Chapter 3: Excuses and Exposed

After him finish with customer, Musa waka come, remove him gloves.

E just bend head small, like person wey dey tired. Him eye just land for my left ear, like say e tire small.

"Madam, e don swell again?"

I nod, no fit look am for face.

My heart dey beat, but I no fit raise my face. I dey press phone, dey pretend.

Na so Musa just bend down, near me.

The perfume wey dey him shirt just enter my nose—mixture of aftershave and spirit. Him face, with all those bad boy features, just come close.

My back just stiff, I no even breathe well.

I dey look am like JAMB candidate wey forget exam date.

If e talk now, I fit forget my name.

He reach hand, touch my ear.

My cheek just dey hot like my ear.

My mind dey shout for help, but my mouth dey lock.

God abeg, no let me disgrace myself for here.

But wetin Musa talk next just pour cold water for my body.

"You know wetin fit happen if e still dey swell like this?"

"Go swell pass this one, pus go come out, e fit even rot."

"Abi you no want your ear again?"

E no talk am like say e dey vex—e soft.

But e clear say e know say na excuse I dey find.

I wan enter ground. I dey reason say if I talk true, shame go finish me.

"I..."

I just dey look Musa, no sabi how I go explain.

Na that time, live comments just full everywhere for my mind:

[LOL, see as babe dey use ear take see man instead of just talk.]

[Guy dey form hard guy, but just to touch her ear, e mind don scatter.]

[This babe too dey shy, and the guy too dey get him own wahala, na so both of them go dey crush for each other till another person carry am go.]

[My sister, abeg, make you try! No let this fine bad boy just waka pass—you see as him sabi work!]

I just blink. Ehn? Na so e be?

I dey reason whether to talk or to run. I swallow, dey stammer: "Erm, actually... I..."

Musa just dey look me with those fine fine eyes.

E no talk, e just dey wait, make I drop my yarn.

"Hm?"

I freeze.

My tongue just tie, my mind dey blank. All the small courage wey I gather just vanish.

Panic catch me, na so I just yarn rubbish.

"I want tongue piercing."

Everywhere just quiet.

Even generator stop to hum. Musa eyes just darken.

My own dey skip beat.

[Ah, see as she get mind now.]

[Some people don dey imagine things—tongue piercing no be beans.]

[This one dey hot oh!]

[Musa too get tongue piercing, I dey laugh.]

The shop dey cold, but sweat dey my palm. Musa just swallow, voice come rough: "You sure?"

Me sef no sure at all.

So I change topic.

I no wan lose guard, na im I talk: "I fit see your own tongue piercing first?"

I don notice before say Musa get, but I never see am well.

Musa just breathe deep.

He press the tip of him tongue for him cheek.

My eye follow am, like say I dey watch magic.

I begin wonder—e dey pain?

Then, Musa slowly open him mouth.

The thing shock me.

Musa get one kind fine, sharp look, him eye dey always do like say e wan swallow person.

But now, the way e just open mouth, e be like small puppy wey dey wait for attention.

Like say, if I just call am, e go rush come dey wag tail.

E tongue flash the silver piercing, e shine under light like morning dew.

"E fine?"

As he talk, that illusion just disappear.

I come back to myself, just nod like zombie.

E voice just scatter my liver.

"E fine."

"Very sexy."

Musa just smile, eye soft: "But e no fit you."

E talk am like say e dey warn me, but e dey pet me at the same time.

"Tongue piercing dey pain oh."

"..."

Last time, just to pierce my left cartilage, I nearly cry.

"Na wah oh."

But inside me, I just happy say I dodge.

I no ready for that kind wahala. Musa look me like say e see through everything, but e no talk.

He stand well, face come light up small.

"Come, make I clean and disinfect am for you."

He no force me, just gentle.

I follow am, go sit down.

Just like last time.

But e get as e be—

Na so heart dey race. Fingers dey shake.

"If you wan see me next time, just come. No dey use your body play."

He voice soft, but I fit hear small plea.

"Okay."

Musa siddon near me, so I just dey peep am from corner eye.

Him hand, now with glove, remove my earring, rinse and disinfect am.

E dey careful, like person wey dey pet wounded dog.

When e dey rinse my ear, e warn me: "E go pepper small, bear am."

"Mm."

But I no expect—

"Madam, you dey always come see me. You no fear say your fiancé go vex?"

"Huh?"

The thing shock me, I just freeze.

E be like say cold breeze pass my body. Musa just dey act normal, voice calm.

Na only him hand come dey rough small.

E be like say e dey nervous too?

Him knuckles dey white as e press, my mind just dey catch fire.

Live comments just dey rush:

[Musa hand dey shake, e mind dey jump. E no fit see the babe anyhow because of him own wahala. To even look her face, e dey struggle.]

[If the babe no dey always come find am, e no go even get mind talk to her. And the fiancé na big boy for Abuja, so e dey feel less than.]

[Musa: If dem gree, I fit even be side guy!]

[Abeg, we don tire for this their cat and mouse, we want see real adult love—make babe chop better meat, no dey suffer.]

Male lead... na my so-called fiancé, Tunde?

The wahala just dey pile for my head.

"Actually, I no..."

Before I fit finish, my phone ring.

Caller: Fiancé.

My chest dey heavy, but the way Musa dey look me, e be like say e dey beg make I no disappear.