Chapter 9: Rainbow for Myself

Zainab just smile reply,

She wave hand, "Na wedding planner dey there. E dey work."

"Na our wedding planner. She design the rainbow."

She proud, want show off my work.

"Make I introduce you?"

She stand up, want open partition. I duck, hold breath.

Lanre just dey look partition, dey waka near.

His shoe dey make noise for floor. I dey hide, dey pray.

Zainab just dey look am, no understand.

She dey wonder why e dey act like say e dey find thief.

Next thing, Lanre pull partition, but nobody dey inside.

I don waka quick, pass back door, blend with staff. My heart dey beat anyhow.

Sade waka come.

She enter, eyes sharp, file for hand. She dey act like na she run the show.

"If you get any request, tell me—I be the boss of the wedding company."

She smile, block Lanre from further look.

"The planner don go."

She lie, dey protect me.

Lanre just come back to sense.

He nod, look phone, adjust shirt. "No wahala. I just remember say I get appointment. I dey go."

E waka commot sharp sharp.

E no even look back. The play don end for today.

As nobody dey, Sade talk for phone, "She don go."

She wink me from corner. I smile, relief wash me.

I just thank am.

Inside my heart, I dey pray for friend wey fit cover person like wrapper.

Night reach, Lanre come house.

E open door, smile, dey act normal. I dey table, dey arrange file.

As e enter, e come meet me.

He drop bag, sit beside me.

"I bring gift for you."

He bring out small parcel from bag, open am. Na rainbow color string.

E tie rainbow color string for my wrist.

He dey careful, smile. My hand dey cold, but I let am tie.

As Lanre dey tie am, e dey watch my face.

His eye dey search my own, like say e dey find answer.

I just act cool. "E fine."

I rub the string, smile small. I dey try hold myself.

Lanre dey look me.

He pause, search my face. I dey hide my pain, dey act normal.

"Baby, you no get anything to yarn me?"

His voice soft. I look away, pretend say nothing dey.

I look down small, then smile, raise brow.

I arrange my face, "Wetin? You want make I thank you for bracelet?"

As I dey behave normal, Lanre just relax.

He drop shoulder, exhale, look relieved. He still dey watch me.

"This one no be ordinary bracelet."

He raise my wrist, rub am. "You don hear am before? When you meet the right person, na like say you see rainbow for first time."

He dey quote my own words. My chest dey catch. I force smile.

I push am small.

I tap his chest, joke. "No be too mushy? You don dey do like small pikin."

Lanre laugh, hold my hand.

His laughter soft. He look me deep.

"Amaka, I go marry you."

He look me, serious. My heart dey flutter and pain at once.

"You go fit wait for me three years? I dey try."

He talk am like person wey dey beg. But I no sure say my spirit fit wait again.

I no answer, but for some reason, I remember one time dem hypnotize me.

My mind drift. That time for church deliverance, when prophetess lay hand for my head, dey count slow, dey talk say my destiny go open if I believe.

As e end, the prophetess whisper for my ear:

Her voice soft, spirit-filled. My body dey shake, my eye dey wet. That day, I feel peace, even though nothing change for house.

"Now, I go count down from 5 to 0. As I dey count, you go dey wake up more."

The memory clear for my mind. Her hand cold, but her spirit warm. I dey wish say she dey here now.

"When I reach 1, you fit open eye."

I dey feel my life dey float, dey reset, like say everything go make sense soon.

"When I reach 0, you go fully wake, and feel better... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

Her words dey echo for my ear, dey blend with Lanre own. I dey try wake up from this my own heartbreak trance.

"Now, 0."

This wedding countdown, for me, na the beginning of my own awakening.

As I tie my wrapper that night, my mind dey set. The pain wey I dey feel, na fuel. As this wedding dey count down, na so my own spirit dey wake. No be only love dey teach person lesson; sometimes na betrayal dey open eye pass. For Lagos, everybody dey find their own rainbow. Me, I don ready to chase my own. For this Lagos, rain fit fall anytime, but I go find my own rainbow, even if I trek reach Mile 2.