Chapter 2: Temptation and Loyalty

I just start to sleep when I hear loud knock for my door.

The knock scatter my dream. I first think say na spirit, then I check time—almost 2am. My mind dey race.

Still dey dull, I go check—na Ifeoma again.

Her face show for door, breath dey up, like person wey waka fast from Okada drop.

Why she come back?

For my mind, I dey reason if she forget something or wahala burst for road.

I open. "Sister-in-law, hope no wahala?"

I stand for door, try rub sleep from eye, dey look her face.

She look shamefaced. "Sorry say I wake you. As I reach house, I realize say I forget my bag for here—my key and ID dey inside, I no fit enter my flat. I no get choice, na why I come back."

She shift leg, hold her bag tight, voice low. The shame dey written for her face.

I just dey look her. "So how now?"

For my mind, I dey try process—na my padi wife stand for my corridor, midnight, with no place to go.

She sigh. "I go call locksmith tomorrow. Abeg, fit make I crash here tonight?"

She talk am soft, almost whisper, dey look ground. Her voice get one kind plea wey break person guard.

"Uh..." I scratch head, no sure wetin to do.

My mind dey race—na my guy wife o, if anything happen, who go believe say na innocent? I no wan hear gist for outside.

"Just give me wrapper. I go sleep for sofa."

She quick add, try make I rest mind. But the tension still dey hang for air like old generator noise.

I hesitate. Na my guy wife o—if she sleep here, only two of us, e no pure.

For my mind, I dey see different headline for my head. Na so scandal dey start. But I fit see say she no get option, her eye red, tears dey wait.

As she see my face, she just burst cry.

The cry weak me. That kain honest sob wey break man guard. She no even care again, tears just flow. For this life, na woman tears dey confuse man pass.

I quickly let her inside, lock door, say, "Sister-in-law, why you no stay with your babe friend? If Musa hear say you sleep here, how e go be?"

I talk am gently, but I dey worry for both of us. I no want trouble at all.

"Na midnight—no fit disturb anybody. Plus, I no want make my friends know wetin dey happen."

She sniff, wipe face with back of hand. I understand her—Naija people dey quick carry gist, she no wan shame Musa for their circle.

I no talk again, just go carry wrapper, arrange am for sofa.

I look for clean wrapper, shake am well, spray small body spray. I arrange one extra pillow, make she fit rest well. My conscience dey clear.

"Thank you," she talk, bite lip. "Fit make I use your bathroom?"

She dey polite, but I fit sense her embarrassment. Na my first time wey woman ask me for midnight like this.

I search, bring new nightie and toiletries, give her.

I dig my wardrobe, see one oversized T-shirt, still dey inside pack. Find toothbrush and small soap, put for nylon, give her.

"E go big small, but e new. Manage am."

I smile, try lighten mood. I know say she dey fight tears still.

"Thanks, Tunde. Sorry for wahala."

She carry am, enter bathroom, lock door.

She waka small, drag leg. I hear the door lock, then water run. I dey pray make she calm down.

The bathroom door na that frosted glass type. As light dey inside, her shadow just dey show—her undress, her figure, everything dey blur, dey tempt person.

The outline dey clear—shoulders, waist, the small way she dey move. Na man body to dey react, but I try hold myself.

Water start to run. My mind begin wander, dey imagine how water dey touch her body.

The sound of water dey add to temptation. I try distract myself, but the image no gree commot for head.

My heart dey beat anyhow. My body dey hot, I no fit stand again.

The blood dey rush, I dey pace small for corridor, open fridge, close am, no even remember say fridge empty.

I catch myself, face away, go my room, on TV.

I raise TV volume, switch channel, make I forget myself. But I dey hear her footsteps still.

But the TV sound no enter my ear at all.

All the program na background noise. Wetin dey for my mind na only the matter for my parlor.

I gulp half bottle water, still dey thirsty, eye dey look bathroom door again.

I even open Bible app for phone, read Psalm 23, just dey pray make temptation pass.

I know say e no make sense, I open window. Night breeze enter, cool my head small.

The breeze fresh, carry small scent of rain. I drag air, try cool body.

Water stop. Ifeoma suppose don finish, but everywhere still quiet.

She no come out quick. I dey wonder whether she dey cry or she dey do something else inside.

I open my door, wan check if she need anything—na so I jam her as she wan knock.

I no hear her step, na so door open, two of us jam. She hold towel for hand, her hair still wet, face pink from hot water.

She lose balance, fall land for my body.

The whole scene slow down, like scene for African Magic, everything just slow. I grab her by reflex, but her bag slip, she land ontop me.

I stagger, two of us fall for ground.

Carpet no get foam, so the impact loud. She dey on top me, her face close to my chest, hair cover my mouth.

"Sorry, sorry! I no know say you dey outside..."

She rush talk, voice soft. I dey try push her up, but the way her body press me ehn, temptation wan finish me.

She land on top me. Instinct make me push her, hand mistakenly touch where e no suppose.

