Chapter 5: TikTok Truth and Bitter Memories

4.

I follow the bullet comments hint, go find Morayo canary TikTok Nigeria account. Na there I realize say she don show for my front many times. She be small internet celeb for Morayo company, her name na Aisha. Her account na “Duo Morayo Aisha.”

Her last video na London street, two people dey hug tight. The small mole for the man thumb, nobody sabi am pass me. Caption say: “That year of purest love, he leave him correct fiancée, cross ten thousand kilometres come find me. The wind wey miss you finally blow from Palm Grove Estate reach London.”

Her video blow for TikTok, comments dey roll like market gist. Everybody dey hail their love.

“After canary run, CEO chase am, na real life wife-chasing o.”

“I sabi this story! Sugar daddy na true love, fiancée na just stepping stone to make am chase you~”

“See am? Na only rich people fit love like this. Abeg, drop sugar daddy link for us, we dey beg!”

The kind comments I dey see for there dey make my blood boil. Small pikin dem dey hype side-chick love story like say na Nollywood happy ending. Old women for my mama fellowship fit faint if dem see this kain public disgrace.

Bullet comments:

[All these people for comment section na fake? This one no be canary story, na side chick story abeg!]

[Fiancée, ehn. She sabi package the useless guy well. Her ex-fiancé na real villain for this book.]

For my chest, I dey laugh small—see as people dey hail thief as champion. Na only for this country person go see thief for market, still dey hail am, dey say, "Sharp guy! You get sense!"

Me and Morayo no be arranged marriage. I meet am for secondary school. That time, my parents don already pick husband for me—na Hakeem, prince of Musa family for Makurdi. But I no gree. My parents own marriage na pure business. Since I small, I dey see dem pretend for outside, but bring different partners come house. The few times wey dem dey together, na fight and blame. I tire for that kind fake, scatter family. So I resist the arranged marriage. For SS2, Morayo come dey sit behind me. When I dey at my lowest, he approach me like puppy wey dey wag tail. To say yes to his proposal just feel normal.

For assembly ground, Morayo go dey chase me with chin-chin. I go dey form hard girl, but my heart dey do "kpa kpa." All those old letters wey he dey write—"I go fight anybody for you, even prefect." My mama say, "Book before love!" But love no dey hear grammar.

We waka from school uniform reach wedding gown. Not long ago, we even go our old school give speech together. Everybody dey envy us. Everybody talk say na perfect campus love we get. I dey inside their envy, dey believe say I don find true love. I no know say the person wey I trust pass don already get canary for corner. The babe for video dey call am husband with sweet mouth. She dey post “small small moments with my sugar daddy”, followers dey beg for gist. Morayo go dey carry am, dey do trending hand dance. Even though him face no show, you go know say he dey enjoy. Every business trip, he carry this girl. All those nights wey I think say he dey work late, na another babe lap he dey. One time, I beg am make he no work too hard. He say: “I want your parents to respect me, I want make I get money so our wedding go be the one everybody go envy.”

I remember when we dey plan wedding, my uncle say, "No let man wey no fit talk truth marry you o!" But I trust am, blind love na real disease. Now, all the Instagram posts, all the "my rib, my best friend," don turn scam.

Five minutes before the accident, Morayo message me: “No matter wetin happen, Morayo go always love you.” Every time I read that message, I dey cry. But now, everything burst like soap bubble.

I dey remember those small moments, how him go dey drag plantain from my plate, dey laugh. Now, I no fit chop, my appetite die. Even jollof rice no sweet me again. Shame dey follow heartbreak drag me for floor.

[The guy even don ready excuse for after fake death: say current carry am, family rescue am, he lose memory.]

[The wahala be say, the babe go believe, marry am, come dey suffer till she die, dey forgive Morayo anyhow. Why authors still dey write this kind yeye abusive romance?]

[But now the story don change. The babe don see the truth early. Abeg, make she no repeat the same mistake!]

I dey squeeze my phone, dey read these comments like say na elders dey advise me for family meeting. I swear, if to say I fit gather all these bullet comments make dem form council, my matter for no spoil reach this level.