Chapter 11: Mistakes and Lessons

I reach school, drop my bag, dey pant. Chinelo dey watch TikTok Naija, look up.

Her head dey shake to small sound, her finger dey scroll like say she dey chase money for phone. She no even notice me first.

"You collect money, why you no take keke?"

Her voice sharp. She dey talk like say she dey order housegirl. I just dey look am, dey wonder when she turn boss.

I frown, collect her phone, sharply exit TikTok. "No dey watch, e fit cause problem."

Her face twist, eyebrow dey up. She no gree. "How short video go cause wahala?" She bone face. "Give me my phone."

Her tone don change—na big madam style. I dey laugh for mind, but my face dey serious.

"All your online account dey monitored, camera full house. She dey see everything. You hear? You don make three big mistakes. With her style, we both don enter wahala."

I dey talk slow, make she understand say no be play. Madam Ife no dey joke with privacy.

"Mistake? My acting yesterday perfect. Even househelp no notice. You just dey try fear me."

She dey form confidence, but her voice shake small. I fit see say she dey bluff.

"I no dey fear you. Just hear me—"

I wan explain better, but Chinelo cut me.

"I no wan hear," Chinelo cut me. "Give me my phone or buy new one for me."

Her pride don increase. She dey forget say na me save her from plenty wahala for past.

...

I just quiet. Suddenly, one boy hand reach cross. Na Musa, the fine boy wey Chinelo dey crush on, snatch the phone from me, give her.

Musa sharp guy, always dey smell of perfume. As he hand over phone, he dey smile like say na love letter he dey deliver.

"Ifedolapo, I help you get your phone back."

He dey hope say she go thank am. But Chinelo face no even move.

"Oh."

Chinelo collect am, drop am for drawer.

But Musa no go. He dey blush, ask soft, "Ifedolapo, dem say you sabi play ayo. You wan play with me after lunch?"

He dey look her like say na princess dey before am. I dey remember how she dey follow this boy up and down.

"No, I dey busy."

Chinelo just cut am, keep her phone, open English book, no even look her old crush.

She bone face, dey write like say exam dey next week. Musa waka go, head low. E shock am, e shock me too.

Musa waka go, shame catch am. I no understand Chinelo. Two days ago, she dey find how to meet am, dey pray to be same for PE. How she change so quick?

E be like say when money enter hand, love go run. Or maybe she dey act big girl now.

As she see say I dey look, Chinelo raise her head, talk with pride: "I go run Ifedolapo Group for future. Musa no reach my level. Now, he be like you—ordinary dust, no fit leave mark for my life."

She dey form CEO. I just shake head, dey wonder how power dey change person.