Chapter 1: Midnight Knock

My guy's new wife get fair skin, fine face, and her legs long like streetlight pole, skin smooth like new yam.

For middle of night, I get message from her:

"Hello, you still dey awake?"

"I never sleep. Wetin happen, sister-in-law?"

"Where you dey stay? Send me your address. I wan come see you."

E don pass midnight when I see friend request. Out of curiosity, I open am. Na one fine woman dey the profile picture—face soft, sharp jaw, like say she be Nollywood actress.

Her skin dey glow for the photo, and that her smile ehn, get one kind shine wey fit make even pepper seller forget to collect change. For the background, you fit see small Ankara print—something just dey subtly Nigerian, but the pose get confidence. E remain small make person think say na pageant queen.

She resemble person wey I sabi, but e no quick click for my head.

I try remember if na one of those faces from party or wedding, or if na for one family function I don jam am before. My mind dey juggle, but sleep dey fight me too.

I check the note wey follow the request: Ifeoma.

I just knock my head. Ah! No be my padi Musa new wife be this?

As e hit me, I remember how Ifeoma shine that day for reception, gele tight for head, her laugh loud pass everybody for the hall. I remember say Musa even warn us, "Abeg una behave o, my wife no dey play!" She and Musa dey dance that day like say na only two of them waka come.

Me and Musa na university bros—two and two together. Even after we finish school, we still dey yarn. Not too long ago, I attend him wedding for Aba. No wonder her face dey familiar.

The memory still fresh; Aba hot that day, but the palm wine sweet. We yarn old gist, play draft for corner, toast the new couple. I still remember how Musa dey carry Ifeoma like say na trophy he win.

But why she dey add me for midnight?

I confuse small, but I accept the request.

Sharp sharp, Ifeoma send message: "Hello, Tunde, you don sleep?"

My phone vibrate, I first wan ignore, but the timing make me alert. Na so I tap reply.

"I dey prepare sleep. Wetin happen, sister-in-law?"

"Sorry say I disturb you. E fit make you pick call now?"

For my mind, the tone of her message dey somehow. The way she take rush the chat, na so I feel say e get as e be.

I dey half-sleep, no even know wetin she wan talk, but I tell her say e dey okay.

She call immediately. As I pick, na woman voice wey dey try hold tears I hear.

Her voice just dey shake, like person wey swallow pepper. I fit hear heavy breathing, that kain cry wey person dey fight to hide.

My mind cut. Dem quarrel?

"Sister-in-law, wetin happen?"

"Police carry Musa go."

For that moment, my heart just jam brake. My chest squeeze.

"Ehn? Police carry am?" I jump for bed. "When?"

She try hold herself. "Today. Musa no dey house since morning, he no come back. Na just now police station call me—dem say dem dey hold am for criminal matter."

Her voice crack, like e go scatter any minute. E get one type of helplessness inside.

"Dem talk say na why?"

"Dem say na embezzlement for him work. Na the company report am."

Musa na operations manager for one private company wey dey stock market, e dey manage more than hundred people.

For that kain position, people dey respect you, but e get plenty responsibility. I remember say Musa always dey wear shirt and tie, dey talk big grammar about company wahala. Him office get AC, but the heat of work still dey hot.

Just last week, as we dey drink for Mama Kemi’s bukka, he dey complain say the company wahala too much—people dey form clique, everybody dey do politics. I no expect say dem go arrest am just like that.

I still dey picture how he take sip palm wine, shake head, dey curse 'office people'. He say, "You see this life? Make person no trust anybody for office." We just laugh, no know say the matter go reach police.

"As I hear the call, e be like say sky fall for my head. Wetin I go do now?" Her voice weak, full of wahala. "I no get anybody to run to... You na Musa friend, you even study law. Abeg help us."

The way she take call my name, e show say she dey hold hope for me, like say na only me fit help her for this wahala. Na so I dey feel weight for my chest.

I try calm her: "No worry, sister-in-law. If Musa get problem, I no go leave am."

I try talk am with confidence, make she fit relax. For my mind, I dey reason how I go begin help Musa from inside cell.

"Thank you, Tunde. Fit make we see talk? Sorry say na this kind time, but I no get choice."

I fit imagine as she dey sit for her parlor, light off, tears for eye, phone for hand. That kain time na only God and friend you fit call.

"As e don happen, abeg no panic. Tomorrow morning I go come meet you, make we reason am."

I try give am hope. For my mind, I dey remember how my own mama dey handle crisis—first thing, calm person down, then reason way out.

"No, I wan come your side now. Abeg send me your address."

I no get option. This kind hour, everywhere don close, so I just send am my address.

