Chapter 4: Goodbye Seyi, Hello Fifty Million

That day come quick. The night before, I still dey lie for im hand, he dey hold me, I dey smell im sweet body.

I no wan forget how im chest dey rise and fall. For that moment, na only love dey my mind, but my heart dey heavy.

"Seyi, if—just if—I waka without say goodbye, you go vex?"

I talk am slow, dey test im reaction. E just dey brush my hair, dey look my face.

Im voice calm, steady, he no even ask why I dey talk like that. "No. I go find you, bring you back."

The way he talk am, I feel say na joke, but e carry weight. E get as e look me, like person wey fit fight the whole world for love.

"Then if I leave you for money, think say you no get money, dump you, you go vex?"

Im hand for my waist hold me tight. "Morayo, you no be that kind person.

If na money, I go make am for you. You no need break up with me, abeg? My Morayo."

He dey beg with soft eye. E be like say e dey see my soul. I just dey look am, my mind dey turn like generator wey oil don finish.

But e no ever be about the money. I no answer—just kiss im lips…

The kiss bitter-sweet. E be like farewell, even though I no talk am. For that moment, I just wan hold am pass.

When I wake next day, Seyi don go. Breakfast still dey table, with small note: Morayo, you remember which day today be? I go come house early today, no run o.

He even decorate the tray with small flower. I wan cry, but I hold myself. Na my birthday, na also the day I go break person heart.

I no answer the note because I know say today na my birthday—and also… the day I go leave.

I paint my face with small makeup, but my eyes dey red. I try smile for mirror, but e no reach my heart.

I dress up, do small makeup, go the café wey I and Seyi mama agree meet.

The café smell of coffee and small cake. My hand dey shake as I hold the door. I dey pray make my voice no crack.

If I just follow the story, I go dodge the bad thing wey dey wait me when I return to Naija, abi?

I don ask this question tire.

The system dey always answer like machine: "Na so dem write am, na so e be."

"Yes, you don already make Seyi love you. Now just follow the script: collect fifty million from male lead mama, travel abroad, finish the mission.

But this na big turn for the story. You need to talk the lines wey we give you.

But e no too hard for you. After this, you no go dey tied to the script, and you go get fifty million. You and your family no go suffer like before, and you fit start your own life. But one thing be sure:

You no fit come back for four years.

Na that time male and female lead go know themselves, fall in love. If you show, you go spoil the story, so you no fit show."

I watch as car dey move, just agree for my mind.

I dey check my phone, dey wait for time to move quick. Na so my mind dey race, I dey pray make I no fumble my lines.

The café na correct one—the type wey dey make person feel somehow. I never go there before, but I balance. My papa and mama try for me, so I no dey fear places like that.

The waitress serve us small cake, na so she look me with pity. I just smile, dey form strong.

Dem don clear the place. Only one madam sit by the window, dey sip coffee. I waka go, sit for her front, greet am.

Madam Funmi perfume strong, her wristwatch na correct gold. She dey look me like inspector, dey check whether I get sense.

Smile show for her well-maintained face. "Miss Morayo, you know why I call you come, abi?"

Of course I know.

Madam Funmi, wey don dey high society for years, no fit just use cheque chase girl like me commot her son life. Somewhere for that café—maybe right in front of me—camera dey show me live to Seyi.

For Naija, big family like this dey always get long hand, camera dey everywhere. I dey careful as I answer her.

And Seyi don already know say im mama call me out.

Dem just wan see the kind person wey I be…

She dey test me, wan check whether I fit stand pressure, whether I fit shame dem for society.

"Okay, make I no talk too much.

I no go talk say you dey follow my son for money and status, but… at least you suppose know by now.

As I hear, your papa get small business, your mama na lecturer. No poor, no rich, just dey middle—but still no reach our level.

No match. I no fit accept you."

She dey talk am with soft voice, but her eye dey sharp like razor. For her mind, na class matter, na status, na who go fit match who for wedding picture.

She sit down well, no touch her coffee. Even as she dey talk all these, her voice still soft. Seyi self dey get this kind grace from her.

I no talk. My line never reach.

I dey watch her lips, dey wait for cue. For this kind moment, na patience dey save person.

"I try talk to Seyi, but he stubborn—dey always hold ground.

But I fit tell you, as Seyi mama for more than twenty years, I sabi am pass anybody. Na just youthful craze, na play.

When una start to dey argue for small small things, na only wahala go remain.

That time, Miss Morayo, you go lose both money and love, waste your youth join."

She dey talk like prophetess. Na so dem dey do for society meetings—dem dey use wisdom press person.

She bring out cheque from her bag, push am to me. "Miss Morayo, decide now.

Money, or one… uncertain future?"

The system dey feed me lines, I pick the cheque, look the figure, show face say I like am, then put am inside my bag sharp sharp.

I act my part well, like person wey dey used to big money. I hold the cheque steady, my eye dey sharp.

"Madam Funmi, you dey right. I no dey dull—of course na money I go pick.

Love no get use." I smile. "I just follow Seyi because e fine, e make me dey feel good. But e too dey worry, too clingy, dey control me, chase all my toasters, after some time e just dey too much.

No worry, Madam Funmi. Now wey I don collect money, I go disappear quick quick."

She dey look me with surprise. Maybe she no believe say I go play my part so well. I just dey smile, dey count seconds.

Her face don change, Seyi wey dey watch for camera fit don dey craze.

I dey imagine Seyi dey throw chair for room. But na so life be. If person wan collect money, e gats make face strong.

Madam Funmi don get wetin she want. She no wan waste time, stand up, I call her back.

I use my Naija sharpness, hold her before she waka, "Madam Funmi, you want make I break up with Seyi face to face? Make I shame am, tell am say I dey dump am, so e go give up sharp sharp. If not… I no go feel right to collect this money." Na the last line wey system give me.

The thing pain her, but e dey show say she get experience. She just nod, no talk.

She vex, but still hold herself. "No need, just disappear from Seyi life, no show again."

I feel her pride. She dey talk like person wey believe say her son go bounce back quick.

I look the palm trees outside. "Okay, I go disappear.

Abeg tell am for me:

No dey wait for person wey go hurt you.

Live well with the one wey be your own, make una happy forever.

Na wetin I wan tell am."

I dey try hold tears. E hard, but I gats finish well.

Madam Funmi turn back, her eye full of insult:

"You no reach."

The thing bite me. But na so rich people dey talk. For their mind, nobody dey reach their level.

As plane dey fly, I feel somehow.

E be like say my soul remain for ground. The city dey small from sky, my heart dey heavy.

I book ticket the day Madam Funmi call me. I collect the cheque for morning, go airport for afternoon, just carry one box.

I dey look my phone, dey check for message, but nothing dey come. Na that kind loneliness wey fit break person spirit.

My leaving don set. Maybe the love wey I get with am, na so e suppose end.

For Yoruba movie, dem go say, "Iku to ba f'ore, ko le f'otan." Wetin go happen, go happen.

As I dey wait flight, Seyi send me voice note. I listen.

Im voice dey hoarse, sound sad, but still fine.

He say, "Morayo, come back now. I go give you chance."

He say, "I no care wetin you talk, as long as you come back, anything you want, I go give you."

The voice notes dey increase, dey long.

I dey delete each one as e enter, but my eye dey wet. I no fit gree, I just dey listen, dey feel pain.

I no listen again—just delete contact.

Na the hardest thing I ever do. I close my eye, pray say Seyi go heal quick.

See as my Seyi humble reach.

For my mind, I dey thank God say I fit see love, even if na for short time. Bye bye, my love… Seyi.