Chapter 3: Prenup, Violence, and Shattered Trust

I talk, "No wahala, I go apply for court tomorrow to freeze the bride price till you return am."

Voice low, but steady. I dey try protect my own interest before she use style carry everything waka.

She laugh, "Go freeze am! E dey funny me. Freeze am, make una dey find money for hospital."

Her laugh loud, mockery full her mouth. For her eye, na game we dey play.

I no know wetin dey funny there.

My own pain pass wetin I fit talk. I dey wonder when marriage turn to this kind of joke.

But tonight, Morayo don show me her true colour.

For Naija, dem dey say, "If person show you who dem be, believe am." I don see am tonight.

I no fit marry this kind woman. I no fit carry debt for her head.

My heart settle. I know say I no go fit continue. I dey plan next step for my head.

Luckily, I know lawyer. Before wedding, Morayo force me sign prenup, lawyer sef dey as witness.

Na true, she force me write agreement say her property na her own. I no fit touch am, but if we marry, she fit collect half of my own. E pain me, but I gree because of love.

The agreement talk say, once we register, her property remain her own, I no get right, but she go collect half my own.

I dey regret that day. If no be lawyer, I for don lose everything. Now I dey thank God say we never register.

I carry her phone, call lawyer, beg am make e help me write urgent application to freeze the assets for court.

Lawyer still dey awake, e talk say make I send details. For Lagos, lawyer fit dey ready anytime wahala dey.

First thing tomorrow, make dem freeze the money.

For my mind, I dey plan sharp sharp. Na only lawyer fit save me now before matter spoil more.

Morayo see say I serious, come sit near me, dey mock, "Yes, freeze am quick! E dey funny me. Freeze better pass give your mama save her life."

She cross leg, dey shake foot. Her laugh dey ring for my ear. I just bone face, no talk.

I vex, "Na your mama dey die."

My voice low, but sharp. I dey look her, eye red. For Yoruba house, na bad thing to curse person mama, but anger don blind me.

For me, since she no wan register, my mother-in-law no be my mama again.

I dey reason am for mind, if she fit show me wickedness, why I go carry her family matter for head?

As she hear am, she jump, point my face, "Mind your mouth! Na your own family dey die—no curse my mama!"

Her finger near my eye, spit dey fly. For Yoruba house, na fight sign be this.

I talk, still dey shake, "I don talk am since, na your mama dey die."

My body dey shake, voice crack. Anger and pain dey mix for my throat.

"I go tear your mouth!"

Her voice loud, she raise hand, finger dey tremble. Her face dark, like say thunder go strike.

She no hold herself, just rush me.

She fly from sofa, land for my body. Her nail long, she dey scratch my face. Her hair dey scatter, wrapper shift. I dey try dodge, but she fast.

I wan talk say na her mama get accident, but she don grab my face, dey drag am, wan force phone enter my mouth, dey grind teeth: "You dey talk rubbish! Na your family dey die, you dey curse my mama. My mama no do you anything!"

Her grip tight, she press phone for my lip. I dey taste plastic, my mouth dey swell. The slap land, hot, my eye see star. For Yoruba house, man no suppose raise hand, but this one pass me.

Phone dey my mouth, I no fit talk, she even slap me like three times.

Her hand fast, slap dey land, cheek dey burn. I dey see double.

Since I never chop slap from my own parents, anger just dey boil for me.

I dey remember how my papa go just talk, everybody go calm. This one, na different woman I marry?

Especially as she talk she no go return bride price, my vex no get end.

The thing pain me reach bone. I no fit take am anymore.

I grab her hair, give her two heavy blows for face.

Na reflex, na anger. My fist land, she stagger, her mouth open. For Yoruba house, woman and man fight dey taboo, but this one don pass normal.

Morayo shock. She stagger back, almost fall, look me like say she no believe. "You fit hit me?"

Her eye wide, mouth open. She dey see another side of me.

I talk, "Na you start am—why I no go hit you?"

My voice cold, no remorse. My hand dey pain me, but I no even feel am.

"I go fight you till the end. Beat me, beat me well. I go still send you go jail!"

She dey cry, voice high. She dey find phone, wan record. For Naija, everybody dey fear police case.

She don lose sense. She know say she no fit beat me, but she still dey rush me, dey cry.

She dey scream, hair dey scatter. Her face swell. I dey pity her, but I no fit show am.

No be real fight, she no fit win at all.

I just dey push her gently, no want make I injure am. She fall, but get up again. She strong-headed.

Anytime she try scratch me, I just push am, she go fall for ground.

The house scatter, chair shift, phone fly. Na so some quarrel dey be.

When she see say she no fit win, she start dey curse, the words dirty well well.

Her mouth sharp, e dey pain me. Neighbours fit hear all the curse for corridor.

"I pray your mama die. Make your mama die for operation table tonight, suffer well well."

Her voice loud, the curse heavy. For Yoruba house, na taboo to curse elder, but anger don blind her.

"Na you cause am. Because you be useless man, your mama deserve to die."

She spit, face twist. I dey look her, my own heart dey break.

I tell am coldly, "Na your mama dey die."

I no fit hold back. Her words pain me, I no fit show mercy again.

"No curse my mama!"

She scream, rush me, tears full face. Her face don swell, eyes red.

She craze again, dey scream, dey rush me.

She dey move like person wey get fit of anger. She dey turn kitchen upside down, scatter spoon and plate.

In her panic, she grab fruit knife from table, charge me, dey shout.

Her hand dey shake, but she hold knife tight. For my mind, na time to dodge.

I slap her, she shock, I grab her wrist, twist am well. She scream, knife drop.

The knife land for ground, scatter. She hold wrist, tears roll down. I dey breathe heavy, hand dey pain me.

She see say she no fit win, she curse again, "Your mama don die. Your mama go die tonight, I go pop champagne tomorrow!"

She spit, voice high. Her word dey cut like blade.

I tire. I grab her head, push am inside kitchen sink, on tap, wash her mouth.

I no care again. Water dey pour for her mouth, she dey cough, dey cry. Na only way to stop dirty curse.

Morayo dey cry, dey struggle, head inside sink.

Her cry loud, the water dey flow. I see soap dey drip, but I no care.

I ask, "You never curse finish? You don ever think am? Na you selfish. Even if na my mama, real couple dey help each other family."

Voice calm, but pain full my chest. I dey try reach her sense, but I know say pride dey her body.

She spit water, glare me, "Na you selfish. If na my mama for hospital, I no go make you pay. I no go drag your family."

Her voice low, hand dey shake. I see small regret for her eye, but she no go talk am out.

I frown, "Na me you dey talk to so?"

My voice sharp, eyebrow up. I dey try show say I no be small boy.

She shout, "Real couple no dey drag each other down! You na animal, always dey think to collect my money. If na my mama, I go reason you. But you? You no dey reason me!"

She dey cry, the tears dey mix with water for face. Her voice crack, I see say her heart dey pain her.

I nod. "Okay, remember wetin you talk."

I no talk again, just siddon, dey wait next thing. For my mind, wahala never finish.

Just then, I see from kitchen window, familiar car enter compound, park downstairs.

Headlight shine for compound, I fit recognize the Toyota. My heart beat fast. For Lagos, once you see family car for night, matter don pass talk.

Na Baba Musa car be that.

Tyre still hot, engine dey make small noise. I look Morayo, her face light up.

As Morayo see am, she shout, happy, "You don finish! My papa don come. Today na your end!"

She dey jump, face bright, voice loud. Na so Naija woman dey behave when dem think say dem go win fight. For my mind, I sabi say peace no dey this house again. Anything fit happen before day break.