Chapter 5: Ride or Die

5

Chuka hand long, wear glove, check every part of the car.

The way e dey touch that car, you go think say e dey touch silk for Balogun market. E get pride for wetin e dey do, e no dey rush.

"Fine boy, wetin be your name?"

"You dey work here? How much dem dey pay?"

"You go like soft work with better money?"

Fola cling to my arm, her enthusiasm dey show like person wey wan sell something.

E be like say Fola wan carry Chuka go snap picture for her Instagram, make followers dey trip. Na so she dey drag people enter her project.

Chuka no look up, but answer, voice short:

"Chuka."

"Na once in a while I dey help my friend."

"I no dey interested."

Chuka always dey form hard guy, as if e no dey see the shakara.

Fola pout, check her phone, waka go answer call.

As Fola waka commot, I see say my body just dey relax small, like say I dey happy say na only me and Chuka remain.

My eye no comot from Chuka back, I just dey look am.

I dey feel one kind heat for body, but I still dey form correct babe.

Chuka pause, stand up, remove glove:

"Your friend car dey okay."

I dey look am, talk slow:

"Na only that you wan talk give me?"

I dey wait for gist, make e talk more, but e dey always form mystery.

Chuka eye dodge, Adam's apple move.

E dey swallow spit like person wey dey hide sweet for mouth.

I wait.

E squeeze glove till e almost bend, finally talk:

"Just now…"

But e stop.

I follow him eye look—Fola dey come, vex for face.

She throw bike key give me:

"Mo, my mama dey call me go house."

"You ride the bike reach house for me, I go collect am later."

I know say Fola mama no dey play. Once she say 'come house', you no get choice. That one na real Yoruba mama, she fit call you twenty times till you show.

Fola mama no gree make she ride, even freeze her account because of am.

Ehn, na so dem dey run things for our side. Mama fit seize ATM, you go dey trek until you gree.

I see Chuka dey look the key, small frown.

E dey act like say e dey remember something wey pain am.

After Fola go, I shake the key for hand:

"How now, you wan ride?"

I just dey play, but e hold the bike, look down:

"I fit? Make I carry you go house."

I raise brow, think say e wan show himself, danmaku roll again:

[Once he see say wife wan ride bike, Chuka body go stand.]

[He never forget that time for secondary school, she fall from bike, land hospital.]

[That time, every day e go hospital, just dey look her from door.]

My mind flash that memory, as e talk, e true—na accident almost finish me that time. I see am for hospital corridor that year, but I no talk.

I think am—e true, e happen before.

Seems the danmaku dey talk true.

I give Chuka another helmet, wink:

"No wahala."

For my mind, I dey happy say e go carry me. For Naija, if fine boy give you ride, you don get small bragging right.

I watch as e adjust helmet.

I lean, hug am from back.

E hand freeze, body tight like say e dey hold himself but still happy inside.

I fit feel him heart dey beat fast. I smile, rest my chin for him shoulder, enjoy the breeze.