Chapter 1: Board Work & Broken Hearts

I struggled like mad just to enter the top science class—just so I could be close to Tobi!

Omo, you need see the wahala I face to squeeze my name into that science class. Day and night I dey bury head for book, do correction, beg teacher for extra mark. All my mind dey on one matter—make I fit near Tobi, as if na there my destiny dey tied. Even when sleep dey do me totori for eye, I go press on, just because I wan dey for where him dey.

But for his eyes, it was only that fine babe sitting beside him.

Everyday, na only Halima, that fair babe with eyelashes like broom, dey enter him vision. The way she dey cross leg and flick hair, you go think say she no dey aware, but abeg, everybody sabi say she sabi fine die. Sometimes I go look Tobi side, na so him eye dey shine whenever she laugh. My own dey pain me for chest, but wetin I fit do?

In half a year, the only thing he ever said to me was:

“Abeg, you fit borrow Halima sanitary pad?”

Na so my own conversation with Tobi end reach. After all the months wey I dey find how to yarn with am, na just this one line I collect. E be like say my own role for this life na to dey background.

So I tear my diary, all those secret crush stories, and stop dey follow am like small shadow!

One night for hostel, frustration hook me. I carry diary, the one wey don full with love notes and big big dreams, just dey tear am page by page. My hand dey shake as I tear the paper, the sound loud for my ear like slap. Na me dey write pass, na me still dey suffer pass. No be today my wahala start. I tell myself, make I comot my mind from Tobi matter, make I stop dey drag myself like small lizard dey follow am everywhere.

Years later, for class reunion, I yarn about my first love.

E funny how time dey fly sha. As everybody dey gather for reunion, one kind hot nostalgia dey rush me. I raise hand, begin narrate my first love story. Na bittersweet memory, but I still dey laugh as I talk am.

I talk say he be one hard, stubborn guy!

Everybody burst laugh, some dey cut eye, others dey remember their own struggle. I just dey use style shade the matter, call am stubborn, hard guy, the type wey no dey look your side unless e get what e wan collect.

Before I fit finish, Tobi show, holding diary wey dem patch together page by page. E hand dey shake as he shout:

See as Tobi enter the hall, sweat for forehead, face hard like landlord wey catch tenant for night, him hold my old diary like say na trophy. My leg weak, mouth open—na film I dey watch. Everybody pause, the room quiet small.

“Morayo, you dey lie. Your first love na me! I don dey wait since—wait for you to talk your mind!”

As he yarn that one, my heart begin beat gbim gbim. People begin cheer, some dey look us like say na movie they watch. That moment, I no fit hide smile. So after all these years, the mumu boy get sense?