Chapter 2: New Levels, New Wahala

But as she see say I no even dey vex, na so Yan Yan begin vex.

E shock her. Yan Yan dey expect me to shout, drag, maybe even beg her. But as I just dey cool, e dey pain her.

She come dey reason say I dey use silent treatment for her, so to clear her conscience, she pick phone wan buy me the game.

As e be like say I no send her, she wan use money buy back my mind. E be like say if she buy me game, everything go normal. She no know say my mind don waka.

She dey craze? I no even quarrel or fight like before—she suppose happy for that one.

She dey look me, dey expect me to drag talk. But I just dey watch her, dey do my own.

I just dey watch as she dey press phone.

She dey open Konga and Jumia at once, dey compare price. Her eye dey sharp. But she no know say I don move on from that matter.

I no fit hold myself, I talk: “I don already buy am.”

I just drop am like hot puff-puff. Make she no waste her time.

Yan Yan hand freeze for phone.

Her eye blink like PHCN light. She no believe.

After small, she try act normal: “Why you no talk since? As long as you buy am. The game dey sweet?”

She dey force smile, but I see through am. My mind just dey cold.

She know pass me if e sweet—na my ATM card she use buy the deluxe edition wey she give Musa Zikora.

Na me even fund that account last week. But na another man dey enjoy am. This life sha!

I no answer her, just pack my last load enter bag, zip am, waka comot.

I no even look her side again. I just dey do like say she no exist.

Maybe na my sudden coldness make Yan Yan fear, because after that day, she come dey treat me well well.

E shock her. She begin dey behave like wife wey wan win mother-in-law heart. She dey try.

For the days wey I no come house, she dey always call me, dey gist me small things, dey report anywhere she dey go, dey come house on time.

She go dey send me text: "Baby, I dey office." "I don reach house." "I go buy suya, you go chop?" She even dey video call me sometimes, dey show her face as proof.

That evening, she call say she wan go chop with friends.

She dey yarn me like person wey dey beg for permission. Before, she no dey do like that.

My first response na: “No, I get overtime.”

I just drop am, make she no disturb me.

“Till when?”

Yan Yan no dey carry last. She want know my movement.

“Nine o’clock.” I just talk any time.

I no even reason am well, just drop any figure.

“I go come pick you by nine.” She cut call before I fit talk no.

Before I fit change mouth, she don off call. Yan Yan sabi arrange her move.

To continue the lie, after work I no go house, just open phone dey play game.

I sit for lounge, plug earpiece, dey enter one mission for Black Masquerade. I no even reason wetin dey happen for house.

By nine, I come down. As I waka come out, I see her car park for road side.

That SU7 wey be Iceberry Pink—the birthday gift wey I buy for her.

The car just dey shine for street light, people dey look. Yan Yan sabi flex style.

As she see me, she run come give me big hug.

Her perfume mix with small sweat, she dey smile like say we no quarrel before. For my mind, I just dey observe.

But as we reach the car, na so I see Musa Zikora dey front seat.

As I spot am, my mind catch fire. Wetin this one dey find again?

Him hand dey outside window, dey smoke. As he see me, he smile, stretch cigarette give me: “No vex, bro. We just chop together. I drink small, so I dey follow una go house.”

Him voice dey friendly, but e dey pepper me. He wan show say na normal thing.

I no collect. He pause, click tongue, comot hand.

I just bone, look road. No time for fake greeting.

Yan Yan enter driver seat, buckle up. As she see say I never enter, she talk calmly: “We just get together for here. I tell you make you come, you no gree. He drink, no wan sit for back make e no vomit.”

She dey explain quick, as if I go believe. I just dey look her.

I don complain before say dem dey always sit together for front, but Yan Yan go just laugh me say I dey behave like small pikin.

Anytime I talk am, she go say, "Abeg, you too dey jealous. Na front seat go change anything?"

Before I talk, Musa Zikora poke head from car: “Good say Yan Yan come pick you and she no drink, if not, taxi from where we chop for cost. Bro, if you no believe say we dey together, check the bros WhatsApp group—proof dey.”

He dey talk like say na me get trust issue. I just dey boil inside.

Na the bros group he dey talk, I no dey inside.

Dem dey always update themselves for that group, but me, dem lock out. Na so.

“Plus, Yan Yan no fit just leave me for there, abi?”

He dey form like say na Yan Yan be their mother hen. E dey pain me.

