Chapter 7: Truth in the Shadows

The company dey for fifteenth floor. I stood for the dark corridor, staring at Auwalu’s company’s locked door, my head just dey swell—I almost fall.

My legs dey shake, sweat dey my face. Even the security guard dey look me like suspect.

The cleaner passed with her bucket and switched off the corridor lights. I grabbed her, “Aunty, this company don close?”

The aunty look me well, her wrapper tight. She eye me from head to toe, as if she dey measure my sense.

She looked at me funny. “Close? Dem just close now now.”

She no get time for my wahala. I dey block her way, she dey impatient.

“When dem close?”

I dey try act normal, but my voice crack.

She hissed. “How I go know? But when I came to clean at seven, the door was locked.”

She waka go, mumbling about people wey no dey mind their business. I watch her shadow disappear for corridor.

It was already nine-thirty. Their company closes at six. The cleaner comes at seven and sees the door locked. That means all that talk of overtime meeting was pure lie.

The truth bite me for heart. I stand there, hand for pocket, feeling like mumu.

I left the building, lost. I couldn’t even tell if it was Morayo’s cheating or Auwalu’s betrayal that hurt me more.

I cross road, nearly miss keke. My mind dey roam—who hurt me pass? Wife or friend?

One is my wife of seven years. The other, my brother for over twenty years—my closest friend. Both of them team up to fool me, play me like mumu.

Na so dem dey pay good man back? After all the loyalty, all the trust.

Why?

I dey ask myself, but answer no dey.

Why?

Tears push my eyes, but I no gree let am fall. Street light dey shine, people dey laugh for buka, but my own world dark.

I didn’t want to believe this kind of wickedness could happen to me. When I finally got home and saw the empty, dark house, I just laugh at myself.

I switch on light, the bulb flicker before bright. I look around—pictures on wall, wedding photo smiling back. Na me be the joke.

Kunle, see your life. Simple trick, and dem still use you play. If person go chop breakfast, na you.

I shake head, laugh without joy. All the love I show, na breakfast dem serve me.

I wiped my face and told myself to wake up. Since both of them no get conscience, make dem no blame me when I show my own wickedness.

I look mirror, vow say I go get my own pound of flesh. Even devil go fear me for this one. Dem think say I be mumu—dem never see anything.