Chapter 3: Fine Geh for Hang Man House

Chidi carry me go one woman house wey I no sabi before.

Night don almost dark, rain dey fall, we waka reach one old story building. Chidi knock, the door open, one woman with strong face show.

She look me up and down with bold eye. Her red lips just dey shine, she smile like say we be padi:

Her eyes long, makeup correct, lashes like broom. She size me from head to toe, then her lips curve in one sly smile. She wear wrapper with Ankara blouse, gold chain for neck. You go know say she sabi herself.

"Chidi, you carry woman come my side? You sure say you no miss road?"

She put hand for waist, voice loud, laugh dey hide for corner mouth. Rain dey tap for zinc, background dey noisy.

Chidi pull me hide behind am, block her from seeing me well.

He use him hand shield my shoulder, as if to say make nobody fit harm me. My body warm for his back.

I just hear am talk, "Na my wife be this. Behave yourself."

He raise voice, talk sharp, make the woman hear say this one na personal matter.

The woman just wave hand. "Okay, I hear, I still get small respect."

She raise eyebrow, tongue click, but her smile remain. She move for door, give us space to enter.

She hold my hand. "Enter, fine geh."

She drag me small, her palm soft but strong. She dey call me fine geh, but my mind dey think whether na joke or true.

Chidi frown, him eye dey her hand wey hold me.

He no like the way she dey touch me, you fit see am for his face. He hiss small.

"No touch her."

His voice flat, no room for joke. He step forward, plant leg well.

"You dey vex because we hold hand?"

She throw back head, laugh, voice sharp. She still dey drag small play, but Chidi no dey smile.

Chidi just stand for door, refuse move, show say if you no agree, I no dey go.

He cross arm, stand like night guard. His message clear: no nonsense.

The woman free my hand, mumble, "See as you dey do. Ordinary hand you no want."

She roll eyes, face me, then face Chidi. She fit sabi wahala too, but she gree drop the matter.

Her name na Hang Man, and she just dey look me like say I be new toy.

People for area dey call am Hang Man because her mouth sharp, and she sabi settle quarrel like street judge. Her real name na Happiness, but nobody dey use am. She get that kind look wey fit see your secret, and she dey like new face.

She pinch my cheek small. "So fair and soft—like china plate. No wonder Chidi dey try."

Her finger cold, but gentle. I no fit drag my face away, so I just squeeze my eyes and bear am.

She no press hard, but tears still full my eye.

I no like make person touch my face anyhow. Even small thing dey pain me. My eye red, I blink fast.

Hang Man shock, leave my face, but my skin don red.

She look surprise, draw hand back. The red for my face show, even under low light.

She just discover another thing. "So na this type Chidi like—too delicate. You dey red like tomato wey just ripe. Hope say no be juju dem do you?"

She turn to Chidi, shake head, raise brow. The woman get mouth, but she no dey mean am bad.

She settle me for the room near her own.

She open small door, show me inside. Bed dey, mat dey ground, curtain dey cover window. Even though the room small, e neat.

"If you need anything, just knock."

She wink, then close door gently.

I nod, soon jump enter bed sleep off.

I sigh, the stress of the day finally catch up. For the first time since I enter this marriage wahala, my mind rest—at least for one night. The mattress soft, my body sink inside. I cover myself with wrapper, close eye. Rain still dey beat for window. Before I know, I don sleep.

Early morning, Chidi come carry me.

The cock crow never finish, I hear Chidi knock. He stand for corridor, face look tired but focused. He open door, stand guard as if trouble fit show.

Him hand dey bandage, one bruise for mouth corner.

I see fresh bandage for his hand, bruise dey one side his lip. I gasp small. My chest tight—wetin happen? I hold myself, try talk.

Na to hustle for new place cause am?

For my mind, I dey pray say e no go wound because of my wahala. The guilt dey press me like stone for my chest.

As I reason am, guilt catch me, I no fit look am face.

I bend head, avoid his eyes. I dey feel somehow, like say na me cause am.

Chidi bring food give me. "Chop first, I go carry you go the new place."

He hand me hot plate of jollof rice with dodo, the smell sweet well. I manage smile, even though I dey shy. He stand, wait for me to finish chop.

