HOTEL SUZY

It was a hot night in September 2010 when I landed in Conakry, Guinea. It had been a long wait at the airport in Senegal and by the time I arrived Conakry at 11:50pm I felt dirty, sticky and tired. To make matters worse my luggage when it arrived from the hold, was torn and had what seemed like a bra dangling from the edge. I quickly stuffed it back into the box looking around to make sure no one had seen it. I wasn't going to be so lucky, a laughing custom officer beckoned to me to come over for checking. I dragged my box over thinking it will be over in a few seconds. I was wrong. After what seemed like forever, with me trying to explain to a now growing number of custom officers that I was there on Official Assignment to meet with the Chief Director at the Ministry of Agriculture, I was reluctantly let go.

Omon's apartment, Bovey Court Warrington, UK 2009

I thought the airport was hot till I stepped out to a blast of heat only comparable to heat waves in Northern Nigeria. On getting out I met a crowd of currency mongers thrusting bundles of CFA in my face asking in French if I wanted to exchange currency. I was in no mood to be touched, shoved or pushed by anyone so when Ismael caught hold of my wrist and pulled me to him I instantly started struggling and shouting "je ne parle pas français". Above the jeering caused by my shout he shouted in reply "calm down. Madam Ejere?" I said "yes, who are you?" "Ismael from Canada" he replied. Then it dawned on me. He was one of the guys in the team who I was going to be working with in the coming week. He had only just arrived from Canada himself. I took a good look at him, "not bad at all", I concluded.

It was a long drive from the airport to the hotel with military check points almost every fifteen minutes. Between the dirty windows of the truck and the unavailability of street lights I was unable to make out houses or any structure. If it was possible, the car was hotter and stuffier than the airport. Ismael and I chatted for a while, mostly about the fact that he was originally from Guinea now based in Canada. I told him I was Nigerian and we exchanged business cards. By the time we arrived the our hotel we were exhausted. 

Hotel Suzy looked like it was under some kind of reconstruction or renovations with bags of cement and wooden planks blocking the entrance. Dragging my box into the reception with the help of the driver, I could only pray not to step on nails or sharp objects. What I could make of the hotel was a three story building situated in the midst of low rising houses. The hotel lobby was bare except for a concrete slab that hid two sleeping receptionists who seemed personally affronted when they were woken up to attend to us. We were quickly registered in a tattered note book, handed room keys and settled into our rooms. My room was located on the third floor with a large window and a door leading to the corridors. Ismael's room was just a few feet away. The tap didn't run and since there was no telephone in the room I resigned myself to sleeping without taking a bath. 

I am quite sure I had not been asleep for more than an hour when I heard some noise outside my room door. I pulled my mobile phone from under the pillows and checked the time, it was shortly after 3:40 am. The noise at the door drew my attention once more, it seemed like someone was trying to break into my room. I was so scared, my heart was pounding so fast and loud I could literally hear it. I was quietly reciting Psalm 23. I dared not make a sound so they wouldn't know I was awake. I tiptoed to the wardrobe where I used my phone light to search for Ismael's card in  my wallet, silently praying the wardrobe door will not whine. Upon finding the card to my frustration it was his Canadian numbers stated in there. I muffled a sob in my palm while I tried to figure out what to do next. All the while it seemed the burglars were trying to pick the door lock. 

In a panic I picked up my phone and tried Ismael's Canadian number, he answered immediately and I said "Ismael you've got to come and help me, there are some men trying to break into my room." He muffled something I couldn't quite catch in reply so I asked "what did you say?" That is when he said "Idowu, some people are trying to break into my room."

To be continued...