Chapter 2: The Pain of Letting Go

As I dey delete picture after picture with Morayo, my roommate wey just come back tell me say Morayo dey wait for me downstairs for hostel.

I dey scroll through gallery, thumb dey shake, each swipe like person dey drag my heart for gutter. My phone full with memories—her smile for library, her selfie for Eyo Festival, our matching Ankara for Valentine. As I dey press delete, na so my heart dey cut small small. My roommate, Chijioke, just come in, dey drop him bag, eye dey shine as usual after football.

I rub my eyes, voice hoarse, "Abeg tell her make she no wait. I no dey come down."

I no wan make my voice crack, so I just force the words. Rain dey knock for window, breeze dey enter the room, but my chest hot.

We don already break up—wetin remain again?

I dey tell myself say na over, make I rest, but why my heart still dey jump each time her name show for phone?

My roommate come look me well, turn my shoulder.

"Ayotunde, you and the campus queen quarrel?"

He talk the thing with that his fake concern, but I sabi say he just dey find gist. For my mind, I dey curse am small. Wetin concern you?

I off my phone, look up. "No be quarrel. We don break up."

The way I talk am, even me dey surprise myself. E pain me, but I no wan show weakness.

He shock. "No wonder she dey talk say she no fit reach you. So you block her?"

Na so e open mouth like fly go enter. Everybody for hostel go soon hear, I just know. Na gossip go scatter ground.

"Why una break up? Morayo cheat on you?"

Before I fit answer, him phone ring. Na Morayo dey call.

See temptation! I no wan hear her voice, but e be like say God wan test my patience today.

I wan tell am make he cut the call, but he pick am, and Morayo voice just dey pour questions.

Her voice dey shak like generator wey no get oil. E get as e dey touch me, but I bone face, dey wait make call end.

I rush talk: "E no concern her, abeg no dey ask her..."

I dey try use style cut the matter, but Morayo sharp. She don notice say na my roommate dey talk.

"Ayotunde, na you? You no go answer phone?" Morayo voice just dey anxious from the other side.

Her voice soft, dey tremble, e almost break me. My hand shake, but I no gree collect phone.

I just bone, shake head for my roommate, signal make he cut the call.

Na small sign I give am, just wave hand. I no wan show say I care, but e pain me die.

He listen to Morayo dey beg, no fit bear am, just hand me the phone.

"If na misunderstanding, abeg clear am sharp sharp."

Chijioke dey do like marriage counselor. I just dey look am, no be your matter, oga.

No be misunderstanding. She no suppose be my own from the start.

For this life, no be every soup wey sweet you suppose chop. Some people na just for another person.

Morayo voice still dey beg: "Ayotunde, abeg, come down. Make we talk face to face."

Na her stubbornness dey always make me soft, but today, I need show say I dey serious.

As I hold the phone, I breathe deep, talk calmly: "Senior, I don talk wetin I wan talk finish."

I dey use that her nickname—Senior—make she know say e don pass lover matter.

"Since we don break up, abeg no drag am again. Make we just end am for good."

My voice cold, e surprise me. I just dey act hard man.

"If I no gree, e no count as break up!" Her voice rise, almost lose control.

The way she shout, e be like say she wan use voice break wall. My heart shake, but I no show am.

I no wan waste words, just cut the call.

Na so I press end, close eye. E pain me, but wetin man go do?

My roommate collect phone back, still dey wonder. "So why una break up? Na Morayo you finally win, oh."

Na true, na Morayo.

The campus queen and book champion for Palm Grove University, daughter of one big man for Zenith Holdings, fine, get sense, background set.

If you see her for road, you go know say she different. Her English dey sweet, her skin dey shine, her aura fit make lecturer greet am first, even VC dey nod when she pass. Her papa na Chief Olanrewaju, money no dey ever finish for that family.

Boys full everywhere dey trip for her but she no ever get wahala with any guy.

From SU president to football captain, everybody dey chase her, but she dey carry herself with one kain pride. Nobody fit talk say dem don near her.

No be like those other rich girls wey dey waka party up and down—this one na correct bookworm.

If she no dey class, she dey library. Na only on Sunday you fit see her relax for hostel balcony with novel for hand. She sabi book pass anything.

I use one full semester chase am, but after one sweet year, everything scatter.

Na serious run I run. Flowers, serenade for hostel, birthday surprise—even take her go Tarkwa Bay once. When she gree finally, boys nearly burn hostel with jealousy.

To fall for her easy, but to let go hard.

If person tell me say I fit leave Morayo, I go swear say e no possible. But see as life play me.