********


The passenger train drove slowly into their destination the next day at about mid-day. The two friends both dragged their tired frames quietly out of the coach, pushing and bumping into other eager passengers who were happy to have arrived safely and were anxious to meet their weary looking relatives, family and friends.
Slim tagged slowly after Danjay, who because of his familiarity with the town, lead the way. This was actually Slim`s first visit to the town. All he had earlier known about the popular town was from newspapers, magazines, TV, books and other journals he had read in school or lucky to come across. Truly the town looks clean and social. He could see many beautiful ladies, mostly dressed in western clothes. Trousers and the Miniskirts seem to be some of their favorites. The guys he noticed were not also left out in their western looks and manners. This is the town to be. He thought silently. Where nobody seems to care about what you think, what you do and what you wear. A place were ethnic, tribal and religion differences are ignored and regarded as part of the natural feature of the environment.
‘Welcome to the City –the place for everyone’ was the exact message one of the large billboards inside the station conspicuously displayed as visitors behold the city for the first time. He read the words silently, smiled and then joined other passengers towards the exit.
Slim and Danjay stood quietly outside the station and slowly surveyed the busy environment. The buses and Taxis were having a really busy day. Most of them were filled up with passengers and headed towards the main city.
“How far na bus get us o” Danjay announced his eyes staring at the row of buses across the road.
“Na you know town and na you know wetin go cheap for us. Just remember say na three hundred naira remain for our hand” Slim reminded him.
“Okay make we go. Take carry dis thing small, I don taya” Danjay said and trust a black Jimtex bag at him.
Slim collected the bag and they crossed towards one of the buses and boarded quietly with other passengers.
They got the address Kato had given them easily. It was a two bedroom flat, situated or rather built on a hill. Most of the other houses they noticed were also on hills as was the nature of the city.
Kato`s elder brother personally came to the gate and let them in, surprised to see them at that un-expected odd hours. Then after the long ceremonious greetings and a meal of heavy pounded yam, courtesy of their host and his wife, they finally drew him aside and led him into their true mission in the town. Their host listened attentively to them, saw the reality in their plan and promised to assist them with food and accommodation. He apologized that things were a little bit ruff on his side too, but promised to do everything available from his side.
They thanked him and told him not to worry; assuring him that very soon money will come their way. Big money they had boasted. All what they needed at that particular moment was just accommodation and luckily he had kindly provided them.
‘By this time tomorrow- God’s will, we should be counting some bundles of naira notes- bros” Slim boasted confidently.
‘No problem. I will give you the description of the place tomorrow. Meanwhile you guys need some rest. I will see you later.” With that, their host stood up, stared thoughtfully once more at the green bottle and then excused himself out of the room.
Danjay stared up quietly at the ceiling. He realized that he could not sleep, just like Slim who was already fast asleep. His mind was now occupied with imaginations and questions. What would happen the next day? Will the plan work? How would the company react? Was the plan really possible in this country? If they were in a developed country he knew things would have been different. But this is Nigeria. His country and he knew how difficult things could be. He reasoned silently, wishing he could light up a stick cigarette and drag all his worries away. But he knew that was impossible, unless he want to upset their host and his wife, who were strong anti-smokers. Well, at least he could still go out and satisfy his soul. Things will work out; their case at least was genuine enough. He assured himself. He pushed himself out of bed and tip toed out of the room.










FOUR
Kato glanced at his plastic Swatch watch; he noticed that the time was few minutes pass ten in the morning. The sleep could not just come yesterday night. The thought of making some real big money soon was just too much for him to just close his eyes and go to sleep. And today being the D-Day, his morning breakfast of koko and kose still lay ignored on the table. This was actually unusual as this happens to be his favourite food.
But today was just different. His mind could not just ignored thinking about his two friends and their last hope of checking out of the country- the green bottle. He wondered what might be going on at the factory by now in silence. Will the management see the logic behind their arguments and easily succumb to their demands?
Why not- he debated alone. They should be wise and see reasons, unless they don’t cherish their reputation. God! How he wish to quickly do away with their exams, get the money and get the hell out of this frustrating country. He prayed silently. Things were really getting worse and out of control these days, not with the sky rocking prizes of food, houses and clothes, the three most important things necessary for every living human being on earth. But not in his own country, where the traders, contractors and the all powerful government officials have hijacked the prizes of things, fixing, deregulating and monopolizing almost everything to themselves and their cronies.
He ought to leave this country, where the prize of garri, the cheapest food he grew up to know has now suddenly become ten times higher than the token he used to know. The most frightful one was the sudden rise of millet, maize, beans and the local groundnut and red oil. What would become of his favourite koko and kose, since the prizes of maize, beans and oil were now part of the rocketed commodities in the market? He wondered silently, his face screwing up into a frown. How long would his family keep feeding him every morning? His mother an old widow was only a petty trader. What about his younger ones? What about finishing school and not getting a job, just like other hundreds of thousands of graduates roaming the streets daily in search of jobs?
No- he must get out of this country, his mind was made up. His mother, like it or not has no option than to understand or maybe understand much later after he might have gone. He concluded his mind shifting back to his two friends and the green bottle.