I dey hope say nothing go spoil. But I trust myself—na my padi wife, make I do as e good.

Thirty minutes later, I hear knock for my door.

My heart beat small, but I brace up, clean face, go open.

I open, na Ifeoma dey there, eyes and cheeks don red, sign say she don cry tire.

Night breeze follow her enter, carry small scent of rain and perfume. The tears no just ordinary—her mascara don run small, she hold one big handbag like say na all her property she carry come. For her hand, she get small nylon with tissue inside. Her mouth no fit even smile.

She tall—maybe like five-ten, pass most women for street, slim, carry shoulder-length hair, get that sharp, smart look. Even without makeup, she just dey shine like queen.

Her body frame slim, but the way she waka steady show say she strong. I fit sense say she get that sharp mouth if wahala start. E get as she carry herself—posture like person wey know her value.

My guy try abeg—see wife.

For my mind, I just dey salute Musa, say e get eye for woman.

"Sister-in-law," I greet, quick invite her inside.

I voice soft, I try smile, make she no feel say she dey disturb.

She pause for door. "Anybody dey house?"

She look inside sharp, like person wey dey cautious. I understand, for this Naija, woman no dey just enter bachelor house anyhow.

"No, na only me dey."

She remove her slippers, waka enter.

The way she drop her slippers for door, arrange dem neatly, show say she get home training. She waka gently, eye dey check every corner, like person wey dey rate the place.

I point sofa for her, pour water from plastic keg.

My parlor no too big, but I arrange am neat—no dirty plate for table. The air freshener smell try cover small scent of egusi from last night. As I pour water, I dey try make the place smell nice. I even use air freshener earlier, just luck.

She collect the cup, eye dey check my house. "Tunde, your babe no dey live with you?"

Her eye wander go my kitchen, see say na only one mug dey rack. She dey probe small.

I just raise hand. "No babe. I dey single. As I chop, my whole family don chop."

I use joke cover myself, but the way she take ask, e be like say she wan dig story.

She push hair commot her face, look me. "Ehn... Musa say you dey change babe steady."

She look me with one kain smile, like say she dey test my reaction. She drop leg cross, eye dey observe.

I shock. "Ah... na me he talk about?"

I laugh small, try deflect. I no want make she believe wetin Musa talk, but I no go deny am too much—guys dey always talk anyhow for back.

"Maybe I remember wrong." She force smile. "Which kind girl you dey like? Make I hook you up."

She try use small play lighten the mood, but I fit see say the wahala for her mind still dey there.

I throw joke: "If na person like you, sister-in-law, na better wife be that."

I talk am with laugh, but the way she take flush, her face change quick. E shock me small.

Her face red quick.

She lower her head, brush hair behind ear, dey hide small smile. The thing surprise her, but e still catch her off guard.

Me and Ifeoma no too close, so after small talk, everywhere just dey awkward.

Silence full room, only the clock for wall dey tick. She sip water, I dey press remote but TV off. I dey find wetin to talk, but my mouth dry.

She break silence. "Fit make you be Musa lawyer?"

She yarn the question soft, almost whisper. Like person wey dey beg, but no wan show weakness.

I nod. "I dey do mostly paper work, but I dey handle court matter too. No wahala."

I answer steady, try boost her morale. Na family matter, I no fit run.

"Thank God o! I meet better person. Something dey wrong for this case. How Musa go thief company money? Dem don set am up."

She dey shake head, voice dey tremble. For her, the thing no gel at all.

I know say the truth go pain, but I no fit lie: "Sister-in-law, from my experience, police no dey carry person unless dem get better evidence."

I try balance hope with sense. For this Naija, police no dey play with big man arrest.

"So how now?" Her face just fall. "I no sabi anything about him work—na just dey worry I fit do."

Her voice low, she rub her palm together, dey look ground. The pain show for her body.

I reason small. "For now, na just investigation level. As lawyer, I fit apply see am, but I no fit read file yet. The main thing na to talk to him company."

I dey plan my next move, already dey arrange who to call for police station.

"Okay, I go follow you talk. Abeg help us."

Her eye dey beg, she hold my hand for arm small. The way she take hold me, e remind me of how person dey grab last hope.

"No wahala. You fit go house go rest."

I try stand up, show say meeting don finish, make she feel say e go better. I dey hope say she go get small rest tonight.

She nod, stand, say she go come again tomorrow.

She use back of hand clean eye, arrange bag, check for her phone. Her waka slow, but she still manage small smile.

I go my room, yawn, sleep carry me.

As I lock door, I dey thank God say I fit help. My head dey heavy, but at least I don try. Sleep come like thief, I no even remember dream.

But even for dream, Ifeoma face no gree commot from my mind.