As I try shift her, my hand brush her side. I quickly commot hand, my heart dey cut.

She shout small, like shock catch her, jump up, eye dey burn me.

She use pillow cover chest, adjust T-shirt. She dey breathe hard, but she try form composure.

"Why you quiet like that?"

Her voice low, but she still dey shake. Her eyebrow gather, like person wey dey vex but dey manage am.

"Sorry, na my fault." I dey shame, no fit talk well. "You wound?"

I rub my elbow, try check my body. I dey sweat small.

"No." She calm down. "I wan ask if you get hair dryer."

She stand up, adjust hair, try act normal, but her voice still get shake.

I nod, find one, give her.

I go my drawer, see old dryer, still dey work. I dust am, pass to her.

She collect am, unplug TV, plug dryer, begin dry hair—like say na her house.

The hum of the dryer fill room, her hair dey fly everywhere. She look mirror, dey arrange parting. I dey look but no wan stare.

I just relax for pillow, dey press phone.

I dey scroll Twitter, but na her I dey watch from corner eye. She dey hum small song, maybe to calm herself.

After some time, she keep dryer, come sit beside me. "Since you never sleep, I wan ask you legal question."

She cross leg, face me direct. Her voice more steady now, but I fit see say worry still dey her eye.

Me wey sleep dey catch, still try form awake. "Wetin you wan ask?"

I rub eye, shift leg, try balance myself. I no wan make mistake talk nonsense.

"If na embezzlement, how many years person dey get?"

She ask like say she dey Google. Her face blank, but her hand dey shake small. I dey feel her pain.

I think. "Normally, less than three years. If the money big, three to ten. If e too big, na ten years plus—fit even be life."

I try break am down. Na so I remember my Criminal Law class for UniLag. But Naija, anything fit happen.

Her eye full tears. "How much be 'big' and 'too big'?"

She dey reason how her husband go survive. The pain show for her voice.

I look her, yawn. "I no remember figure. You fit check am for internet."

My voice crack, but I no wan lie. For my mind, I dey hope say Musa go survive.

"I hope say Musa go dey okay." She sigh. "But no matter how e be, three years or five, I go wait for am. Abeg try your best."

Her voice low, she rub face. Tears dey line her cheek. She dey determined, like woman wey don swear for altar.

As she dey cry, I no know wetin to talk again.

For that moment, na only her sob fill room. I pass tissue, she just hold am, no even blow nose.

As dem dey talk, na for hard time you go see true love. For her to talk like that, I respect her.

I reason say this kain loyalty na gold. For this Lagos, woman wey stand for man matter na rare.

Musa no too get head, him own woman matter too much, but with wife like this, wetin remain?

For my mind, I dey blame Musa small. I know say e get wahala, but he lucky die.

She continue dey talk—ask my opinion, dey share gist about her and Musa.

She start dey reminisce—how Musa first toast her for NYSC camp, how e dey send lunch for her office, even how she vex for am once because of small lie. She dey talk with hope, like say everything go set.

Me, sleep don dey carry me.

My eyes dey close, but I dey hum yes and okay for her gist. At a point, my head fall back for cushion.

Before I know, NEPA don take light, I no even know when she leave.

Darkness take over. I feel small tap, maybe she wake me to off light. Sleep just pack me go.

Next morning, alarm wake me. As I stretch, my hand touch something. No, na somebody.

I dey groggy, but my hand feel skin. My brain reset.

I shock wake, see Ifeoma dey my side, turn face, hair cover half her face. She even use my wrapper join.

She curl for edge of bed, dey snore small. The wrapper half-cover her waist. My mouth wide.

My heart start dey beat. Wetin be this? I sleep same bed, same wrapper with my guy wife?

I dey sweat instantly. My head full of wahala thoughts—if person enter now, wetin I go explain?

She hear as I move, sit up, still dey dull. Our eye jam, everywhere freeze.

The silence choke. Bird dey sing outside, but na only our breathing dey room.

"Ah!" She shout, use hair cover face. "How e take happen? I must sleep off as I dey talk yesterday. Shame catch me."

She rub face, try hide. Her voice low, almost like whisper. I fit sense her embarrassment.

I just dey look, no fit talk.

My mouth dry, I dey reason if I suppose apologize or defend myself.

"We no do anything. Nothing happen." She rush come down from bed, bite lip. "Abeg no tell Musa."

She talk fast, eye wide. She dey fear make story no burst.

I come back to myself. "Sister-in-law, I no be small pikin."

I try steady my voice. For my mind, I dey pray make this secret remain die.

She look me, face serious. "This one na our secret. If you talk, I go tear your mouth."

She point finger, try act serious, but I fit see say e still pain her.

"I no be small pikin," I repeat.

I smile small, try lighten the matter. I no wan make she dey tense.

She roll eye. "No dey call me 'sister-in-law' again. Just call me Ifeoma. From today, we be bros."

She snap finger, laugh, say, “No more formality—na only gist remain now.”

I shock. "Okay."

I laugh, for my mind, I dey thank God say nothing spoil.