Chapter 4: Aisha and the Shortcut

"Pikin, wake up. Your classmate dey here come see you." When I open my eyes again, na hospital bed I dey, drip dey my hand. My mouth bitter, my body dey cold.

Aisha, the person wey I send message, stand for ward door dey look somehow shy. Her hijab neat, face fine, smile small like say she shy. Her school uniform neat, shoe shine like Sunday rice.

"Aunty, good morning. Na me be Aisha. Nnamdi tell me say e dey sick, make I help submit him homework." Her voice soft, face gentle. She no dey look up well.

After all these years, to see this gentle, well-behaved girl again touch my heart. She resemble pikin wey no fit hurt fly.

E good—this time, she no go jam wahala because of me. My mind come down.

"Good girl, abeg come inside. Aunty go peel orange for you. Sorry for the stress." My mama dey smile, she dey happy say good pikin dey visit her son.

She quick wave hand, "Thank you, Aunty, no need. I still get to rush go school." She dey look time for her wrist watch, body dey shake small.

Aisha dey live for the next compound, so normally we dey follow same route go school. Her mama dey sell akara for junction.

To save time, we dey always pass one shortcut straight to school. That shortcut na bush path wey dey pass behind old transformer—everybody sabi say e quick but e no safe.

But today, na that same shortcut Musa go drag Ifeoma enter bush. That road dey bushy, old sachet water and pure water nylons full ground. That place wey grass tall, e dey always quiet.

For my last life, na Aisha be that kind classmate wey call police for me. That girl get mind, no be small.

She even record video as evidence. If not, for that place wey no get camera, I for no fit prove my matter. Na her evidence save my head.

Afterwards, Musa and him people plus him grandma deal with Aisha bad. Her mama dey run from police, dem even break their akara table, wahala no gree finish.

When I wake from hospital emergency wan thank her, the sharp girl don drop out, her mama carry her go another city. We no see again. My heart cut that day.

So, this my sickness na not just to dodge Ifeoma and Musa, that two wey sabi themselves. Na to protect this innocent girl from wahala wey she no bargain for.

Na also to make Aisha get reason to follow another road today. No shortcut for her again.

Aisha get better heart, she dey kind and gentle. Even for exam, she dey help people, no dey do gra-gra.

I sure say as I send her message, she go come hospital help me. Na the kain pikin wey dem dey pray make e born.

This way, she go follow main road from hospital go school, no need to pass shortcut again. God save her this time. E good. But for my mind, I dey pray say wahala no go still jam us from another corner.