Chapter 9: Betrayal and Family Truth

E don late, the two of them no even know say I dey there.

I hide for corner, dey listen. Night breeze dey blow, but my body dey hot.

I hear the guy dey para: “You talk say you go break up with am today, run with me. You dey change mind?”

His voice harsh, he dey drag hand.

“Wetin you dey talk? Na you I love pass. Na today I just find out say his family shop dey bring big money. If I marry am, find way comot am, we go hammer.”

She talk am like plan wey dem don rehearse.

“True? You no just dey talk so I go calm down?”

Guy dey look am deep, like say e wan see inside her soul.

“Na true now. How I go like that kind person—no get man mind, just dey follow me like puppy? You no know, their abalone dey sell near one million naira one.”

She dey twist face, dey squeeze mouth.

The two waka go, leave me stand for breeze, my head blank, before I waka return shop.

I dey drag leg, dey reason if na dream. My chest dey pain me, I fit hear my own heart.

My parents shock as dem see my face.

Papa drop spoon, “You don come back?”

I nod, no talk.

Mama dey look my face, dey whisper, “Wetin happen?”

“You no tell us say you get babe. Your mama and I dey plan say make we rush you marry. Your sister no fit hold again—we no fit let our money waka stop.”

Papa voice low. My hand dey sweat, I dey rub am for my jeans, dey wish say I fit disappear. I dey reason say e mean say the secret dey urgent.

“If I marry, una go finally tell me the secret behind our family abalone?”

I stand, dey look everybody. For my mind, I dey prepare for anything—juju, oath, or family wahala. The night quiet, but I dey wait for Papa to talk, but for that silence, I feel my heart dey knock like drum for village festival—wetin go happen next?