Chapter 6: House Dash and Hope

Ngozi still dey call me come chop every few days. One day, she remember the promise she make for my birthday.

She call me for phone, voice soft: "Chuka, I get something for you."

She transfer apartment give me. E no too big—three rooms, one parlour, nobody don live there before. For Ngozi, e be like extra property wey she just dash out.

She just hand me the house paper like say na sweet. I dey look am, dey shake head, dey thank God.

The day I collect the house paper, I happy die, dey check my new house.

I dey run from parlour to room, dey open window, dey shout. I even kneel for the parlour, raise hand: “Thank you, Baba God! Na your grace be this.”

Ngozi no understand: "Na just small apartment. You really like am like this?"

Her face dey show say she no reason am big deal. For her mind, na just one small gift.

I nod well. "Aunty, you no go understand."

My voice low, eye dey shine. I dey thank her like person wey win scholarship.

I still dey discipline department. If I no get class, I dey help Ngozi cover her absence. She no expect much—just make sure she no get wahala for school.

Sometimes, she go message me last minute, "Abeg, mark me present." Na so I dey run her matter.

I dey do my work well. For Christmas, everybody go house. Me, I no get house.

I dey reason say, even if I dey alone, this apartment go hold me like family. I sweep, mop, arrange everything, dey play Christmas song small.

I go my small apartment. Decoration simple, no TV. I reason say I go buy TV before Christmas.

I dey plan, dey check Jumia, dey price TV. Money tight, but hope dey.

As I dey shop for electronics, I jam Ngozi. She dey with her small sister. The girl fine, like eight or nine years old.

Her sister dey jump, dey drag her hand. Ngozi dey frown, but I see small smile for her face as she see me.

With her wahala, Ngozi almost fight the pikin—she no get patience for children. As she see me, she call me. I shock, but I go.

People for shop dey look us. One woman for queue just dey eye us, whisper, “Na so love dey start o.” I just package, waka go greet her.

"Aunty."

I bow small, dey smile. Her sister dey hide behind her, dey peep me.

She frown, small vex. "You sabi fold paper boat?"

I nod. "I sabi, aunty."

"Teach her for me. I go send you chop money."

I just laugh, agree. Her sister dey happy, run come front.

No wahala. As I agree, the small girl wey dey cry hold paper, as she hear, she give me.

She dey smile, her eye dey shine. I collect the paper, fold sharp sharp, form boat. Her friends dey cheer as she run show dem.

Na just normal coloured paper. I fold am, the small girl run go meet her friends with her boat.

Ngozi frown: "I no see wetin dey special for cheap coloured paper..."

I smile, shake head. "E no be about money. If you like something, even if e cheap, e go be treasure."

Ngozi eye dey soft. She dey reason wetin I talk. She no quick answer. For her mind, maybe she dey see life for my side.

Maybe she no expect make I talk like that. Ngozi look me. "You come buy something?"

She dey act gentle, her voice low. I nod.

"Yes, I wan buy TV."

Her face light up. She even try help me price TV for sales boy.

"Since you help, come, make I help you choose."

She dey check spec, dey tell me which one good. The boy for shop dey follow us, dey smile.

She help me pick. Ngozi no dey look money, but I still refuse. "Thank you, aunty, but make I pay."

I dey insist, no wan collect freebie again. I no wan owe too much.

"Mm..."

She just nod, dey think. For her mind, maybe she dey reason why I dey act like this.

Ngozi just dey think, I no know wetin dey her mind. Salesperson ask if we be couple.

Everybody for shop look our side. I just shake head, laugh small.

I shake head. We no even near couple. Maybe na friends, or maybe even less than that.

Na so we waka, everybody dey look us. For my mind, I dey reason if person like me fit ever become more than footmat for big madam like Ngozi.