As we dey talk, him eye catch my collar. He raise hand, gently touch under my neck.

He move closer, eyes sharp. He lift my collar, touch my neck gentle like say e dey check for fever.

"Why here red?"

His brows pull together. He touch soft, his palm rough but warm.

He carry my hand, raise my sleeve—my fair skin full red marks.

He gently roll up my sleeve, eyes widen. The red mark dey everywhere—my skin dey show scratch and small bruise.

"You get allergy?"

His voice soft, concern full am. He no dey shout now.

Chidi palm wide and rough, callus full am. I try pull my hand, but he no gree.

I twist hand, but he hold me. His palm dey warm, but rough. The callus prick my skin small, but I no talk.

"Maybe the bedsheet too hard, e scratch me."

I laugh small, try brush the matter off. I no want make am worry.

Chidi look me with doubt. Who dey turn red just like that?

He shake head, mouth twist like person wey no believe. The doubt show for his eyes.

He press him thumb for my hand, the skin red instantly.

He use thumb press my arm, see as my skin red quick. He whistle low, shake head.

"You too soft, true."

His voice low, like he dey talk to himself. He look me, then the red marks again.

E dey pain me, so I pinch him waist small.

I pinch am with two finger, not too hard. I wan make am feel small pain, so e go know as my body dey be.

Chidi jump back, shock. "Wetin you dey do?"

He jump, eyes wide, hand fly go his side. He almost laugh, but hide am.

Maybe my hand strong—him ear just red.

His ear red, mouth twist. For my mind, I dey reason if na love or vex dey worry am.

"Sorry, but you first pain me, so I..."

I put mouth, voice soft, eye dey beg. Make am no vex.

Chidi turn face, grumble, "You no sabi road at all—see as you dey behave."

He turn away, mutter. But his voice soft, not harsh. For him mind, maybe e dey reason say this woman na wahala but e sweet am.

Hang Man wey dey look just talk, "Abeg, take am easy, this place no be hotel."

She lean for door, arms cross. Her voice loud, but smile dey for face.

Chidi face red well well. He rush comot, shout, "I dey go buy you medicine."

He grab key, waka fast. His steps loud for corridor. For my mind, I dey laugh—see as small wahala dey make man run.

I turn to Hang Man. "He dey vex?"

I turn head, eyes round, try read her face.

Hang Man just smile. "He dey vex. You no go pet am?"

She shake head, small smile play for her lips. She fit see say na small love dey worry Chidi.

I humble, ask her. "How I go pet am?"

I lower my voice, use the tone my sister dey use when she wan ask for boyfriend advice.

Hang Man grin, "Rub am small, blow breeze for the wound, then tell am say na only him dey make your belle sweet. E go calm down."

She raise eyebrow, voice sweet, like person wey dey give recipe for jollof rice.

"Sweet thing? Like wetin?"

I scratch head, try imagine the sweet things.

"Tell am, ‘I go kiss you, abeg no vex, ehn?’ But your voice must dey sweet like honey."

She talk am slow, eyes dey shine. For her mind, she dey enjoy the gist.

E no too fit my style, but I keep am for mind, plan to freestyle if chance show.

I smile small. For my mind, I dey think, maybe I fit add small spice, try the style.

The place Chidi find no too big—just one bed—but e clean and sun dey enter. For Ajegunle, even this kind small place na money.

We waka reach the new place, small self-contain. Sun dey shine through the window, no cockroach for floor. My mind relax small. The room get smell of new paint, wall clean.

Chidi sit for bed, talk low. "Na the best I fit get. No vex."

He sit, shoulder slump. His eyes look tired, but he still dey try for me.

I ask, "You still dey vex?"

I sit beside am, try see his face. My voice small, like person wey dey fear answer.

Chidi no answer. Remembering Hang Man talk, I push am down, sit on top am, look am from up. I frown, try look tough.

I remember Hang Man's advice, so I press am for bed, straddle am, try look serious but my own heart dey beat.

"You no fit vex. If you still dey bone, I go kiss you."

I point finger for his chest, mouth twist. For my mind, I dey pray make e work.

After small time, Chidi answer, "Okay."

He surrender, his face still red. For my mind, I dey do small dance. Wahala get power.