Chapter 7: Forbidden Kiss and Village People

My heart just skip, small sense come back. The guy for my front no be model—na Olamide. We just dey look each other, body dey hot. Inside car, everywhere just dey spark, we dey move close. I see as e eye dey turn, like say e wan swallow me. I swallow spit: “Wait, you—you get fiancée.”

Olamide hand still dey my waist, e no gree leave. E whisper for my ear, one by one: “She say I old, na why she run.” E sound so pitiful. E breath hot, alcohol smell dey. I no even know who drunk pass—me or Olamide.

E hand carry my own dey go down, inside my drunken mind, I dey reason say, this fiancée no sabi better thing. Before you know, na so our lips jam, teeth and tongue dey mix, we dey breathe hard. I just dey gasp like fish wey comot from water, e release me small. But na just small—e carry me back, kiss me again and again.

The blue California night na correct ginger, and the deep look for Olamide eye na my own boost. E kiss my wet hair: “Good small cat.”

I tease am, laugh small: “Oga, you sabi romance like Nollywood bad boy.”

I sleep off. When I wake, hotel people don bring food. For bedside, one handwritten card from Olamide: “Good morning, small cat. Good afternoon. Chop well. Person go bring you cloth after you chop. I still get meeting. See you night. —Olamide.” Old school card, old school man. But my heart dey bubble like strawberry Fanta, everywhere pink.

After I chop, I pick fine dress. I dey reason how to cover all the love marks, I hear doorbell. I open, na Sani dey sneak come. E look me up and down, dey smile like fox.

“Babe, you try. You don catch big fish.”

I wink back. But e look around, drag me inside, face change.

“Morayo, make we run!”

I first laugh, think say na Sani usual play. But as I see fear for him eye, my body cold.

I shock. “Wetin you do again?”

E hold me, serious: “Na you do am. After dem carry you yesterday, I check the guy. This one na wahala.”

Sani dey scold me: “You even know who you sleep with?”

This one wey notorious Sani dey lecture me, na first time. I just answer: “Olamide. My boss.”

E clap hand: “You think say na ordinary MD? I don waka everywhere for Port Harcourt and North America—never hear of Olamide. You know why?”

“Because e no dey your circle?”

Sani shake head, dey do mysterious: “The Ogunleye family. THE Ogunleye family. Since my great-grandpapa time, dem dey low-key. Their business full everywhere. Dem no even need work. Na their only son you jam.”

So? Na two adults.

Sani give me another look, shake head. “E come California to find him fiancée. Her family dey do arms, get connection with gangs here. If wahala burst, you go fit face him fiancée people? Ogunleye family no go marry our kind family. If na play e dey play, you fit disappear anytime. Me and you be nobody. I notice last night—e too stand out, but nobody sabi am.”

Sani warn me with him voice low: 'Dem talk say if pikin see snake, e go call am rope.'

Sani really dey fear.

“Arms business? Dem fit shoot me here?” My voice dey shake. No be small wahala. I don jam real King of Masquerade? My face pale. Sani see say I still dey doubt, e show me picture for phone. For big party hall, Olamide stand with one fine, gentle babe. Dem hold each other, dey laugh with big men and politicians.

So Olamide lie say him fiancée run. Na California e come find am.

Sani curse: “Chai, pass me for bad! Morayo, you don enter. Next time, I go help you do payback!”

I just vex, shame catch me, tears wan fall. That kind feeling wey person play you, but you no fit call police. I wipe tears, wear sweatshirt and jeans. Leave big cash for bed. Write note for Olamide: “Bad morning, bad afternoon, bad night. Olamide, no wonder dem talk say men wey pass twenty-five no get use—you just dey average. Take the money, buy yourself egusi or something, boost your body.”

Sani give me thumbs up. “Respect, babe. If you fit play, you fit lose!”

My hand dey shake as I dey write am. Sani dey play hype man, but I know say pain dey choke am too. Na Naija girls dey strong like lion, but heartbreak dey pain pass mosquito bite. My chest dey pepper me like person chop raw ata rodo.