Chapter 2: The Kiss That Stole My Sleep

Six years ago, for that hot season.

Na for Makurdi, that kind heat wey dey make person curse NEPA, breeze no gree blow. My body dey sweat, e be like say mosquito dey do party for my leg.

NEPA don take light for my area, no fan, no AC, I nearly roast.

Na so person dey bath anyhow, dey fan self with hand, dey curse government. I use old Daily Trust paper dey fan myself, sweat still dey drip. I dey imagine myself go village fetch water, but na city I dey, so frustration hold me.

I post for my WhatsApp status: [This heat wan finish person o!]

People begin reply with meme, some dey send 'pele', others dey send cold water emoji. For Naija, small gist, everybody wan add mouth.

My bestie wey dey abroad call me, say make I go crash for her house.

E still dey care, even from abroad. Na so she say, "Momo, abeg carry yourself go my side jare! No dey suffer."

Her apartment for Makurdi dey empty, so I rush go, on AC, sleep for her bed.

Na so cold just dey enter my body, I spread my leg on top bed, sleep carry me sharp sharp. The kain sleep wey you no dey wake till morning.

Who know say for midnight, I go wake see person dey my side?

Fear just grip me, my mind flash enter village story — spirit people, witch, all those Naija fear wey dey midnight.

Fear catch me.

I nearly shout Jesus! But I hold myself, dey find touchlight. E remain small, I for don pee for body.

I on small rechargeable lamp—na fine boy wey get criminal level beauty I see.

You know that kain beauty wey dey make person doubt if na human being? Skin just dey glow, lips pink, everything package.

Chest broad, abs dey show, v-line just dey scatter everywhere.

I never see v-line for real life before. Na film I dey see am. That night, my eye clear.

Him skin fair reach, e be like if I look am too much, blood go comot my nose.

I hide face small, dey peep. E be like say cold breeze just dey blow from e side. I dey fear to touch am, as if e go disappear.

But the guy face red from drink, no matter how I try, e no gree wake.

E just dey snore, mouth open small. I even push am once, e no move. Alcohol no be small thing o.

Of course, I sabi am.

No fit mistake am. Na Uche Lanting, my bestie baby brother.

Na my bestie small brother.

E still get that innocent face, but body don dey mature. Person go think say e still dey secondary school, but e chest dey speak another language.

Just 18 that time—fresh boy, but after he remove shirt, e body just dey package, my heart begin do one kind. Temptation!

Na small temptation wey person go pray against. As per big sis, I suppose close eye, but this life na one!

The small boy don drink, crash, no even know say person dey bed with am.

I dey pity am small, but at the same time, e dey sweet me. Abeg, body no be firewood.

Wetin I go do?

I dey ask myself, "God, why you put me for this kain wahala?" Big sis wey go explain temptation later for prayer meeting.

Na one-room flat. No other place to sleep, parlour sef no get AC.

Heat dey outside, mosquito full parlour. If I go sleep for ground, na finish be that.

I no fit give am my space.

For this Naija, if you shift for man, na so story dey start. I no wan hear my bestie gist say her bro sleep for ground because of me.

I try push am commot for bed make e go sleep for ground.

I use hand push, use leg nudge, the guy no even shake. Na there I know say kai, drink na bad thing.

But I no fit move am at all.

Guy just dey like bag of cement, body strong. I try beg God make e waka commot by dream, but e no shift.

I just vex, close eye, dey reason my life.

I dey count ceiling board, dey wonder how I take land for this kain situation. I dey try reason which prayer point go use deliver myself.

Next thing, the small boy roll come my side.

Na that kain midnight roll wey you no fit dodge. Before I fit open eye, e don jam me for body.

Warm lips, small alcohol smell, soft and stubborn—

Na the kain kiss wey dey confuse person. Soft, but e dey strong, alcohol just dey mix with e breath. My body dey react.

Before I fit reason, e don jam my mouth.

No warning, no explanation. My head just blank. Na so my destiny begin dey shake.

I shock, my head blank.

For like two seconds, I freeze. My mind dey replay all the village people wey fit dey look me that night.

Who go believe say na my bestie small bro, wey small me by five years, go do me strong thing for night?

