5:44. The luminescent green hands of my wristwatch herald the start of a new day from the top of my bedside drawer. It should be getting light outside already, but it isn't. That's puzzling until I see a sudden and vivid dendritic pattern stretch across the sky to touch down somewhere in the distance. And hear the inevitable accompanying rumbling thunder a couple of seconds later. There is a palpable shock to the building as the thunder reverberates. 'What a way to start the week,' I surmise.

I absently think under the shower about the portending issues these rains arrive with. Lagos is notorious for having the worst traffic congestion you will ever see. Rains only exacerbate the problem of efficiently moving over twenty million people around a space meant for twenty individuals. To cap it all, it's Monday. I mentally brace myself for the grueling commute I have to make today.

Skipping breakfast as a morning commuter is a regular and indeed wise practice as you get ahead of most of the heavy traffic if you get on your way before 6:30. It doesn't appear to be the wisest decision now as I hear my stomach rumble under the continuous drone of the cascading water droplets let loose by the skies. The line of vehicles ahead of me seems unending. The roads are also flooded, with the water almost halfway up my tires. The constant splatter of the rain on my windshield also makes for poor visibility despite the furious efforts of my wipers. Sighing, I let my thoughts wander to my first appointment for the day. My destination is an enchanting complex of a building you would mistake for anything other than a hospital. Something particularly grave had happened within the walls of that building, and the management had contacted me to function as their legal counsel in solving problems that had arisen. A nurse had inadvertently killed a middle-aged man in December of the previous year. On the orders of the attending doctor, she dosed him with phenobarbitone despite his being affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an often severe manifestation of respiratory dysfunction. The hospital fired both individuals responsible after a review of the case in February. However, the family of the deceased man is now suing the hospital for a sum of ₦ 100,000,000. Hence, they hired me. I will do a deep dive into the events that led up to the tragedy to determine the best angle of legal defense I can present in court to limit the liability of the hospital to the minimum possible. Settling the case out of court is a viable alternative. It could even prove to be the best plan of action.

I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I don't notice the car ahead of me has moved a few meters ahead. Jolting out of my reverie, I step on the pedal. Suddenly, the car in the right lane swerves into the closing space and brushes against my right-sided headlamp, breaking it. I imagine there is damage to my fender too. Deary me, it's going to be a long day...