Chapter 6: Hotel Truth and New Beginnings

As wedding noise cool, my belle begin pain me—like say pepper soup knife dey slice my belle, wahala just dey boil.

The alcohol dey burn me, I wan vomit. I dey stagger go toilet, dey try breathe.

For that helpless time, I just carry my phone, dial Kunle number.

My finger dey shake, my heart dey pray say e go pick.

But na cold voice I hear—he don block me.

I try again, na voicemail. My eye dey red, I wan break phone.

Hatred just flash for my mind.

Pain turn to anger. I swear, "God punish devil."

I think: if real wahala catch me, wetin I go do?

I dey imagine if I faint, who go carry me? If I die, who go notice? My mind dey roam.

I hold myself, drag go elevator. Every step be like say ground dey float, everywhere dey far.

My own leg dey weak, like say I dey dream. The hallway long, light dey blink, my head dey spin.

Doubt just dey my mind. Eight years—how e reach here? Where we miss road? I no deserve love?

I dey question myself, "Na me be the problem? Or na life just bad?"

Dazed, I open hotel room door.

The corridor cold, but sweat dey my back. The door heavy, I force am open. My own body dey cold, I just want lie down.

Wetin I see shock me like thunder. I freeze.

I see two shoe for ground, bag for sofa. I hear sound, my heart stop.

I dey hear some kind sound from presidential suite—sound wey cut my heart like knife.

The sound loud, like say them no care. Moans, laughter, everything dey mix.

I no believe my ear. I check my room card again and again to make sure say I no miss room.

I dey pray say na mistake. I rub eye, I check door number. But everything correct.

“Brother, take am easy.” One woman voice dey inside, dey form baby.

The voice dey sweet, I fit recognize am anywhere.

“No talk.” Na Kunle—him voice low, urgent.

The voice get authority. E dey pain me more.

My blood just cold.

I dey shiver, my hand dey shake. Tears dey run for my face.

My heart dey squeeze, I no fit breathe.

My chest dey drum. I feel like say I go collapse.

My ear dey buzz. My mind blank.

Noise dey loud, but my mind empty. I wan scream, but nothing fit come out.

“Brother, wetin you dey fear? I don lock door—nobody go hear.”

Aisha dey boast, her voice dey rise, dey sweet herself. My own pain dey increase.

Na Aisha voice again, this time she dey proud, like say she don win.

She laugh, I hear am clear. The sound dey mock me, dey remind me of all my loss.

I stand outside, hold my room card so tight, my finger don white.

The card bend small, my knuckle dey pain me, but I no fit release.

Eight years love, all the promise, all the sweet, just turn to ash that moment.

I see my whole life dey rewind. Every laugh, every smile, every kiss, now dey useless.

Everything we promise, all the memory, now be like wicked joke.

I dey think of the night wey he say, "Morayo, na you and me till old age." Now, see as e end.

Kunle, we don really finish.

I close my eyes, deep breathe. Na that moment, I know say my own chapter with Kunle don close. I tell myself, "Morayo, na time to begin again—even if na alone."