Chapter 2: Hot Temptation, Cold War

2

Work for design firm dey swing—sometimes busy, sometimes e dry. Some days, na so file go full table, I go dey pray for small rest. Other days, breeze go blow everywhere, nothing dey happen. Na those slow days dey tempt person pass.

When e dry, body go dey do me one kind. Na those slow periods na him body go dey misbehave. Person go dey reason all kinds of thing, na so temptation dey show face.

I dey that age wey body dey hot, always dey reason, and na Mrs. Halima, mature and sabi, dey inside my mind.

My mind dey wander—no be say I no dey try, but as young man, na so thought dey rush me. If I see Mrs. Halima waka pass, na so head go dey spin. Sometimes I go dey imagine wetin I no suppose imagine.

Mrs. Halima and Morayo dey mind their work, no dey talk, but dey compete for back. You go see two of dem dey press calculator, dey form busy, but for inside mind, na another battle dem dey fight.

Mrs. Halima go talk to me sometimes, but mostly she dey form cold.

Na once in a while she go ask me question, other times, she go bone face like say she dey judge me from distance.

Morayo sabi yarn—sometimes we go gist all morning, then she go carry me go chop.

Morayo na chief gist partner. If she no get gist, she go drag you go buka buy amala, dey run mouth about everything. You fit laugh forget say you never get salary.

Mrs. Halima notice, come dey act colder, like say I dey follow Morayo plan something. Her cold fit freeze Agege bread. If she see me and Morayo dey laugh, her face go hard like stone. Sometimes, she go shift chair, face window, dey tap pen for table.

One day, Mrs. Halima wait till Morayo commot, then talk with vex: "If you wan dey gist, carry am go outside. How person go take work?"

Na so she fire me for front of file. Her voice dey always low but the thing dey bite. I just stand like soldier wey parade tire.

I just freeze, then rush beg: "I go watch myself next time."

I dey try form humble, dey beg make wahala no big. For my mind, na small thing, but for her, e mean plenty.

Mrs. Halima hiss, throw one file for my desk, waka go.

Her hiss long pass snake own, and as she waka go, her heel dey knock ground—gbam gbam. I just keep face, dey watch file like say e be exam paper.

After that, maybe because I dey feel guilty, Mrs. Halima face just dey my mind—I no fit remove her.

Her cold dey pain me, but e dey sweet me somehow. Na so human being be—wahala dey sweet us sometimes.

Before I know, I don fall for her.

All the gra gra don turn to crush. I dey think about her, dey imagine how her house go be, the pikin, everything.

Mrs. Halima mature, sabi, get class—she be correct woman. The more I look, the more I like.

If to say na movie, I for don write love letter, but fear dey catch me. I just dey reason her for mind, dey plan all the things wey I no fit talk.

Human being get wahala—sometimes, the more person no send you, the more you dey reason am.

Na Naija thing—if person dey bone you, na that time you go dey ginger to impress. I dey try form sharp guy, but body no gree.

Anytime Mrs. Halima waka pass my table, my mind go just dey fly, work no go enter again.

Even her shadow fit distract me. The way she dey arrange hair, carry bag, even the way she dey sigh fit scatter my brain. If boss dey talk, I no dey hear anything.

Especially when her perfume touch my nose and I see her shape—my body go just dey do me like say ant dey crawl for inside.

Her perfume dey remind me of Christmas rice—sweet, rare, dey enter everywhere. If she bend small, na wahala. I go dey try form normal, but my mind dey dance azonto.

My head full with all those bad thoughts, work just scatter.

I go dey pretend dey type report, but for inside mind, na story I dey write. Sometimes, I go mistake file, boss go ask me if I dey drink ogogoro for work.

Even though Aunty Halima get husband and pikin, I no really dey feel any moral wahala.

Truth be say, my own morality na selective—if temptation strong, brain go enter silent mode. I dey use "na only crush" deceive myself.

