Chapter 1: New Passenger, Old Problems

After my boyfriend got his new car, he suddenly had a new person to drive to work every day. Na so my phone dey ring less, but car dey smell like new suya every morning.

As if overnight, everything just change. You know as e dey be when man get new ride—suddenly, him dey run extra errand. Rain or shine, he go out of his way to pick her for work and drop her after closing time.

And this companion? She dey decorate the car inside as if na her own.

You no go believe! She hang her pink air freshener for mirror, and my own flats wey I leave for seat, she don troway—na her own size dey there now. I open door one morning see pink air freshener, I nearly ask myself if I mistakenly enter wrong car.

One rainy day, I waited alone at the company gate for almost one hour before my boyfriend finally show, with his new companion just dey sit pretty beside am.

That day, the rain no even get joy. E dey fall kpatakpata, and cold just dey enter my bone. The girl sat in the passenger seat, smiling as she apologise to me: “Aunty, I dey chop slow, na why your boyfriend late come pick you. Abeg, no vex.” She even get mind call me Aunty. I just look her with side eye, but wetin I go talk?

Before I fit even answer, my boyfriend playfully tapped her forehead. “Morayo is more mature, not like you—you no need person to beg you before you chop. You just dey behave like small pikin.” The thing pain me, but I just bone face, no wan disgrace myself.