My landlord taped a notice on my door saying my rent is due. I checked my bank account and laughed.

So I'm working from home today, in the middle of a standup call, when I hear someone knocking. It's the landlord's son, dropping a printed notice that my rent is due by Friday. I open my banking app to check my USD salary conversion, and I just started laughing on the call. My colleagues in the US probably think I'm losing it.

The thing is, I make enough to pay. But the stress of even seeing that notice, the way my body tensed up before I even checked my balance... that's the real Lagos tax. The anxiety is built into the rent itself. I ran the calculation in my head: one year rent in VI, plus the agent fee, plus the "one month for the caretaker" that no one can explain. The numbers say I can afford it. But the fear doesn't read spreadsheets.

So I paid it. Then I sat there wondering if I'm actually better off than the guy in Ajah who pays half and has to deal with flooding every rainy season. At least my money buys me dry feet. But the stress? Same dimension.