Chapter 4: Everybody Get Secret

Same time, for kitchen—

Tobi dey turn egusi soup, when one lazy voice enter from phone.

The voice get that Abuja accent, lazy but sharp. Na Tobi padi from uni days.

“So, how long you go dey do this poor boy acting?”

“You, big man pikin from He family for Okpoko Kingdom, dey pretend say you no get shishi just to check the Nwankwo family first daughter, but you never even see your fiancée, you don fall for small girl.”

Tobi just dey laugh, dey stir soup. Him friend dey like wahala, always dey tease.

“Your babe sabi say you get engagement with Nwankwo family?”

Tobi face calm, voice low:

“I go break the engagement with Nwankwo family.”

Him friend shock: “No be lie, you don fall for am?”

Tobi no dey play. Him mind dey made up. Even the way e dey talk, you go know say e serious.

“Who be your babe self?”

“No forget, the engagement between Nwankwo and He family na old school thing. If e fit break, e for break since. I hear say Nwankwo family first daughter try all way—cry, shout, even threaten say she go kpai herself—her papa still no gree.”

The thing pain Tobi. E dey reason say love suppose get choice.

Tobi just hiss small: “She wan break the engagement, me self I wan break am. E perfect now.”

For Tobi mind, na win-win. Both of us no wan the arrangement, na only our papa dem dey force wahala.

“Okay o, I dey go call my wife chop.”

“You don dey call am wife—she don gree marry you?”

Tobi hang up, eyes dark.

She never gree, but e get hope. For Naija man, sometimes na confidence dey move things.

“She go gree soon.”

E no matter if she no love am.

For him mind, if love no dey, money fit settle am. Na common belief for this country, especially if you get sense.

He get money. Plenty money.

Tobi na big boy, but e dey hide am. For him mind, money solve half problem for this life.

If she love money, na the same as loving am.

For am, if na money she dey find, e go give am, make she stay. After all, no be all marriage dey start with love.