Chapter 7: New Seat, New Eyes—Sade’s Isolation

I no sleep that night.

My eye open like torch light, head dey turn. All the heartbreak, all the worry, no let me rest. Rain dey fall outside, e beat zinc roof, but na my own pain dey loudest.

Monday morning, I enter class with big eye bag. I quick pack my load, move go last seat, far from Timi.

People dey look me, dey whisper, but I no send. I just want peace. My head dey blank. As I arrange book, I dey pray say today go pass without wahala.

I must run from this plot, face my book.

Na so I focus on Chemistry note, dey read for test. I tell myself, "Book na your only bestie now, Sade."

Before class, Timi come. See say I don change seat, e rush come, but Kamsi block am.

She stand for aisle, dey smile, dey try gist Timi. I dey watch from far, but I no fit hear wetin dem dey talk. My chest dey tight.

Bell ring, I hear Kamsi talk:

"Timi, abeg next time, gentle small. I... All my body red mark... E pain me well."

The whole class quiet, boys dey whistle. Girls dey cover mouth. For my mind, na wahala be this. E mean say something wey I no wan hear don happen. I just bow my head.

Kamsi pull her collar, I see red marks from her neck down—no be ordinary mark.

The class dey buzz. Some dey smile, some dey shake head. For Naija school, everybody sabi decode wetin mark for neck mean. The thing pain me, but I gats bone face.

Timi no do as usual...

E just stand for there, eyes on ground, dey quiet. The Timi wey I know no dey show this kain mood. Na like say something for him spirit don shift. My own heart dey shiver small, but I dey tell myself say, "Sade, face front."

Everybody eye dey my body, as if dem dey wait make I cry. For Naija, once gist land, e dey fly—if you no get thick skin, your mind go scatter.

As I sit for back, I dey reason—if I no fit change my story, who go do am for me?