Chapter 11: Holiday Healing and Deep Sea Bets

Hotel get VIP gym. After I finish workout, I go my room bath.

For the first time in three years, I fit run treadmill, lift weight, even do yoga. E surprise me say my body still dey function.

Now wey work no too choke, I don dey fit again, dey live healthy.

E be like say all the stress just dey melt away. My skin dey shine small. I dey reason say, maybe Naija sun no too bad after all.

Bathroom mirror fog. I brush my wet hair, see say my chest and abs dey show again.

I dey flex muscle small, dey do like all those Instagram fit fam.

Work hard, but I still dey fresh—hair full, eyes dey shine, body dey okay.

I dey look myself, dey reason say e good to rest sometimes. Na balance life.

Thank God say na Musa dey handle all the social wahala.

Na true. Make e dey run up and down for Ribo. My mind dey calm for once.

By 6 a.m., I wake, carry my fishing gear, move out.

Pocky don set everything. We waka with slippers, short, face cap. Na proper holiday vibe.

We charter yacht go deep-sea fishing.

Yacht big, captain na old Warri man. E dey gist us how e catch shark before.

Yacht engine dey roar. I put sunglasses, stretch for deck chair.

Sea dey blue like say na paint. I dey enjoy breeze, dey think of nothing.

Blue sea, blue sky, fresh breeze—e be like say I just escape from wahala enter paradise.

Na so life suppose be. Small time, I begin sleep for chair.

Life na journey against current, I just dey waka my own.

For my mind, I dey tell myself say, "No rush, Kunle. Enjoy moment."

Click—click—

I open eyes. Pocky dey snap me with phone.

If you see how e dey position camera, you go know say e dey plan mischief.

“Omo, this your face dey like person wey NEPA just take light for front of.”

“I dey wonder who be this fine fisherman—na my Kunle the God o.”

E dey laugh, dey try make me smile. Na real friendship.

“I go use this one for recruitment ad. Which babe no go fall?”

I laugh, try grab phone. E run, dey dodge.

I jump get phone from am.

I finally snatch am, delete the picture sharp sharp.

“Delete am. Now.”

I dey form serious, but inside me I dey happy.

Pocky run like street dancer, dash go back.

E dey dance azonto, dey laugh. Captain dey shake head for us.

E look phone, click tongue:

“You fine when you relax, but your normal face dey hard—no wonder people no too like you.”

E dey always talk am. I dey wonder if na true.

I wan argue, but I remember my face for exposé post.

That hard face wey people dey fear. I just lock up.

I bone face, but inside me, I know say I go try change.

Pocky talk say if I no catch fish today, I go wash all him car for one week.