Chapter 5: Crossing Paths, Closing Doors

I dodge the bride’s wahala, insist say I wan go.

Halima dey talk for my back, dey try hold me. I just wave, say, "Next time."

As I dey go, I hear her dey vex for am.

Her voice loud small. She no dey gree hide her mind.

“Ade, wetin do you today? Why your mouth dey sharp like this?”

She dey try talk sense into am, no know say man get pride.

“She come all this way to wish us well. You dey do anyhow.”

Halima voice even shake small. She no dey happy at all.

Even as she never get experience, she still notice say him tone no pure.

Sharp babe. She no dey let man dey ride am anyhow.

One groomsman just talk, “Morayo—that name ring bell, no be she…”

I just dey laugh inside mind. My gist dey everywhere.

“Keep quiet.”

Ifeanyi cut am off, voice strong.

For that one, e get sharp mouth. E no dey like make person dey open him nyash for public.

I waka go outside the compound, wait for my driver to bring car.

Na small boys dey hawk gala for gate. Sun dey set, air dey cool. I adjust my wrapper, dey look road.

Breeze blow, sand enter my eye. I rub am.

I curse small under my breath. This Lagos dust no dey respect anybody.

Suddenly, quick steps reach my back, and one hand grab my arm strong.

I feel the grip, strong like person wey dey fear say I go run.

I turn, na Ifeanyi, face cold like fridge.

E dey look me like say I thief something.

“No go think say na me wan come meet you. Na Halima force me come say sorry.”

E dey form hard guy. Na pride dey speak.

“You no get anything wey you wan ask me?”

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

No need for drama. My mind dey house already.

Ifeanyi hiss, see as my eye dey water, he just scoff, “Morayo, you still dey form hard girl?”

He still dey try shake me, dey expect say I go cry or beg.

“You dey rush go because you no wan make I see say you don fall finish, abi?”

He dey look me like say e sure say I dey regret.

“You dump me because I broke. Now you see say I get money, you go dey regret well.”

For Ifeanyi mind, na only money matter. E no sabi say my own pain dey deeper.

Regret?

Yes, I regret am.

Sometimes I dey think of the time wey I waste, the energy, the hope.

I regret say I no break up sooner, no gree Tunde proposal early.

If I sharp that time, e for better for my family, my mama no go dey suffer now.

If I do am, I for bend my pride, my mama for do her surgery, she no go dey use wheelchair today.

Any time I see my mama dey struggle, I dey blame myself small. But God no dey sleep.

Last year, dem diagnose my mama with serious sickness.

Hospital bill big, doctor dey use grammar. My heart dey shake. Na there I realize say love no dey pay bill.

Surgery money big, I swallow pride, tell Ifeanyi say my mama need help.

That day, na hot afternoon. I call am, voice low. E no even look my face. I dey beg.

“Ade, abeg, you fit borrow me money?”

I dey look him face. If to say e fit help, my mama go fit walk today.

He pause small, then talk somehow, “Me too, I no get. But I go try borrow, or find work.”

E dey act like say na him get problem. I dey look am, my chest dey tight.

He waka go.

For two days, I no hear from am. I dey cry for house, dey pray.

I kneel for midnight, dey beg God, dey recite Psalm 23 for my mama head.

When he come back, leg dey plaster. He say na construction work break am.

That plaster na film trick. I just dey look am. E still dey act movie.

Him oga see say he dey do side hustle, fire am.

The story long. For my mind, I dey wonder when e go stop.

“Morayo, now I don like this, you go fit take care of me?”

I dey hear am, my head dey spin. My own wahala dey ground, e dey add him own.

He look me with that pity face.

E want make I feel like say I dey selfish if I no carry am join.

That moment, my mind just scatter.

My head dey hot. I dey fight tears.

“Ade, I really need money. You no get anything to tell me?”

I dey beg, voice dey shake. E still dey form stubborn.

He bring out bank card, dey form strong.

E hand me the card like say e dey do me favour.

“Sorry, Morayo. I too broke, I dey drag you down. I only get this—ten thousand naira. Take am for your mama.”

For my mind, I dey shout. Wetin ten thousand go do for surgery of one point five million?

Why, even then, he still dey play broke guy?

He no wan drop guard. Na so e dey test woman loyalty.

I know say na test.

I wise pass that level. E pain me, but e open my eye.

But me, I don tire. I no fit again.

My spirit weak. I just need peace.

I go bathroom, bring out my phone, text Tunde wey dey chase me.

I just close door, press phone, hands dey shake. Na do or die.

[You say you wan marry me. Na true?]

That moment, I just drop pride, embrace money fully.

I know say life no fit wait for person wey no dey ready to help.

As I waka come out of memory, the proud rich boy wey stand for my front dey mix with the struggling ex-boyfriend for my mind.

