Chapter 2: Palm Grove Plans

Na Safiya, the heroine, match me and Auwalu together!

She don find better husband for herself, but she no wan make I dey single. E be like say she dey reason say, make all of us dey happy together or nothing at all. For Safiya mind, everything suppose balance as she dey act heroine for her own life.

She say na to pay me back for the small food wey I give her that year. Wetin small box of chin chin no go cause for this world? E reach to laugh.

Safiya talk with confidence, "Auwalu na really good man! No let that him strong face deceive you—he dey treat me well, e sure say he go treat you well too!" Her eyes dey shine, like say na gold she dey sell. I for just laugh, but I bone face.

I just smile, bone am. For my mind, I dey talk, "Abeg, shift!"

How Auwalu go wan marry me? E even dey look like joke. Na wa!

But I no expect say person fit love reach the point say he go do anything wey she talk! E shock me o. Safiya sef get mind.

Safiya arrange make me and Auwalu meet for one corner. She plan am well, do like say na small play. E sweet her—she dey reason say she dey play Cupid.

Palm grove, mist for river, moonlight, winding path— All those film trick place wey dey sweet for love story. Even fowl no fit crow here at this kind hour. Palm fronds dey shake for breeze, and crickets dey sing their own music. Na so breeze dey blow, everywhere dey quiet.

Na correct place for secret meeting between man and woman. If you see us, you go think say we dey run one film for Silverbird. My heart dey shake, but I hold am tight.

If anybody catch us, my name for street don spoil be that! True true, this kain waka fit cause wahala for my papa compound. I just dey pray make no busybody pass.

Safiya push Auwalu come meet me, cover her mouth, run commot like say she dey play. She get that her small waka, dey laugh inside her wrapper. Na wah.

As soon as she waka finish, the gentle look for Auwalu face just disappear. From soft bread to kpako in one second. I no even expect that kind change.

The man wey stand for front of me now, him face hard like stone. Him shoulder broad, waist slim— E get that soldier shape wey dey fear person. I just dey reason if na so fine boy dey behave.

Moonlight shine on am, e be like statue of one god, no single emotion. I fit swear say if spirit waka pass, dem go dodge am.

To talk true, na only him and Prince Danladi, Musa Garba, I don see fine like this for my eighteen years. I dey talk true o! All those boys for street na learner.

Auwalu even shift from where I dey, as if say I be dirty something. Him nose raise, eye turn, body language full insult. My spirit no even shake.

I no even send am. I bone face, hold my small dignity. I dey wait make him talk, but silence choke the place.

Silence choke us, only sound na my heart dey drum for chest. We waka comot, no single word, but shame dey hang for air. Both of us dey waka like say we be strangers. Even mosquito dey fear bite us.

Auwalu dey front dey waka fast fast. Him leg dey long, so I dey try use my own dey catch up. I dey pity myself, dey drag my wrapper small small.

I just dey follow am small small for back. As I dey waka, my mind dey fly. This na the assignment wey Safiya give me so?

Next thing, he stop, I almost jam am. I wan shout, but I hold myself.

I look where him eye dey—

Safiya stand for there, head down, dey use leg dey kick stone. She no fit look person eye. Her own wahala never finish.

As she see say Auwalu don come out quick, her eye flash surprise. She no expect say e go quick like that. She dey reason wetin happen for inside bush.

She dey look Auwalu and me up and down. Her face dey study us, dey wonder if romance don start for bush. I just dey laugh for my mind.

She form vex say, "Auwalu, you no like Halimah? She be my padi o. If you try do her anyhow, I no go gree for you." Safiya dey vex like market woman, but she dey try form big madam. Her own na just noise.

Small pain flash for Auwalu eye, then he just smile, but the smile get as e be—like say him don tire. Na the kain smile wey person dey smile when pepper enter eye.