Chapter 1: When My Gist Scatter Campus

April 3, 10:07

Me: [We don dey know each other since, abeg I wan ask—how you really dey feel about me?]

I remember as I dey type that message, my hand just dey shake like generator wey no stable. If Musa go yarn true, na today e go burst. The room dey hot, fan dey blow but I still dey sweat. I dey eye my phone like say police dey interrogate me.

Ten minutes later

Me: [You wan play game?]

I try use game dodge the tension, because silence for Naija campus dey bite pass mosquito. I dey hope say maybe him go reply, or I dey worry myself for nothing.

Musa Garba: [I dey log in.]

Him sharp reply make me laugh small for inside. Even if him dey form hard guy, when e reach game, e no dey ever dull.

April 8, 15:24

Me: [You watch that video wey I send give you?]

That video na one mad skit wey trend that time—dem dey roast people for campus with sharp mouth. I sabi say Musa get dry sense of humour, but I still dey pray say e go laugh small.

Musa Garba: [I watch am.]

As usual, him answer short—no emoji, nothing. I don used to this him dry style, so I just continue gist.

Me: [I dey reason say I wan date person.]

I drop the hint, dey watch if e go catch am. My belle dey roll like beans. Na so this like-love wahala dey be sometimes.

Musa Garba: [Then go date na.]

You see this kain answer? If no be say I stubborn, person for don bone. But me, my head strong like coconut.

Me: [How you see am if na me you date?]

I drop the main question, my eyes glue for screen like JAMB result. My heart dey do shaku shaku for my chest.

Ten minutes later

Me: [Game?]

If tension wan kill me, na game I dey use run away. Make we shift focus abeg.

Musa Garba: [I dey log in.]

This guy no dey ever late when e reach online battle. If na love matter, wahala. If na game, e dey show.

May 2, 19:11

Me: [To be honest, I don dey like you since. You sef dey single, so make we try run am?]

That evening, after long waka for school field as breeze dey blow, I just reason say make I drop everything. Wetin man go do?

Ten minutes later

Me: [You wan play game?]

This my cruise sef, na game I dey always use pack matter.

Musa Garba: [I dey log in.]

If relationship talk hard, Musa go hide for game. Guy man.

01.

Yesterday dem fix my phone. Today, my chat history don leak.

If dem tell me say my private gist go jam school forum, I for swear say e no possible. But for Naija campus, just blink, your matter go enter public.

I just dey look that [Top Joker Chat Logs] wey dem pin for school forum for like five hours. My body dey weak, hope don finish. Generator dey buzz for background, smell of akara from nearby vendor dey enter window, and I dey hear boys for corridor dey argue football—still, my own wahala big pass all of them.

My leg dey shake, even bread for my hand don cold. I no fit chop, just dey refresh page dey hope say the post go disappear. Na lie! Instead, comments dey multiply like Lagos traffic.

The comment section just dey mad.

[He no gree your confession but him sabi say you dey play game well.]

[No talk again—who wan play game with this babe? Me I dey interested.]

[This babe dey try! She don confess tire, still dey go again. Abeg teach me your style!]

[You notice say anytime OP talk game, the guy dey reply sharp sharp. E be like say him dey wait for her message. Abeg, make dem date jor.]

[All this love talk, abeg comot for here!]

Some people just dey find cruise, dey type anyhow. One guy even talk say make I run relationship masterclass.

My WhatsApp with Musa Garba still dey for the last message wey I send two days ago.

I look the chat, my thumb dey hover. My heart dey race—wetin Musa go think now? My mind dey run like Keke Napep for express, wahala no dey finish for this campus!

As I know say gist dey spread fast, I swallow my pride message am first.

[I just see say dem post our chat for campus forum. Abeg fit come talk make people know as e be?]

Even as I press send, my mouth dey dry. Na so this life be—one minute you dey shine, next minute, everybody dey read your cruise.

Musa Garba sef know—he reply sharp: [Which kind talk you wan make I talk?]

Him answer, short as ever, but the speed shock me. Guy no dey waste time at all.

I think small, come talk: [Just tell dem say na play we dey play.]

[Everything wey you send before, na just cruise.]

[No be serious matter na?]

I hope say if he talk am like that, people go calm down. For Naija, cruise dey cover plenty shame.

After about one minute, he reply: […I dey busy.]

The dots long, but me I sabi say e mean say wahala dey. My chest just dey squeeze, like say I swallow stone.

Since that night before last, after I drag Idris Bala join our three-man squad, Musa Garba dey act one kind. For hero selection, two of them dey drag jungle position till Idris give up pick marksman.

E be like say he just dey vex for Idris for nothing. The kain pride Naija boys get for game ehn! The way Musa dey squeeze face that night, you go think say dem dash am expired recharge card.

For inside game, na competition—Idris get double kill, Musa get triple kill. Musa land quadra kill, Idris rush do penta kill.

E con be like say dem dey use game do silent beef. Me, I dey laugh inside—no be small!

Enemy team never even pass second tower, dem don clear finish. One teammate just type: Bro, abeg allow me get assist na! I still dey 0-0-0! Na that time the two calm down.

All of us begin laugh, tension reduce. Na so e dey be if Naija padi dey play together—competition go, but cruise plenty.

We win that match easy.

Everybody dey hail, I dey feel like say I dey national finals. But Musa just bone, comot.

After game, Musa just comot for squad go play solo. He no talk, just waka like person wey win lotto but no wan share. Na that kain thing dey pain me pass.

As I remember as he dey act for Idris, I message am: [That guy na my padi since small. Him get beta national rank, so I reason say if we queue three people, e go help us climb.]

[You still wan play next round?]

[I no go invite am again.]

I try explain so that e go know say I no dey run package. My mind dey reason say if Musa vex, everywhere go spoil.

He reply the next morning: [Who you play with no concern me.]

E pain me sha, but as street talk, man no dey show finish for chat. I lock up.