The picture clear. Na same person, just money and suit dey different.

Truth be say, na only me change. He never change.

Ifeanyi frown, “Why you no talk? You dey shame?”

Him dey expect say I go beg or explain. I just dey look am, no stress.

“Nothing to talk. Abeg, go back. No keep your wife waiting.”

I no wan add pepper to Halima joy. Na her day.

I blink, sand still dey worry my eye. I turn face, wipe my tears.

I try compose myself. Make Ifeanyi no see say e touch me small.

Ifeanyi just hiss, bring out ring box, shake am for my face.

E dey do like say na prize e dey show me.

“To cry no go help you now.”

He dey provoke, but I no fit cry for person wey no worth am.

“This ring—I buy am the day you break up with me. Five million naira.”

As I hear the price, my mind fly go bank account. But I just laugh.

“Mrs. Adeola position suppose be your own, but you no reach. Person wey dey find money up and down, na only side chick you fit be.”

E pain am say I no gree bow to am. But e no know say life get as e be.

“If you—”

He still dey talk, dey do mouth. I just dey look am.

Before he finish, my phone ring.

The ringtone na my favorite Asa song. I smile.

I ignore am, pick call.

I press answer, voice calm. E shock Ifeanyi.

Na my husband voice.

Tunde voice dey always soft, like breeze after rain. "Babe, you dey okay?"

“When you dey come house? If you fit, come early. I go reach by seven. I don travel half month, I miss you.”

As I hear that, my heart sweet me. Na better man I marry.

I no fit hide smile.

My face just dey shine like person wey win lottery.

“Okay, I go come soon.”

I use sweet voice call am "husband" before I cut call.

I dey sure say Ifeanyi hear am clear.

As I look up, Ifeanyi face don black.

E face dark like rain cloud. E shock am.

“You marry?”

E voice low, but you fit hear pain for am.

“Lie! We just break up one year ago…”

I just laugh. “Why e no fit? You self dey marry today, abi?”

I dey enjoy as e dey reason am. For my mind, I dey count my blessings.

“How that one be the same? I…”

He dey find word, e no see.

Suddenly, e be like light enter him head. He laugh, “Morayo, you dey jealous?”

He dey try form big man, but e dey shake.

“You just dey form say you marry another man to see if I still care, abi? You no be the first woman to try that one for me.”

If to say pride fit kill person, e for don die.

He look my finger, see say no ring, come believe himself more.

For Yoruba, dem dey say, "Eniyan lasan lasan." Sometimes, na just air dey fill person head.

Some people just full of themselves, e dey funny.

I just smile. Na God save me.

Why I no notice before say this guy too dey see himself?

Love dey blind o. E dey open eye when money enter.

“Ifeanyi, I no dey joke. I really marry.”

I talk am gently, my voice no shake.

I wan show am my diamond ring, but I remember say I no carry am.

That ring big well, I dey fear make I no lose am, na only special event with Tunde I dey wear am.

Tunde always say, "This ring na symbol. You no need am to know say I love you." Sometimes I dey carry only plain band, just to low-key.

Forget am. I no get energy argue. I no mean anything to am again—why I go explain?

For this Lagos, if you explain too much, dem fit say you dey lie.

“Wetin, you no go continue the acting?”

E dey push, but e no go work.

“My driver don reach.”

The horn sound small. I wave key for Ifeanyi face, no stress.

Car stop. I no talk again, just enter.

As I enter car, AC just cool my skin. I thank God say I get my own peace now.

For Ifeanyi eye, maybe I look like person wey dey run because she lose.

But for me, na wisdom be that—no dey drag for gutter with person wey no get your time again.

Na so I lock car door, tell myself say peace pass drama.

As I go, groomsman Musa Lawal waka come.

Musa na street guy, but sharp. E dey always know wetin dey sup.

“She don go, you still stand here dey form lover boy.”

He dey laugh small, dey tap Ifeanyi for back.

“If I remember well, na Morayo be that gold-digging ex wey dump you, abi? I no expect say she and Halima resemble like twins.”

True, me and Halima get same fine cheekbone. Life dey do magic sometimes.

Ifeanyi no talk, that one mean say na true.

If Ifeanyi quiet, na sign say e dey pain am. E no sabi hide feelings.

Musa reason am, “No be say you still dey do this substitute thing? You still dey think of that girl?”

Musa get sharp eye. E sabi see person true feelings.

“Wetin about Halima? The ceremony wan start, everybody dey wait…”

Na so wedding dey be. No time for long talk, time no dey wait for person wey dey drag feet.

Ifeanyi cut am off.

He just wave hand, face strong, like say nothing dey happen. Pride no dey let Naija man show true emotion.

“No worry. I no reach that level. The wedding..."

Na so story continue. Everybody dey play their role. For this life, you gats learn to waka forward, leave past for past.