Chapter 4: Palms Mall Showdown

That afternoon, she drag me go Palms Mall, dey pick my favourite brands.

As we enter mall, Ifeoma dey catwalk, dey point shop to shop. She dey laugh, dey touch my back, dey show people say na her man I be. People dey rush up and down, generator hum dey background, small children dey drag popcorn for hand.

“This one fine—try am.”

She hold up suit, dey size am for my chest, dey act like say she be fashion consultant. Sales girl sef dey hail her: "Madam, your eye sharp o!"

She pick charcoal grey plaid suit—na my exact style.

The suit fine, material dey soft, e fit my colour well. I wear am, dey look mirror, dey nod head.

As I come out from fitting room, I see her dey hold phone, dey do video call.

She dey face phone camera, dey smile wide, dey turn the phone around make person see my fit.

I waka reach her. For the screen, na Musa. She still dey smile, “This one fit you die—na me spot am sharp sharp.” She even ask me, “Baby, this suit no match his gentle but hot style?”

She dey use small voice, but Musa dey hear am. The guy dey grin for screen, dey wave.

Musa laugh from phone: “So how? You wan buy am come give me?”

He dey run joke, dey try form cool guy. He wink for phone, Ifeoma dey giggle.

“Shey na just to talk na.”

Ify wave hand, talk am like play. She dey try form as if na small matter.

Dem dey joke dey go. I just waka go pick another suit, enter fitting room.

For my mind, I dey fume, but I just dey package. E better make I dey my lane than go start another fight for public.

I pay for my own suit, face strong. She still dey video call Musa, I just waka comot.

As I dey swipe my card, my face tight like kpof-kpof wey dem fry too much. Sales girl dey look me, dey smile small, maybe she sabi say wahala dey.

Ifeoma run come meet me, dey complain, “Why you no wait for me?”

She dey breathe fast, voice dey tremble. You go see say e shock her small.

“You don vex again? E reach like that?”

She stand akimbo, dey look my face. For her voice, you go hear small worry.

I smile. “No vex, I no vex.”

As I talk am, I use hand touch her shoulder, make e no look like wahala dey.

This time na true. I no even get strength to vex again.

E be like say my mind don tire for all the drama. I just dey flow as e be.

I don dey used to am.

I dey tell myself, 'Na so e go dey? Make we just dey manage.'