Chapter 2: Charm Wahala

Even as I reach my room, my face still dey burn.

I pour small water for head, dey try cool myself. My heart still dey beat like ogene drum. I lock my door well, even check under bed say nothing dey pursue me.

But small small, I calm down.

I siddon for mat, just dey breathe in and out. I look wall, dey count ceiling line. Gradually, my mind come down.

To be honest, with all the BL I don read, e normal for pretty boy protagonist to dey randomly enter heat near person!

I remember say all those Chinese stories I dey read, na so dem dey act. Na so one fine boy go just dey enter 'heat', e go need person to cool am down. I just dey tell myself say na book logic enter real life.

I overreact, na just that.

I laugh small, shake head. "Na wa for me o," I talk for low voice.

I breathe deep, force myself cool.

I close my eye, try remember my mama advice: "If wahala dey, no let am use your head take fry akara."

Once I reason am finish, I stop to dey think about am, just go back to my fighting forms.

I stand, begin dey practice my cutlass swing for corner. The movement help me clear my head. I dey sweat but I no care, because na only way to forget wahala.

But since I no know how to face Ebube, I begin avoid am, stop to ask for e help.

If I see am for corridor, I go dodge enter kitchen. If e dey fetch water, I go wait till e finish. Even for morning prayers, I dey sidon for back, dey use hymn book cover face.

At first, e still dey find me, even try apologize.

E go bring small meat, say, "Take, forgive me." Or e go leave message with small pikin, say, "Tell am I dey sorry." But I no fit face am yet.

But later, maybe e notice say I dey dodge am, e come stop to dey look for me.

I notice say e dey quiet, e no dey waka pass my room again. Sometimes, I see am for compound, e go just face front, no smile, no talk. Na that time I know say I don really pain am.

I breathe relief.

My chest loose small. I tell myself say at least e go rest small, make the matter die down. But for inside, small guilt dey bite me.

But as senior brother no dey guide me again, my fighting skills just dey one place.

I notice say my movement dey slack. Even small Efe for training ground dey beat me for footwork. My cutlass dey fall from hand, I dey forget steps. Other people dey notice, dey whisper, but nobody talk to my face.

I think am well, decide say make I pause fighting practice, focus on this my power wahala.

I reason say maybe na time to try another way. I dey read old stories, dey find solution. Some people dey say make I go prayer house, some say make I do fasting, but my mind no rest.

For night, as I kneel for mat, I dey beg God make wahala no meet me, but my mind still dey run.

Coincidentally, gist from the other side talk say one legendary charm don show.

For market side, I hear boys dey talk say one charm wey strong pass ogboni ring dey show. Everybody dey rush find am. My ear sharp, so I quick reason how I go use am.

This charm fit boost power without any wahala.

The gist na say if you fit touch am, your body go strong, you go sabi fight pass everybody. No need to do anything extra. But wahala dey always follow charm for Naija!

You know as e dey be—anything wey dey boost power dey always get one kind palava!

My grandma always talk say, "No touch wetin you no know, but my stubborn head dey always push me."

Dem dey talk say, "Who dey find trouble, go see trouble." But my leg no gree stop.

Temptation catch me.

My mind dey bite me: should I try? Abi make I sit down dey look? For night, I dey dream say I don collect the charm, everybody dey hail me. Na so I begin dey plan.

I think of my slow progress, so I decide sneak enter the other side go steal the charm.

I borrow black wrapper, tie head, blend face with charcoal. I fit hear my mama voice for my ear: "If you like, no use sense, wahala go meet you." But my mind don make up. I go collect that charm, come out champion!