Chapter 4: Nnenna Arrives and Jealousy Burns

I use style wipe my tears, begin pack my things small small.

I dey fold my wrapper, dey arrange my books, my shoes. Sisi, the cat, dey follow me up and down, like she know say something dey scatter.

Ifedike dey look me back, dey beg make I no go.

His face dey soft, eye dey plead. He dey twist him hands, dey talk small small, 'Amaka, abeg, calm down.' But my mind no gree.

“I tell you say after this work wahala, I go spend time with you. Why you no fit believe me? I no gree for this break up. No rush commot, I no go come house these few days. Calm down.”

His voice low, like say he dey beg make rain stop. I feel small for him, but my pride no gree.

Ifedike commot, leave me alone.

Door close, silence full house. Sisi look me, then jump go window, dey watch birds. For this kind silence, your own thoughts go dey loud.

I reason am—the rent still remain half month.

No money to just waka anyhow. Makurdi no easy. I go just manage, dey bear until time reach to go.

Till I find new place, I go just dey manage here.

I dey save every kobo. Na now I sabi say freedom dey expensive for Naija.

I dey go work as usual every day, just dey use work distract myself from Ifedike matter.

Office people dey notice say my face dey dull. My Oga ask if malaria dey worry me, I just smile say, 'No wahala, na weather.'

Three nights after, person knock for our door.

That time of night, nobody dey knock anyhow for our compound. My heart begin dey beat. Sisi hiss, run under bed.

I think say na Ifedike come back.

My heart jump. I look mirror, adjust my hair, wipe face. No makeup, but at least make I no look like person wey dey sick.

I check myself for mirror. As I see say I still look normal, I open door.

I put small smile for face, dey expect maybe apology go follow. But as I open, na stranger I see.

But na one babe wey I no know stand for door.

She dress fine, perfume strong, bag big. She smile, teeth white, no stress for face.

She smile greet me, “I be Ifedike friend. He say make I help am carry some things.”

Her voice sweet, she dey try form gentle. For my mind, I dey calculate.

That time, my heart just cut like needle touch am.

E be like say small cold dey my back, my hand dey shake. Na so heartbreak dey start, from small small.

I force myself calm, ask, “You be Nnenna, abi?”

My voice calm, but my eye dey search her face for sign of lie. I dey try look for ring, for any clue.

The girl pause small, then nod.

She nod, lips twist small like say she dey enjoy my pain. I catch am for eye.

I give her the things, stop small, but I still force myself tell her:

I hand her Ifedike's file, his blue cap, even the small amulet him mama send from Enugu. My voice dey steady, but my inside dey boil.

“Ifedike no like make person disturb am after he drink. Just leave am make he sleep. He no dey chop egusi soup—he dey allergic. Remember to dey carry face mask for am every day; strong smell dey worry am...”

I list all the things, voice dey shake small, but I no stop. Na my own way of reminding her say she no sabi am reach me.

The girl smile, like say she don win.

She fit think say na contest, but I just dey protect my own.

“Okay, I hear. I go take care of am for you.”

Her voice soft, but e sting like bee. She look me up and down, then waka commot like madam of the house.

As I close door, I squat down, my body just empty.

My leg weak, hand shake. I dey hug my knees, tears dey my eye. The house cold, even Sisi no gree come near me.

WhatsApp group comments rush in again:

[Na tonight. After he drink for bar, Odogwu and fine geh go lose guard sleep together. Odogwu finally go realize him feelings. 😂🔥]

[This night go hot! Odogwu no go rest.]

[Fine geh go suffer well well—my poor girl.]

I dey imagine them dey together, dey laugh, dey gist. My phone dey beep, but I no wan look.

Ifedike no gree break up, but e quick sleep with another babe?

E pain me reach bone. For my mind, na betrayal wey pass all the one wey I watch for Africa Magic.

All night?

I dey ask myself how person fit forget me so quick. Maybe I no mean anything to am after all.

I no know say after drink, he dey get that kind energy.

The jealousy choke me. I dey imagine wetin no even happen. My mind dey race.

Maybe, just to make myself give up, I waka go the bar wey the comments talk about.

I no even care how I look, I just throw wrapper on top dress, waka enter street, trek go bar. Night breeze dey slap my face, but I no mind.

I check room by room, reach one for far end.

My eye dey red, my body dey vibrate. I dey find him, no care who dey watch.

Before I fit open door, I hear some kain sound inside.

Noise dey come out, like person dey enjoy, but my mind no want believe am.

“Brother Ife, abeg take am easy...”

“I dey come, ah ha...”

My hand dey shake for door handle.

Sweat dey my palm, but I no fit stop. My heart dey beat fast.

I no believe say Ifedike don reach that level.

Pain dey my chest. I dey hope say na mistake.

Tears begin rush my eyes.

The tears hot, my vision dey blur. My leg dey weak.

But since I don reach here, I must see with my own eye how much disappointment this guy wey I love for five years fit give me.

I go fit talk say I see am myself, no be hear-say.

As I open the door, na shout I hear inside.

Two strangers just dey look me like ghost.

One guy dey half naked, one babe dey wrap towel. Na my embarrassment dey loud pass their own.

As I realize my mistake, I just dey apologize anyhow.

'No vex, no vex, I miss road,' na so I dey repeat, face down, run commot like rat wey see broom.

As I dey go back, I see Ifedike and one girl enter another room for the corridor.

He just glance my side, look away sharp. My hope wey rise small, crash back.

So na wrong room I enter.

Shame dey catch me, but relief dey fight am for my chest.

That small relief wey I get, e just vanish.

E clear say my own don spoil, but pain still dey.