FIVE
Slim and Danjay presented themselves at the factory gates around ten thirty on the dot the next day. They woke up very early, took their baths, dressed up and spend some time discussing and rehearsing their plans.
Their host had come in around few minutes to eight and gave them the address and description of the factory. Danjay had stared at the address and assured him that he knew the road and area. And few minutes later they bid their host goodbye and headed towards their all important confrontation. This after a rich breakfast of fried chips and stew, running it down with hot cups of Lipton tea, this courtesy of their host and his hospital able wife as usual.
They had picked a taxi since it was the only means of transportation towards the route.
Then they had casually presented themselves at the fenced Iron Gate. Two security men in private guards uniform stared suspiciously at them, their eyes constantly glancing at the black Jimtex bag in Danjay`s hand.

“Yes what can we do for you? “ One of the guards, a fat looking man, who seems to be the senior finally demanded with a loud voice.

“Yes, good morning. Please we came to see the manager” Slim replied, stepping forward with his trade mark smile, his eyes silently taking on the fake rank on the guard deep blue uniform.
“Manager – which of the manager?” The fat guard asked, his face not returning Slim`s smile, instead he kept staring suspiciously at them and their odd looking bag.
“The manger- the oga in charge of production” Slim told him, mixing up in pidgin, the smile still visible on his face. He glanced at Danjay who smiled and nodded at him.
‘Yes the production manager” He supported.
“Production manager- what do you want to see him for? And from where? Hope you know this is not our visiting time?” The fat guard announced, not making any move to let them in.
Slim stared quietly at the two guards, then at the large space housing the rich looking factory. He knew this was the only chance left for them to convince the two hostile looking elderly men, if they were to see the top management of the place. Should he tell them the purpose of their visit and their mission? Or just ask for the visitor’s book and sigh their names and purpose? Since in actual sense they were there on an official visit? He deliberated quickly. This place is a public company why allow these two elderly guards the opportunity of stopping them from achieving their aims? No- they did not come this far to be turned back home. So with this resolved in his mind he confronted the men again.
“Excuse me, sir; this is very important we must see the production manager today. We came all the way from another state to see him. And like I earlier said –it is very –very important” He told them bluntly, the smile now disappearing from his face.
The senior guard stared quietly at him, and then glanced once more at their bag.
“What is inside that bag?” He finally demanded.
“ Your company product , the main reason why we are here.” Slim replied confidently.

The two guards’ curiosity now rose further. They both gazed at the bag more curiously. Slim stared at Danjay and gave him a silent sign. He stepped forward and placed the bag on the table. He slowly pulled back the zip and ceremoniously brought out the green bottle, placing it quietly on the table for the two suspicious guards to see.



********
Tax lied to his manager he was sick and excused himself from work, though he was on his first morning shift. At ten 0’clock on the tot he was ready, dressed and ready to go. Today was the D- day – the day that things might change in his life for the better. He thought happily as he stepped out of his one room apartment. He locked his roosted iron door and sauntered out of the compound, usually deserted at this hour. Most of his co-tenants where either at their place of low income jobs or still dozing their tired lives away from the previous day’s hard striving. Tax was grateful that he met none of them outside. He had no time for long talk or gossips about the tight economy situation in the country this morning. He just pray that this plan of Slim and co works out fine as planned, his only confusion was the long grammatical name Slim had called the plan –litigation, who cares what name they called it, all he cares about was the raw cash. He admitted once again that he was a drop out, but all this was about to change, if all goes well as planned. This Slim and the rest had confidently assured him. Today was supposed to be the change he had long been dreaming and waiting for.
He was ready to wait at Kato’s place throughout the day, knowing that was going to be the rendezvous after the deal has been sealed. He grinned and slowly flagged an okada rider and told the weather beaten cyclist where he was going. They agreed on a price, he jumped on the back seat, his mind occupied with Slim, Danjay and the green bottle.





