Chapter 4: Abuja Chaos and Cold Truths

On my way home, I pass the keke park wey Ifeanyi dey use.

The place scatter—keke na float, people dey shout. Water everywhere, sand block road. I dey look, dey count blessings say I still get leg to waka.

People full everywhere—firefighters, medics, people wey just survive…

Ambulance siren dey blare. Nurse dey run upandan, rescue workers dey pull people from mud. Children dey cry, old women dey shiver. Na real wahala.

Area boys dey drag rope, dey shout, “Make una commot for water!”

The whole place dey hot. Everybody dey rush, dey push, dey try find road. People dey vex, dey shout, dey hustle for keke space. Wetin remain for Abuja na just survival.

I stop.

Na there my body freeze. I just stand, dey look the chaos. My mind empty, but my heart dey race. E be like say Ifeanyi figure fit show from anywhere.

My phone buzz.

My hand still dey shake as I pull phone from wet jacket. The screen bright, water stain everywhere.

[Sis, my phone fall for water. Just repair am finish.]

The chat pop up, that Ifeanyi tone. He still dey call me ‘sis’, like say we be small pikin.

[Buy small cake for you, I dey come house soon~]

He always dey try act sweet, dey send emoji. I dey look am, my heart dey bite me.

The emoji na cartoon puppy hold love.

Even now, he still dey do all those childish things. That emoji, I dey save am for days wey I wan remember happiness.

Caption: [The small puppy like you pass]

He fit make me laugh even when I dey vex. The way he dey talk, e get as e dey melt my anger.

I shock.

I just stare the phone, hand still. I no fit reply fast, my brain dey jam. How person fit dey live two life like this?

After some time, I reply:

I manage press phone, finger dey tremble. [I dey keke park, Wuse Exit A.] My voice for text even weak.

No too long, Ifeanyi show from the corner.

I see him tall shadow first, then the red lips. Na only one person fit shine like that for all this wahala.

He tall and slim, red lips, white teeth, skin just dey shine.

If rain touch Ifeanyi, e still fine. The wet ground dey reflect him image, people dey glance.

Simple white T-shirt, grey hoodie, dark blue jeans—he wear am like celebrity.

His dressing dey simple but the swag dey loud. Even the agbero for park dey hail am. Some girls dey wink, some dey whisper.

People dey look am.

Na so Abuja dey. Fine boy no dey hide for crowd. Some dey snap am with eye, others dey wish.

“I tell you make you stay house, abi?”

His voice dey serious, e dey try form elder. He dey scold me, but na love dey hide inside. I dey vex, but I still hear the worry for his voice.

He scold, remove jacket, cover me.

He just remove him own jacket, cover my shoulder. The jacket still warm, smell like his perfume, mixture of powder and soap. E choke me small, but I just keep quiet.

“You too dey sick, still waka for rain.”

I no answer, but I know say e dey reason my health. Before, I for smile. Now, I just stand, dey collect cold.

That scent from him body just dey make my nose hot.

The mix of rain, Ifeanyi scent, and small sweat—e dey pull memory from my mind. Sometimes I go dey forget my vex for small minute.

“I think say you don die inside there.”

He sound serious, voice low. E dey try form strong, but e dey fear.

I point the keke park entrance.

I just use hand, point inside, my voice crack.

I think say I go break, but my voice just hoarse, almost no come out.

I dey try talk, but the words hang for throat. My mouth dey dry, tears dey press back.

“You say you dey keke, then you quiet.”

He dey complain, but I know say e dey fear.

“News talk say keke park don flood.”

I dey explain myself, my voice dey shake. The news dey everywhere, dem dey show for TV, radio dey shout.

“I fear die. I waka for rain reach here.”

Truth be say, I really think say e go die. I dey panic, no fit breathe well.

“People try stop me, no gree make I enter.”

Na so passersby dey hold me, dey beg make I go house. But I no hear dem, my own na only Ifeanyi.

“I tell them say my boyfriend still inside—if I go die, make I die with am.”

I no care for myself, na him matter full my head. I shout for people, say make dem allow me. I dey craze that moment.

“Ifeanyi—”

I call am, voice small.

I look up, eyes red, dey look am direct.

He shock, eyes dey dodge mine, but I still dey hold am with my own.

“When I dey worry for you reach to die, where you dey?”

My words heavy. E shock am. For that moment, I fit see small fear for him face.

He lower eyelids, hide those always-smiling eyes and whatever dey inside.

He look down, lips tight, no smile. Maybe na shame, maybe na guilt. The rain still dey fall, but the cold na inside I dey feel am.

Maybe the game don pass him plan.

Maybe na the first time he no fit control the story. Na so him body freeze, he no fit talk.

Or maybe he dey laugh me inside—this mumu girl, see wetin she dey do.

I dey reason am. Maybe e still dey feel say I be joke. I dey look am, dey try see if I go fit read his mind.

He just turn face, smile small, reply,

“Of course, I go buy cake for you, sis.”

E force smile, voice soft. E dey try reset the matter, turn everything to play. But I know say my pain no be play.

Lie—you dey party with your rich friends, dey enjoy.

I dey see truth for my mind. All that time, na party, na flex. Me I dey here dey worry, dey cry.

You use my love play, no pity.

He dey treat my heart like small toy. E pain me, but I dey try hide am.

Before I fit talk more, he turn crouch down.

He squat, dey tie my shoe lace. He dey try distract me, but I no dey look him face.

“Abeg, make we go house. No go fall sick.”

He talk like say e dey care, but I know say e dey dodge my eye.

Ifeanyi carry me like that, wade through muddy water reach waist.

He bend, lift me like small pikin, no even mind who dey look. He dey walk slow, every step heavy. Water dey soak him jean, cold dey catch am, but he no talk. I dey shiver for him arm, tears dey roll but rain dey hide am.

For my ear, my own voice dey echo.

“Go house go do wetin? Ifeanyi, our house don spoil.”

The words burst from my mouth, small but strong. For my mind, I dey ask—what be home again?