Chapter 10: Losing Weight, Gaining Strength

After that day, me and Ikenna start dey close small small. We dey gist, sometimes he borrow my note, sometimes he buy Gala or biscuit for me. People dey notice, but I no send.

He still dey do one kind. No dey ever remove mask or cap, no dey talk to anybody except me. I dey wonder if e dey hide secret. But I no pry.

My weight too start change. Grandma dey monitor me. She dey give me green tea, dey check scale. The numbers dey drop small small. Before I know, I slim reach 128 kg. My skirt dey loose. Some people dey ask if I dey sick. But I just smile.

Grandma happy, say if I reach 115, e go perfect. She dey dance for kitchen. She promise me jollof rice if I reach goal.

Surprisingly, na Tunde first notice say I don lose weight. I no expect am. I think say he no dey look my side again.

That day for afternoon, I dey sit for school pavilion, dey chop the low-fat beef rice Grandma cook. As I dey waka back to class with my lunch box, just dey tired. Sun dey hot. I dey drag leg. My mind dey my food.

Suddenly, Tunde grab my wrist. I almost drop lunch box. His grip firm. I dey shock. He frown, voice low. "You dey diet again?"

E no sound like question. More like command. I try pull my hand, no energy. I dey struggle. But him grip dey strong.

"E no concern you. Tunde, abeg, free me." My voice dey beg. I no want wahala. Instead, he drag me go cafeteria. He just dey waka fast, no look my face. People dey watch.

"If you continue this your diet, you go get low blood sugar again. You don forget? You wan faint for road again?"

He dey remind me of that PE day. I dey vex. E no concern am. Na wah. I hiss small, squeeze face. I already dey vex because I never chop enough. My body dey shake. My belly dey cry.

I warn am again. I open teeth. "No try me today. If you no leave me, I go bite you."

I dey mean am. Hunger don make me mad. Since, I never taste goat meat for long. The hunger for goat meat dey worry me. I dey crave suya.

Tunde just dey amused. He wan laugh but he hold am. His eyes dey shine. He free my hand, lips curve up. Small smile dey face. He no talk.

"You really dey ungrateful o." He shake head, voice soft. I no look am. I step back, look am steady. Eyes sharp. I no dey beg again.

I just talk four words: "You dey do show." Na my last warning. I waka dey go teaching block. Then waka go teaching block. I no look back. My chest dey shake.