Chapter 2: Silent Lion, Silent Fight

For this life, rich people dey two types: the ones wey Forbes dey carry their matter, dey show off, and the ones wey fit move big money and power for back.

I dey reason am for bedroom that day, as NEPA carry light and generator dey hum for compound. Some people dey loud, dey flex for Instagram. But the real ogas wey dey move Naija, dem no dey make noise. My husband be like river wey dey flow silent but strong—nobody sabi am for public, but inside government, his name dey enter every corner.

My husband, Obinna, na the second type. Nobody sabi am for street, but the money wey pass through am fit reach trillion. For this world, nothing dey wey he no fit do if e enter am.

The day him friend call am "silent lion," I laugh. But e true. Obinna fit dey quiet, but e get power pass the people wey dey shout for newspaper front page. E just like make e dey lowkey.

I sabi well well say if he wan divorce me, he fit pursue me commot with empty hand. If he no even carry debt put for my head, e go mean say he still get small pity.

As I dey think am, my mind dey run all the ways wey man fit move money for Naija. E easy for him—lawyer, judge, everybody dey his pocket. If he really mean am, na zero balance go dey my account by the time case finish. Sometimes, I dey reason say I too dey soft for all these calculations.

We don do over twenty years together, maybe he no go too wicked, but why the tree wey I suffer plant go come bear fruit wey another person go pluck?

Na so marriage be. Na together we dey hustle, dey struggle. If I fit talk the whole story, people go understand say I suffer follow Obinna reach this stage. So, why another person go just enter, carry harvest? E pain, I no go lie.

At this my age, love no too concern me again. To sleep with man, na normal. But make person come carry my money? God forbid.

Love na something, but food for table na another thing. As Naija dey hard, person must use sense hold wetin be him own. As I dey brush hair for mirror, I just dey tell myself, "My dear, this one pass romance."