Chapter 7: Drowning in Laughter

Bali weather just hot and sticky, everybody dey vex.

The heat for that place no get respect. Mosquito dey dance for air, even fan no fit help. Everybody just dey wipe sweat, dey grumble. Na only Femi dey smile like say e no dey feel anything.

Sade parade for pool with lace swimsuit, dey press body for Femi, curves everywhere.

Sade no dey hide—her own na show. As e dey swim, all eyes dey her side. Femi dey look, but e dey act like say e no care. I sabi all the tricks.

Me, I dey fear water, so I just lie for sand, dey pretend say I no well.

I spread wrapper for floor, dey close eye. I no fit near pool, my mind still dey that old trauma. I dey hum small song, dey block their noise.

"Amina, you no go swim?" Sade tilt head, dey form innocent.

Her tone na snake under grass—she dey do like say she care, but I sabi say e get another meaning. I just hiss, no answer.

"You still dey vex for that small thing before? Na joke I dey play that time."

She dey whine, dey try soft my heart. Her laugh sharp like broken bottle—na so e dey sweet her to see me dey struggle.

She purse mouth, dey whine to Femi, "Brother Femi, make I kneel down beg her?"

She dey look Femi with puppy eye, dey form victim. Femi dey act like say e dey reason am, but e eye dey shine.

I no send. I wan waka go, but iron hand catch my wrist.

Femi grip strong. As I try waka, e just hook me. E eye dey warn me, make I no try stubborn.

"Sade don call you nicely. No dey do like say you too hard—go swim with her."

E dey order me, like say I be small pikin. Even if my chest dey shake, I gree follow, but na inside me I dey vex.

Femi drag me reach pool edge, no send my struggle.

E just dey pull me like goat. People dey look, some dey whisper. My pride dey die, but my spirit still dey fight.

As I fight more, e lose patience, carry me for shoulder, throw me inside water.

E no send if I fit swim or not. Na so I enter pool, water cold, shock my bone. My mind travel go that day for campus.

Cold water just rush my nose, I feel like say I dey drown, mind fly go that swimming lesson years back. God, abeg, no let me drown for here. Na only you sabi my pain.

Na so my brain dey scream. That day, e pain me pass anything.

Femi do same thing that time.

E throw me—blood dey flow—enter pool like trash.

That old wound never heal. My body dey remember every moment—pain, blood, cold.

Everybody stand for side, fold hand, dey laugh as I dey struggle like dying bird.

Laughter dey ring for air, nobody help. Na me alone dey battle for my life. Even Sade dey snap picture with her phone.

Person shout, "Why she dey bleed?"

That shout loud, water turn red. I dey fear say I go die there.

Femi screw face. "She don spoil pool—see nonsense."

Instead of help, e dey vex. E dey blame me for him own wahala. My chest dey squeeze.

That time, I dey shiver, hold pool edge, fear no let me come out till e talk.

I dey shake, teeth dey chatter. People dey whisper, dey call me witch. I no fit cry out loud.

But this time, I just let myself sink, no strength to fight again…

As darkness wan swallow me, person grab my waist, pull me up.

Strong arm dey wrap me, e yank me up. Water just dey pour from my face. For small moment, I think say maybe Segun don turn hero.

"You dey craze? Wetin be this?"

But na Femi, face hard like stone. E dey curse, dey squeeze me like say I be thief.

The boy wey I dey dream of no come.

Segun no fit save me. Na only Femi fit reach me for darkness.

Na only Femi, face dark with anger, dey curse me.

Him voice deep, almost like growl. I dey cough, water dey drip for my mouth, but e no show mercy.

"You wan die abi?"

E dey shout, but I know say fear dey inside. E dey shake small, but e hide am.

E pin me for pool wall, fear and worry show for him face.

For that moment, I see panic inside him eye. E dey try hide am, but e dey there.

"No be wetin you want? Make I die? Take am now."

My voice dey crack, pain dey my chest. If I get choice, I go vanish from this world. But e no dey that simple.

My voice crack from all the choking.

As I dey talk, tears mix with pool water, my face swell.

E eye just shrink. E wan talk, but words no come out.

Femi mouth open, but nothing drop. E dey look me like say e dey see ghost. For once, silence fit break wall.