Chapter 2: Palm Grove Estate—Heat, Empathy and Group Chat Fire

Finally, I don carry the childhood friend wey I dey crush on enter bed.

Na weekend, for him house for Palm Grove Estate.

Palm Grove Estate dey shine like big men compound—AC dey hum, but heat still dey hide for corner. Na marble floor, correct painting for wall, but Lagos dust still dey gather for window edge. I dey always feel somehow when I waka enter, as if my slippers too cheap for the ground. But today, na me and Timi alone, everybody travel go Ijebu for family meeting. Na our chance be this.

Him kiss dey hot, e dey burn my lips, my body dey do me somehow. I dey expect wetin go happen.

My heart dey race, body dey vibrate. Na that kain touch wey dey scatter person brain. Even breeze from AC no fit cool the heat wey dey boil me. The thing sweet and fear me at the same time, but I gats show say I dey mature. Na adult things we dey do, but na first time for both of us.

But before I know, Timi face don white like cloth wey dem bleach. E hold e belle, roll fall from bed, land for ground with gbam.

E shock me like NEPA wire. E no even fit stand well, na so e roll reach under bed. E look like spirit dey worry am. Sweat dey drip from e forehead, mouth dey hang like NEPA wire, but voice no come out.

I shock. I touch my foot, smell my hand under my nose. No scent—just small Dettol soap remain.

As I bend, I smell the air—nothing like the scent wey dey worry person if dem fall sick. I even quick use hand wipe my face, check if na my own problem. But everything still dey normal. My mind dey run helter-skelter.

I rush go check Timi. "Wetin happen?"

My voice soft, almost like whisper. E no fit even answer me sharp. I bend low, look into e face, try read wetin dey inside e eye.

Timi kneel down, voice dey shake. "I no know, e be like say person dey drill my stomach. E dey pain me die."

As e talk, e hand dey tremble. I see say e eye don red, like say e wan cry. Na so I rub e back, try rub small comfort, but the pain stubborn. I dey panic inside.

I quick carry my phone. "Na appendicitis? Make I call chemist or rush you health centre?"

As I dey press phone, my hand dey shake. I dey pray say make nothing bad happen for our head. Palm Grove Health Centre na just down the road, but if matter serious, na General Hospital we go reach. For my mind, I dey think wetin I go tell Timi mama if something scatter.

As I wan dial, comments just show:

[LOL, see as guy dey feel period pain!]

[Serve am right—who send am dey do anyhow with childhood friend? Once e hormones rise, na so e trigger babe period!]

[Late period dey pain well. Guy still get mind dey touch another babe? E deserve am!]

[This empathy matter dey sweet. I dey wait for when guy and babe go... Double wahala go land!]

As I read, e be like say breeze blow my brain. This kain wahala na only for our school WhatsApp group dem fit dey run this kind talk. But na the reality wey dey slap me so.

I freeze small, waka enter kitchen. I make hot ginger and brown sugar water, carry am go upstairs.

The kitchen still get the smell of last night ogbono soup. As I dey boil water, I remember say my mama dey always give me ginger and sugar when I dey my own period. I add small honey, make e for sweet, put everything inside fine mug wey Timi dey use keep for visitors.

Before I reach back, I drop the mug, and for my mind, I just mutter, "God abeg, make e work, no let wahala meet us for here."

Timi sit down for floor, drink the brown sugar water, small small e colour dey come back.

E take am slow, like say e dey fear the heat. After some sip, e body relax. E even manage raise hand, thank me with small nod. Na so I sit by am, dey watch e face change from ash to brown.

"Sade, wetin you give me? Why e sweet? The pain don dey go small small."

My chest warm small, but fear still dey my body. I just smile, say make e drink am finish. I remember say sometimes, all these home remedy dey work better than medicine. Still, I dey wonder wetin dey really cause am.

But my heart cold like say dem put am for freezer.

My inside just dey block. All this wahala, na just me and Timi sabi am. But as e talk, I dey feel somehow—na as if another shadow dey our midst. I dey fear wetin fit happen next.

Comments land again:

[Ah ah, this supporting babe sharp o. She don notice say guy dey feel babe period pain.]

[She must see babe WhatsApp status when she pick her phone just now.]

[Supporting babe dey give guy brown sugar water—she still wan run things? She dey too eager... Guy go lose e innocence so?]

[Wetin concern us? Old gist don end. After some practice, guy go sabi handle babe well.]

As I dey see am, na real village people dey drop comment. If dem catch gist, e go trend for Snap and TikTok. For our area, if you like, hide under bed, dem go still find you. This one pass reality show.

I be class prefect, so I get everybody WhatsApp.

As class prefect, na me dey coordinate group project, dey share assignment for group chat, dey remind everybody for test. If wahala burst, na me teacher go call first. My phone hot pass battery.

I open my phone, true true, transfer student Kamsi just post for status:

[My period come early. E pain me sotey I nearly faint 😭😭]

Under, she reply herself:

[Suddenly, warm feeling enter~ My belle no dey pain again~ E be like say person wey no dey drink hot water before, do am for me. Stubborn but sweet~]

For my mind, wahala tie wrapper. The thing dey connect, even if we no wan believe am. The kain empathy wey dey link two people like this, I never see before. Na juju? Or na just fate?

That moment, I realise: the brown sugar water wey I give Timi, e help Kamsi too.

E clear for my eye, like morning sun after rain. My hand dey shake as I hold phone, dey read status again. Na only for Nollywood this kind connection dey always happen. I just reason say, maybe na story God dey write for us and I no be main character.

Dem fit say na village people dey write my script, but I no go gree.

The comments talk true. The two of dem really get this empathy thing.

I swallow spit, feel cold sweat for my back. Na like say the whole world dey use my own life do play. As I dey there, my mind dey race: "Na so destiny dey work?" I no fit even vex finish, because e too mysterious.

"Sade, abeg drop your phone. I fine pass phone, abi?"

Timi voice soft, but e face still dey catch light from window. E dey try form hard guy, but I see say e dey fear inside small. Na so e stretch hand, wan touch me.

Timi don recover, come near, wan continue from where we stop.

E eye dey shine, but my mind don move go another place. I shift body small, pretend say I dey fix pillow. For my mind, na question full everywhere. If this thing fit happen, wetin be my place for Timi life?

I dodge am.

I try smile, but my face no gree. My body cold, like say breeze pass under skin. Na so I stand up, say I wan use toilet. But na lie—I just no wan face am.

Just to think say, few minutes ago, another girl dey share the same heartbeat with Timi, my body just dey vex.

I remember how my mama dey warn me: "No put your heart for where e no go get peace." This kain pain deep, e reach bone. Jealousy dey bite me like pepper for eye.

How e take different from three people dey do?

I reason am—if Timi dey connect with Kamsi like that, no be say all of us dey share body without touching? Na spiritual threesome be this? E no pure for my head.

I just talk cold, "Timi, make we forget about us."

My voice shake, but I gats hold ground. If I no cut am now, my heart go spoil. I dey try save myself before e late.

But as I waka comot, e tears dey burn my back like pepper—na so heartbreak dey start.