Chapter 5: Love and Pressure

Me and Zainab dey close every day. To dey with her dey sweet me well. I finally know wetin love be. Only wahala be say Zainab too dey old school—even if na only two of us, na just hand I fit hold. She talk say she wan keep the main thing for marriage, so that I go marry complete woman.

If I try waka pass hand for her waist, she go gently remove am, say 'na only after church blessing.' Sometimes I go tease her, she go smile, hide face. For my mind, I dey vex small, but the kind respect I get for her dey strong. Na real woman she be—no be play play.

E pain me, but e still touch me.

Some nights, I go dey restless. E go be like say my body dey burn. But I respect her wish. For my mind, I dey talk say 'no wahala, my time go reach.' Na so my own patience dey grow, and our bond dey tight.

Anytime I dey feel somehow, I go peep Amaka again. She no get plenty customers, but different types dey come: old men with white hair, young boys wey never reach my age. The price na always cash, no transfer. That slim man dey come steady, and na only for am Amaka dey show real feelings. If I count am, Amaka dey make more money than my own hustle. I come dey jealous, even dey look down on am small.

Sometimes the customers go dress rough, sometimes dem go wear office shirt. Amaka dey sharp—she no dey allow story, na straight to business. I dey reason am, dey wonder why life dey favour some people with easy money. But as I see Amaka dey smile for that slim man, I know say no be everybody wey get money dey happy.

One month pass, Zainab finally allow me kiss her. She dey nervous, close eye, no even open am. She come talk say, for this life, na only me she go marry.

As her lips touch my own, my heart cut like yam. She dey shiver, her hand dey cold, but her voice steady. 'I go wait for you, na you be my own.' E be like say world stop, na only two of us remain for that small room. I feel like king.

I happy die. I never believe say person like me fit get girlfriend, talk less of babe wey go say she wan marry me.

For my mind, I dey pray say make nothing spoil this matter. I dey tell God, 'abeg, this one no go end for road.'

Then she tell me say she don tell her family about us. Her parents na farmers, no too like talk; na her big brother go run the marriage. I quickly tell her say I go treat her well, listen to her brother, and we go live good life.

She talk say her papa dey farm, no get time for Lagos people. Na her brother dey city, na him go decide. I reply say I go respect dem, I no go disappoint am.

That day, na she first kiss me and hug me for long.

We just dey sit for corner, breeze dey blow, her hand dey my neck. E be like say world dey perfect. I even forget all my wahala.

Two days later, her brother call am, she pass phone give me. The brother talk say he support us, as long as I treat Zainab well, dem go accept me. Only one condition: bride price of 1.5 million naira. Once I ready, make I come propose.

The brother voice hard, but e dey friendly. E clear say he just dey protect im sister. I reply say I go try my best, say make dem no worry, I be real person.

Zainab see as I dey reason am, come talk say village standard na 2.5 million, but her brother don reduce am by one million. The money go come back to us after marriage, to start our life.

She laugh small, say her brother dey always do sharp business. 'No worry, e go return. Na just family standard.' But for my mind, na big wahala.

1.5 million—no be too much, but me I no get am. My parents no too get, and nothing dey house.

I dey reason where I go see that kind money—no work, no big people for my family. My mind dey scatter. I dey think say, if to say my papa be chief for village, all these things for easy. But now, na only my sweat fit bring am.

I waka go house, just dey think, sit for computer front for long. E don reach harmattan, even for afternoon, cold just full room.

I dey rub hand, try type, but nothing dey come. My eye red, my chest heavy. The whole world just dey cold, even when sun dey outside.

"Clack..." That soft door close sound ring again.

My body stand. The sound now dey enter my bone. I off light, move near wall, ear dey sharp.

Vex catch me, I go near the hole for wall, hear Amaka dey talk: "How long you never come? You forget me?"

Her voice crack, she dey act tough, but small pain dey inside.

"Business get wahala, na now I fit come. Since then, you never get any other man, abi?" the man ask.

His voice dey low, as if e dey test her. The room get one kind heavy quiet.

Amaka shock, slap the man, push am.

"So for your mind, I still be ashawo, abi?" she talk, her voice weak. "Go, no come meet me again."

Her slap loud, echo for wall. She turn face, but her hand still dey shake. You go know say na real pain dey her chest.

"No be so, abeg." The man rush hug her. "I love you too much. I no care about your past. I even feel say I no deserve you. Na you I want make I dey with forever."

The man voice break, e dey hold her like say if e leave, e go lose her forever. E clear say na emotion dey push am, no be just wahala.

Amaka calm down, hug am. The man begin kiss her, tear her cloth, dem fall into their normal way.

Dem both surrender, like say fight don tire them. The bed dey creak, the air thick, but na the soft talk after dey loudest.

As I dey reason say Baba Musa dey downstairs dey fry food and dey hail customers, while him wife dey upstairs dey craze, the thing just tire me.

I look my own life, dey ask God question. E reach point I no know who I dey pity pass: Baba Musa, Amaka, or myself. For Lagos, everybody dey run own race. But sometimes, the race na circle, you go just dey end for where you start.

Soon, dem calm down. Amaka rest for the man chest like small girl.

She close eye, her finger dey trace circle for his chest. The man dey stroke her hair, dey whisper soft, say 'nothing go happen, I dey your side.' For that moment, she look happy, small smile dey her lips.

"How your business dey go?"

Amaka voice low, she try act casual, but you go know say she dey hope for good news.

"I wan start my own. Opportunity dey now—if I invest, profit go come big. But... I still need money."

The man sigh, rub neck. You go know say money matter dey always spoil better plan. Him dey look Amaka like say her answer na key.

"How much?"

She dey look am, hope dey her eye. Na moment of truth.

"At least 2 million naira. The more, the better."

He talk am like say two million na small change. I for laugh if no be say my own wahala pass that.

"I go give you."

Amaka nod, her face bright small. For her mind, she dey see future. The kind trust she show, e fit melt heart.