Chapter 3: Benz Arrival

After the call, my sister wire me one hundred thousand naira as hush money.

Alert enter my phone—GTB logo flash, na so my eye clear. Na only family fit use money beg for silence like this.

She warn me, "No tell Mummy and Daddy o."

Na warning wey get small fear inside. For our house, if matter reach mummy ear, e dey enter family WhatsApp group.

I just collect am quietly, send her OK emoji.

I pick that yellow thumbs up. For my mind, I dey laugh, but for screen I dey coded.

She say make I add Halima for contact, send her my location.

She dey move like PA, arrange everything sharp-sharp. Na Lagos people dey run things like this.

I add am, send the details.

I dey select picture, no want make I use any wey I snap for NYSC farm. I pick my passport photo, drop location pin.

Halima reply just one word—"Okay."

Her reply short, no emoji. E get as e be—person wey dey calm, no dey do extra.

After I send location, I just dey look the night outside. For some reason, I no really want make Halima come, but as e be so, I no fit refuse.

I dey pray make bolt or Uber just show by magic. But as e be, na so I resign, begin dey scroll phone, dey check old gist.

Waiting for car na wahala, so I squat dey play game for phone.

My battery dey beg for help, but na game dey keep my head sane. I dey play Ludo King, dey lose anyhow.

Half an hour pass.

Breeze don almost freeze me reach bone. Airport security dey look me like say I be thief.

"Obinna?"

Voice cut through the cold air, gentle but firm. I look up.

One kpa-kpa white Benz park reach my front, headlight flash like LASTMA checkpoint.

The headlights bright like police checkpoint. Car dey fresh, tyres dey shine.

Window roll down, na Halima. She look me, small smile for her mouth.

Her scarf arrange well, face soft, light from inside car dey make her look like movie star.

Last time I see her, na secondary school. Now, I don finish university.

I dey look her, dey remember those days wey we dey wear khaki and school bag.

To see her for phone no too real. Now as I see her face-to-face, my eye just dey look her, I lost small.

I no fit talk, tongue dey heavy. Na that kind beauty wey dey humble person.

Suddenly, I remember one joke wey I see for school group chat:

[No. 1 Fine girl, Halima—beauty wey fit cause accident.]

The group go dey shout 'who get number?' but nobody fit talk to her.

After all these years, her beauty and presence even strong pass before.

She no dey form, her aura just dey there, dey command respect.

As I dey look like mumu, Halima ask, "Your leg dey pain you?"

Her eyebrow up, voice get small concern.

I jump stand up.

Na so I scatter my own composure. My bag almost fall, but I grab am.

My mouth open, I dey think—how I go call her? Name? Too casual. Big sis? Too awkward.

For my mind, I dey run options. 'Halima'—too sharp. 'Aunty Halima'—abeg, I be small pikin?

As I dey reason, my face just red.

Na real tomato face. I dey thank God say night dey hide my shame.

Halima notice, she just laugh softly.

Her laugh dey come from throat, e sweet pass music. She no too dey show teeth—just small, soft.

She come down from car.

She step out, shoe touch ground, perfume gentle for night air. Mosquito hum for ear, but na Halima perfume I dey notice. If to say I dey dream, I for no want wake.

Her body shape na correct, the white dress make her look more elegant. I no even fit look her well.

Dress no too dey tight, but e show her confidence. Na woman wey sabi herself.

As she stand for my front, I just feel somehow, na so I take two steps back.

Na reflex, like say make I no cross boundary.

Her voice gentle. "You no know me again?"

She use eye look me, smile dey her lips.

I stammer, "I know, I know."

Voice crack small. I dey use hand rub neck like pikin wey dem catch for biscuit jar.

Halima smile, come try carry my bag.

She no even form. She stretch hand, say, "Let me help you."

I rush go carry am myself.

I no wan disgrace myself. I drag bag, "No wahala, I go carry."

