Chapter 5: Leaked Pictures and Broken Trust

This time, as I no put mouth for her matter, Morayo wahala come worse.

People dey spread rumour, some dey post things for WhatsApp group, others dey gossip for corner.

Before long, her pictures scatter everywhere for school.

Some dey show for phone, some dey print put for toilet wall. WhatsApp group dey hot, even school security dey forward am. Teachers dey try delete, but boys no dey hear word.

First one show Morayo wear suit, dey hold pointer.

Her face look like teacher, but her leg show, skirt short, make am look like film star. Boys dey drool.

Under her short skirt, her leg for black stockings just long and fine.

The way she pose, e be like say she dey model for magazine. Some girls dey try copy style for house.

Her shape dey make boys dey reason anyhow.

Dem dey form as if dem no see, but na lie. Boys dey send the picture up and down.

She no resemble student again.

Her look mature, some people dey ask if she be NYSC corper.

The next pictures worse pass, almost naked join.

This one come cause gbege. Principal call parents, teachers dey shout, PTA dey plan emergency meeting.

Somebody come dey joke with me, "Ikenna, your English teacher dey teach another person now o."

Boys dey laugh, dey poke me for class. Some dey talk am with style, others dey shout from corridor.

"Morayo look innocent for face, but for back ehn… she wild."

Girls dey do side-eye, boys dey tap table. Na so school turn upside down.

I just bury head for English book, no talk.

I no want wahala. I dey pretend say I no hear anything. My heart dey heavy, but I dey try hold myself.

That night, Morayo knock my door.

The knock weak, like person wey no get strength. I fit hear her small sob from corridor. I pause, my heart beat fast.

Her face full of fear, eyes red like person wey cry all night.

She no wear makeup, hair scatter, shoe dirty. Her voice low, "Ikenna…"

She stand for door, dey bite lip, eyes red—room quiet, only generator noise from backyard. Before I fit ask, she hug me tight.

She hold me strong like say na me be her last hope. My body stiff, I no know wetin to do.

The rose perfume wey she wear almost suffocate me.

E dey mix with sweat, make me remember childhood days wey she dey carry me after football.

Morayo hide her face for my shoulder, dey sob:

Her tears dey soak my shirt. My hand dey hang, I no fit hug her back.

"I no believe say Sunkanmi go treat me like this. Why he go do me like that?"

Her voice dey break, e pain her from chest. She dey shake.

"How he fit send my picture give people? How I go fit stay for school again?"

She dey fear for her future, her pride don scatter. My heart soft small, but I harden face.

She cry sotey she no fit breathe—no remain anything for her goddess side.

Her mascara don run, face mess up. E pain me, but I try stand my ground.

I push her commot. "You don finish cry? If you don tire, abeg dey go."

My tone cold, my face straight. She shock, mouth open.

She just look me, shock.

She dey expect say I go hug am, but I no move.

Yes, I never tell her no before.

From childhood, if she talk, I dey obey. My mama always talk, "Na Morayo fit make Ikenna wash plate without shout."

When I small, I weak, other children no dey play with me.

I dey always dey last for football, people dey push me for line.

Na only Morayo dey help me stand up, dust my body, dey talk, "From today, I go dey play with Ikenna, okay?"

She dey act like big sister, dey encourage me, dey protect me.

Na only she dey comfort and praise me.

If I pass exam, she go buy me meatpie. If I fail, she go say, "No cry, e go better."

So since small, I dey listen to her, dey follow her everywhere.

If she dey go market, I dey follow. If she dey sing for church, I dey cheer for back.

I dey obey her so tey my mama dey talk, "Your Morayo sister get your mumu button—na only she fit control you."

She dey use that power anyhow. Sometimes e sweet, sometimes e pain me.

…

I no look her again, just sit down, continue my maths work.

I dey form like say I dey serious, but my mind dey run up and down.

She look me with pity. "So even you dey treat me like this? Ikenna, you too dey look me down?"

Her eye watery, she dey find comfort. I just keep quiet.

She look so pitiful, e dey pain me small.

But I dey remind myself say if I enter her matter, my own go spoil again.

"I no do anything bad. Na just say I like am. If I no do am, he for dump me."

She dey try explain herself, voice dey shake. E be like say she dey talk to herself more than to me.

Morayo dey cry. "Ikenna, you know say, na only with am I dey feel at home."

She dey shake head, dey wipe tears. Her voice soft, almost like whisper. Her hand dey tremble, voice dey low like rain for zinc roof.

"My mama just dey force me do wetin I no like. Na only him dey accept me as I be…"

She dey confess, her body dey tremble. I just dey watch her.

I shock as I hear am talk that one.

My eye open. I dey wonder, "So all this love wey her mama dey give na nothing?"

After Morayo papa die, her mama hustle well, dey do everything make she no suffer.

She dey fry puff-puff before school, sell recharge card for junction, just to pay school fees. No be small thing.

But now, she dey talk say one street boy wey she know just forty days dey give her home feeling.

I dey reason am, dey wonder if na jazz or just stubbornness.

Yes, her mama dey strict, but that one no mean make she dey misbehave.

For Naija, discipline dey necessary, but person wey love you no go lead you enter gutter.

No need to talk too much. I just tell her, "If you no commot, I go call Aunty Bose make she carry you."

I stand up, face door. My mind dey made up.

Morayo wan talk more, but I just cut am short.

I no want hear story. If I let her talk, she fit turn my mind.

She vex. "Fine, Ikenna. I always treat you like brother, always good to you, now I get wahala you just dey look."

Her voice loud, her eye red. She dey shake, dey point finger.

"From today, we no know each other again."

She hiss, dey storm out. Her leg dey knock table as she waka.

She talk plenty harsh words, but I no move.

I just lock my ear, dey recite maths formula for my mind, dey block her voice.

She waka commot, bang door.

The noise loud, mama from parlour dey ask, "Who dey fight for there?" I just keep quiet.

Truth be say, she hardly vex reach like that. E mean say the school gist pain her, she really hope say I go help.

She no dey like to beg, so for her to come, the matter heavy for her mind.

But I know say if I put mouth, e go worse.

I remind myself of my last life, the curse, the shame. I no wan repeat mistake.

This time, I no go involve myself for her matter.

I lock my window, pull blanket, face wall. Night breeze cold, but my chest dey hot.