Chapter 4: Scapegoat

After like half hour, Tobi come back with vex for face, talk to me:

I hear footstep. Before I look up, Tobi face don change. E dey red, eyes sharp. I feel tension for air.

“Wetin you give me? After Halima use am, she dey complain say she cold. Now she faint, dem dey give am drip for sickbay.”

Tobi begin para. E voice loud. E talk say after Halima use the pad, she start dey shiver. Before anybody fit understand, dem rush am go sickbay, dey put drip for her hand. People gather, gist spread.

I freeze, wan explain, but Tobi just rain insult:

My body stiff. I wan talk, but e no gree let me. Tobi just dey talk dey go, no pity. E dey blame me, like say na poison I give Halima.

“If you wan give person that kind thing, you no fit buy better one? I no even understand which kind girl you be—you nearly harm Halima!”

E say my own too much. If I wan give person pad, at least make I buy correct one. E look me up-down like say I dey mad.

I no talk, I no even know where to start.

My mouth heavy. No be me do anything wrong, but I no fit talk am.

The anger just dey boil inside me, but last last, I keep quiet.

For my mind, I dey burn. But wetin I go talk? If I open mouth, na more wahala.

For his mind, na my fault—no matter wetin I talk, he go still blame me more.

I know say nothing I talk fit change anything. In his eyes, na me mess up.

Wetin I go waste my mouth for?

I just bone, carry my face go window. If I cry now, people go laugh me join. So I gats hold body.