Chapter 3: Jealousy Dey Burn

After I send the message, Halima no reply for long.

Blue tick no show. I dey check phone every two minutes, dey sweat.

Just as I wan sneak go parlour call her, her reply land.

My leg reach corridor when her reply pop. I rush back, close door.

[Brother Musa, sorry, I just baff, no see phone.]

[Na that guy from my blind date last week. E come pick me after work. Why?]

The way she reply—like say e no concern her. My blood dey hot.

I no fit hide jealousy. My chest dey burn like pepper soup wey too hot.

[You go blind date?]

My mind dey race. Wetin Halima dey find outside? Wetin the guy get wey I no get?

[Yeah, my family arrange am. Dem talk say e decent, so I check am.]

I know say for north, family dey arrange marriage sharp.

My breath catch. E dey pain me like say I dey lose my own property.

But I know say, with this transactional thing, I no get right to vex.

I take deep breath, try cool down.

I ask, “So, how you see am?”

I dey try form cool, but finger dey shake for phone.

After I send am, Halima disappear again.

The wait long. I dey tap foot, dey check time. My chest dey pepper me.

Just as I no fit bear am again, her message pop.

“Sorry, I just pick call.”

“You dey ask how I see am? At first, e no be anything. But today, e bring Michael Kors bag come. E look alright, so I wan know am better.”

She add the bag like say e no mean. But I sabi—Michael Kors bag na original, no be Balogun market copy.

“Brother Musa, e late. I dey go sleep. Good night.”

That good night slap me. She use full stop, I know say e mean something.

I feel stone for chest, breath no fit pass.

I dey bite tongue, jealousy dey do me like mad.

And I no fit help but dey wonder—na the same guy call her?

Mind dey do 360, but wetin concern me?

I no fit hold am. I waka go parlour, call her direct—tiptoe make Amara no wake. I dial, voice low but mind dey shout.

“Halima, na that guy call you just now? Wetin una talk?”

She calm, dey remind me say na she dey hold the ace sometimes.

“Brother Musa, you no dey too do?”

Her question cut me. I mellow.

“With our arrangement like this, you still dey see other men—e no fair to me?”

I dey form victim, but deep down, I know say na me dey play two sides.

Halima laugh. Her laugh dey sharp, like person wey just win awoof.

“Brother Musa, na wetin we be? Lovers? Husband and wife?”

I mumble, no fit answer.

“See? We no be anything. So why you dey vex if I dey know another man?”

I silent. My ego dey wound.

She remind me: "Brother Musa, no forget—you get family."

She yarn, “I remember say you and your wife na university mate. So from day one, I know say you no go leave your family for me.”

“Na why I dey hold myself—no feelings, no wahala.”

She don draw line. E pain me, but I gats accept.

“I talk am again—if I fall for you, na shame go follow me.”

Jealousy dey burn me. I no fit hold am. I shout: “Who say I no fit leave my family for you?”

My pride no gree. The thing shock me.

Halima laugh again. “Brother Musa, abeg stop. Your pikin dey come, you wan leave family for me? You think say I be small pikin?”

Her pidgin dey strong. She no send.

Her words calm me down small. But the thought of her still seeing other men dey pain me.

So I grit teeth: “People dey divorce with pikin every day. How you think children from broken homes dey happen?”

To show say I serious, I add: “Besides, the baby for my wife belle na girl. I only care about family name—I no too like girls.”

That one na old tradition, but I dey use am form hard.

This time, Halima quiet. The silence thick. I feel say she believe me small.

After long pause, she ask, “Brother Musa, how you wan prove say you dey talk true?”

She dey test me. I happy, answer quick: “Anything you want make I do, I go do.”

Halima pause, then say: “Come my place now, sleep here. You fit?”

The challenge loud. If I be real man, make I show.

But for my mind, I dey think: I dey vex say Halima dey see another man, but I dey run two homes. Na so man dey fool himself.