Chapter 1: Bros Matter No Be Play

Yan Yan get one bros group.

For this our area, bros group no be joke—Yan Yan own tight like amala and ewedu. Their wahala too much sef; sometimes e go be like say dem dey do competition of who love Yan Yan pass. Their drama no dey ever finish, and she dey drag me join like say na family matter.

Their friendship dey tight sotay she go even wish make I follow am enter bathroom hold her hand.

No be small thing o, sometimes if Yan Yan dey baff and her phone ring, she go shout from inside bathroom make I help pick call. If na bros call, she go even want make I put am on speaker—see level!

I tell her say e good make she sabi set boundary small.

Sometimes I go even gist her with example: "See, if na my own padi do this kain thing, you no go happy." She go just wave am, talk say na me get wahala for head.

But na so she twist am, dey accuse me say I dey paranoid: “So you dey insult our pure friendship now.”

The way she dey twist mouth talk am, e be like say I commit abomination. She hiss, twist mouth, side-eye me like say I be wahala pikin. She go even add, "No go dey use your own dirty mind spoil my bros for me o."

So, I go find my own babe wey be best friend.

I no even think am twice. I just reason say, abeg, make I get my own padi too. This world no balance.

For my birthday, Yan Yan and Musa Zikora go that small PS4 lounge near Aboki suya spot for Palm Grove Estate go play game together, dem no come house that night.

If to say na ordinary play, e for dey different, but for this Lagos wey everywhere dey hot, who dey lodge for night? That one weak me.

When she finally come back, na alcohol and Benson smoke smell full her body. The thing vex me well.

Na true, as she push door enter, I just catch that strong aroma of beer mix with cigarette—na the kain smell wey dey cling for danfo conductor—e choke my nose, wahala dey. My face long like Third Mainland Bridge.

As she see my face wey don long, she try explain: “We never see for long, so we play till late, just crash for the lodge.”

She dey try package story, dey form innocent. She even dey look me for eye, like say I go believe sharp.

She even add: “No be only me and Musa Zikora o—four of us dey, we sleep for bunk bed.”

As she talk am, she dey try soften her voice, like person wey wan beg but still dey feel say she no do bad thing. My mind dey do 419 calculations.

But wetin she no talk be say, among the four, na only her be woman.

I know say na only one skirt dey among trousers for that lodge. I just dey observe her.

Just some days before, we quarrel because she and Musa Zikora dey lie for the same bed dey play game.

That quarrel still dey fresh for my mind. Yan Yan no even see am as big deal, but me, I just dey reason am—how you go dey share bed with another man, even for play?

I tell her say she no sabi keep distance, even talk say I go go beat Musa Zikora join.

I yarn her sharp: "No be everything be play, Yan Yan. Next time, if you try am, I go reach that lodge, drag all of una outside." She just laugh am off.

Musa Zikora na her childhood padi—dem grow up for the same street for Aba, dey play since dem small.

You know those kind friend wey dem mama know each other, carry each other go church, dey chop for same pot? Na so e be with Yan Yan and Musa Zikora. Me sef dey tire sometimes.

Yan Yan na sharp babe wey no dey too reason matter; she dey always call Musa Zikora and him guys her “brothers.”

To her, all of them na like cousin or family, but for my eye, bros na bros, man na man. Make we no dey pretend.

I don see Musa Zikora touch her more than once, and the two of dem dey always dey do like say dem no get sense, dey play anyhow for my front.

Sometimes na slap for back, sometimes na throw pillow, sometimes even play fight—dem dey do as if I no dey there.

Before, she go still try explain, dey beg me small.

She go talk, "Obinna, abeg no vex, na so we dey do since." But me, I dey watch am with one eye.

But later, e no even dey move her again. Anytime, she go just throw me one line: “If me and am dey do, you think say you for even get chance?”

That her sharp mouth eh! Sometimes if she talk like that, e go pain me, but I go just swallow am. I no wan make wahala scatter everywhere.

The funny thing be say, her bros go come dey advice me: “How grown man like you go dey petty like this? All of us grow with Yan Yan, na so she be. Musa Zikora just dey see her as sister.”

Dem go even call me for side, dey try calm me down, dey reason say I no get sense for this matter. I go just smile, dey boil for inside.

Sister, abi?

Dem dey call my babe sister, but make their own woman try am, dem go turn to lion. Hypocrisy dey this world o.

I wan see if dem go fit tell their own babe make she get bros group like this.

For their mind, only Yan Yan fit get male padi. Their own girlfriend no fit try am. I just dey watch all of them.

The thing tire me sotay I tell her, if she no sabi set boundary, make we kuku break up.

I carry my matter go her side, tell am plain. "If you no fit set small line, abeg, make we just go our separate way." My mind no get peace again.