To talk true—morality and body matter no dey go together.

For Naija, dem go say, "body no be firewood." Na so I dey reason am. I dey try respect myself, but body dey drag me go another side.

But na only for mouth I strong—body dey hot, but fear catch me, I no get mind. At most, I go just dey look her WhatsApp pictures, never try cross line for real.

Anytime I finish my so-called 'wise man time', I go dey shame for myself, dey tell myself say I no suppose dey reason married woman like this.

After I finish, na so I go dey judge myself. I go dey quote Bible for mind, dey plan how I go start fasting the next Monday. Shame dey catch me, but next week, I go still repeat am.

Four tables dey our office. Aunty Halima before dey far from me, but after them renovate and bring new cabinet, she come dey sit directly opposite me.

Na that new arrangement just finish me. Before, I fit dodge her, but now, anytime I raise head, na her fine face dey shine for my front. Temptation move closer.

Now, anytime I look up, na her fine face I dey see, sometimes even her cleavage close to my eye.

E reach one day, na so cleavage show for my eye like say na TV station. I try close eye, but eye stubborn pass body.

Some days, my sense and my bad mind go just dey fight—who go win?

Sense go dey beg me to behave, but bad mind go dey remind me say "guy, opportunity dey here." Na so I dey fight silent battle for mind.

Most times, na bad mind dey win, I go stand up, find better angle to peep inside her shirt.

I go dey pretend say I dey look for biro or file, but na mission I dey run. Sometimes, I go even arrange paper for floor, so that I fit look well. Na God save me say she no dey notice early.

I dey try form normal, but anytime I see wetin I no suppose see, my brain go just blank.

I go forget say I dey office. Everything go pause—na only heartbeat I dey hear. Na serious wahala.

One day, Mrs. Halima catch me dey look. She quickly cover her chest, give me one wicked eye.

My sweat begin pour, even fan no fit dry am. I dey pray make she no report me. Her eye sharp pass police torchlight. I freeze like rat wey see cat. She cover chest, adjust chair, give me silent warning.

That day, Mrs. Halima arrange book wall between our table, block my eye. She build file wall like Lagos landlord fence—no trespass. She use all the office file build wall—e reach my nose. From that day, na only her head I dey see. My dream for office don end.

Shame just catch me. With my big eye and small mind, I sure say Mrs. Halima now see me as pervert.

If to say ground dey open, I for enter. I dey avoid her, no dey talk loud. People fit notice say I calm down sudden.

E be like say I fall inside cold water. All those bad thoughts just vanish, I no even fit look her eye for long time.

Na that cold dey humble person. If she cough for office, my heart go jump. I dey act like primary school pikin wey teacher just flog.

Mrs. Halima na work machine, always dey shout for phone with client, dey scatter my head.

Her voice dey sharp—she fit handle five calls at once. If she dey vex, everybody go know. Some clients even dey beg her for mercy on phone.

Our work dey cross plenty, and whether she dey vex for real or just wan show me, she dey always throw file give me or dey para for me.

If she get file, she go fling am for my desk. "Kunle, do am now!" No time for smile. Sometimes, I dey suspect say she dey use me catch cruise.

Morayo no fit bear am, try settle: "Wetin dey worry una two? Before before una dey alright. Kunle, wetin you do wey make Aunty Halima vex? Make you behave o!"

Morayo dey try play peacemaker, but her own wahala still dey. I dey avoid her too, before she carry my gist go HR.

Of course, Mrs. Halima come dey para for me even more.

If I breathe loud, she go look me. If I cough, she go para. I no know wetin I do her again.

Small small, I begin dey vex for her too, even dey reason to tell boss make dem transfer me.

E reach one day, I begin dey plan escape route. I dey look vacancy for another department. Even boss sef don notice say my face no bright like before.

She sef go like make I waka.

For her mind, make I disappear—everybody go get peace. But God get plan.

But things change small after one business trip.