Chapter 2: WhatsApp Status and Broken Dreams

Zainab transfer from one big Abuja school; her people get money die.

Her matter no dey end for assembly ground. Even teachers dey whisper. "Na who get that jeep wey drop am?"

When she come, na designer cloth full her body. Bag, shoe, earring, even hair bead—everything na label. Dem say the perfume wey she use pass my mama monthly salary.

Even her wristwatch na limited edition, cost reach six figures.

Girls for class dey check am with side-eye, boys dey claim say she resemble musician daughter.

She no blend with us wey be small town people wey sabi only book.

We dey wear okrika and repeat shoe, she dey wear one cloth two times, na big deal.

She like Seyi. Na open secret, even cleaner for toilet sabi am. The way she dey follow Seyi with eye, if na film, the lens go melt.

She no dey hide am at all. No shame for her dictionary. Na so she dey tell her friends loud loud for canteen.

She buy am luxury collar pin, worth plenty money. I remember the pin, gold shine, all of us dey look am like amulet. Even Seyi sef try hide am inside pocket.

Her breakfast dey change every day—I hear say na professional nutritionist dey plan am for Seyi. The tray get small carton juice, white bread, and one pink yogurt—food wey dey smell like oyinbo supermarket. We dey chop bread and beans, she dey bring fruit parfait.

But Seyi no dey even look her side. Na that one dey burst my head. The boy dey act like nothing dey happen. Instead, he go share his own gala with me.

He dey waka with me go school, buy puff-puff for junction with me, queue with me for morning assembly.

The puff-puff na our ritual. If e finish for the seller hand, na both of us go dey complain.

Everybody talk say—

The gist no dey end. "Seyi and Morayo, na dem sure pass for prefect next year." The teachers sef dey nod.

He like me. E sweet me, but I dey fear to believe. Wetin if e no true?

Zainab always dey look down on me:

Her words dey sharp. "She no get level, abeg. Poor like rat for gutter."

"I no believe am. Wetin he see for that mumu? Na only book she sabi. Her family poor die. She no even reach my finger. Abi she reach?"

She dey show off nail, stretch finger. Even her laugh dey pepper body.

Everybody dey follow her talk.

Na so clique form around her, girls dey giggle, boys dey do as if na joke.

But that day for PE class, she still block me behind wall.

That wall behind school dey quiet, na there bad belle dey start war.

She look me finish, face twist:

The kind frown wey fit spoil mirror. She dey size me, up and down.

"You, abeg, leave Seyi alone. No dey follow am up and down. You hear?"

Her voice dey tremble, but her eye wicked. She think say na threat I go fear.

I no even get her time. The wahala no reach me, I try pass. My mind dey for upcoming maths test.

I try waka pass her.

She come dey drag my cloth, raise phone: "You wan do anyhow? Make we see if you go still fit follow am waka if I expose you."

Her hand strong, she dey push phone for my face. Na so small crowd begin gather for corner.

I grab her, press her for wall. She get money but during farm season, I dey help my grandparents carry yam sack. She no fit match me.

For her mind, she fit win, but strength nor dey her side. She start to scream, but na only threat.

Zainab scream, dey struggle. The echo pass window, but nobody intervene. She just dey shout, her voice crack.

I let go, hold my anger: My hand dey shake, but I control myself. The wahala no reach fight.

"Do as you like, but abeg, no disturb our studies again."

I add extra stress for 'our', make she know say no be only my own. My voice still dey shake small.

When I talk ‘our’, I mean Seyi join body. For my dry, book-full youth, the way Seyi dey smile as he dey explain question to me na the only light wey dey shine for me.

That memory dey sweet, especially for those night wey NEPA go off light and na only our laughter dey echo.

I like am. E no be say I go write love letter, but my heart dey do backflip any time Seyi smile reach my side.

Since Zainab come, Every small thing she do dey remind me say my own be local, her own na imported. My eye dey sharp for Seyi reaction.

Me sef dey jealous small, no lie. Jealousy dey scratch my belly, but I dey try bone face.

I no fit hold myself, I ask Seyi how he see her. That day for reading time, my voice low, almost whisper. My hand dey sweat, my leg dey bounce.

When I talk am, his pen stop. He pause, look me, then the pen rest for paper like say him dey draw answer from heaven.

After some time, he just talk:

"Proud, dey form. I no dey like that kind person at all."

Him voice strong, no shake. The relief wey wash me na only me understand.

I believe am. I trust am pass anything. The way him eye clear that day, e reach swear.

And I no fit hide the small joy wey I feel. The joy bubble for my chest, I almost smile, but I swallow am quick.

But now, as I dey look those WhatsApp updates wey dey flash for my eye, my eyes just dey hot, water wan drop. E dey pain me deep. My face dey burn, I dey try hold tears make I no shame myself.

[Main oga just dey form. He tell Zainab make she commot, but him go still dey look back.]

[Chai, love don carry am.]

[By tomorrow, Seyi no go fit hold himself, he go kiss Zainab for store room. E go hot.]

Every update dey like slap. Each one dey cut small small for inside my chest.

My eye open well. I just dey look, no blink. The pain clear my sleep, my whole body dey alert.

Like say fog just cover my face. E be like thick Harmattan. The future I see for my mind before, e just dey blur.