As he dey talk, he wan put hand for Yan Yan shoulder.

E be like say e be habit for am. Before he reach, him brain reset.

Halfway, like say he remember something, he comot hand, scratch head: “See me now, I forget say Yan Yan get boyfriend now. Bro, no reason am, na habit.”

He dey try form humility, but e dey mock me small. My mind dey catch fire.

Since that last quarrel wey we get for front her bros, Musa Zikora no dey touch Yan Yan openly again—he dey do as if.

He go dey look Yan Yan face before any small play. Sometimes, he go just keep hand for pocket.

I sabi say na Yan Yan reaction he dey watch.

If she bone, he go withdraw. If she smile, he go start.

But as Yan Yan dey tell me she go keep distance, na so she dey allow all his small play. If Musa Zikora just call, she fit follow am waka overnight.

For my mind, I dey ask, na which kind boundary be this one?

As Musa Zikora finish, he even look me with one small provoking smile.

He just bend mouth one kain, like say na him win lottery. My chest dey heat up.

Before, all this one for pain me, but now, e no even move me.

E be like say my heart don strong. Wetin pain me before, now na breeze.

Even when Yan Yan come down say make I drive, I just wave her off.

I just look her, shake head, tell her to carry go.

I open back seat: “No wahala, I get one colleague wey I go drop. I go sit for back.”

As I talk am, her eye open. She no expect am. Na today she go learn.

“Which colleague?”

She wan confirm. She dey fear small.

Before Yan Yan finish, person call my name.

As if na movie, the timing mad.

Yan Yan turn, her face change sharp.

Her smile disappear, eyebrow gather.

One fine woman with short hair, long leg, slim waist, camisole dress, jog come with her bag.

Her steps sure, she carry confidence like Lagos big girl.

As she reach me, she frown, dey complain: “Obinna, why you no wait for me? I just go toilet small, you don disappear.”

She dey act like say we get arrangement before. E shock Yan Yan and Musa Zikora.

She hold my hand, dey act like say she dey vex: “Na my first day for work, you suppose make sure say I reach house safe.”

Her grip tight, her voice loud. She no send anybody.

Yan Yan and Musa Zikora shock as dem see am.

Dem two mouth wide. If mosquito enter, dem no go feel am.

Yan Yan recover quick, drag me one side, ask: “Na the colleague be this?”

Her voice sharp, like knife. She dey try hold herself.

She frown, her voice don dey hot.

I see say her pride dey touch her, jealousy dey show.

“Yes, I be Obinna new assistant, Halima.”

Halima no waste time, she salute everybody sharp, enter back seat like say na her papa car. She rock Ankara jacket, gold earring dey shine for ear—correct Hausa babe, no be anyhow.

Halima greet dem sharp, enter back seat like say she know dem since, wave me: “Obinna, come enter now.”

Her wahala dey show say she dey comfortable. Na correct Hausa babe.

As I wan enter, Yan Yan block me.

She stand for road, hand for waist, dey size me from head to toe.

She grit teeth, her eye full jealousy: “Obinna, how you go sit for back with woman alone?”

Her face dey twist, she dey try cover am, but jealousy dey show.

I look her, act like say I no understand: “She be my sister.”

I smile small, try return the same line wey she dey use for me.

I look Musa Zikora for front seat. Yan Yan no fit talk for that moment.

As I look am, Musa Zikora face change. E be like say e dey regret show for that car today.

As we dey go, Halima dey gist with me.

She dey ask about Lagos traffic, dey laugh for my dry joke. Yan Yan just dey look us for mirror.

Front seat just quiet anyhow.

The air thick, like say rain wan fall. Yan Yan dey silent pass burial ground.

No be say dem no dey talk—Yan Yan dey lively, Musa Zikora dey run mouth.

Normally, those two no dey quiet. If you see them for bus stop, you go think say na siblings. But today na another story.

Anytime we waka out, those two go dey yarn from their childhood to their group wahala—always things wey I no fit join.

Dem go dey talk about secondary school, market runs, even that day wey Yan Yan fall for gutter. Today, all mouth seal.

But today, no matter as Musa Zikora try talk, Yan Yan just dey cold.

She just dey form face, dey scroll phone. Musa Zikora try crack joke, she no laugh.

After we drop dem for car, Yan Yan comot seat belt, come down: “You go drive for front.”

She stand for car door, dey wait make I come out.

