Chapter 5: Public Disgrace and Goodbye

For banquet, food no dey enter my mouth, my mood just heavy.

The jollof, chicken, even the puff-puff dey tasteless. I dey shift am for plate. Amara send waiter come, I just wave hand, no fit eat.

See Amara marry the man wey she love, e touch me.

I dey happy for her, but my own heart dey break. I dey think, "God, when my own go better?"

But as I remember my own matter, tears dey my eye.

I blink fast, try hide am. I use napkin dab my eye, pretend say na sweat.

For one game, MC begin throw teddy bears.

The MC shout, "Catch o! No dull!" Everybody dey excited, dey stand up, dey jump.

Kunle sharp, catch Hello Kitty plush.

He catch am with style, people dey hail. The room dey full of wahala and laughter.

Hello Kitty na my favorite. Our house full of pink Hello Kitty—some he buy for me for school, some we pick together for Abuja, some he find go buy for me.

I dey remember all the small small memories, my body dey sweet, but pain still dey join.

I wipe my tears, wan stand up—na so I see am give the plush to another bridesmaid, no think am, eye full of affection.

If you see as he stretch am, the girl almost melt. Everybody dey cheer, dey clap, dey take picture.

That kind look na me he dey give before.

I dey remember how he go hug me, say, "Morayo, na only you fit make me smile." Now, e dey use that look for another babe.

My body just freeze. I slowly sit down, heart just scatter.

I no even fit move again. My hand dey shake, I close my eyes, dey try gather courage.

See life.

Na so e be. All man for himself.

But how I go just throw away eight years love like that?

I dey think, maybe I suppose fight for am. But na who go fight pass? My energy don finish.

I still dey hope small. Maybe Kunle just dey punish me, wan teach me lesson. He don do am before.

I dey console myself, "No worry, e go call you."

I no gree, try add Kunle again.

I dey press my phone, my finger dey shake. I dey hope say maybe na error.

I message: “Kunle, I know say I wrong. Abeg forgive me.”

I use crying emoji join, dey pray make e see am quick.

I think say na just to make me beg.

My mind dey play movie, "Na small play, e go come beg."

But the message just disappear—no reply.

I dey look my phone, the blue tick no show. Pain dey my chest.

Kunle go toilet. I sit alone for table, mind dey heavy.

I dey look the empty chair, dey pray say e go come back, come hug me, say e just dey joke.

Na that time, the bridesmaid come meet me, whisper: “My name na Aisha. Abeg, tell me funny gist about Brother Kunle.”

She bend near me, her voice soft, but her eye dey shine. E be like say she dey size me up.

She look me up and down. “He don date before? Wetin he like for woman?”

She dey try get information, dey act like say we be bestie. I just dey look her, dey wonder if na me she dey use play.

I look up, wan answer, na so I see her look one side, pause. Suddenly, she pour malt for herself.

The malt spill, e touch her dress. Her own face change, but she quickly smile, dey act like say nothing happen.

I shock, no understand.

I dey wonder if na mistake or na acting.

I wan stand get serviette, Kunle just rush come, push me commot. I stumble enter another seat, red wine pour for my body.

I shock. People dey watch. Na so stain just land for my dress, shame catch me.

He vex, “Morayo, if you wan do drama, choose better time! You sabi where we dey?”

His voice loud, people dey turn look. My own friend dey cover face. I just wan disappear.

He remove him jacket, cover Aisha like say she suffer big thing.

He dey pet her, dey rub her back. I just dey look, my heart dey break.

“Wetin I do?” I ask, confused and pained.

My voice low, almost like whisper. I dey try explain, but nobody dey listen.

“Still dey argue? You pour malt for Aisha, you still dey talk? Apologize!” Kunle voice cold, eye dey blame me.

He point finger, voice dey shake. Everybody dey expect my reaction.

I look am, shock. Eight years together, after all we share, he no know who I be? I never do jealous drama before.

My mind dey rewind all our years. If na before, e for defend me. Now, e dey attack me for public.

Aisha just talk with soft pity voice: “Brother Kunle, na my fault. My hand slip, na me pour the malt. No blame her.”

She dey act like angel, her own voice dey shake, but her eye dey sharp. People dey pity her, dey look me bad eye.

My heart just sink. This kind acting, I only dey see for Africa Magic film. Now e happen to me.

I dey think, "Na which kind script be this? Who send me come this wedding?"

“Apologize. I dey tell you again.”

His voice hard, the thing dey pain me. My body cold.

Kunle carry schnapps for table, fill my glass. “Drink. Show say you serious.”

He pour am full, pass me the glass like say na punishment.

Tears dey my eye. “Kunle, you know say I no fit drink.”

I try reason with am, my voice dey beg.

He suppose know. My belle no dey take alcohol.

Since day one, he dey always warn me, "No touch alcohol, Morayo, abeg."

“How e go be? You no drink for that party recently?” he talk coldly.

He dey try use that one against me, but na sacrifice I do for am that time.

Na that time wey I follow am go business dinner. He get cold, dey on medicine, no fit drink, but oga dey toast am. So I drink for am. That night, my belle burn, he—wey get 39-degree fever—sit near my bed, dey give me water.

He dey clean my face, dey pray, dey promise say nothing go ever happen to me. I trust am that time.

He promise me, “Morayo, no drink again. I no fit see you suffer.”

His voice gentle, he rub my back, swear for head.

But just few months, he don forget.

Now, he dey push me to drink for shame. I dey look am, tears full my eye.

As I dey delay, Aisha begin cry, hide for Kunle chest, dey sob: “Brother Kunle, no make things hard for your childhood friend.”

She dey act drama, her sob loud. Some people dey whisper, "Aww, see as Kunle dey protect am."

People begin whisper.

I hear, "Wetin dey worry this Morayo? Na so she jealous reach?" My shame dey multiply.

I deep breathe, carry the glass. “I no go apologize. But today na Amara wedding, so I go drink. Kunle, after this glass, we don finish.”

I talk am with courage, even though my hand dey shake. My eye red.

Kunle eye shake small, but he no stop me.

His own eye blink, but e just bone, no move.

I drink am one time. My throat and belle just dey burn. My eye dey water, I wan cough but I hold am.

The thing hot, my body dey shake, my vision dey blur. I hold chair for support.

“Come, make we go change you,” Kunle talk for my ear—but na Aisha he dey follow talk.

He hold Aisha waist, dey guide her go outside. My own body dey cold.

For my face, Kunle carry Aisha comot wedding early.

People dey look, dey whisper. Some dey pity me, some dey laugh. I just stand, my own leg heavy.

I stand, heart dey heavy, but relief dey join am.

Inside pain, small peace dey come. I dey tell myself, "Enough is enough."

Maybe this relationship suppose end since.

I dey wonder how I take last this long. My mama voice dey echo for my head, "No let man wey no value you waste your time."