Chapter 8: Jacket Scent and Model Moves

8

Next day for big lecture hall, I dey doze for last row.

Lecture hall hot, ceiling fan dey whine for corner, but sweat still dey my back. I dey fight sleep like say dem put ogogoro for my tea.

Half-sleep, I feel person cover me with jacket.

Warmth enter my body. Jacket dey smell like him soap and small engine oil, e sweet me.

I open eye small—Chuka dey on him laptop, fingers dey fly.

The kain coding e dey do, you go think say e dey hack JAMB website.

"Thanks."

I mumble, sleep again.

Class finish, Fola and Jide enter with drama.

As usual, dem dey bring wahala come. Jide dey form talkative, Fola dey form boss lady.

"Mo, make we go chop—I find restaurant wey fine die!"

Fola dey show me phone, dey hype new place wey she see for Instagram.

"Ehn? You dey Adegoke University too?"

Fola dey look Chuka, her eye dey shine again.

As Fola dey look Chuka, you fit see say idea dey form for her head. E dey sweet am to snap fine boy.

Chuka close laptop, nod polite.

I sit up, give him jacket back.

E eye sweep Jide, wey dey book restaurant, then e collect the jacket slow.

Chuka na correct guy. E no dey ever rush, e dey gentle, but e dey observe everything.

Fola eye dey move between me and Chuka, brow up.

She reach out:

"Hello, classmate. Make we know ourselves again."

"I be Fola, photographer."

"I wan invite you model for me. Money dey sharp sharp."

"Think am?"

Fola dey form business woman, but na talent dey worry her.

Chuka shake her hand small, polite but hold back:

"Sorry, I get something."

E carry laptop waka.

Fola sigh, tap my face:

"Mo, you promise to model for me before. Sigh, I wan shoot couple photo, now no male model. Stress dey kill me."

Na so Fola dey always do. If I agree today, tomorrow e go say make I do makeup artist, next tomorrow, fashion stylist.

I roll eye.

When I ever agree model for you?

Jide, done with booking, jump:

"Why you dey talk like that? I dey here."

"Me and Mo—our face, na perfect match."

Jide just dey look for chance to shine. Even Fola dey shake head, dey pity am.

Fola and I roll eye together, wan talk—

One shadow cover us.

Chuka don return.

As e stand for back, e shadow cover our table, everybody quiet small.

E press lip, look Fola:

"Money dey pay sharp sharp?"

Fola fox-eye narrow, happy smile show:

"Of course."

I see say Fola dey already plan how she go use Chuka face sell her new collection.