Chapter 3: Games and Social Media Shame

For bride pick-up, dem do one small game.

DJ dey hype the thing, everybody dey shout, "No fall o!" The place dey hot, tension dey high.

Kunle lose.

People dey tease am, "You go carry all the load today!"

Punishment: make he carry three of us bridesmaids go downstairs for him back.

I wan use style dodge, but dem no gree. Everybody dey form video crew, dey record for IG story.

He dey smile as he carry everybody—except me.

The other girls dey laugh, dey enjoy the play. My own leg dey freeze when e reach my turn. I stand, dey look am, he just turn face another side.

He begin breathe hard. “Sorry, I no fit carry another person.”

Small children dey shout, mama dem dey stretch hand, wahala just dey everywhere. People start to laugh, some dey ask, "Why you no fit carry Morayo?" He just wave hand, say "Abeg, my back dey pain me."

Na that time another bridesmaid notice me, look me from head to toe.

She dey eye me like say she dey judge wetin dey happen. Her own eyebrow sharp.

She ask softly, “You and am sabi each other?”

She look me for eye, voice gentle, but the meaning deep.

Kunle no even think before he reply, “Childhood friends.”

My heart break small, but I just package. I no wan let dem see me weak.

E be like say something sharp just cut my heart, the pain spread everywhere.

I remember all the years, all the promises. Now, na only "childhood friend" I be.

He no even gree talk say we dey together.

I hold my ground, dey try put brave face.

I force smile, nod. “Yes. If you wan hear all the embarrassing things wey he do as pikin, ask me.”

I raise voice, dey form play, but inside my mind, tears dey gather. I try cover up, make dem no pity me.

Kunle shock, e show for him face as the smile just disappear.

He clear throat, eye shift. Everybody dey look am.

I press am, “Wetin happen?”

I raise eyebrow, my own voice dey challenge am small. If na before, e for smile, gist everybody. Today, e just dey vex.

He vex, “Morayo, no dey overdo.”

People laugh, but I know say e pain am. His own voice dey sharp, like say I pour hot pepper for him body.

How I take overdo? Na so e pain am say I fit talk him childhood gist?

I dey think, maybe I don too push am. Maybe I suppose quiet. But the thing just dey pain me.

Na that bridesmaid just break the tension. She blink, smile sweet, “Serious? I been wan hear about am since.”

She use style drag attention back, people start to laugh again. Tension small reduce.

She turn face Kunle, eye dey playful. “So I fit chase you?”

Her voice get ginger, even the MC dey laugh. Everybody dey expect wetin Kunle go talk.

Kunle no look my side. He just curve him mouth, talk soft, “Of course.”

He rub neck, voice soft. E dey act like say e shy, but e dey enjoy the attention. My heart dey melt, I look ground.

Na that time, my whole world just scatter.

My mind flash to all the plans, all the love talk. Now, e just dey fade like old photograph.

Kunle fine no be today, and since, girls dey always rush am.

Since secondary school, girls dey send am love letter. I dey always laugh, but he dey tell me, "Na you I wan."

But every time, he go block them: “Sorry, I get who I wan marry.”

He dey proud to call me his babe. Even his guys sabi.

That time, we just start to dey date. He don already put me for him future.

We dey draw wedding plans for notebook, dey count years.

He give me plenty assurance.

He dey always say, "Morayo, na only you fit calm my madness." Now, e just forget all.

But now, I be just "childhood friend."

I feel small, like person wey lose race. I try arrange face, but the pain dey show.

I try tell myself say maybe na just revenge. E no fit mean am.

I dey hope say after all this, he go come back, beg me. My mind dey do calculations.

But all the teasing from people just dey cut me like blade.

People dey laugh, dey tease Kunle, dey hype Aisha. The noise dey loud, like say dem dey for market.

“Add her for WhatsApp! Add her!”

Somebody even dey record with Snapchat. Na so my own shame dey trend.

Kunle smile, bring out him phone, open QR code, give Aisha like say na normal thing.

He dey form gentleman, dey show her the phone screen, she dey giggle. The thing pain me reach bone.

He even dey form small shy.

He rub beard, look ground, but e dey enjoy the whole show. Everybody dey hail, dey clap.

Just like that time for junior year, when I dey plan to go abroad. He hear am, drag me go one small bush path behind hostel.

Na that time, we first kiss. The air dey sweet, mosquito dey bite, but my body dey hot for love.

“Morayo, I like you. I don like you since.”

I still remember how e look me, eye full of hope.

“You go be my babe?”

His voice crack small, like say fear dey inside. My own heart dey beat fast.

Before I fit talk, he just kiss my cheek.

I shock, but I dey happy. I remember how I smile reach house that day.

He smile for me just like this.

He dey do the same smile for Aisha now. Na me first enjoy am.

Now, as I dey watch from far, everything just dey tasteless, even dey funny.

I wan laugh, but e no fit come out. My mind dey turn.

Eight years memory, all those small small moments, now just weak.

I dey try remember the sweet times, but now e dey scatter. My chest dey heavy.

I think say our love strong like rock. Now e be like paper, just tear anyhow.

The way e tear, no be ordinary. Like say juju dey involved. I dey try pray inside my heart, "God, abeg, help me."

I deep breathe, try hold myself.

I count 1-10 for my mind, dey try steady hand. My phone dey vibrate, I ignore am.

“Come, group photo!” the photographer shout.

Everybody rush, dey arrange for picture. MC dey hype, "Bride squad, groomsmen, no dull!"

We all gather near bride and groom.

I squeeze myself inside the group, dey try hide face for camera.

That girl—Aisha—wey just toast Kunle use shoulder shift me small, her own perfume just choke me. I gree, bone face, stand for back.

She hold his hand for small time, dem dey pose, dey laugh. Even the photographer dey shout, "Aww, see love!" I just bone, face the ground.