Chapter 2: Pepper Dey Body, Wahala Dey Brew

I no even plan to join the team-building, na last-last I gree.

Wetin carry me come? Abeg, na management waka. Me, I be Deputy Director, so no how I fit dodge am. I just dey wish make e finish sharp-sharp.

After all the waka and activity, my body don tire. My armpit dey sweat under Ankara, generator hum dey background, jollof rice smell still dey hang for air. I just wan chop, then go house rest. Na so one babe squeeze herself come sit by my side.

She just shift body, her perfume nearly choke me. For my mind, I talk say, this one no get home training. Anyway, na work, make I no vex.

As I wan shift, person come remind am, "Halima, na our Deputy Director Morayo be that o. No go dey press Madam Morayo like that."

Some people just dey form oversabi. The girl turn, look the person like say, "And so?" Me, I just laugh inside. These small small Gen Z, dem no send hierarchy.

I just smile, "No wahala, abeg. We all dey here to relax, no need for all this formality. Make everybody enjoy themselves."

My smile dey do like that of person wey dey hold herself not to vex. But I gats set example for my staff. I no wan make dem fear me.

The babe, Halima, don balance for my side already.

She fine, no be small. Her eyes big, dey shine like say water dey inside—like Lagos lagoon for sun, she smile, everywhere pure—na person wey people go like.

E get as she take arrange herself; her skin dey glow, her hair dey like person wey dey go party. Na those girls wey fit make old men forget their age.

I smile ask am, "You be new person?"

Her voice sweet, soft, but e get another edge. Like say she sabi wetin she dey do.

Halima stretch hand, "I be new intern, just twenty-one."

She yarn am with pride, as if age na badge for chest.

I nod.

As I nod, I dey remember how me sef dey behave that time – fresh, sharp, full of ginger. But I still dey wonder wetin she dey find for my side.

Next thing, Halima talk say, "Make we play Truth or Dare, Deputy Director Morayo. Make we set example for others."

I just dey look her. E be like say she wan use me shine. Everybody begin look our side.

Before I fit talk, she don carry my phone from table, give me, raise her eyebrow. "Dare. You dey fear, Deputy Director Morayo?"

Chai! See challenge. For public o! People dey watch. Na so I collect phone, hide my real mind.

This her boldness ehn, I just dey look. Since everybody dey, I no wan spoil their mood, so I collect the phone.

I just think inside, this one no get respect o. But make I no show myself. After all, na small play.

"How we go take play am?"

I ask am, my voice steady, but I dey reason her motive.

"We go pretend say we don drunk, then call our partners make dem come carry us," Halima talk, her voice dey sharp, like say she dey challenge me.

People begin dey giggle. Na so small wahala dey start for party. The dare dey simple, but e fit scatter person house.

I don meet all kind people for life, so I sabi the pride and pepper wey dey her voice.

Her eye dey shine, her body dey jangle like okada engine wey just wake up for morning rush. I just dey observe her, dey wonder whether na cruise or serious game she dey play.

So na all these small small children wey wan scatter office don reach my NGO?

My mind dey reason all the wahala for office, as if dem send this girl come. But I just dey look am, dey play along.

I no vex—e even dey funny me small. I find Ifedike number, dial am.

For my mind, I dey hope say him go answer. Make I no fall hand for this small girl front.

Since na dare, I put am for speaker.

Na so everybody eyes dey shine. Dem dey wait for drama, as if we dey watch Africa Magic. The air tight, everybody dey listen.

People around begin dey yarn:

"Halima, you dey play this game with Madam Morayo? Na wahala you dey find o."

"You don see Mr. Ifedike before? Na Madam Morayo husband be that, correct husband."

Another one add join, "That man no dey slack! Any small thing, e go dey Morayo side sharp sharp!"

"No be only pretend drunk—even if nothing happen, just one call from Madam Morayo, Mr. Ifedike go leave everything rush come."

Somebody even whisper, "Na so love suppose be. If you no fit pick your wife call for work, na wetin remain?"

...

As dem dey talk, na so my phone dey ring busy tone.

The call no go. Na person cut am for the other side.

My body chill small. People eye dey my face, I force smile.

Next thing, Ifedike send me WhatsApp message. Only one word: [Busy].

Everybody shock. Na so silence catch table for two seconds. Person whisper, "Na wa o."

I laugh, "I don lose."

I force am, but for inside, e pain me. I dey try package myself, make dem no see the crack.

"My turn," Halima voice rise.

She no waste time. E be like say na her real plan be this. She just dey shine teeth.

People dey signal her make she no call, but as young girl, she no sabi the kind coded rules wey dey office.

You know say for this our NGO, some things you no suppose do—even if nobody go talk. But Halima no send.

Her call go through.

Halima voice come turn sweet like honey: "I don drunk, you fit come carry me?"

She add small laugh, make e sound innocent. Even her body language change; she cross leg, her face dey soft, voice low like say she dey shy.

After she talk, she turn, look me eye to eye, raise chin, arch eyebrow—pure pepper.

Na so people dey look us two, like say dem dey wait for Nollywood part two. I still dey hold my face, no wan show say e dey pain me.

That time, I just know: this babe dey find my trouble.

But I no even know why. I never meet her before, and after this group waka, she no go even get chance see me again.

My mind dey wonder—why she dey target me? Abi she dey find Ifedike, or na me she wan pepper?

Next thing, I hear man voice from her phone.

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

That deep voice freeze me, like say person pour cold water for my body.

My heart jump. Na only one person get that bass. For this world, na only Ifedike voice fit sound like that.

I too sabi that voice. Na my husband.

Ifedike.

Na so my mind begin dey race. E mean say, while I dey call am, e dey answer another woman?

"Okay, I go wait for you." Halima cut the call, come look me again, her pride and pepper full everywhere.

As if say na me be the obstacle wey she just pass. She dey look me with small smile, like say she don win.

Like person wey just win battle.

That moment, I know her real target.

I feel the tension for room. Some people dey look away, some dey form say dem no dey see wetin dey happen. But my chest dey hot.

So, e no be office drama she come do—na my marriage she wan scatter.

E shock me small. But my mind dey reason wetin next. I no go let this small girl use me shine.

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