Chapter 4: Family Table, Family War

As I sit down with my parents for Tobi house, everything just different this time.

The air thick, nobody dey laugh like before. The walls sef dey feel strange, as if the house sabi say something don change.

Before, na play we dey play. Last time, we even use game waka enter him room, kiss for there.

Those days sweet. We go dey drag pillow, dey play Ludo, dey cheat each other. Na so e dey be.

But this time...

E be like say everybody dey on edge. Na only clock dey tick.

“Aiya, Bisi, you no know how Tobi suffer chase Halima.”

Uncle Tunde dey talk, his voice loud. He dey try lighten the mood, but e no work.

“Why e no just talk am straight? Instead, he dey talk say he wan date her for marriage, even use Old Tunde help bring her come for this blind date.”

The adults dey argue, dey laugh small, but na fake laugh. Me I just dey count ceiling fan blade.

I look the house wey dem decorate well, full of roses.

Na so everywhere dey red, flower for everywhere. Even air freshener dey smell like rose.

Table full with zobo, chin chin, puff-puff, and one big tray of jollof rice wey dey steam, even Tobi small dog wear red cloth like celebration.

Dog sef dey waka upandan, tail dey wag. E get as e be. My stomach dey twist.

Tobi dey look mirror every minute, dey check himself.

He rub small powder for face, dey touch his beard. Na wa o.

The funny thing be say, just last night, we still dey together, he dey kiss the red mole for my waist gently.

I close my eyes, remember the way his lips soft. Now, na another babe e dey prepare for.

And the boxers wey he wear now—na me buy am.

I remember when I buy am that Valentine period, e tease me say I dey act wife. Now e dey wear am for another babe.

“Sigh, e pain me sha...” Aunty Bisi hold my mummy hand sigh, “When dem small, we talk say we go be in-laws, even arrange childhood engagement for dem.”

She look old photo for wall. Her eye dey red. I feel small pity for am.

Aunty Bisi look me. “I too like Kamsi. She fine, get better character—always lively, always happy...”

Her voice soft, almost like she dey beg me to forgive everybody. E touch me.

I just dey look ground, no fit talk.

If I talk, my voice go break. I just dey count floor tile.

If I no careful, tears go drop.

My chest dey heavy, I bite my lip, dey pray for strength.

“Mummy.” Tobi frown, eye vex. “Na you talk am, that one na una time. You and Aunty Chinyere fit marry, how e take concern me?”

Tobi dey raise voice, dey act like person wey no fear elder. Na so e dey be for Lagos children nowadays.

“This one na new age, abeg stop to dey talk olden days matter.”

He face hard, his jaw dey set. E no send anybody.

He no even send how elders go feel.

Everybody just quiet. You fit hear pin drop.

Then he face me, tone hard, like say na me tell Aunty Bisi to talk.

His eyes dey burn me. My heart dey beat quick.

“Kamsi, where the bracelet wey my mummy give you?”

He talk am loud, make everybody hear.

As I no answer, Tobi come hold my wrist, raise my sleeve:

His palm cold, but his grip tight. Everybody dey look us.

“That engagement token wey dem dey talk since. I dey fear say Halima go vex if she see am...”

He dey try remove the bracelet, but I no gree.

My mind flash back to that night, when Tobi dey cry for my window, beg me with shaky voice.

As he talk finish,

Na so everywhere scatter. All the elders pause, eye wide.

Uncle Tunde and my papa wey dey sip zobo, just pause.

Papa cough, zobo nearly fall for ground.

My mummy wey dey arrange flower for Tobi, hand and vase just freeze, scissors fall for table.

She open mouth, forget herself.

She wan stand up, but Aunty Bisi grab her.

Aunty Bisi just stand, block me, push Tobi strong:

Her voice loud, hand dey shake. "Tobi! Wetin be this now?!"

“Tobi! Wetin be this now?!”

“You and Halima never even start... That bracelet, na you beg Kamsi to wear am when you be seventeen, you cry, kneel!”

Everybody dey look Tobi now. Even small pikin wey dey play for corridor stop.

Na so Tobi come remember that year, when one boy try toast me.

His face change, like person wey see ghost.

He panic, drink for corner, steal bracelet for night, cry, make noise for my house, even kneel, beg me to wear the coral bracelet wey dem pass down for their family.

His voice crack, "Kamsi, abeg, wear am. If you no wear, I no go sleep."

He loose him tie, breathe deep, try smile for me. “I just too nervous... No need to collect back wetin I don give... You keep am.”

He dey fidget, his hand dey shake. I dey pity am small, but the pain still dey my chest.

“No wahala, I go return am. I dey go house now, I go come back quick.” I cut in, voice calm. “I no go waste time.”

I talk am, voice strong. I grab my bag, my heart dey jump.

Before anybody talk, I carry my bag, waka comot.

I waka fast, no look back. I feel their eyes dey my back like hot sun.