Chapter 7: Seyi Don Change, Lagos Don Hard

Four years pass, everything change. I hold coconut latte for airport coffee shop, dey wait for papa assistant.

I dey sip my drink, dey look people waka. Na only Naija airport you go see all tribe dey mix. Igbo man dey drag trolley, Yoruba mama dey sell puff-puff. My heart dey soft, I dey almost forget say I dey come face old wahala.

Through glass, I see one man for black suit for smoking area corner. He just stand, tall, one hand for pocket, other hand hold half-smoke, im hand fine and long.

Na so I dey watch am like film. E get as im suit dey fit body, like say na tailor measure am for heaven. I dey wonder who e be, but my mind dey somewhere else.

Guy just dey mysterious, dey attract.

You know those kind men wey no dey talk, but everywhere dey quiet when dem stand? E be like scene from Tunde Kelani movie.

People dey look am.

I dey count how many babes dey steal glance. For Lagos, fine man na hot cake.

I just feel say im hand, im body, resemble Seyi, but I no sure. I shake head, look away.

No be Seyi, I tell myself. Seyi wey I know no dey form bad boy, e dey always gentle.

Seyi own no dey like that. He be that kind fine boy, soft like moon, gentle like gold chain.

For my mind, na so I dey reason Seyi. No be this cold man I dey see now.

He… na my white moonlight.

I dey remember old days. E sweet, e pain. I dey try hold tears.

Soon, one man wey look like assistant come with bag, talk to am. He put out cigarette, as he dey go, he turn face.

I jam im dark eyes.

The eye cut me like blade. I dey frozen for seat, dey ask myself if na dream.

Seyi.

The name just echo for my head. The four years gap vanish for that second. My chest dey tight.

I prepare say I go see Seyi when I come back, even reason plenty reunion scenes. Whether he go rush come vex, or use sharp mouth abuse me, I ready.

I rehearse my lines, dey plan apology, dey imagine slap, dey imagine hug. Na so life be, you fit overthink.

But I no expect to see am so quick, or say im eyes go dey empty, calm like still water, as if na stranger he dey look, just turn face waka.

The thing pain me pass slap. The silence loud. I dey shiver, but I still dey form strong.

Next time I see am, na half month later for hospital.

As fate go get am, no escape. My mama leg still dey plaster, I dey push her for corridor, dey pray say we go discharge quick.

This return just happen, I never plan when to go abroad again. The accident just happen, mama leg break, she dey hospital for over half month. Today na discharge day.

Hospital smell dey choke, but I dey happy say mama go go house soon. For my mind, I dey arrange how I go avoid old friends wey fit bring gist.

Some days ago, my parents say dem no want make I settle abroad.

Na family matter. Papa dey talk say "pikin wey go, na pikin wey come back." Mama dey support am. I no blame dem.

Papa business don grow, no reach Seyi family level, but no be the kind Seyi fit just destroy. E mean say he take my advice to hustle before I travel.

I dey proud of papa. Na real G. The hustle pay small, at least we dey comfortable now.

Company don move from old city to bigger one, and our house now dey here.

The city big, but I still dey feel like stranger. I dey miss old house, but change dey good sometimes.

Na wetin I want, and no want, but everything dey move near the original story.

Sometimes I dey fear say story dey reset itself. Destiny no dey tire.

I push mama come out ward, see Seyi for front. No surprise, na the best private hospital, top doctors, every patient get private room, all na big people.

The corridor shine, AC dey blast, nurse dey smile. I see Seyi shadow before I see am proper. My heart jump.

And Seyi family na main owner here.

Na real big man pikin. Everybody for hospital dey greet am with respect.

He don change well, to the point I dey doubt if na Seyi I see for airport that day.

He tall pass before, the suit just blend. Beard small, no too much, but e dey add to im face.

The fringe wey dey always fall for im face, now e brush am back, forehead clear. Im face never change, but he don mature. When he look, im eyes cold.

If cold dey enter room, na Seyi bring am. E be like say im heart dey stone. I dey feel am for body.

One woman dey beside am. I look am.

The girl fine, but e get as e be. My heart dey sink.

That face, sixty percent like me, na the female lead, Chioma.

The thing dey pain, but na so story go. I gats respect myself.

She stand near am like small babe, dey look am with love.

Na the kind love wey dey burn slow, dey hook belle. I just dey watch, dey pretend say I no see.

For this their story, she be flower wey dey fragile, no too get book, no too get sense, na just say her face fine and resemble me. As she dey hustle for her sick mama, she meet Seyi.

The hustle na real Naija matter. I dey pity am small, but I dey jealous pass.

Seyi pay her to be my stand-in. As she dey with Seyi, she fall in love, but know say na just replacement she be.

I dey imagine how she dey feel for mind. Na tough seat to dey.