I look her, talk anyhow: “I don work since, I taya.”

I stretch my leg, act like say my body weak.

“I no wan drive.”

Her voice low, but she no wan show say she dey beg.

As she still dey stand for door, I just turn face, close eye.

I pretend say I dey sleep. I no wan drag matter.

For the silence, Yan Yan bang car door well.

She shut am with force, the sound echo for whole street. Some people look our side.

Yan Yan follow me enter house, her face dark like harmattan sky.

As we dey waka enter compound, na only her slippers dey sound. If you see her face, you go know say wahala dey brew.

As I change shoe, she finally talk: “Who be that woman? Wetin be your relationship?”

She no fit hold am again. Her body dey shake small.

I light Benson, through the smoke, I see Yan Yan face wey don black.

I take one long drag, blow smoke slow, eye her.

“Good brother.”

I talk am with straight face. Make she chop her own medicine.

“Woman wey dress like that fit be your brother? You dey whine me, Obinna? You talk say you dey busy for work, na with her you dey? Overtime—na so she dey dress follow you work overtime?”

Her voice dey shake, she dey pace small for parlour.

“You even make her your assistant—na because she fine?”

She dey try add pepper join. Her voice don high.

Yan Yan vex dey increase. She grab my cigarette, throw am for ground.

She step am out with leg, eye me like say she fit slap person. I dey watch her.

Me sef vex, fire her back: “She get better character, dey loyal—wetin bad if I get bros? She sabi work—wetin bad if I make her my assistant?”

I no wan show weakness. I dey stand my ground.

“Of course e get wahala! She be woman—how woman go be your brother?”

Her voice crack. She no fit take am. The thing dey pain her.

I look her, laugh small: “So you fit get male bros, I no fit get female bros?”

I dey throw her words back at her. Make she reason am.

Yan Yan confuse. Her face just dey change colour—green, white, shock, pain.

She dey shake. She wan talk, but mouth no fit carry word.

She stare me for long, then grit teeth: “Musa Zikora and others different—we grow up together…”

Her pride dey struggle with her pain.

I cut her: “Me and Halima different too. If anything wan happen, e for don happen since. You for no even get your chance.”

I lock eye with her, drop the line. Make she chop am.

“Abeg, I dey go baff.”

I no wait for reply. I carry towel, waka enter bathroom.

I just waka comot.

As I dey baff, I hear plate jam for kitchen. She dey vex, but I no send.

Yan Yan, after she jam wall, start another silent wahala.

House cold like morgue. Nobody dey talk. Na so we dey live.

We spend some days like that.

She dey eye me, I dey eye her. If person see us, e go think say we be tenant and landlord.

Then her parents call us come chop.

When her mama call, her voice dey calm, but I know say wahala dey. Dem no dey call unless matter serious.

For table, her parents sabi say something dey wrong, dem begin drop hint for me.

Her papa go cough small, look my face, yarn: “Obinna, Yan Yan na our only pikin. She choose you, wey no be from here—you no fit treat her anyhow.”

Her mama go add join: “No be everything be quarrel, Obinna. If you do anyhow, we go carry our pikin come house.”

Yan Yan and me na school mate.

We jam for university, the chemistry just flow. All those years, we dey hold each other like bread and butter.

I plan go back my town after school, but Yan Yan no fit leave her family for Aba.

Her papa get shop for Ariaria, her mama dey run church women meeting. Yan Yan no fit leave her people. She no dey like wahala.

For her sake, I stay, build my life here.

I drop my plan, rent house, later buy land. All my hustle na because of her. Even my people for village dey reason say I don forget them.

I buy house, settle down.

Na big thing for my side. I try give Yan Yan soft life, no let her suffer.

Yan Yan no like work, so I dey support her, dey give her allowance every month, make sure she no suffer.

She dey do small business sometimes—hair, nails—but I dey top her account every month. Even DSTV subscription na me dey renew.

But last last, all no mean anything.

As I dey think, I dey wonder if love dey ever reach. No matter how you try, sometimes woman go still get mind of her own.

As her parents dey her back, Yan Yan carry shoulder reach house.

Her confidence high, she dey walk like queen wey get kingdom. She no dey even look my side again. This na the Yan Yan wey everybody dey talk about—head strong, full ground. My mind just dey heavy like rain cloud.

As Yan Yan waka pass me for corridor, I fit feel the distance—like say we dey live for two different worlds.