Chapter 5: Sola and Halima—How E Take Start

Halima and me na secondary school mates, but we no dey the same class.

I dey SS3, she dey SS2. I dey always win medal, na so girls dey use me shine for inter-house. Everybody for school sabi say I be sharp guy.

When I chase her for final year, e no hard at all.

As sports captain, na so girls dey rush me for social night. But na Halima catch my eye. She dey carry herself well, dey walk as if she no send anybody. Na there I fall.

That time, as athlete, I popular die for school.

Every assembly, dem go mention my name. I go dey feel like celebrity. Even teachers dey hail me. But Halima, she no dey quick talk to anybody.

I sabi play basketball, dey win race—short and long distance—every sports day.

If not for injury wey I get for final year, I for even try National Sports Festival. My body still dey strong that time.

I fit talk say, the day Halima gree for me, some girls for hostel fit cry tire.

Dem dey eye her for dinning hall, dey whisper as I dey escort her back to class. Na that day I realize say love dey sweet and dey pain at the same time.

Na after WAEC I know say Halima like money well.

Before, I dey reason say she just get taste. But one day, she tell me, 'Sola, abeg, I no fit trek from house come school, e dey tire me.' I laugh, no know say na small sign be that.

She choose banking for university.

Even when her papa dey hustle, she go dey talk say, 'I go study banking, na sharp babes dey there.' I just dey wonder if na my hand she dey plan chop from.

Because I get one relative wey dey do admission runs, I sabi say that course na for people wey get money. If your family no get, you go suffer find work.

I warn her but she just dey wave am off. Na there I see say Halima head dey for material things.

But Halima just laugh me.

She go talk, 'Abeg, Sola, make man no dey dull. Money na power.' That thing dey pain me small.

"I be babe, marriage na the main thing. No be you talk say all the people wey dey do this course get money? I go just choose better one, after school, why I go need work?"

Na that day I first hear that line. My chest shock. Na so I begin dey suspect her intention.

I shock.

I dey think say, na me dey reason future, she dey reason marriage. The thing weak me.

Because that time, I still be her boyfriend o.

Even if dem dash me another babe, I no go gree. My eye just dey for her. I dey loyal die.

I no expect say her reason for dating me no be marriage.

If you see as I dey plan, dey save small small for her, e go pain you. Meanwhile, she dey calculate how she go use me reach next level.

Wetin pain me pass be say, she no even send if I sabi her mind.

She no dey hide her own. If you vex, she go say, 'If you no fit do, abeg shift.'

That holiday, we quarrel tire, every time na breakup she dey talk.

For hostel, her girls go dey advise her, 'Halima, find beta guy.' She go come dey cold for me. I dey hustle, dey call her every night, dey beg.

But I no gree, because she na my first love.

I no fit just throwaway the babe wey I first love. My guys dey laugh me say I dey mumu, but na love blind me.

First love suppose hot, and if breakup go happen, e suppose get serious reason.

For my mind, I dey reason say at least make she do something wey pain me before I gree let her go. But na so she dey play me.

How person go leave me just because I poor?

I dey wonder if na crime to dey hustle for family wey no get. But she no care.

So, even as she dey talk breakup, I no gree. I even follow her go the same university.

I change my own admission just to dey near her. My mama no believe say love fit carry person reach like that.

I believe say, with my fine face, sports level, and the way I love her, she go change.

I dey hope say, maybe after one or two semester, she go see say na better person I be. Na so I dey pray.

But I underrate her.

Halima na real hot cake. Men dey line up for her room. Even department president dey reason her.

After we enter university, even though I no gree break up, anytime person ask her who I be, she go just wave hand, "Na just mumu."

If you see the thing, e go pain you. My guys dey laugh me for class. She go dey form single babe for everybody.

Wetin pain me pass be say, third month for year one, even though I never gree break up, she begin follow one guy for our department.

The guy get Lexus jeep, dey spray money for club. I dey hustle for shuttle fare, he dey send POS alert.

That guy get money die. I dey hustle to buy bicycle, he dey drive come school.

The gap too much. Sometimes, I dey reason say maybe na my village people dey do me.

If I talk true, anytime I see two of them dey do lovey-dovey inside car, I dey vex so te I fit carry knife stab the guy.

But sense go enter my head. I go remember say police station no far. I go just cool down.

