Chapter 5: Proposal, Dragging, and Prayer

That day na the first time Suleiman see the documentary man. E first use body shield me, dey eye the man well.

Suleiman get small wahala for trust. Na so e go stand front, spread hand like say e wan fight. E ask me quietly, "Babe, who be this one?"

I quick explain give am.

I talk say the man just dey record, e no mean harm. Suleiman just dey eye am like cat dey eye rat.

After he hear, he just pinch my cheek, smile.

Suleiman sabi how to make person calm. Na him way be that—small play, small joke. E fit make you forget your wahala.

"How many times I don tell you—no dey trust stranger anyhow? That twenty thousand naira wey that old woman carry run never do you?"

I laugh, "No be every stranger be thief na. This one na just video man."

I just dey smile, dey beg, promise say e no go happen again.

Na so Suleiman go dey act like small pikin, dey squeeze my hand, dey shake head. E dey like to dey form boss, but for my mind, I dey run things.

The man just dey there dey record us. E try hold himself but last last, e clear throat, camera sef shake.

You go hear the microphone pick am: small cough, small laugh. E try hide, but e no fit.

As Suleiman show, the man just start to act like real director, say make we stand together for interview.

He arrange us for one corner, wipe lens, dey act like say na Hollywood he dey shoot. We sef dey try form, dey look serious.

The first few questions na just normal—future, work, acting. Me and Suleiman just dey answer anyhow, no really talk deep.

Me, I dey talk say I wan open big restaurant. Suleiman dey say e wan act for cinema, make him mama see am for TV. We dey joke, dey play.

Suddenly, the man look Suleiman, talk one kind:

"Fine boy, sha."

If na now, Twitter for don call am crush. That year, Suleiman dey shy, e just scratch head, dey look ground.

As I still dey reason am, e face me, ask:

"With boyfriend wey fine like this, Miss Ifeoma, you no dey fear all the temptation for this industry? You sure say e go love you reach forever?"

The question just cut straight.

For that moment, silence fall. Even breeze stop. Everybody dey look me, dey wait for answer.

I shock small, then laugh like say na joke, grab Suleiman arm, eye dey smile with confidence.

"I no dey fear. I sure say Suleiman go love me reach forever."

I look Suleiman, clear throat, raise my chin, stretch hand give am.

As I dey talk, my voice high. I dey do like say na me dey propose. Na play but love dey inside.

"Oya, future movie star Sule—person dey doubt your love o. No be you suppose prove am?"

All the small crowd for studio begin cheer. Some dey whistle, some dey clap hand. Na real film.

Suleiman don used to my wahala. E look me with soft eye, love just dey shine for him face.

E bend small, raise eyebrow, dey smile. Na only me fit see the real Suleiman for that moment.

E kneel for ground, hold my hand, next thing, e wear one silver ring for my finger.

As e kneel down, people dey shout, "Ehen! Ehen!" The ring cheap, but e fine for my finger like Sunday jollof—na meaning matter.

"Na true. Suleiman go love Ifeoma reach forever."

"So, Miss Ifeoma Chukwuma, you go marry me?"

I cover mouth, shock, look the man behind camera, the man just dey smile like say e know since.

I dey look Suleiman, dey look camera, my head dey spin. For that split second, I forget all the wahala of life.

Na then I know say na plan dem plan am.

E be like say all of dem dey wait for me to react. Everybody dey hold breath.

Tears just rush my eye, I bite my lip, voice dey shake, "I go—"

My mouth still open when video end. For my bathroom, as I dey baff, na so tears mix with shower water. My heart soft.

I off the video, go baff.

Water wey I use baff that night, e be like say e wash memory join body. I dey reason, dey feel old feelings wey I think say I don throway.

When I check comments again, everywhere don split—two sides dey fight.

[Who dey ship these two? Suleiman and Halima Musa dey together now, una still dey ship am with ex? Una dey craze? The new couple no deserve this wahala.]

[Ship, ship, ship! Where una dey when dem drag Ifeoma that time as him babe? Now una dey cry, dey do as if una care.]

[Who still remember? Why people dey shout say make dem come back? Una forget say Ifeoma sneak enter one director bed? That breakup na real wahala—she chop all the insult.]

[Better person talk am—Ify the bitch, stop to dey buy trend. You no know wetin you do? Stop to leech our man; e dey happy with Halima now. If you need money or attention, go sell yourself—you sabi am.]

Some people dey drop curses, some dey support. Na typical Naija online market—where wahala dey sell pass pure water.

As fight dey hot, the documentary dey trend even more.

You go think say people go tire, but instead new hashtag dey rise every hour. All the old blogs dig up past gist, dey remind people wetin happen that year.

Na the first time I go dey top trend for this long—pass five years ago.

My friends begin dey call me, dey send me prayer. My cousin even send me Psalm 35 make I read. E good to get people wey still care.

I just whisper Psalm 23 for my mind, dey beg God make all this wahala pass.

Na then Halima Musa drop post for Facebook.

No caption, just picture.

She wear white gown, finger dey shine with big ring. Na that type wey dey flash like floodlight. Suleiman dey smile, him teeth white like say e just do teeth whitening.

For the photo, she dey smile inside Suleiman arm, dey show diamond ring for camera.

Even people wey no sabi dem before begin drop comment. "God when?" "My own go come." "Ify, take heart o." Life!

After five years, Suleiman don propose to her.

Na that moment my chest tight. I drop phone, just sit for chair, dey look ceiling. Na so love story dey end sometimes—no fairy tale, just real life.