Chapter 1: His life was simple.

The Sun Was nowhere to be found in the vast empty space above the earth surface. The multiple led lights from the light poles and building made up for the absence of the bright solar body to the best of their ability. Iyke parked before the busy lounge which has become part of his adult life. He stepped out, and into the colourful but dimly lit lounge, his vision, adjusting to the relative darkness of the room as he walked towards the large bar, located at the Northern axis of the lounge. 

Loungers sat in groups on the couches arranged in semi-circular and circular forms, serenaded by the Afrobeat playing softly in the background. 

"Good evening, Boss!" The barman casually greeted Iyke, the bubbly, tall and bearded, dark-skinned young man in his early thirties who occupied a stool before him.

"Hey Nelson, what's up!" Iyke smiled.

"I dey fine, Boss. What should I get you?" 

"Campari."

Nelson picked a bottle of whiskey from the shelf behind him and poured its content into a glass cup. He added two big cubes of ice into it, before passing it to him, over the counter. He sipped the drink on receiving it. He stood and slowly moved towards a black cushion at the left side of the entrance with the glass of drink in his left hand; his other hand running through the screen of his phone as he moved towards the cushion slow and steadily. He finally settled into the cushion, his fingers still running through his phone's screen.

Clint, a young man about the same age and height as Iyke, walked in. His dark-brown skin was well complemented by his white polo. His shoulders raised firm and high in unapologetic confidence. He halted few steps into the lounge to absorb the scene of the multicoloured room. For seconds, he spied the room before he spotted Iyke. He walked to him, hailed him and extended his right hand for a shake.

Iyke reciprocated his gesture, "Clint da Boss.". A fidgeting sound emanated from the friction between their fingertips after the hand shake.

Clint dropped himself clumsily beside Iyke. "Apologies, Bro. I kept you waiting." 

"You had better be." Iyke said with a straight face.

"Come on, man! Don't be that way." He nudged him. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to have ordered some Whisky," he replied in-between sips, gagging the laughter that threatened to escape his mouth. 

"Good evening, sir."A uniformed young lady cheerfully greeted them and handed over a menu to Clint. 

Clint declined and pointed to Iyke's glass, "get me that."

"Meet Nelson for that," Iyke added.

"This guy eeh! Can you be serious for once in your life?" Clint teased, his voice laid with an unusual blend of happiness and disappointment. 

"Osheee… Seriousness personified! Where have your seriousness gotten you to, in this life?" Iyke responded in laughter.

"Remind me, how did I get to know you?" Clint jokingly picked an offence.

"You should be grateful that I'm coping well with you and your seriousness." Iyke responded, making obvious his sarcastic wits. He dropped his glass on the table, "Mr. Man, if you must know, every second counts for me. That is how serious people behave!" He adjusted the non-existent collar of his white polo in mocking ego. 

"You see your life," Clint said in-between laughter, "na for drink and gossip you dey keep time," he mocked him. 

Laughing, Iyke patted his shoulder. 

"Anyways, I feel motivated. Where's Ken?"

"He won't be coming tonight," Iyke replied. "You look tired, by the way," he rightly observed.

Clint heaved a sigh, "I need a Chinese kind of modern Roman mosaic design, with a touch of Egyptian art and Mexican culture." 

The waiter returned with Clints drink, he picked it up from her tray and sipped from it, "How are you doing?"

"Great! That's if you exempt Anna's problems."

Clint almost choked from his drink, "What is it about this time?"

"She wants to expand the budget again." 

"Wait! Why?" Clint asked, trying hard to hold back his laughter.

"She came over yesterday and started reeling on a trip or camping for her birthday." Iyke went ahead and explained, "na me find trouble shaa. I for jejely mind my biz. I go shook mouth, only to wake up this morning with an extra bill." 

Iyke dropped his drink on the table and sat back on the couch as he summarized his ordeal with his partner, "shaa, I made it clear to her that I'm not in for that. I told her she has to find a way to fix that into the budget or finance it herself." 

Clint held his belly, laughing uncontrollably.

"I don turn comedian abi?" 

"No, Bro, but this sounds like an episode in AY's Crib," Clint taunted him.

"No be your fault."

"But Wait, Iyke, if I'm correct, this will be the third time this budget is being expanded, like you called it." Clint emphasized on 'expand', holding out his index and middle fingers, and engaging them in an up and down movement, in quote, while holding back laughter.

Iyke simply raised his hand, his thumb folded, "Fourth time!" 

Clint gasped. He reeled with laughter afterwards. "But you can afford it nah," he chirped.

"So? Is that why I should add to the already exorbitant amount for a birthday party?" Iyke queried Clint, who unknowingly seemed to have struck a nerve with his comments.

"Hey, man. I'm not Anna."

"I know. Just don't make use of her lines now, before I change am for you." Iyke threatened.

Holding back laughter, Clint placed a hand on his shoulder, "sorry, bro, but you . . . "

"I signed up for it, I know. Thank you!" Iyke completed Clint's famous line.

Clint fell back on the couch, laughing, "Save that energy for her when you get home."

"Hey, look!" Iyke pointed towards two ladies scanning for seats in the lounge.

"What?" Clint asked.

"Over there." 

Iyke made a gesture towards the direction of his subject, his facial and head movement brought to good use, "your spec."

"Nice excuse, but you fit observe wetin you wan observe without dragging me in," Clint joked while taking notice of the ladies.

"Suit yourself."

"But that one on white top shaa…" Clint remarked. Completing the statement was unnecessary because Iyke perfectly understood the remark beyond the spoken words. 

"Mumu, you for close your eyes nahh," Iyke said, laughing.

"Bro, I don dey go. It's been a long day. I need a good night's rest." Clint stood up.

"Where you dey go? Who will pay for the drink?"

"I will. Consider it my little contribution to your ever expanding birthday budget," 

"Wehdone Sir! Go pay for the drink first."