Don’t know if you can still call at 57 midlife Crisis.
Me, I kuku don’t know what that term even means, but I sha used to hear people say it to me when I wear my trauma jeans or a nice pair of sneakers or jump into a dance and roll on the floor
They will say Edgar, you are going through a midlife crisis and I will laugh, not knowing what it means and why they are saying that to me
Well, in extension of my midlife crisis, I decided to buy a Mini Cooper convertible
I was first introduced to the car by my extremely rich client and friend, Fidelis Ethe
Then, as a Stockbroker, I would go to his office on Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, and he would drive in, in his Mini Cooper, and I would be amazed at the car
It was not a mini ooo, only in the outer facade, but inside it was spacious enough to have a party of five
Its elegance, its interior, and its power all captured my imagination
It was small only in name, as it carries with it the power of a BMW or a Benz
I was intrigued and fell in love and vowed to buy one for myself one day
Then the economy tanked. I had moved from the income bracket that could buy brand new cars from a dealership – and I indulged, as I got a BMW, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai – to an income bracket where even buying a Tokunbo was a problem
So my dream of owning a Mini died with the economy
But my love was still intact. I will find myself staring through the windows of Mini on the streets of London, and I would shake my head and walk away
Then Jimi, my tokunbo car dealer, whom I had abandoned when I could afford brand new cars, came into my life again
This time, he is now in Canada as an economic refugee and wanted to start his business again, as he was tired of the 9-to-5 that he was doing in Canada
I was also wondering – an Igbo businessman who has not worked in an office one day, to go and be doing what, yes sir?
Can a leopard change its spots?
This leopard gave me a good deal. Edgar, when you see the car on ur doorstep, pay me
I said oya and ordered two.
By this time, I already had a BMW, A Honda Pilot, the already mentioned Kia Sportage, another Hyundai, a Toyota Lexus and a Toyota Yaris that I was gifted
But none could meet my thirst for adventure and risk the Mini would bring to my life
So I sold the Pilot and Lexus for a pittance and sent the money to Jimmy as a show of good faith
The amount was less than 30% of the total cost of both cars, but just to give him confidence, and they were amounts I could lose if he decided to do me ‘sare wa gba’
Then he dropped the first one. It was blue-black and exactly like Fidelis own
The same car Fidelis used to take me to do shakara those years, and I felt fulfilled
Then he dropped the convertible, and my joy knew no bounds.
It was like the arrival of a newborn baby
The convertible came in racing colours, and when you touch a button, the roof opens up and showcases the beautiful sky for you
Its drive is something else, it vrooms and roars like a huge mountain gorilla, and u will be marvelling how such a small body can deliver such massive power and take off
It takes off like a jet – not an Airpeace, those mighty things Emirates use.
Yes, it gathers momentum in seconds, and you start feeling giddy
The plan is to take it on the Lagos-Calabar and burn the rubber and depress the accelerator and flatten it out.
This is my own midlife crisis, the convertible makes me feel like a teenager, pushing me to show off as I display its picture all over social media and talking all over town about it like I was just recently deflowered
What is your own midlife crisis??I have found mine, and I must say I’m enjoying this midlife crisis.
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: June 13, 2026
