Chapter 3: Outsider in My Own Car

Halima no even fat.

If you see am for road, na just small baby fat make her look cute and innocent. Her round face dey always glow, her eyes dey shine like person wey no dey ever vex. Sometimes sef, her laugh dey echo for car like bell.

When she puff her cheeks, Kunle even use style pinch her face. The way him finger go round her cheek, I just dey imagine slap am, but I hold myself.

The two of them dey play as if say I no dey there at all.

For one moment, I just freeze, dey think about what Halima talk: “outsider.”

True, that time, I really feel like outsider. My own boyfriend, my own car, and I dey backseat like househelp. My mind just dey turn.

To even call myself clown sef no too much. If na gist for group chat, I go dey drop clown emoji for myself.

Since Kunle buy that car, he don dey talk about his commuting companion:

“Morayo, I no get time chop breakfast, I dey go—Halima dey wait for me outside.”

“Halima close late today, so I go wait for am. I go come house later.”

“Babe, that Halima for my office love the meat pie wey you make today—she wan try more of your food. Abeg, make extra one tomorrow, ehn?”

Halima, Halima.

I no even think say that nickname na for girl. For my mind, I dey imagine maybe na old security man, not knowing na fine babe.

For the past one month, Kunle don turn driver for am.

He dey pick and drop Halima every day, pass Uber driver sef. E be like say she get special app wey dey call Kunle alone.

Even for today’s bad weather, when he know say I dey wait for am, he still let Halima finish her mama put food before he come carry me—him own girlfriend—go house.

As I dey look dem for mirror, I dey reason if na like this love suppose be.