But my sense go tell me: "As long as you dey alive, hope still dey."

Na that hope make me dey survive. I no gree give up.

True true, patience dey pay.

One day, I hear say the guy don dump her. I begin dey shine teeth like say I win lottery.

She follow that guy just three months, the guy dump her.

The news spread for campus. Everybody dey gossip. I just dey plan how I go waka re-enter her life.

I remember, that day rain dey fall, as she show for my front like chicken wey fall inside gutter, I pity am.

She dey shiver, tears full face. I no fit talk. My chest soft for her.

Na true say, na when girl dey suffer, she go soft.

She begin dey call me 'Sola baby' again. I just dey thank God for second chance.

After that day, as I rush her again, she gree come back.

I buy suya for her that night. She smile, I just know say everything don reset.

After we patch up, I no even mind say she don follow another guy before. I even dey take extra five thousand from my family every month, just to make her like me.

I dey borrow money join. I just want make she dey happy. Na so love dey do person mumu.

Anytime I remember my papa and mama dey sweat for site, e dey pain me.

But as I dey look Halima face, I go tell myself, 'E go better.'

But for her, I talk say e worth am.

I reason say once I graduate, things go better, I go pay my family back.

But I no expect say, less than half year after, she dump me again.

This time, na because another guy for our school begin chase her. The guy no get money like the last one, but him family get connection—after school, job sure for am.

She no dey waste time. Once better offer show, na there she dey park go.

But this time, I no even worry, because the night she break up, I hear say the guy na real womanizer.

My guy, Lekan, talk say the guy dey keep babes like shoes. I just dey wait make e reach her turn.

Just first semester, he don change babe five times.

I dey count, dey mark register. I know say Halima no go last.

So I sure say, once he tire for Halima, he go dump her.

My mind no dey fail me. Na so e be.

And na so e happen.

The guy follow Halima less than two months, dump her.

I no even waste time. I rush go her hostel, buy ice cream join. She gree back sharp sharp.

I rush patch am again.

This one na third patch. I begin dey reason say maybe na destiny.

After all this, I just calm.

I come dey see say all this up and down na normal for people wey never hammer. I just dey plan my own jeje.

Because I don see say all these rich boys no really send girls like Halima. Dem just dey play.

I tell myself, 'Make money, Halima go stay.'

So, even if she bring up breakup again, I no dey feel am like before.

My chest don strong. If she say she wan leave, I go just dey look.

And na so e go.

The up and down no end. We dey break and makeup like seven times for university. But last last, graduation reach, na my hand she dey hold for convocation ground.

Throughout university, we break up and come back seven times, but graduation day, she still be my babe.

My people dey hail me say I try. Even her friends begin dey respect me small. Na small win for my side.

After graduation, my parents sell everything to make me get job as PE teacher for my town.

Na so dem hustle for me. I begin dey send money go house.

Halima no get work, so she come back home.

Her people begin dey worry say all her shakara don end. I dey try comfort her.

To buy house quick and marry her, I work like mad—day job, night job as coach.

I dey hustle dey do private lesson for children wey wan learn swimming. I dey do am for estate pool. Even some rich men begin dey know me.

I think say everything go as I plan.

I dey gather money, dey mark days for calendar.

But na lie. Halima dump me again.

She just carry bag disappear, no tell anybody. I dey call, she no pick.

This time, na because she meet one big man for Kaduna online.

Dem say the guy get oil company. She dey post all those soft life for Instagram. I just dey look.

At first, I think say, as usual, once the guy tire, she go return.

I dey believe say, after some months, her eye go clear. But this one different.

But one day, as I dey scroll WhatsApp, my world scatter.

E just be like say thunder strike my chest. I see her status: wedding photo, diamond ring. My hand begin shake.

She post wedding picture.

I no believe. I dey check the picture, dey zoom. I dey ask myself, 'Na dream I dey?'

I look screen for ten minutes before I fit type to ask her wetin happen.

My mouth dry. I just manage send 'Congrats.' No reply.

After small chat, she block me.

I no even fit ask question finish. She don vanish. Na there I know say e don end.

Later, I ask her friend, and hear say the Kaduna guy really marry her.

The gist na true. I no fit drag her. Na life.

Halima don turn madam.

She begin dey post all those rich people things: vacation, designer bag. I just dey look from far.