After that one, Yan Yan really try avoid Musa Zikora small, but na so Musa Zikora come dey find my trouble for public.

Instead make Musa Zikora respect himself, he come dey use style dey pepper me. Even for small gathering, him go dey throw word.

“Obinna, this time I no sit near your babe o.”

Him go talk am loud, make people hear. Sometimes sef, e go dey look my face dey measure my reaction.

“Yan Yan, no come play game with us o, before Obinna come beat me.”

People go dey laugh, but my mind go dey boil. Dem dey make me look like fool.

“Yan Yan don get fine boy, she no dey send us rugged guys again.”

Dem wahala too much, sometimes I go just dey wish make ground open.

He go dey talk all this one for my front, dey try provoke me.

I know say na me Musa Zikora dey target. E dey do am like say na joke, but e dey pain me pass ordinary.

Anytime we two dey together, everywhere go just heavy.

If Yan Yan leave us for same space, na so silence go cover the place, tension go just dey the air like NEPA wire.

After some time, people begin talk say I dey control Yan Yan, say I dey manipulate her, even dey beat her join.

Dem begin carry gist for street, some even dey look me like say I be one kind wicked boyfriend. Gossip na normal for this our area.

Since then, Yan Yan and me just dey distant.

No more laugh, no more late night gist. We dey house, but everybody dey their own corner. Na so relationship dey spoil for this side.

Na so my mind waka come back.

I just reply Yan Yan with one “Mm,” turn back enter my room.

Even as I dey waka, my chest just dey heavy. I no even get strength talk, I just carry myself go lie down.

As she see say I dey cold, Yan Yan drop her phone, come hold me from back, dey rub her head for my back, her voice soft: “Baby, no be Black Masquerade you wan play? I go buy am for you later, no vex.”

Her voice dey shake small. She dey try use sweet mouth calm me, but my mind still dey hot.

I don dey wait for that game since dem first show trailer.

All my padi for group chat don dey talk am, na only me never buy.

As e just drop, I wan buy am sharp sharp.

I for rush go shop that first day, but Yan Yan begin hala say make I hold money, say we get better things to buy.

But Yan Yan begin shout say I dey waste money, say better make I buy lipstick for her instead.

She yarn say, "If you love me, use that money buy lipstick for me, no be game wey you go play two weeks dump am."

But the next day, na so I see Musa Zikora dey show for him WhatsApp status say person buy am Black Masquerade.

E just dey post am dey show teeth for status, like say na big achievement.

I no see the profile pic well, but the way dem write the message, I sabi na Yan Yan.

I zoom the thing well. The grammar get Yan Yan signature style—small shade, small play.

She write: “Other people dey get am from their babe, but you still dey single, so I buy am for you. No talk say bros dey dump bros because of babe.”

The way she take post am, na clear signal. She dey show loyalty to her bros pass her own man.

Yan Yan hangover smell choke me again, I nearly vomit my akara and pap.

The thing weak me. For my mind, I dey wonder if na so love suppose be.

I comot her hand for my body, talk coldly: “No need.”

My tone cold like ogbono soup wey dem forget for harmattan.

I just waka enter my room begin pack my bag.

No time for long talk. I don tire. As I dey pack, I dey think say maybe na this relationship suppose end.

As I dey ignore her, Yan Yan vex. She scatter the clothes wey I just fold, throw am for ground. The clothes land with kpaf-kpaf for tiled floor, dust rise small.

She no dey ever do this one before. E show say e touch her. Her eye red.

“Obinna, wetin be this your attitude? I talk say nothing dey between me and Musa Zikora.”

Her voice dey shake, but e still get small pride. She no wan show say she dey beg.

“I know.”

I just dey fold my clothes calmly. “Na your good bros.”

Na so I just dey form cool, dey act like nothing dey happen. I wan see how she go respond.

Yan Yan no fit talk again, she just sit for bed, dey vex, dey bone face: “So wetin you dey do now…”

She expect me to shout or drag the matter. But this time, I just dey quiet. That one dey vex her more.

I answer: “Work wahala too much, I go dey office all night, better make I stay there for some days.”

I use work lie cover everything. No be say I wan really go, but I no fit stay for that house again.

Her face come dark pass. She dey look me like say she wan read my mind.

She dey try see if na true or I dey play mind game. Yan Yan sabi read person eye well.

But me, I just dey calm.

Inside my chest, I dey reason, e be like say this love na one chance. I just wan free myself from wahala.

I don reason am finish, I ready to free her.

I tell myself, if na so love be, make everybody go where e sweet am. I no fit dey beg for respect.

She fit get any bros she like, sleep for any bed she like. Na her wahala.

At this point, my mind clear. If Yan Yan wan dey waka up and down, e no concern me again. I don lock my heart.

As I zip my bag, my heart dey pound—maybe na this night my own story go change forever.