Chapter 2: Ghost Mode

Next night after work, I open WhatsApp—still no message. I frown. This one no be him style. No matter how late or early, he dey always send "good morning" or "good night." Maybe he just too tired yesterday?

I just dey turn for bed, dey check phone like person wey dey expect alert. E shock me say my own Oga never send single emoji, even if na 'thumbs up.'

I sweeten my voice send voice note: "Oga~ wetin you dey do? You never send your baby message since. You dey miss me?~"

Him status show instantly: "The other party is typing..."

I even screenshot am, send my bestie, dey joke say my village people dey use him finger.

I wait. Five minutes pass.

I dey check if WhatsApp don hang, even close reopen app. E still dey there—nothing show.

I send: "You don finish pamper the other baby? Na my turn now?"

Ten minutes—he don read, but no reply.

I dey imagine him face—whether e dey smirk or just dey look ceiling, dey think deep thoughts.

I send again: "Oga, I think my eye don blind—I no dey see your message."

Thirty minutes—still read, still nothing.

I just laugh: "Hello, stranger, I dey marry tomorrow o. Abeg come chop rice!"

I even add voice note, do fake wedding bell for background—make he no think say I dey vex.

Na so he call me sharp sharp.

The way my phone ring, I nearly drop am. Na him number, I pick up sharp, do my voice like small girl.

"You dey remarry your ex-husband?"

I just snort, follow play along. "If person continue to dey ignore my message, I fit just pick random guy for street marry, born pikin, make you be godfather."

My laugh loud, and I dey hope say he go catch the joke. Inside my mind, I dey pray make he no think say I dey serious.

He quiet for long. "Sorry. I just no know how to face you for small time..."

The way he take talk am, e be like say wahala dey really dey. I bite my lip, dey wait make he complete talk.

"Wetin dey hard to face? No be game go solve am? If e too hard, make we play two games."

I just talk am like that. No be say na yesterday he promise to carry me reach Legend rank but e run leave me? We go just play more tonight—I no vex.

I even add small giggle, make the matter no too hard. Game na our own meeting ground.

"Abeg, log in. Tonight, we must reach Legend rank."

I talk am with energy, even set my cats for bed so dem no go disturb me tonight. I carry small groundnut, ready to chop as game dey go.

But the guy wey dey carry me like breeze before, tonight just dey fumble. We play all night, no get single star—waste of energy. The one wey dey call me 'baby' and dey carry me for base, no even gree make I ride am for game. The same guy wey dey stay up dey play and yarn with me, now talk say he dey go sleep by eight.

I dey look my phone, dey wonder if na malaria or NEPA wahala dey disturb am.

"Na eight o'clock. You wan sleep already?"

I try laugh join, but my mind dey shake.

"...No be say you suppose dey take care of the kids?"

He use that soft voice, but I notice e dey dodge my talk. I shake my head, dey try reason the matter.

"Dem dey alright—dey play with their toys."

I look my two cats, dey fight for toy ball. I just hiss, "You dey act somehow today o. E be like say your mind dey somewhere else. Wetin happen?"

I even drop controller, fold arm, dey wait for answer. My cats stop fight, dey look me as if dem know say wahala dey.

He just finish wipe the whole enemy team, then stop. I hear am sigh deep.

That sigh long like person wey just finish trekking from Berger to Mile 2. My heart dey beat, I dey wait him next yarn.

"I like you o. But my family dey traditional—my papa and mama still dey first marriage..."

I shock. Wetin concern game with whether your parents still dey together?

The thing weak me. I just dey look my screen, dey wait make he explain.

I just keep quiet, he come finally talk.

The silence wey follow dey long. I for think say call cut if no be say I dey see him avatar dey move for screen.

"I like children, but I dey hope say my own pikin go be me and my wife own, born by ourselves..."

I confuse pass before. I like children too, but since when pikin no need man and woman?

I wan talk, na then one teammate with thick Ibadan accent open mic:

The voice loud like market woman for Bodija. "O boy, abeg, leave all this love talk—dragon dey chop us like amala! If you wan marry, carry am go registry, abeg!"

I sharply throw my headset one side. Chai—na so this guy go open team voice for everybody?

I for laugh, but my mind just dey run upandan. Wetin really dey happen?

Game finish, before I fit ask am wetin he mean, he just rush tell me good night, log off.

I look my cats, both of them stretch, then Omalicha come jump for my lap. Na so I just stroke her, dey think, "Wetin I go do this night now?"

Tomorrow, I go find out if love dey real or na just game.