From that day, she disappear from my life.

I delete her number. My mind just dey blank.

I remember well, after Halima leave me, I just dey waka like lost soul.

I no dey sleep. My room dey dark, everywhere dey cold. Sometimes, I go just dey reason how to survive next day.

I lose job, I even think die tire.

If not for my mama wey dey call me every night, maybe I for don do something foolish. E pain me.

I dey go Niger bridge, dey reason say make I just jump.

Na only breeze dey save me. I go stand for edge, dey look water, dey ask God, "Why you carry my destiny play like football?" Sometimes, I go kneel for room, dey beg make better day show.

But every time I reach edge, fear catch me.

I go dey imagine my mama cry for burial. Na so I dey waka back.

One day, as I dey the bridge, I hear gbam—two cars jam.

My mind clear. I rush go see wetin happen. Smoke dey everywhere.

As I turn, the white car don catch fire, girl still dey inside.

People dey shout. Some dey record. Nobody gree enter.

All the cars stop, but as fire dey spread, nobody fit near.

I dey reason say, since I wan die, why no just die as hero? I go near.

I remove shirt, use am cover face. My leg dey shake, but I dey tell myself say if I die, na better way to go.

My sports life help me rescue her.

I jump barrier, break window. Na God save me. I pull the girl out with last energy.

Just as fire wan reach driver seat, I pull the girl out.

People begin dey shout. One woman even kneel down dey pray for me.

I nearly faint, but from that day, my life change.

That act bring hope back to my soul. People begin dey respect me for area.

The girl na Amaka.

She dey cry, dey thank me. Her papa even promise me better thing.

Even as her face black from smoke, I just like her.

You know when person get spirit wey dey attract you? Na so I feel that day.

She short, but her eyes dey shine—like cartoon babe.

Anytime I see her, I go dey smile. E just dey sweet me.

After that, na Amaka begin chase me.

She dey call me everyday. Dey buy things for me. E shock me because I never see woman hustle for man before like that.

I already like her face, and when I hear say her family get money, I no waste time.

I talk say, 'This na second chance.' My family dey happy for me.

Less than one year, we marry.

Wedding day sweet die. My people dance tire. Amaka people do party reach midnight.

Day after wedding, I get job wey people dey envy—na rent collector.

People dey salute me for street. I dey waka like king. My mama dey boast for village.

Her papa and mama get plenty houses. Even if I dey collect rent from three houses a day, e no go finish.

E reach the point wey tenants dey greet me 'Sir'. I dey use power anyhow.

Best part be say, dem no dey collect the rent—dem give us everything.

I dey send alert home every month. My papa no ever complain again.

So, less than three years after marriage, our savings pass fifty million naira.

I dey check my bank app dey smile. I dey plan how I go use the money start pure water factory one day.

If no be this pregnancy, to be honest, me and her dey manage well.

Our wahala small compared to people own. We dey settle quick, dey laugh after quarrel.

Even though she dey vex anyhow sometimes, she dey treat me better than herself.

She dey buy me perfume, wristwatch, even sneakers. If I mention, she go buy.

From socks to shirt, she buy better things for me pass herself.

She go dey tell her friends say, 'My husband na my king.' E dey sweet my belle.

During Christmas, she dey give my parents chop money—at least six figures.

Last December, she send rice, oil, even chicken go village. My family dey hail me like king.

Sometimes, her generosity to my parents dey even make me feel somehow, but I no fit talk, make she no say I no dey respect my people.

I just dey thank God for the kind woman I marry. I dey pray say our life go dey peaceful.

I think say life go just dey go like that.

I dey reason say my own don better. Na so I dey plan next child, dey calculate school fees.

Even though her wahala after she get belle dey tire me, I believe say e go pass.

I dey hope say after the baby come, everything go cool. I dey pray for peace of mind.

But life get plan.

Person no dey know tomorrow. Na so life play me rough.

Halima, the same person wey break my heart, show face again.

As I see her, old wound open. E be like say breeze blow wound wey never heal finish.

And as I see her, e be like say things no too smooth for her.

She dey form strong, but her eye dey tell different story. Money no dey show again. I dey look her, dey reason say life na truly turn by turn.

The stubborn side of me just wake up.

I dey tell myself, make I show say I don better, but na old fire dey catch inside me. E get as e be.