Chapter 2: The Gift and the Scar

As I meet Seyi eye, him face just strong small.

For that moment, as if time pause. Seyi face just strong like person wey chop bitterleaf soup without enough salt. E try form hard man, but e eye dey shake small. My own heart dey beat kpa kpa for chest, I fit hear am.

The boy wey hold the watch come dey scratch head, e look awkward. “Erm... you want collect am back?”

The way e talk, e voice just low, like say shame dey catch am too. E no fit look me for face. I notice as e dey shift leg like pikin wey wan pee.

I look the watch for him hand—dem don throw am anyhow, e don bend, e no fine again. E clear say dem no ever value am.

The watch, the one wey I hustle for, now e just resemble market reject. The glass don get kpako scratch, the strap dey dangle like old slippers, the gold don turn kpof-kpof brown. I just dey look am, dey remember all the days I go sleep hungry so I fit buy am. E pain me for bone.

No be anything special, just under one thousand naira, but I save for almost one year buy am. Every kobo na from me wey I dey manage chop.

My belly grip, I dey remember how I go market dey price, dey beg. The woman for the shop even pity me say na gift, she dash me small discount. The day I buy am, na the happiest I don be that year. To think say na so e end, e dey vex me.

My eye shift go Seyi wrist. That day, e wear one watch. I no sabi the brand, but I know say e fine pass the one wey I buy for am.

I just notice say the new watch dey shine anyhow, maybe na one of those imported ones wey people dey use show class. The leather strap fresh, the dial dey big, e dey draw attention. My small own just dey there, bend and tired.

Quietly, I collect the watch from him friend hand, look Seyi, talk low: “Sorry. I go keep am myself.”

My voice almost quench for mouth, but I force myself talk am. The way everybody look me, e be like say ground for open swallow me. Na just small dignity I try get back as I talk am.

Seyi just lower him head, lips tight, no talk anything.

I notice say e hand dey shake small, but e no talk. E just bend head, dey look ground like say e dey count sand.

Shame catch me, I dey play with the watch, then I turn waka commot.

My leg heavy as I dey go, I just dey use finger rub the watch, like say I fit rub away the pain. Tears dey my eye but I no wan let anybody see.

As I pass the first dustbin for school gate, I force myself throw the watch inside sharp sharp.

E no easy, but I just force myself. As the watch land for inside dirt, e make one dull sound. Na that moment I know say something for my mind don break.

I turn look am again.

I no fit hold myself, I look back. I dey hope say maybe Seyi go call me, or him friend go tell me sorry. But everywhere just silent.

He just raise eyelid slow, one kain mocking smile for him mouth, eye dey full of scorn.

The way e take look me, e be like person wey dey watch animal for zoo. That smile ehn, e cut me deep. My body cold.

I pause, then drop my eye.

I no fit look am again. Na that moment I tell myself say make I forget Seyi, make I just waka dey go. If not, e go pain me pass this.

Na real disgrace—my secret crush just expose like that.

I dey wonder whether the whole school go hear this gist. E be like film wey no get happy ending. I just dey pray make ground open swallow me.

That time, I no know say the way Seyi look me that day go nearly turn to nightmare for my life.

Na so e be—some wounds dey start like play, but the scar no dey ever fade. E no occur to me say na that look go haunt me for years.