Chapter 4: Vitamin C and Cheap Love

As I keep quiet, Kunle ask, “Morayo, why you no talk?” His voice get small tension, like say he dey fear wetin I go reply.

“Aunty Morayo, cold catch you abi?” Halima tilt her head, look me like say she innocent. “I check weather for road—harmattan dey blow and rain dey fall. E too cold. Abeg, no fall sick, or I go feel bad.” She add small fake frown join.

As she finish, I sneeze. The cold dey catch me true true, but the wahala for my mind big pass weather.

“You really cold?” Kunle look me for rearview mirror, dey complain, “Your body no strong again o. Small wind and you don dey sneeze. I tell you make you dey wake up early jog with me, but you no gree.”

“I get vitamin C,” Halima quickly bring out one box from her bag, give me. “See, na Kunle buy this one for me—say e dey help immune system. Aunty Morayo, take two.”

As she pass me the vitamin C, my mind just dey do mathematics. Why this one different from the one wey Kunle dey buy for me?

Kunle na health person, e dey like morning jog. Dem for office dey call am "Coach Kunle". When we first move come this area, he dey always call me make I follow am jog, but I like sleep, so I no dey go. Later, he just leave me. Even on weekends, na sleep dey sweet me pass gym.

Every time weather change, I dey catch cold, so Kunle always buy vitamin C for me. Sometimes e go buy orange join, say na fresh better pass tablet.

Few days ago, the vitamin C for house finish.

I just dey look the fine vitamin C Halima hand me. This one get foreign writing and plastic seal—e clear say e cost die. My spirit just dey vex.

The one Kunle dey buy for me na that cheap white bottle, two hundred naira from chemist.

I don complain before say e too cheap, but he go say the cheap one dey work—the expensive ones na scam. He go quote NAFDAC number join.

But the one he buy for Halima na imported one, thousands of naira per bottle.

So my boyfriend fit spend money for another person, but for me, na cheap one he go buy? My chest dey heavy me as I think am.