If I tell anybody, dem go think say na lie. I dey ask myself whether I dey dream.

I wan shout for am make e wake.

I dey try form, but my voice no dey come out. My body dey betray me.

As I open mouth, na so him lips just enter.

I dey whisper inside, "God abeg, carry temptation go."

Omo, na there wahala start. Na surprise, but my body no even move. I dey feel like statue.

My body freeze, blood just dey rush anyhow.

My chest dey pound, my blood dey do kpokpo-garri. E be like say small current dey enter me.

I open eye, see as him brow and eyes just squeeze tight.

I dey watch am like person wey dey see film. E face dey squeeze, but e still fine.

Eyelash long pass my own.

God! This boy na real spec. E fine pass some girls I know.

With eyes closed, e resemble crescent moon.

E get that kind innocent look, even as e dey do bad thing. Na wah!

E hot breath dey brush my face—dey make me feel somehow, body dey shake.

I feel shiver, like harmattan just pass through my skin. My body dey betray me.

Never in my life I feel that kind way before.

Na the first time my body dey vibrate for kiss. I dey blame devil, but small me dey enjoy.

Suppose vex, suppose shame, but my heart dey beat anyhow.

I dey form big sis for day, but for night temptation dey real. Wetin I go do?

The small boy, drunk, just dey do anyhow for my mouth.

Na so e dey taste my lip like say e dey chop sweet. I dey try resist, but e dey sweet me.

Shock no gree me react.

I just freeze, dey collect. E reach when I wan shout, but tongue heavy.

I try dodge tongue, no wan make e catch am.

I shift mouth small, but e hand dey hold my shoulder. I dey warn myself say, 'Momo, abeg, no fall hand!'

But e no rush, if e no reach tongue, e just dey taste my lips, dey bite small small.

E just dey play, dey bite lip like say na chewing stick. Small pain, small pleasure, everything join.

As my tongue touch the roof of his mouth—omo, na current! Body just dey vibrate, I no fit bear.

I fit swear say my spirit comot body that night. Na so body dey hot, mind dey fly.

One mad thought enter my head: This thing sweet o.

Na that moment I know say I fit fall hand if person no hold herself well.

Madness!

Na real craze. Devil dey work overtime that night.

My mind just dey scatter, mood dey fly.

E be like say my head dey inside water, my body dey another place. Na so temptation dey start.

No matter as e dey do, I no fit let am continue like that.

I dey try summon all the bible verse wey I sabi. I dey recite Psalm 23 for mind, but e no work.

I never kiss anybody before o.

For my life, na first time. E sweet and e fear me.

Now, na my bestie small bro dey use me learn work, my head dey spin, heart dey jump.

If person talk this story, dem no go believe am. Na my bestie small bro dey use my mouth practice. My heart dey do gbim gbim.

I no fit bear that soft, sticky feeling.

E dey tickle my heart, my body dey shake, but I know say e no suppose be so. E for better if breeze blow me go.

Before I know, my tongue don dey find him own.

I shock myself! I no know when I join the matter. Devil dey work, abeg.

Heart wan jump commot from chest.

I feel say e go burst. Wetin I dey do?

I think say I don craze finish.

I dey beg God for forgiveness, but small me still dey enjoy. Na so e be for this life.

For that quiet night, sweat just dey my body.

Sweat dey drip for my chest, but e no concern me again. I just dey float for cloud.

Later, if I remember, everything just blur—na only that hot feeling remain for my memory.

For morning, na so the memory just dey come back in flashes. E dey sweet me, e dey shame me.

After everything, the small boy just sleep like say nothing happen, dey snore, while me—

Guy no send, e dey dream sweet dream. Me, my eye dey open, sleep run. I dey count clock, dey pray make day break.

My mind no fit calm down.

My chest dey drum, I dey ask God how to wash mouth before morning. Na so life be sometimes.

Sleep run from my eye till morning.

I never see insomnia like that before. Even mosquito no fit disturb pass as my mind disturb me.

Around five, before the guy wake from hangover, I just waka commot quietly.

As I dey waka for street, I dey look back every second, dey fear say person go shout my name.

I no wait make sun rise well. Na so I tiptoe, carry bag, waka dey go. I no want make eye jam eye.