Chapter 2: School Days and Old Flames

"Ikenna, your English teacher dey find you o."

My seatmate tap my hand.

Na Uchenna, the only boy for class wey sabi draw cartoon for back of notebook. Him dey grin, show brown teeth. The air for classroom dey hot, mosquito dey hum for window.

As I look up, I see Morayo stand for classroom door, dey smile dey wave at me.

She stand for door like queen, her bag hang for shoulder. Sun dey shine for her face, give her one kind glow. I fit hear one junior boy for back whisper, "Na that fine aunty again!"

I just dey look, na that time e hit me say I don come back—return to my final year for secondary school.

My mouth open small. I touch my cheek, pinch myself. The chalk dust for desk still dey. For my mind, I dey reason say, "Na wah, na true be this?"

As Morayo see say I dey confused, she waka enter the class, just like before, come rub my hair gently.

Her hand soft, smell small like hair cream. Some girls for class dey giggle, dey tap each other.

"Why you dey lost for thought, pikin? You no go follow me?"

She talk am with that her sweet Ibadan accent, smile dey show gap teeth. Na so some boys for back dey mimic her, dey whisper, "Pikin! Pikin!"

Morayo na my neighbour’s elder sister and everybody for school sabi her.

Even principal dey greet her when she pass. For our street, she dey popular like Agege bread. When rain dey fall, na she dey organize small children make dem no soak.

For Christmas party, she dance cultural dance. Her body fine like white hibiscus wey dey open, plenty boys just dey look. Mothers dey clap, dey spray her small change, even principal dance shaku-shaku for corner.

I remember that Christmas, girls dey try tie wrapper like her own, but dem no fit match her steps. Boys dey hide dey peep her as she dey dance, some dey wish say na dem she go smile for.

But her wahala be say her result no too good. After she fail JAMB last year, she come repeat final year.

Dem talk am for assembly. Some teachers even dey shake head say, "Fine face, poor result." But everybody still like her because she no get pride.

The repeat class dey on top our own. Every day after school, Morayo go come meet me make we go house together.

For that our compound, na only me and her dey waka home together. Mama Chidi go always shout, "Una don dey go? Make una no late o!"

Me, I sabi maths well but English na wahala. She dey try for English but maths dey hard am.

We go dey sit for corridor, dey solve maths with torchlight when NEPA take light. Sometimes breeze go blow her book comot, we go chase am together.

Every weekend, we dey read together, dey help each other for the subject wey dey worry us.

Her mama go bring cold zobo, sometimes small buns join. Neighbours dey hail us, dey call us "bookworm couple" for joke.

She gentle and patient. With her help, my English sharp sharp dey improve.

She go always say, "If you fit speak well, you fit go anywhere for this Naija." I go dey laugh say, "As far as dem no ask me to speak French."

My classmates dey always joke say na she be my English teacher.

Dem go tease me for assembly, "Ikenna, you go answer question today, your teacher dey watch!" I go just dey shy.

As she see say I no dey move, Morayo just begin pack my school bag, dey talk, "Na me go dey do everything for you? Ikenna, if I no dey nko?"

She talk am with small laugh, but her eye dey shine. Some people for class go shout, "Aunty Morayo!" Girls dey giggle, boys dey clap.

Her talk make the whole class begin laugh and shout.

Some people even stand up, dey do like say dem dey act film. Everybody happy, even teacher wey wan enter class dey smile.

Before, I for don blush, follow her quietly.

I dey always hide my face, dey look floor like say ground get answer.

But now, all I want na to keep my distance from her.

As she dey pack my books, I just sidon, dey observe everything, my mind dey think pass my age. E be like say I dey watch play wey I don sabi how e go end, but I no fit talk.