Chapter 1: The Call We Scatter Table

After five years of marriage, everybody for street dey hail Ifedike—correct husband, steady man.

For my area, people dey always praise am – "Ah, you get luck! Your husband too get sense." Sometimes, even my mama dey hail am for phone, say, "Morayo, na correct husband you marry, hold am well o." Sometimes e dey sweet me, sometimes I just dey look am, because wetin dem dey see no be all the picture.

Na only say, the man na workaholic.

True true, even my best friend Joke don talk am before, "Ifedike go use work kill himself. Na so e dey do since school days?" Sometimes, as I dey chop alone for night, I dey wonder if na only me dey see the difference between 'hardworking' and 'never dey house.'

Until that day for NGO team-building, we dey play Truth or Dare. The new intern come insist make I join her dey pretend say we don drunk, then call our partners make dem come carry us.

You know say some people just get wahala for body, as dem see me dey mind my business, na so dem still call me. Everybody for table dey ginger me to join, dem dey laugh, say, "Madam Morayo, na you suppose ginger us!" Na so I gree join. I reason say, nothing dey this game.

Ifedike no even answer my call. After e ring small, he just cut am, send me only one word: "Busy."

My heart just fall small. My hand dey shake small as I drop phone, but I just dey package smile—no let dem see me weak. For my mind, I dey reason, na so work serious reach, e no fit pick my call for this kind setting?

But the next moment—

"I'm coming to pick you up right now."

Na Ifedike voice I hear for that green-tea intern phone.

Na like say my ear dey deceive me. The voice clear, e no stammer. E sharp like Ifedike always dey when e matter. My body cold small.

I look up, jam her eyes as she dey look me with that her pepper-body.

Her face still dey shine like torchlight, the kind confidence wey dey make old men stammer. Her eyes big, dey shine like say water dey inside—like Lagos lagoon for sun. As she dey look me, e get as e be, as if say she wan use her eye talk say, "You never see anything."

That moment, I just reason say, this marriage don reach where e go end.

Na so wahala dey start. Sometimes na small pepper person drop for soup dey spoil everywhere. That day, I feel say my own marriage fit shake.

Everybody for table hold breath, even the music low small. Na only my heart dey drum for ear.