashion to the man and his beautiful woman. I noted the respectful bow of heads, the revered handshakes and the exchanged of little banter as the man smiled proudly at them. Done, they all piled back to their tables and allowed the man and his woman some ample space to enjoy their sumptuous meal and drinks peacefully.
I was still rooted on my seat and on my second bottle with the music of 2 Baba now taking over the background when I noticed the affluent man pushed back his seat and sauntered confidently towards my direction with his wolfish grin. I had the impression he was heading towards the gents, but I was surprise when he paused beside me and picked the next stool by my side. He then stared quizzically at my face and scrutinized my clothing before his snake eyes bored back to me with a frown. All these moment I noted that the barman stood rigid to his position with a look of respect for the man and that of contempt to my cheerful face.

‘ Yes, Smile Guy, I noticed you sharing your smile with my woman?’ I heard the man demanded scornfully.
I kept silent and stared back thoughtfully at him, noting the sudden silence inside the bar as well.

‘ So, tell me, Smile Guy, You know her somewhere?’ he demanded in his soft but commanding tone.

‘No , I don’t ,’ I responded, wanting to say something and I noticed the attention of his woman was now on us.

‘ Then why the smile,?’ he asked with his wolfish grin.

I stared at him intently for some seconds and then gave him a broad smile. ‘ I thought smiles are suppose to be free.’ I responded, now bored with his questions and presence.
He thought over my statement with his snake eyes boring into me the more and then his wolfish grin again. ‘ Well, not here. We don’t welcome strange smiles from strange faces here,’’ he announced loudly and lit a cigarette then blew smolder of smoke across my face.

‘My apology, I never knew this. This is actually my first time here and I love the setting,’ I replied with a smile, aware of the various eyes on us.

‘Then keep your smiles to yourself. I don’t like your face and I don’t like your smile. I hope you understand now?’ he commanded with a frown.

I thought over his words and shook my head. I suddenly felt like an expatriate or rather a second hand citizen right here in my country. This was something I knew I was not ready to take from anyone; No, not with my education and background as a journalist.

‘ No, I don’t understand,’ I retorted back with a sad frown.

He did a double take and stared back surprisingly at me as if I had just punched him on the face.

‘ Really, I see. Then I will advise you to pack yourself and your strange smile into your body and get out of here as fast as your legs could carry you.’ He commanded, glanced at his rich Chronograph wrist watch and then continued. ‘ I will give you five minutes – pronto,’

I stared surprisingly at him and then at the crowd with a mischievous look. I then ruptured into laugh as the music of Whiz kid ‘Ojuelegba’ fill in the background.

‘ I guess you’re joking, what a nice joke. Today is actually my birthday, and I think I can welcome any joke today,’ I told him with a wide smile.

He listened to my rambling with a silence stare at his watch. He then dropped down from his stool and arranged his clothing, an expensive looking safari suite that must have cost him some hundred thousand of naira. I calculated as he smiled at his woman and then turn and gave my face the hardest punch in my life, knocking me instantly across the floor.
I heard the music of Whiz kid faintly as I regained my senses, for the punch had momentary knocked me out of my reasoning at that moment. I struggled up and staggered to and fro like a floating kite and then regained my balance. I stared at him with a mad rage and rushed him blindly. Nobody was going to knocked me down like that and just walk away free. I assured myself as I charged furiously towards his confidence frame and grinning face.
I was just few inches away from grabbing his safari suite when I felt some steel like hands grabbed me from behind and pinned my face down on the floor, few inches away from his black suede boot. I gave up any resistance and tried to stare around. My swollen face gazed towards the woman who had caused all this and our eyes locked. I noted the look of horror and sadness on her pretty face and then boldly gave her a wide smile, which everyone around saw, including my tormentor.

‘ I see, you still have the strength to smile? He hissed out and lit a cigarette. ‘ A wise dog hide its tail once out of its territory. But since you have refused to learn and behave like a wise dog, then I think I should show you how I control this place and this town. This is my territory and I run the show here,’ He announced proudly, paused and glance around the bar for confirmation of his statement. I noted as almost every head in the bar nodded in support of his proclamation. He smiled broadly and then continued.

‘ I own and control this place, so I control who enters here or not. I control the light in this area. I control the water, the roads, shops and the market. I control the estate and I decide who clubs here or not, and right now, I have decided to booth you out of this club, my club. So get out,’

With that, he lashed out at my face with his boot and caught me with a kick that knocked my mouth sideway. ‘Show him how to keep his tail hidden in a strange place,’ he commanded the hands pinning me down and the multiple kicks and pounding commenced.

They dragged me up and gave my frame some of the hardest pounding and beating it has ever received. I noticed that the masculine barman was topmost among those pounding me. He gazed joyfully at my face and pounded my head with his massive palms. Nothing gave me much surprise than the angry face of two ladies in the bar. They also joined in kicking my stomach with satisfied grins on their powdered face. I could barely hear the music of Olamide’ Story for the gods’ from the background as they dragged me across the bar like a deadwood and dumped me outside across the deserted street, right inside the chilled harmattan.
I thought the beating was over, but I was in for a second round as they once again descended on my broken frame and dished me two heavy kicks across the face, this instantly knocked out two of my front teeth. They finally gave me some fast punches that finally knocked me out cold and blanked me out of existence.