Chapter 3: Lagos Sharpness and Old Flames

Show go start in one hour.

Tension dey everywhere—lights dey on, soundcheck, crew dey run up and down, director dey shout. For one corner, I dey arrange my camera, dey check battery, lens, make sure say all dey correct.

I just dey one corner, dey check my equipment when I hear voice from my back.

The voice sharp, get that familiar ginger. I turn, chest tight small. Na wah o, today wahala too much.

"Ijeoma?"

I look up, my mind shake small.

My eye dey scan the person. Her skin dey glow, her makeup fresh. Na Shamsiya.

She be one of today’s guests—and na my classmate for university days.

That year, we dey eat eba together for hostel, dey share pure water when light no dey. She be my padi, till life show us different face. Na now I see am as star, big babe.

Last year, she lose her job, come dey beg me make I help her find work. That time, my station need stagehand, so I try for her.

As per Naija way, I no fit look my person dey suffer. I use my small connect, beg my boss, make dem give her chance.

But during shoot, she mistakenly enter camera. Because she fine and her voice dey sweet, she just blow overnight.

Life na funny thing. Na so one small mistake turn person life around. People begin hail her for social media, her followers just dey grow like new yam.

After that, we no talk again.

Her number no dey go through again, I no even see her for WhatsApp group chat. E shock me, but na life.

I smile like say nothing dey. "Na coincidence o."

My own na to dey friendly, dey form say nothing dey happen. Na this Lagos we dey, wahala no dey finish.

She blink, surprise show for her face. "Ijeoma, na you be this? You still dey carry camera? I think say by now you go don be manager."

Her voice dey somehow, she dey look me like say e surprise her. She raise eyebrow, dey do like person wey dey pity old friend.

She do like person wey dey pity herself. "Life na wah o. If na you dem catch for camera that day, maybe na you for dey famous now. But—"

She draw the but, voice dey shake small. E be like say she dey try remind me say na luck help her. I just dey nod, dey swallow my pride.

Her voice change, mouth bend small. "Na so life be. That time I beg you for job, you just dey give me the hardest, dirtiest work. Maybe even God no fit watch, so he dash me luck overnight. Ijeoma, this na your punishment."

Her words cut, but my face no show am. I just dey reason say if God dey judge person like this, life for don spoil.

I no talk.

Because wetin I wan talk? If you try explain, dem go say you dey jealous. If you keep quiet, na problem. So, I close mouth, just dey look ground.

That time, she break equipment for her old office, dem sack am. She cry for me every day, say she no fit even chop, beg me tire, swear say she go do anything as long as dem pay her.

Me, I remember the text she send me that night—voice note full of cry, say make I help her. I pity am, do all my power. E no reach one year, na me she dey point finger for. Na wa.

I see am like person wey need help, try my best. In the end, na so she think say I dey punish her.

Sometimes, I wonder if to help person na good thing at all. Life just dey teach me hard lesson.

Wetin I wan talk again?

E get one kind heaviness for air. I just dey look my shoes, dey pray make wahala pass me by. Na that time, person waka come from the other side.

"Shamsiya."

Voice enter, sharp like knife. I look up, na Temi—my ex-boyfriend, and also our uni classmate.

He dey wear new shirt, but I fit still spot the old Temi for him walk—leg dey drag like person wey dey hide secret. The way he call Shamsiya, you go know say e get history for there.

After Shamsiya blow, Temi dump me, go become her assistant manager.

That year, as her IG followers dey skyrocket, Temi switch base sharp-sharp. E pain me, but I learn quick say for this Lagos, na survival of the sharpest.

He stop as he see me. "Ijeoma?"

The surprise for him face be like say him see ghost. I no even look am well, my own na to focus on work.

Shamsiya collect coffee from am. "Temi, you try o!"

She raise her coffee, smile like say na trophy she win. Temi dey look am with respect, like say na she dey feed am.

"I waka reach like three streets before I see am."

He dey sweat small, but the guy dey try package.

"You try, thanks."

She raise am, then look me, eyes dey mock. "You always dey talk say Temi no sabi take care of person, say he cold to you. See am now. He dey treat me well."