At first, she dey humble, but after Madam Funmi try give her money and she reject am, she come look better than me, wey collect money run, make Seyi change how he see her, and after some wahala, he love her well.

Na so Seyi heart soft for her. For Naija, person wey no collect money dey always look like angel.

To see them, my blood dey hot.

My chest dey burn, but I dey hold myself. I no wan disgrace my family for public.

Hmm… e just dey awkward.

Awkward pass village meeting. I wan run, but my leg dey root.

Even if Seyi no love me again, even if I still dey feel pain, this time I no wan be their stepping stone.

I dey pray make God remove me from drama. I no fit do competition for love again.

As I dey reason whether to sneak pass, papa come out with mama bag.

Papa waka dey brisk, dey call my name loud. Na so I brace up.

"Ah, President Seyi." He walk go greet am, no even shame, even call me to come greet.

Papa na old school. For him, greeting na tradition. I dey pray make wahala no start.

"Morayo… President, nice to meet you." Seyi frown, dey try remember papa name, which small oga e be.

E dey scan face, dey form big man. For my mind, I dey laugh small.

If I no go, e go look somehow, papa and mama fit suspect. That time, I just tell them say I get boyfriend, but never say na Seyi.

Secrets dey always leak, but for now, I dey hold my own.

Small walk, but e be like struggle.

Each step dey heavy like cement bag. I dey sweat, but I smile like nothing dey happen.

"Morayo, na President Seyi of Seyi family, Mr. Seyi."

Papa dey introduce with pride, like say na minister I dey greet.

"Mr. Seyi, na my daughter Morayo, she just return from abroad."

I dey look Seyi, he dey look me. Time freeze. For a second, I see small pain for im eye, but e vanish quick.

I feel Seyi cold look for my body. After small time, he just talk, "Miss Morayo, hello."

E call me 'Miss' like say we no get past. Na so e dey pain, but I still dey smile.

I try balance. "Mr. Seyi, nice to meet you."

The thing be like knife for chest, but I hold face.

Chioma beside am dey hold im sleeve.

Na so she dey squeeze am, dey form shy. For mind, I dey wish her well, but my heart dey fight me.

I remember say Chioma mama dey for this hospital, na Seyi arrange am. He probably come escort female lead visit her.

E dey play im part well. Gentleman to the core.

Lucky say papa no plan to gist long: "We no go disturb President Seyi and im… girlfriend."

The 'girlfriend' loud. I dey side-eye papa, but I gats play along.

He purse mouth, frown small, nod.

Na so dem dey do for big man gathering. Papa dey observe protocol, dey waka away.

I sabi that look, he dey vex small.

The vex no be plenty, just small pepper. E go still cool later.

Vex say we disturb am and im babe as dem visit mother-in-law?

E go explain later. Papa na correct man.

I just dey feel small pain…

Pain dey my throat, but I dey chew am like kola nut.

For road go house, papa dey praise Seyi: "Morayo, no look say President Seyi na your mate, but na young man I respect."

Papa dey always like young men wey dey sharp, dey arrange life. I dey smile small, dey remember Seyi old ways.

Mama glare am: "You wan use our daughter do business? Baba Morayo, abeg no try am.

We get money reach, no need use our daughter. Make she marry who she like."

Mama voice dey strong. I dey proud of am. Na true woman wey sabi her worth.

I breathe relief, hug mama. "Mama, you too much."

Mama smell of shea butter, na so I hold am tight. Family dey sweet.

Papa wave hand. "No, people like that dey marry their level. Rich people matter deep, I no go play with my daughter future."

Papa dey do like say na lecture. I dey laugh small, mama dey shake head.

Mama hiss, no vex again.

"I just respect this young President Seyi, take over young, sharp and wise, future dey bright."

The respect dey genuine. Papa no dey use mouth play when e come to hustle.

"He need your respect? Who know how many generations dem don get money." Mama joke.

Na so dem dey play. E dey sweet to see dem laugh after all the struggle.

For house, na papa dem dey always use joke. Mama go tease am, he go laugh, as im pikin I go defend am.

Na me be referee for their joke. Family matter dey sweet when money dey.

"Papa start from nothing, him sef na big man!" E go almost cry.

I go pat am back, say, "Papa, you dey try."

"By the way, Baba Morayo, you see that girl with President Seyi resemble our Morayo small?"

I dey side-eye papa. "Which resemblance? Abeg papa, no dey look anyhow."

"Small, I no too look."

Na so e dey dodge. Mama no gree.

Mama glare am again, he add, "But our Morayo still pass am."

The matter don settle. Na my own papa be that.

"True, that girl just get small resemblance."

Family dey always side their own. I dey proud.

Today father-daughter praise don complete.

We dey chop yam and egg that night. The laughter plenty. I dey thank God say, even after all the heartbreak, family still dey strong.