"yo kid nice!"

Nigerian taxi-driver
peers through the grimy mirror,
fluffy pink snake-eyes bounce
behind tinted glasses.

Ogoga Taxi License
'Simon Okeke'
Expires 02/04/44

i opened my mouth
the car jiggled
nearly bit my tongue.

i tried again.

"him?"
nod towards brooding young male
comfortably man-spreading
three-fourths of the seat

"yeh"

"oh ha, he's not my kid."

I turned to him.

"sorry, your name?"

his head slowly tilted
eyes met mine
with a fantascopic sort of
flick-flick-flick

"you can call me
kid nice."

and his eyes
told otherwise