She dey smile, but the smile get pepper. I know that kind talk—just dey use style dey shade person for public.

"Okay."

I reply calm. No time for drama today. My blood dey boil, but I no fit show am for crowd.

E never do?

I dey ask God for inside, "Abeg, which kind day be this?" E never even reach 10am, wahala full everywhere.

I look her, talk slow. "You get another thing, Aunty Shamsiya? I record everything wey you talk now."

My voice no loud, but e firm. I no dey play. Na only this kind small power I get now, so I use am well.

Shamsiya freeze. "You talk wetin?"

Her mouth open small, eye wide. Na her real face show—fear, shock, small shakara.

Her brand be like soft, sweet babe—her fans na all those men wey dey dream. If this kind talk leak, her own don finish.

E fit end career—everybody go say, "So na like this she be for back?" Social media go catch fire.

"Ijeoma, delete am!"

She rush me, dey drag my camera.

Her hand dey hot, grip like person wey dey fight for last gala inside traffic. I hold my own, dey drag back.

I hold am well, no gree.

My camera na my life. If I loose am, na sack letter remain. I dey shout inside, but my face calm.

"Aunty Shamsiya, na my friend camera be this. I no even sabi how to delete."

I form mumu, dey shake head, dey play innocent. But my eye dey watch her hand.

"No dey form mumu! Delete am now, or you go regret!"

She dey pull the camera anyhow.

Her nails nearly scratch my face, but I dodge. She dey sweat, her makeup dey shift.

Temi see say wahala dey, rush come separate us. The whole crew notice the drama.

Two sound guys stop, dey whisper. Somebody for light crew drop bulb sef.

Team leader run come. "Wetin happen here?"

The man voice strong, face serious. E dey ready settle fight, but e no want wahala for show day.

I put small tears for my face. "Aunty Shamsiya say na me dey film am, she dey force me delete video, but I no even record am."

As I talk am, I bend mouth, use small acting join. I sabi say pity dey work for Naija work place.

Shamsiya glare. "No dey pretend! Give me the camera! If not, I go carry you go chief’s court for image rights!"

She raise voice, dey threaten. Some people for crew dey laugh inside, some dey whisper. But I no move.

Team leader try settle matter, collect camera, on am. "Aunty Shamsiya, she no record you. If you no believe, check am. Na misunderstanding."

Team leader no wan wahala for set. Him voice calm, but e get small warning inside. He no wan lose sponsor because of social media wahala.

Shamsiya check tire, still no see anything.

She dey press every button, but nothing show. She come dey frown face, but e no fit talk. She try press play, rewind, but na blank.

Of course, I never even on the camera.

My sense work that day—na only Lagos fit teach person this kind sharpness. My hand dey quick, no time to waste battery on nonsense.

She wan talk again, but Temi quick carry her go. "No vex, na mistake. Aunty Shamsiya just dey fear make her style no leak, e fit cause trouble for everybody."

Temi try cool her down, dey rub her back, dey do like peacemaker. But na him head cause most wahala sef.

He carry her waka.

She dey drag leg, dey hiss, but she still dey form smile for public. Temi dey whisper for her ear.

I face team leader, dey do like person wey dey sorry. "Sorry o, I no know why she dey react like that. I just touch camera, she say na film I dey film am."

I drop my shoulder, look ground. My voice soft, like person wey dem wan sack for the fifth time.

"I sabi."

Team leader wave am off. "All these small celebs too dey do anyhow. E go reach their turn. Everybody, abeg, go your position—half hour to live show."

He talk am with finality. Everybody just scatter, waka go their own post. Na so film set be—no time for drama.

I nod, bring out my mask, wear am.

My mask na my shield. For this work, you no fit show face anyhow, especially if you wan make people forget your matter. I dey always hide, dey blend with crowd.

I no like make my face show for camera, so I dey always wear mask for work.

I dey fear say if my old padi or enemy see me, wahala fit land. Even crew people dey call me ninja.

As I just wear am, I hear shout from back.

That voice cut through all the noise. My body just tense. E be like say air freeze for one second.

"Ijeoma!"

I turn. Na staff—and Yanshu Musa.