Chapter 5: The Queen’s Challenge

"How person like am go spoil ‘mother’ name? Sade, you be good woman. If na me, I no go take this," Bayo talk.

Bayo voice soft, e dey beg. Him eye dey shine. E dey play knight in shining armour, na Sade dey enjoy am.

"Thank you. Maybe I too soft."

Sade wipe her face, try smile. Her friends dey nod, dey whisper encouragement.

"He no reach your level."

Bayo dey hype am. "You fine, you get sense, you get style. E no deserve you."

"No talk am."

She wan play strong woman, but tears still dey her eye. Her voice small, almost whisper.

"You deserve better."

"No talk am."

She wave hand, but e weak. She dey enjoy the praise, but I fit see pain still dey her face.

Sade cover face, dey cry.

Her body shake, sob loud. Some girls dey hug her, dey pat back. Party don turn group therapy.

"Abeg, na audition for Nollywood tragedy?" I talk.

I vex, I yarn am loud. The thing pain me say na here my marriage dey scatter, people dey do movie.

She look up, shock. "How you go talk like that?"

Her eye big, e dey red. She dey expect apology, but I no gree.

"Wetin I go talk? ‘Mother’ title na big thing, but mama life no dey important? Heart attack rescue window na two hours. You don waste thirty minutes. To reach house go take twenty, hospital another twenty. Continue like this, your mama go don die."

I break down the time for her. My voice dey shake, pain dey my chest. I dey try talk sense enter her, but na wall I dey yarn.

Sade laugh.

She throw head back, the laugh dry, tears dey mix. Her friends dey cheer her, dey push her to do more.

"Kunle, your precious mama dey die, abi? You wan play hero, save your mama, abi? Oya, prove say you love me, I go let you go. I go still be good wife."

Her challenge loud. She dey flex power. For her mind, na me suppose beg her now.

"Classmates, how make e prove am?"

She spread hand, turn to crowd. Dem shout ideas like market women.

Everybody gather, dey shout ideas.

Dem dey excited, dey pour idea anyhow, dey laugh. The whole room dey shake. Some dey record, some dey snap.

"Lick Sade shoe clean. Make am beg with two knees like say na village elders dey judge am."

One babe raise shoe, everybody scream. For Naija, na big insult be that.

"Naked, sing for us."

Another guy shout, some dey jeer. For their mind, na cruise.

"Carry Sade for back, run three laps."

Dem dey hype, dey clap. Some dey push chair, space dey clear for madness.

Dem ideas just dey mad.

The thing tire me. For my family house, na slap person go collect if e try this kind rubbish.

"Sade, step on fruit plate, make am chop."

Dem dey reach, dey find new way to disgrace. Na so reunion dey turn madness.

"Drink wine after Sade spit inside."

Some dey twist face, some dey laugh. I dey wonder how I take jam this kind people.

"Use fruit knife write her name for your belle."

Even Bayo dey nod, dey smile. Na humiliation show for Sade sake.

Everybody dey shout, dey make noise. Na so madness dey start.

She dey enjoy, dey shine.

Sade dey swing leg, dey smile like Queen. Her friends dey hype am, dey give morale.

"Sade, we don give you ideas. Choose one."

One babe shout, "Queen! Pick the best!" Crowd dey chant.

She look me. "You pick."

She stretch hand, point me. The pressure heavy. My chest dey jump.

I...

I dey lost. My leg dey shake, my mind blank. Na shame I dey feel, anger dey burn me.

Wetin I go pick?

As I dey dull, she sit for sofa, stretch her leg. "If you no choose, I go choose for you."

She cross leg, flip hair. Crowd dey watch, camera dey roll.

Two guys push me reach her front.

Dem grab my shoulder, force me kneel. The pain bite, but my heart dey bleed pass.

"Lick my high heel clean. Na that one go prove say you love me."

Her voice loud, pride dey her face. She raise shoe, the thing shine for light.

"You dey craze?"

My voice low, but e carry pain. People dey laugh. Some dey snap video, I see one babe dey live-stream.

"You no wan do?"

Sade raise brow, dare me. E be like say if I gree, na another wahala go follow.

"Sade, you sabi wetin you dey do? You know time wey e be so?"

I try reason am, my voice crack. I dey beg, my pride dey fight me.

"No talk again. Just answer—yes or no."

She no send. Her own na to disgrace me finish.

"You really don mad."

I shake head, my spirit dey break. Na public wahala she want, and her people dey ginger am.