Chapter 3: When Old Video Wake New Gist

Na when Aunty Yemisi call wake me up, naim I know say me and Suleiman matter dey trend since night.

As her call dey enter, she dey shout, "Ifeoma! Na you I dey see for everywhere this morning? Wetin you do this time o?" Na her voice even make me realize say the thing don pass ordinary trend.

E still dey top for the list.

I just check trending page, my heart beat dey skip. For this Naija, any small mistake, person fit collect dragging of the century.

I click the trending video, my eye catch my young self from ten years ago, I shock.

As I watch myself, I no fit even believe na me. My skin smooth like baby own, no stress line, eyes dey shine. E be like say all the wahala wey I go face later never born that time.

I use time dig the memory come out from where I keep am for back of my mind.

The thing sweet and pain me at the same time. Memories be like groundnut—you go break am, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. I fit smell the old studio for my nose.

That year na after graduation—I follow Suleiman go Palm Grove Studios, dey hustle for acting work.

We waka everywhere together. Na that time we dey live for one small boys’ quarter wey mosquito dey dance azonto for ear. Dreams dey big, money dey small.

He dey act; me, na odd jobs I dey do.

I dey run errands for people, dey help drycleaner wash, dey sell recharge card for junction. Anywhere money dey drop, I go show.

Na so I meet one man wey talk say e dey shoot documentary. E ask if I wan enter the thing.

I look am from head to toe. The man dey wear old cap, camera for neck, he no too talk. Me, I no send.

Me sef no send am.

The sun that day dey burn like say e wan cook person. I just dey mind my business, no want wahala. But the man get patience pass vulture.

But the man act like say e no hear me, e just dey follow me waka, no matter how I try chase am.

If na Lagos, person for don think say e be Yahoo boy. But this one just dey on him own, dey smile, no dey disturb.

Since e just dey stand with him camera, no disturb my work, I tire to dey chase am, I just leave am make e do wetin e like.

After like three days, e blend into background. Na only when I wan rest I go remember say camera dey shine for my face.

Aunty Yemisi ask if make we call community security make dem run am.

She get one way wey she dey reason. Any small thing, she go dey call vigilante boys. "This your face fit enter trouble, Ifeoma," she dey talk.

I reason am, shake my head.

"No need. E good sef say small buzz dey come."

Aunty Yemisi just hiss, "You no dey hear word." But deep down, I know she go later dey tell her own friends say her niece dey trend.

As curiosity hold me, I go check comments, dey expect to see the normal insult, like say I be maggot wey dey crawl inside dirty place.

I dey ready for dragging. Nigeria social media na no man’s land. If dem no call you mugu, dem go call you ashewo. My skin don tough.

But this time, comments surprise me.

[Abeg, I fit talk am? Why I dey ship these two like this?]

[You no dey alone o.]

[E shock me, but na true, e hard not to ship. You see Ifeoma eyes?]

[Me sef. I never see pure love for eye like that for long. Remind me of when I never bitter reach.]

[That year, Ifeoma dey run three jobs per day for Suleiman. God, I drag her that time, but now… sigh, I no even know wetin to talk.]

[No matter as e end, true love no dey easy to see.]

[Na so! Ifeoma and Suleiman own sweet pass all this Instagram couple wey dey form.]

I come watch the video again, dey find wetin I do or show that year wey make people change mouth from five years ago.

I dey rewind, dey pause, dey try remember. Sometimes na angle wey camera take go change people mind. I dey wonder whether na the soft voice I use, or the way my hand rest for Suleiman back.

Ten years don waka pass.

For Naija, ten years be like three lifetimes. Many things fit happen, people fit forget your face, but memory no dey truly die for internet.

My memory don dey fade for those days.

I fit remember small, but some parts be like dream. That Lagos sun wey dey burn us, the early morning traffic, all the chop wey we no fit afford. E dey somehow sweet and sad.

But true to wetin dem talk, for video, the twenty-three-year-old Ifeoma love for Suleiman too clear, too strong, e dey hard make person no feel am.

My eye for that video dey shine like person wey see gold. The kind love wey dey show, na old Nollywood own, the type wey make village girl leave house follow city boy.