She open passenger door, polite. "Enter."

Her hand wave towards car, like person wey dey host dignitary. Na so I feel special small.

For car, I just stiff, dey behave like good boy.

I fasten seatbelt with two hands, like say I dey prepare for rollercoaster.

Halima notice my wahala, she put soft music, begin gist.

She play Burna Boy low, then start gist about airport road pothole, ask if I chop for plane.

As we dey gist, her phone ring.

Ring tone na Asa song, gentle. I peep sharp, no wan look too obvious.

I peep, na man name show. She no pick. The call come again. She just silence am.

Her hand steady, she no fumble. Her face no change, but I catch small seriousness.

Atmosphere come dry. I dey reason wetin to talk, na then my padi send me voice notes.

E shock me—this kind hour, why voice note?

For this kind hour, to send voice note e mean wahala.

I try convert to text, but I press wrong. My guy mad voice just blast:

The phone speaker loud, no mercy. My ear ring, my heart miss one beat.

"Omo, my babe dey allergic to saliva!"

I shock.

I freeze, eye wide. Halima just dey look road, but I sabi say she dey hear.

I panic, dey try off phone, but my hand dey shake. Phone fall for ground. The voice note dey play:

I dey press anyhow, but the voice dey loud.

"That ice queen wey I chase since—who go believe say she stop half-way?"

"She too fine, but na only look I fit look, I no fit touch."

"Guy, test your babe first o, before you jam my kind wahala."

"My heart dey pain me. I go dey do platonic love forever like this?"

Every line dey drop like bomb. I dey sweat under AC. My hand dey shake, I dey pray make ground open.

I finally grab phone, off am, peace return.

My hand dey shake, sweat dey my forehead. I lock phone, hide am for pocket.

My head just heavy, I no fit look up.

I dey bite my tongue, dey wish say I fit disappear.

Thank God say music still dey play, e save my face small. If not, I for just open door jump out.

Burna Boy voice cover my shame—God bless that album.

I peep Halima, she dey drive, her face calm, still give me adult respect—if not for that small smile wey I see for her mouth.

That tiny curve for her lips—e tell me say she dey try hold laugh.

I just shrink reach door like snail, dey look window, no talk again.

I dey form statue, dey count street light.

For red light, Halima just talk.

Her voice break silence, soft.

"That your girlfriend, na that one from secondary school?"

I freeze, then shake head. "No. I no get babe."

I use two hands wave. Na so I wan clear my name before gist spread.

Back then, one girl dey always follow me. One day, as she dey drag me for school, my sister see us, run come, dey laugh, wan tease me. But as she see the girl face, her mood just change.

That scene for school corridor still dey my head—my sister dey bounce come, dey dance like say she win bet, but as she see the babe, her face squeeze.

"No be you spread rumour say I dey follow three boys? Wetin you dey do with my mumu brother?"

"Na my boyfriend! Obinna na my own, no try am!"

The girl attitude provoke my sister. Next thing, fight start.

Two of them dey drag sweater, dey shout. Teachers dey pass, students dey stop watch drama.

I try separate them, reach for my sister. She vex, think say I dey support the girl, she push me hard.

I fly land for ground, my books scatter. Everybody for corridor shout “Yeeeh! See fight!”

Halima show late. As I wan fall, na survival make me hold her.

I grab her elbow—she balance me, her face dey surprise.

Fight stop sharp.

As I hold Halima, everywhere quiet. The other girl dey look me, my sister dey eye me.

The girl shout, "Leave my boyfriend!"

My sister shout, "Leave my bestie!"

That day, principal call my mama—na serious embarrassment.

That drama still dey my mind, e dey embarrass me.

Up till today, if I see those girls for street, I dey waka pass fast.

For the drive home, Halima dey gist with me, she avoid anything wey fit make me feel somehow. When we reach house, I just rush come down, escape.

I lock door behind me, exhale. E be like say na marathon I run.