SIX
The production manager, a thin fair looking elderly man in his late forties, stared quietly at the two young men sitting confidently right opposite him across his large desk. He re-adjusted his medical glasses and tried to absolve what the two young men had just told him. He could not just believe what his ears was hearing- threat of litigation. Something about their stories still puzzled him and he realized that he could not just closed his ears to their complains and threats. But how truthful was their stories and threats? He wondered, his expression still staring blankly at the green bottle on his table.
“This other colleague of yours, which hospital did you say he is?” He finally managed to ask, his face now showing sign of seriousness and concern, at the same time piecing into Slim.
“At a Private Clinic, In fact, we don’t know how he his handling the bills right now” Slim responded with seriousness.
“And you are sure it was after drinking our product that he fell sick?” The manager asked, sizing up his sincerity. He gazed amazingly at the green bottle as if he was just seeing such product for the first time. He suddenly returned his gaze to Slim and Danjay, the suspicious on his face growing by bit.
“Yes – we are absolutely sure, even the doctor has also confirmed it” Slim replied, his eyes staring confidently at him.
“So where is the other bottle?”
“We left it with the Clinic”
The manager stared surprisingly at him as if to tell him how stupid and careless they had been. Instead he allowed himself a grin” And you say you guys are students – am I right?”
“Yes we are, and we are also part of the student union government in school.’ Slim lied.
It was a deliberate lie to put more fear and pressure on the manager and his employers. No sensible profit oriented organization would be foolish enough to mess around with student unions in the country. He thought happily as he grinned back at the now wary looking manager.
“So you want us to compensate you? “ The wary looking manager finally forced the word out, the grin no longer visible on his face.
“Exactly- that was the conclusion and agreement we all arrived at during our last emergency congress meeting. Yes, the student union agreed to negotiate for a reasonable compensation with your organization” Slim announced slowly as if he was actually doing the organization a favour by revealing this.
“ I see. So how reasonable is this compensation going to be? Do you have anything in mind?” The manger finally asked after a short thoughtful minutes. He kept staring at the mysterious green bottle.
Danjay stared at him, his eyes half on the bottle and ready to scoped it back into the Jimtex bag , if the man made any wrong move. He had earlier cautioned Slim about the sensibility of bringing along the bottle, first without having a photograph of it or better, engaging a qualified lawyer to do all the legal negotiations for them. But Slim had always assured them that they were capable of handling this.
“Why are we in school?” he had always projected confidently with a wide beam on his face, again with the reminder that it will cost a large sum of money to engage a good lawyer to slug it out with the manufacturer on litigation and punitive charges. This was still Nigeria, were the laws always favoured the rich and mighty. He had always pointed out.
”But these people could actually confisticate this bottle once we are in their premises” he had tried to convince the ever so confident Slim, who had smiled and insisted they come along with it, since time was going, the earlier the better . He had advised.” No shaking – everything go work out fine” he had assured. And now Danjay stared silently at his slim figure and waited for him to make everything fine. What should be a reasonable prize? He thought silently and tried to imagine a big reasonable figure.
“Five million should be reasonable enough, sir” Slim finally announced with a smile, actually wishing he could increase the sum to a clean ten million naira.
“Five million what?’ The manager demanded loudly with surprise.
“Five million naira, sir” Slim repeated, noticing the shock on the man’s face and imagining what his reaction would have been if he had told him the ten million figure. He smiled broadly and listened to his rambling.
“Five million naira. Common young men, you guys must be kidding. Don’t you think you and your student union are asking for an unreasonable compensation? You are actually asking for too much gentlemen.” He paused and mop his face, though the air-conditional was working steadily, he then continued.” You see, like I earlier told you, this is not a new thing to us as you can see here” He pointed to other green bottles with similar dirty substances by the window. ‘’ All these are due to production error and we have our normal ways of compensating customers, faithful consumer like you , who might have been unfortunate to come across mistakes like this’. He paused and actually smiled at both of them. ‘’ But our ways of compensation is not on the same line with that ridiculous amount you are asking for” He added, his smile now more of a grin.
“So what is your line of compensation?” Slim mockingly asked, deliberately dropping the sir prefix. ‘We are here to negotiate.
“Look young men, I think you guys should better come back later in the day. I really need to take up your issue with the top management.’ He glanced at his watch” Why don’t you come back say around two thirty” He suggested glancing once more at his watch.
“ You can at least tell us what your organization is willing to offer, sir” Danjay suggested not happy with the way things were going.
The manager stared quizzically at Danjay, as if he had just suggested something weird and distractive. “No, I can’t do that right now. You guys should just go and come back around two thirty, I believe I should be in a better position to tell you our offer then. But right now, I will need to take up your request with my ogas” He told them with a final decision and a full grin.
Slim and Danjay stared at each other, and both pushed themselves up from their seats at the same time. Danjay scoped up their green bottle and returned it back to the bag.
“Oh, you guys are not leaving the bottle with us? It is okay, you can go with it, but make sure to bring it along when coming back; the management will need to see it.” He told them, privately regretting that they had refused to leave the evidence behind-Wise boys. He thought silently with his mischievous grin.
“There is no problem. We will come back with it “ Danjay assured him, safely zipping back the back. They thanked him, grinned back at him and went out of the air-conditioned office, back into the scorching sun of the day.

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