Chapter 8: The Trap Tightens

I turn sharp. My wife stand, face blank.

Her wrapper still dey reach chin, her leg bare for cold tile. Her eyes dey like person wey no sleep. She just dey look me, no smile, no frown.

"I dey go work," I try crack joke.

I try use old trick, smile dey my face. But my body dey shake small.

"You don resign already, abi you forget?"

Her tone flat, e no get emotion. I dey remember the way she beg me last week, say make I no die like her friend husband.

Na that time I remember: one week ago, as I come back from work, my wife just rush hug me, dey cry.

The cry loud. She kneel for parlor, dey beg, say make I resign. I think say na love, I gree. But now I dey reason say maybe na set up from day one.

I ask her wetin happen. She talk say her colleague die for office wahala, leave wife alone.

"You dey work too hard. If anything happen to you..."

The way she talk am, tears dey fall from her eye. Even me self cry small. I dey touch say woman love me reach that level.

No matter how I console her, she insist make I resign.

"We don save enough. For my mind to rest, abeg, just stay house for six months."

Back then, I touch say she care. After small think, I gree, resign.

Now, with all this, my brain dey connect dot wey I no see before. Na so people dey enter wahala for inside love.

I happy that time. Now as I remember, fear dey catch me.

E be like say I don dey enter one big trap since, and I no even notice.

Her eyes dey look me as if she dey read my mind. I dey try form confidence, but I dey shake.

"Go rest. I go cook pap for you later."

Like mumu, I let her push me back to room.

My leg just dey move, but my heart no dey inside. I dey count step, dey calculate how I go escape.

"Ah, my belle dey pain me. I go toilet."

I rush enter, message that mysterious guy:

My hand dey shake as I dey type, I dey pray say make network no fail.

"Help! Wetin I go do now? The earthworm for her neck even get claw!"

He reply fast, like say he dey wait:

"E be like say your wife hate you well. She go rather die than let you live."

My hand cold. I dey ask myself: wetin I do this woman? My mind dey replay every small quarrel wey we get since marriage.

"Abeg, just tell me wetin dey happen!"

For this life-and-death wahala, all of them dey hide, dey yarn in code. E dey pain me.

I dey almost cry, dey type anyhow.

"Until you talk wetin you do your wife, I no go tell you truth. If you confess, maybe I fit help."

I vex: "I go tell you everything about me and my wife, but promise say I go survive."

My heart dey jump. For my mind, I dey pray make this one no be scam.

"Okay. Small advice: if you wan last some days, chop red camwood."

My eye wide. I never hear that one before.

"You dey craze? Camwood fit spoil person liver!"

"Choose: poison or death."

The way he talk am, e no get pity. Like person wey don see spirit matter finish.

"If I chop camwood nko?"

"Wait for me to come."

I try calm myself, return bed as if nothing dey happen.

My body dey hot, my mouth dey bitter.

I realise say for all this matter, na this stranger dey control me.

My wife look me with concern: "Wetin dey do you? You don pale."

Her voice soft, but her eyes dey sharp. I dey try read her, dey watch for sign.

"Nothing, na sudden stomach wahala."

I try hold myself, dey smile like mumu.

"I go bring hot water."

She dey stand up, wrapper almost fall. I dey panic.

"Wait!" I breathe deep, look her for eye. "You dey hide anything from me?"

I dey hope say she go talk true. Instead, she just smile—slow, her teeth dey show, her eyes still cold.

Fear flash for her face, but she smile soft: "No matter wetin happen, remember: na only me love you. Others dey deceive you."

Her gentle smile just make me fear more.

I dey remember wetin mama tell me say, 'Na the one wey love you dey fit harm you pass.'

She fit don suspect say I dey chat that mysterious guy?

Before I know, my wife grab my phone:

"Who you dey chat with?"

She no even wait make I talk, she dey scroll fast.