Chapter 6: The Bitter Truth

I think say my own with Ngozi na destiny.

You know that kind feeling wey you dey get when church people dey talk say 'God's time is the best'? Na so I dey reason am.

But now I sabi—I just be tool for Ngozi to test Femi mind.

Truth dey hard to swallow sometimes, but I gats gree am. My mind begin dey do calculation, dey wonder how I take blind all this while.

For road back, Ngozi no talk, just dey dull.

Her face long, her eye red. I just dey follow am dey waka, dey wonder if I go talk or just keep quiet.

"You see Femi with babe, e pain you, abi?" I ask her straight.

I no fit hide my mouth again. If wahala dey, make e burst once.

"N-no... We dey play since small. If I like am, I for don go for am since. Why I go wait till now? I no like am... We be couple now..."

Her voice dey shake, her hand dey fidget with the nylon for her lap. I just dey look her, dey try read her mind.

I just listen, then advise her, "Maybe you never know say you like am? You just gree for me to make am jealous, abi? Ngozi, maybe you and am suppose talk. Make we break up."

As I talk am, breeze blow for my mind. Na as if I finally drop bag wey heavy for my shoulder. I dey pity her, but I know say na the right thing.

Since no real feelings, and the babe just move my heart small, I fit reason well, break up sharp sharp.

I surprise myself say I fit talk am, but sometimes person gats do wetin go give am peace.

Ngozi look me, her eyes don full with tears. "Tunde, sorry. I use you do test for Femi, and you no even vex. You too good."

Her voice soft, the tears drop like tap wey no fit close. I dey pity am, but I gats form strong.

I smile, rub her head. "Abeg, no give me 'good person' card. I dey go. You too, go house early."

I no want make she see say e pain me. I just dey wish her well, dey pray make she find her own.

Three days after, I hear say Ngozi and Femi don start.

News travel fast for campus. People dey gist, dey laugh, dey say 'love don win.' I just smile, dey mind my own.

Ngozi run come meet me, happy. "Tunde, we dey together!"

Her eyes bright, joy full her voice. I gree for her, even though my heart dey do anyhow.

"Ehen. If una like una self, make una hold am well, no do anyhow."

I advise am as padi, no bitterness. I just dey hope say she go cherish wetin she get.

"I hear. Tunde, make I buy you food, abeg?"

She still wan do good, maybe to pay back my kindness. But me, I no need am.

"Why?"

I dey curious, but I already know wetin she wan talk.

"To thank you. Na because of you, me and Femi fit dey together."

She yarn am with smile, but for my mind, e still pain me.

"No need. Face your love with Femi."

I talk am, waka comot. No need drag the matter.

After that, me and Ngozi no too see.

Sometimes I go see her for library, she go wave. But na only WhatsApp status dey link us again.

Sometimes she go post her love life for WhatsApp status. I go like, drop comment—na only that one remain for us.

My own na emoji, sometimes small 'congrats.' I just dey watch from distance, dey learn my lesson.