Chapter 5: The Sudden Marriage

I no wake up until noon. Sun don already dey shine well well through the curtain.

The bed don empty. I siddon come roll my neck. My body dey ache small, but na the good kind of ache.

As I dey remember last night, e be like spring dream. Too good to be real, but the slight scratches for my back dey remind me say e real.

My waist even dey pain small. I smile despite myself.

Chioma dey the living room, she just wear only my t-shirt, her fine legs long and white. She dey make coffee, moving around my kitchen like say she don dey there before. I smell akara frying, she don even buy fresh agege bread.

"You carry your ID card?" The question just jump out from my mouth.

She look me with small confusion for her face. Her eyes still get that morning softness.

I bend down come circle her for my arms, dey smell the sweet smell for her hair. She fit perfect for my body, like say na there she suppose dey.

She open her eyes wide small, fine clear eyes get water shine. Like morning dew wey sun never touch:

"I go carry you go get card later, the type wey you go fit drink for my place for lifetime." My voice dey serious, no jokes at all.

I no drunk at all now. My head clear like crystal.

My heart dey beat fast fast, e never happen like this before. This feeling different from wetin I think say I get for Adaeze. This one feel real, feel right.

One hour later. Time don move like dream.

I hold Chioma hand with one hand dey waka comot from Local Government Marriage Registry, the other hand dey hold two red booklets tight tight. The registry clerk, one old Yoruba woman, dey look us like say we dey mad. 'Una sure?' she ask three times. The weight of them feel like freedom.

"Everything don set, the legal type." I dey grin like mumu, but I no care.

Chioma look me straight come smile small: "You don trick me like this, I no too happy. Wetin about our wedding?" But her eyes dey shine, she dey happy too.

I no fit help but smile too, press her enter my arms: "We go do everything complete." And I mean am. She deserve the best wedding wey money fit buy.

These past days Chioma and I dey select wedding rings, try wedding dress, discuss wedding details with the wedding planner. Every moment feel like healing, like my heart dey mend small small.

Watch sunrise and sunset together, talk under the stars. Learn say she like Ofada rice with locust beans, the way her Ekiti grandmother dey make am, her favorite color (sky blue), her dreams (to open art gallery).

She and I dey in sync well well, both of us wan do the wedding for desert. Something different, something us.

So we just do am. No long thing, we both know wetin we want.

We start to plan how to arrange the wedding venue. She quickly draw the scene with pen for white paper. Her hand dey move with confidence, creating magic with simple lines.

That time, my phone ring again. The outside world dey try enter our bubble:

"Hello? Na Mr. Emeka? The custom suit don reach store. When you go dey free come store?"

I ask with confusion. My forehead dey squeeze:

"Which suit?"

The other side pause small, come start to explain. The tailor voice dey careful:

"Some days ago Miss Adaeze come store order custom suit for you. She leave your phone number, say make we call you come pick am when e ready."

I look Chioma secretly, cover the phone waka go balcony. The afternoon sun hot, but I need the space.

"I no know about this one. Abeg contact Miss Adaeze directly. No call me again, thank you." My voice firm but polite.

Wetin Adaeze dey do? She still dey act like say nothing don change?

When I tell her make she order suit for me? The audacity dey shock me.

That time, Adaeze call again. Like say she get radar:

"Hello? Emeka, why you no contact me for days?" Her voice get that fake concern wey she dey use when she wan manipulate person.

"Stop dey vex. This time I spend plenty money make Baba Tunde personally design suit for you. Go pick am tomorrow." She dey talk like say she dey do me favor. Baba Tunde na the best designer for Lagos, but wetin concern me?

Then her tone come dey show say she no get patience. The real Adaeze dey show:

"E don do already. Our two families go chop dinner this weekend discuss the wedding date."

"No come dey squeeze face that time o!" Like say I be small pikin wey she fit control.