Chapter 1: The Night Everything Scatter

As I dey remember everything now, e be like say my life dey turn to Nollywood film. Everybody just dey laugh, sure say, as usual, I go be the mumu wey go swallow pride and crawl back to beg Morayo. For my mind, I dey see my cousin face, she dey shake head and hiss, “Na wa o, Kunle. You go still run back. Your leg never strong reach to do shakara for Morayo.”

But na when another woman begin waka close to me, Morayo come realise wetin she lose. Suddenly, she hold me with tears full eye, dey beg make I come back, dey confess regret. Even my neighbours, wey dey always watch our drama like Africa Magic, start dey whisper, “Ah, Morayo no believe say Kunle fit get another babe. E shock am!”

"How many times I go explain this thing to you? Femi na my close friend. We grow up together, wear same shorts as pikin. Now na him be my main investor. Wetin dey wrong if we drink together? You no fit stop all this your wahala?" Her voice get small crack—pain and stubbornness dey show for her tone.

She fling her bag on the sofa, the echo loud for parlour. The bitter scent of beer mix with stale perfume still hang everywhere.

"If anything wan happen between us, e for don happen since. Where you dey that time?"

Morayo, face still dey show drunkenness, dey talk with vex, her eyes roll like say she dey warn small pikin. Her wig shift one side, edge control don surrender—she no even care.

Me, after waiting all night, just sit down, face strong with anger. Wall clock dey tick, tick, tick, but my heart dey pound loud like generator for compound.

How many times Morayo no come house at night? I no even fit count again. Even my neighbour, Mama Efe, don tire to ask about her when her car no dey midnight.

"Na just drink we drink." Her voice scatter, like broken glass—defensive, tired.

I open the photo for my phone, throw am in front of her. My hand dey shake, but I no gree show am.

Femi send am to me for midnight. The WhatsApp message flash for my screen like bad sign.

For the scattered hotel bed, Morayo curl up, lean against Femi—dem too close. Bedsheet rough, slippers—one pink, one black—scatter for floor.

As if e no do, Femi add one mocking message:

[If I want her, she’s mine.]

He delete am quick, but I sharp—screenshot sharp sharp. E pain me like hot ata for eye.

"So una friendship reach drink together, end up for hotel bed."

Morayo pick my phone, see the photo—her face pale. For the first time that night, her voice weak.

Femi no lie. The photo clear. Last night, Morayo really enter hotel room with am. The silence heavy like fuel scarcity for Monday morning.

I force myself to swallow the pain, eyes full of disappointment. "So even now, you still dey say nothing dey between you two?" My chest dey tight, if no be God, I for shout.

Morayo see my pain, her vex drop. She sit beside me, gently hold my hand, her voice soft:

"I drink too much, black out. Femi no know my address, so he carry me go hotel. He just worry, stay with me all night. Nothing happen, I swear. See—my clothes still dey for the photo..."

Her palm cold, she squeeze my hand. Her perfume try show, but tonight e dey mix with sweat and worry. She dey look me like lost puppy, eyes dey shine with fake innocence.

"You get drunk, refuse make I come carry you, but follow another man go hotel. You feel say e make sense?"

I cut her explanation short, voice firm. I no wan hear story.

Morayo fine face turn cold again. "So you just no trust me. If you dey doubt my loyalty, no need for this marriage." She look away, voice shaking—like she dey beg make I fight for us, but pride no let her beg. Her lips tremble, but she dey try form strong.

As she talk am, Morayo suddenly realise, panic flash for her face. She bite her lip. "Kunle, no be wetin I mean—"

"No wahala."

Morayo freeze. Even her breathing slow. She dey wait make I talk say na joke.

She look at me, no believe her ear. "Wetin you talk?"

I meet her eye, my mind cool like pure water for freezer. "Make we no marry again." My words land like slap, but na as if big load don commot from my body.

She quiet for two seconds, then her old mocking smile return. "You serious? You no go regret am?" She hiss, adjust her wig, dey act like say e no pain am.

Morayo no believe me. Maybe because we don threaten break up plenty times and always settle, she no dey take me serious. Even my friends dey joke say our wahala na normal for us.

I repeat, voice steady:

"Yes. Make we no marry. Make we break up."