Chapter 6: Life Sweet Pass Agege Bread

Heat wan kill person for Lekki, but pool water dey cool.

People dey ask online, "If you get thirty million sharp sharp, how you go live?"

See question! We sef be case study for flexing life.

Me and Chuka be example. Save half, flex half. We move enter big villa, drive Benz. Models dey come our pool party steady.

Every Friday na party. Even DJ dey call us, "Oga, which vibe you want tonight?"

But one thing Chuka no dey touch: music. He pack all him favourite album before transmigration lock for basement. As he close door, he ask me, "You get anything to throw?"

That basement na shrine. E go dey dark, but e full of memories wey no fit wash for swimming pool.

I say, "I don already throw."

My own past, I dey dash am street.

"Wetin?"

"Five Years of JAMB, Three Years of Mock Physics, Olympiad Math from Zero—I throw am after JAMB."

Na true talk. Person fit study die, still struggle. No be by books.

Chuka roll eye, sit by pool. Evening breeze dey blow. Girls dey play for pool, the sound never sweet reach like this before.

Life sweet pass Agege bread. Champagne dey cold, but memory dey hot for chest. For night, we go dey reason, but e still be like dream.

Even after one year, those people and things still dey our mind. But me and Chuka no dey talk am.

Sometimes, silence get power pass long gist. We fit look each other, remember everything but no word go come out.

Chuka sip watermelon juice, wave one girl. "System come meet me later o. E say e wan do some counseling or something..."

As he dey gist, I dey watch babes dey dance skelewu for poolside. Enjoyment dey, but memory still dey knock.

I look am, he continue, "E dey talk say all na past dream, like murder mystery—light come on, game finish. But some things, na only you fit understand. How real things go be fake? Now, if I see alcohol, I wan vomit."

I fit relate. Na so trauma dey hide, even for midst of party.

Chuka talk with smile, but I sabi say he no really happy. Scar dey him mind. Maybe one day e go open again, blood go come out.

The pain na long thing. E fit hide for mind, but small trigger go bring am back.

Just like me, since I come back, I dey restrict myself. Like Morayo no like pepper, so if I dey order, I dey say no pepper. Me and Chuka no win this game—we just survive.

For this life, na who survive dey tell story. Victory no dey always look like gold medal.

Music loud, I come back to myself as everywhere dey lively. Chuka drop glass. "Today, I swear, I go toast every girl!"

My guy don bounce back, at least for this moment. I happy for am.

I talk, "Me too."

We both jump enter pool. Music loud, we no hear system reboot.

Omo, as we jump, the splash na like new beginning. System noise no reach our ear.

System scatter sound system, shout with panic:

"Male lead for novel world don die. Target use abnormal means. Hosts, come back. Teleportation start in three seconds."

That panic voice, e dey funny and scary at once. Girls dey look us, we no even fit talk.

Me and Chuka, arms around fine babes, never react finish—

Na so world turn upside down. Enjoyment turn wahala.

Everywhere dark. We faint. But this time, even enjoyment no fit save us. Where system dey carry us go now?