Chapter 4: Plans and Betrayals

After we start, my plan na to carry her sharp sharp—but things no go as I think.

Omo, I no go lie, e shock me. All the trick wey I sabi—gift, surprise visit, coded invite for weekend, even Sunday morning church invitation—Ifunanya just dey block road.

I use every style, even suggest make she come dey stay with me, say e go help save money.

I reason am, talk say Aba house rent dey high. "Babe, you fit save money, come dey stay with me, use the rest help your life." She just smile, say she no like cohabiting before marriage.

But she too traditional, reject all my plans.

Some girls for my office for don gree since. But Ifunanya, her own wahala na another level. She go smile, thank you, but her answer na always no.

I fit understand why: after wetin her papa do, she no trust men at all.

E make sense. If na me, maybe I for even swear for men join. I no blame her too much, but e dey pain me sometimes.

But that one no cure my wahala.

My sickness dey increase. The more I try, the more my body dey cry for her untouched self.

The more time pass, the more that her untouched vibe dey worry me.

E dey do me like say I dey mad. Even her smile fit turn my stomach. Her laugh dey ring for my ear all day.

I fit see, but I no fit touch. E dey pain me well.

E dey hard, no be small. As man, you go wan enjoy your woman, but this one dey do like bishop daughter.

Every day, e be like say my heart dey cut, and my temper dey hot pass.

People dey notice say my mood dey change. For office, I go dey bark for small thing. Even my body dey do me like say spirit dey fight inside.

Few days ago, I carry her go house after work. Since I get next day off, I ask her make we go watch midnight film.

I plan say maybe after film, she go gree sleep over. I package everything—new perfume, clean shirt, even buy small shawarma for her.

She just tell me no, say e too late, e no make sense.

Her voice soft, but her answer firm. "Obinna, abeg, e don late, I no fit go cinema this night. Maybe another time."

I vex, ask am whether she really be my girlfriend.

Na that kain question wey you go ask when body dey vex. My tone hard small, but I no fit control am.

Her eyes just red.

E pain her. She look me, eyes shine like person wey wan cry, but she just hold face strong.

"Obinna, I sabi wetin dey your mind, but I get my own rules. If you really love me, wait till we marry—I go give you everything, abeg."

Her voice dey tremble, but na truth. E touch me, but my wahala dey different.

Wetin I wan talk again? I just change topic, pet her small, carry her go house.

Omo, I no fit fight too much. I gree, drop the matter, begin gist her about office wahala. She relax small, but I still dey burn for inside.

But as we reach her compound, na so we see Mr. Nwachukwu downstairs.

Ifunanya stiff. The man dey lean for wall, dey smoke cheap cigarette. As we dey approach, he just dey smile anyhow.

Ifunanya too dey vex. Before her papa talk, she don start.

She no gree wait. "Papa, I don give you money last week, I no get again! You want sell me ni? Why you no just carry me go market?"

But Mr. Nwachukwu thick-skinned pass wetin I think.

Oga no dey shame. He smile, use hand dust his shirt like person wey get respect.

"Who say I come for you? Na my son-in-law I come see."

He call me son-in-law like say na joke. His voice loud, neighbors dey peep from window, dey whisper gist.

He turn face me:

His face serious, eye dey shine like person wey dey plan new scam.

"Son-in-law, my luck don spoil these days. Maybe because woman money too full of bad luck—I need man money to change my fortune."

E be like say he wan use jazz for me. The kain way he dey talk, you go fear.

"Son-in-law, abeg, run me small thing. I go return am as bride price later."

He laugh, but na fake laugh. For inside, na business he dey do. For am, I be investment.

Mr. Nwachukwu dey call me son-in-law anyhow, but the more I hear am, the more I dey vex.

The thing dey bite me. Which kain nonsense be this? I never even marry your daughter, you don dey call me in-law? The thing dey pepper me.

Who know if Ifunanya go even end up with me?

Inside my mind, I dey reason—na she even dey hold body, no be me. Wetin concern me with bride price?

I use hand push am small, voice low but strong: "Oga, abeg, carry your wahala go."

I no fit control myself. The guy too dey cross line. I use small force, push am make he know say I no be mumu.

Mr. Nwachukwu stagger, eye full of anger, but as he see as we dey, he just hiss and waka.

He no get power to fight young man. He hiss like snake, then dey go like person wey lose bet.

My action make Ifunanya frown, but she no talk, just go upstairs.

She just sigh, look me small, then turn enter house. I sabi say she no happy, but e no easy to please everybody.

"Daughter, this man no dey reliable!" Mr. Nwachukwu shout after her, then eye me bad before he waka go.

The man still dey run mouth. I just dey look am with side eye. Him wahala too much.

I don already vex, and his wahala just dey add to my headache.

My body dey hot, like say I just finish running. I dey swear for the man inside my mind.

No be today, I go show am pepper tonight.

I plan say I go settle the matter once and for all. I no fit allow Ifunanya papa dey disgrace us every time.