Avwebo:     Welcome, my good friend. It better small. How Church this Sunday? You pray for me?

Titi:     I pray for you well well. They pray for New Millennium for my Church.

Avwebo:     Which one be that again. No be New Year we dey?

Titi:         New Millennium na many many Happy New Year. I no fit understand am myself. I beg make we talk our own. You hear from home?

Avwebo:     I don hear from home. My brother dey wait for me. All my family know say I dey come home. Me self I happy. Make I go home.

Titi:     Ho! I happy too. But I go miss you. Whatin be the name for your town self? I fit come for visit you.

Avwebo:     Na Okpara. I go welcome you, my good friend. But you go give me time for settle down.

Titi:     I hear business good well well for your state. Una be Delta, no be so? I hear una get plenty oil.

Avwebo:     Aha, plenty. I no go fit wait for get home for fine oil. I go roast one cat fish. I go put am for good oil. I go take roast plantain for eat all the oil and fish. Whatin? Why you dey squeeze your face like person where see bad thing?

Titi:     I no mean that oil. I mean oil where dey come from ground. Na the one Shell dey bring from ground.

Avwebo:     I beg, no mention that one for the place where I dey. Shell na wicked people. Na so so danger they dey bring for my people.

Titi:     True? Whatin I hear be say Government like them well well. I hear say Shell dey bring plenty money for Nigeria. I no know say they wicked.

Avwebo:     Sho! You no know Shell come put fire for Idjerhe? They come kill plenty people. Na Shell put fire for another Urhobo town, Ekakpamre. They kill plenty people. They be wicked people. Government go like them because they dey bring money for them. But they dey kill my people. Make we non talk that one again.

Titi:     Okay! So you get present for your family?

Avwebo:     Heh, I put small money for side. I go use that one for buy small small present for my brother and he wife and children.

Titi:     Make you add this small money for your present.

Avwebo:     Titi! This na big money. Thank you well well. You be good friend.

Titi:     You be good friend. Make I embrace you small. So na which day you go go?

Avwebo:     Na next Saturday. I go miss you.

Titi:     Goodbye Avebo. Greet your people.

Avwebo: Thank you my friend. God go bless you. Next Saturday, I go say goodbye for Lagos. Bye, Titi, my good friend.
 

Peter P. Ekeh
Buffalo, New York
USA
2 January 2000