Chapter 3: The Plan

After I hear Halima's story, I quiet for long.

For café, na only spoon wey dey touch cup dey sound. I just dey reason her matter. Life wicked, I talk for mind.

"So you think say na your cousin change your olanzapine to phenytoin sodium?"

She nod.

Her head small, face still. I fit see pain for her mouth corner.

"I no fit think anybody else. Na only doctor and my cousin fit touch my medicine."

I say, "I no understand why e go do am... Even if love turn to hate, this one too much."

Halima think small. "Maybe na because of money."

Her voice low, almost like whisper. For this country, money dey turn people heart to stone, na true.

"If na money e want, you no go give am? Na only him dey treat you well."

"Maybe e want all the money."

I understand.

As I dey nod, I dey remember story of my uncle wey almost sell family land because of inheritance fight.

"But if you die, your cousin no dey among people wey go inherit by law."

For Nigeria, na husband, pikin, papa/mama first go inherit. After dem, na brother, sister, grandpapa/mama. Halima no get any of these, so if she die, na government go carry the money, not her cousin.

I dey explain am to her, but she just look my direction. I know say she sabi, but e pain her say na stranger dey explain her own wahala.

"True. Normally, my cousin no get right. But for my case, if dem count the three years wey he stay with me as guardian, he fit drag the matter for chief’s court. E don happen before."

Halima face show pain, she sigh.

She rub her chest small, like person dey push away heartache. Sometimes, law dey fail woman for this country, especially if eye no dey see her.

"So e get reason."

I look her well. This girl no be mumu at all.

I come realize: "You wan marry me so your cousin go forget about the money?"

If Halima marry, na her husband go be number one to inherit. Maybe her cousin go give up, and everything go fit return to normal.

I just laugh, "So na like say you dey pick crown prince before king die?"

The way I talk am, e be like joke, but my laugh dry. The matter no funny.

She no deny am. "Na fake marriage. We go just do am for five years, I go pay you big money every year."

E be like film.

I remember those Nollywood movies wey person go use marriage save property. My own na real life, not film.

"But you fit just write will, tell your cousin say even if you die, e no go see shishi. I sure say he go stop."

She shock. "I talk am before, I no wan lose am. I no fit do am too harsh."

Her eye wey no dey see just dey look straight, but I know say for inside, her mind dey twist.

I carry my coffee, sip small.

The bitter taste make my brain wake. Na wah o, see wahala wey good face dey hide.

"So why me?"

I ask am, but for my mind, I dey wonder if na trap. Person fit use jazz these days.

"I say am before, I want stranger. Anybody. I no even care if you be bad person—we go sign contract, I go still write will. But since you dey volunteer for Blind Assistance App, even if you bad, e no fit too bad."

"You no even know my age or as I look."

"Na fake marriage. And e no concern me how you look."

As I see her blind eyes, I just bitterly smile. E really no matter.

Na wah o, I even fine well sef.

I use my phone camera small, check my face, smile for myself. At least, if money dey enter, beauty no dey pain person.

"I dey thirty-four."

Halima talk calm, "I know."

Her calm no get edge, just be like water. For her, age na number—money and peace na bigger thing.

"Another wahala. Three years ago you be sixteen, so now you be nineteen. Legal age for marriage na twenty. How we go do am?"

She pause. "Just dey as my fiancé for now. Payment still dey."

She smile small, the first true smile since we start. I just nod, dey reason how money go change my own life now.