Chapter 6: Loyalty Tested

Just like that, Musa don go half month.

Every morning, Ifeoma dey send motivational quotes for WhatsApp group. She dey try stay strong.

One evening, as I just reach house from work, Musa call, voice dey shake:

"Bro, you dey? I need your help, urgent!"

I hear panic for him voice. My mind jump.

"Wetin happen, Musa? Calm down, talk."

"If I waste time, my fish go die!" His voice rise. "My wife say the aquarium pump spoil—the water dirty, you no fit see fish!"

He almost dey cry. Na that his fish, Musa dey take am personal like family.

"Ah... that your arowana na ten thousand naira, abi? If e die, na big loss."

I remember when he buy am for Lekki, pose with fish like say na baby.

"Abeg no curse am! I don get am four, five years—I dey attached."

His voice soft, I fit feel the tension.

I quick wear shoe, grab keke go Musa house.

I no even carry jacket, just run. Rain dey threaten, but I no send. Loyalty na loyalty.

Ifeoma open door. She just come back too—wear loose house cloth, look soft, fine.

Her hair dey loose, she no even do makeup. I fit see say she tire, but she try smile for me.

I check aquarium, shock. Water dirty, fish no show.

The glass green, smell dey rise. The fish no even swim, na so e hide.

"Sister-in-law, where fish dey?"

I search for surface, check under plant. I dey reason whether fish escape.

"I no know—na so I see am as I come."

She shrug, dey bite lip. I fit see say she try clean before but e no work.

"Chai, maybe e jump out."

I squat, look under. I see fish scale under sofa.

The place dey wet, small blood dey floor. I quick check corners.

I shift sofa, see arowana stick for floor, still dey struggle.

Fish dey gasping, body dey dry. I carry am sharp sharp, like person rescue pikin from gutter.

I no send if I wet cloth. I just throw am inside tank, pray make e survive.

If that fish talk, e for call me landlord today.

But e just float for side, dey faint.

The way e dey struggle, I dey pity am. Fish dey do small flip, mouth dey open, close.

I rush, find oxygen pump, plug am. See one big bucket of clean water outside.

As I plug pump, bubbles dey rush. I dey reason if na too late. I see one small bottle of salt, add small for water.

I drain one third of tank, pour fresh water join.

Water fresh, fish begin swim small. I dey monitor, dey pray for arowana.

After thirty minutes, fish come dey okay small.

E dey swim slow, but life don return. I smile, relief flood me.

I tire, but at least fish dey alive.

My shirt soak, my shoe wet. I sit down, breathe.

I message Musa say e don set.

He reply with voice note—"God bless you, brother! If I dey, I for buy you one crate!"

As I dey pack hose, the wet floor make me slip. My head knock cabinet edge.

The pain sharp, my eye see star. I touch my forehead, see red.

My forehead dey pain. I touch—blood dey come out.

I rush bathroom, wash am. Blood dey drip, but e no too deep.

Ifeoma rush come, help me sit for sofa, say make I no move.

She panic, voice high. She run go bring first aid, drag stool close.

She go bring spirit and plaster, dey clean my wound.

Spirit hot, I hiss. She blow small breeze for the wound, like mama dey cool hot pap, dab cotton wool. Her hand dey gentle, her face serious like nurse.

I sit, she stand, bend dey clean my forehead. Her house cloth shift small, show skin like light for NEPA blackout—quick, but e catch eye.

Her perfume dey mix with Dettol. I dey try look away, but e hard. Her face close, her hair brush my cheek.

I notice she no wear bra. That small curve just make me freeze.

The view clear, her chest show small. My heart dey race, I dey pray make nothing spoil.

My eye just hook there, no fit move.

For my mind, I dey curse myself, but man be man.

She see am, but instead make she shy, she just laugh, use hand cover chest.

She giggle, shake head. "Na so you dey look? Abeg close eye, make I finish!"

My face hot. "Sorry."

I dey stammer, my voice low. I try look ground, but e no work.

She tease, "Ah, na me suppose apologize for spoiling your eye."

She wink, arrange cloth, smile wide. The mood light. My body relax small.

"No... no be so..."

I dey stammer, no know wetin to talk.

She just laugh again, say, "Tunde, na only you fit make person laugh even for wahala. Abeg, next time, wear helmet!"

She arrange my plaster well, pat my head, then go kitchen prepare tea. I just dey smile, pain and temptation mix together.