Chapter 5: Rain, Rivalry, and the Hard Truth
"Ayotunde?" My roommate wave hand for my face.
He dey try bring me back, but my mind far. I dey see rain for window, but my head dey for that WhatsApp group.
"If you no wan talk, just forget say I ask."
He act like say he dey care, but I sabi him style. Na just gossip he dey find.
I just smile, repeat the same excuse wey I give Morayo.
"My papa no dey gree make I date babe from another city, so we break up."
My papa wahala na old gist. The man strict, him no dey play with tradition. He no like make I carry babe from far, say e dey hard to trust. Na that excuse I dey use anytime I wan dodge matter.
No be lie sef. My papa really talk am.
Na true, but this one na cover-up. The real thing pain me reach bone.
Roommate just look me like say I dey craze. "Ayotunde, I no believe say you dey obey your papa like this."
He raise brow, dey judge me. For hostel, if you dey obey your papa, dem go laugh you.
I just shrug. "Na so now. I dey always listen."
I gimme am street answer. For my mind, I dey laugh—if dem know say na woman matter dey finish me, dem go use am run me street.
Phone ring again. He check me, no talk again.
E just shake head, carry phone, lock screen. E be like say e dey pity me small.
He just mutter say e pain am, then hang up.
Chijioke no fit talk again. He just sigh, go bed, pull blanket. Rain still dey knock window, thunder dey shake hostel.
Rain dey beat zinc for hostel, thunder dey disturb like landlord wey want rent.
Rain don dey fall outside, I no even notice.
The sound dey cool, but for my body, everywhere dey boil.
Classmates dey knock door, dey remind me say Morayo dey downstairs.
I dey hear their voice from corridor—"Ayotunde, Morayo still dey wait o! Guy, your babe dey soak for rain!" E be like dem dey mock me.
I tire, sneak go balcony.
I wear hoodie, tiptoe reach balcony, no wan make anybody see me. My leg dey shake small, but I wan just peep how things be.
As I poke head outside, na so I jam Morayo eye. My heart just squeeze.
Her eye catch me sharp sharp. For that moment, na only the two of us dey exist. My chest dey beat like talking drum.
Even though NEPA don take light, I fit see say her face don break, she don tire.
Even rain no fit wash away her pain. Her mascara don run, her lips dey pale. I feel am deep for body.
I dey reason whether to go explain give her.
My mind dey fight me—go meet her, talk everything, make peace. But pride dey hold me back.
But I see person dey hold umbrella for her.
E pain me small, but I just dey observe. Na dark boy, he wear SUG jacket—maybe Sani. The umbrella big, but e no cover both of them well.
For that small light, the umbrella almost cover only Morayo.
Na only her body dey dry, the boy just dey manage the edge. E show say na her he dey care for.
WhatsApp group show again.
[Guy, na this kain gist dey make hostel sweet. Campus queen wahala no dey finish!]
[Thanks to other guy, main guy don finally get mind hold umbrella for campus queen.]
[See as e sweet—campus queen, abeg look main guy, leave other guy matter.]
Everybody dey observe us like football match. I dey reason if na my village people dey write script for my life.
My mind just clear, I waka go back inside.
E no good to dey force yourself for person wey no dey feel you. I drop curtain, close balcony door.
[Abeg I no fit for campus queen. Main guy dey try hold umbrella for her, she dey tell am make he commot.]
[Just wait, chasing after husband go soon start. The way she dey cold now, na so slap go land for her later.]
The group just dey para, dey drop play by play update. For my chest, e dey pain me, but I dey act hard.