Chapter 2: Office Betrayals and Broken Bonds

That moment, even as Amina don close the door, Mr. Okoli burst enter.

He enter like hurricane, face strong like person wey dey chase debtor. If na before, I for don shout, but now I just weak.

Na him strong pass for company after me, and na him fit betray me pass.

He always dey walk like general, eyes sharp, mouth sharp pass. Everybody dey fear am, but me, I dey look am like brother wey turn rival.

As he open door, Amina sharply pull her jacket, cover the dustbin.

Her reflex na die. She sabi say one small mistake fit scatter everything. She block the view, stand like security guard.

Mr. Okoli see as Amina rough small with me, he just laugh: “So na wetin you dey do for office every day be this? When you need something, assistant dey do am; when you no need, na assistant you dey do, abi?”

His laughter sharp, peppery. The kind mockery wey dey enter bone. For his mind, na office gossip he catch, not knowing say bigger thing dey ground.

I talk low: “Watch your mouth.”

My hand dey shake small, but I still hold my chair. No let am see my fear. My voice low, my eye no blink. Na warning, but also plea. I no get strength for wahala.

“Polite? You deserve am?”

His voice rise, e dey try draw crowd. For Nigeria, once office wahala start, gist dey spread pass harmattan fire.

He point my face, dey insult me for front of all shareholders: “We follow you bet because we trust you. But all these years you dey pump turnover, dey raise valuation. You think I no sabi wetin dey your mind? You be dog, you hear? Na dog you be.”

E pain me, but I just fold. His words dey sting, but I dey tell myself say na small wahala compared to wetin dey my body.

Mr. Okoli fling the new proposal for my face.

Paper scatter for table, one even land for my shoe. I no pick am, I just dey look.

I no talk.

My lips sealed. For this kind moment, silence loud pass shouting.

Na me first betray am.

I no fit deny am. Before all these wahala, na me bring the first cut.

Before, I really value them, wan make we all hammer together.

Na teamwork wey make us reach this level. I dey look back, dey remember small small victories.

But now, through the small space for door, I see say everybody for office dey vex for me.

If dem fit throw me away, dem go do am sharp. The air dey heavy, e fit cut with knife.

I just force smile: “If you continue this your wahala, I go call police. If you get mind, slap me. If not, carry your wahala comot. You no want criminal record, abi?”

I talk am like Lagos agbero. Make he know say I still get small fire left. Everybody dey watch, nobody fit talk.

Mr. Okoli surprise for my answer, mumble, “You no send your name again?”

He dey size me, like person wey dey see ghost. For his mind, the man he know don change.

He dey right.

Everything wey dey dear to me, I don throway shame, pride, everything. Only one thing remain—protection.

For my wife and pikin, I don already throw away shame.

I don accept humiliation, just to make sure my family no suffer.

How e pain.

The pain deep, like knife wey no gree commot. I dey wonder how I take reach this stage.

My wife dey divorce me.

No be ordinary quarrel—na real wahala. The woman wey I fit die for, now dey find way comot.

I think say I love her well.

I dey remember all the promises, the late night gist, how I dey carry her matter for head.

Because for my wedding ring, dem engrave: “Only you—I hope to see you again for next life.”

I go that extra mile, make dem write am for ring. That time, I dey believe say love na forever.

But sadly, I no fit get along with her again.

Life don change. Sickness dey mess with my head. I dey look her, but I no fit find that fire again.

First time I notice something wrong, na when she cuddle me, we dey waka by Ogunpa river.

We dey for Ibadan, na evening, breeze dey blow. She rest head for my shoulder, my mind dey far.

Somebody dey burst fireworks. Under the bright light, she turn, smile, stretch hand give me, say, “I dey free today.”

Ogunpa side that day, everywhere dey lively. Fireworks dey scatter for sky, children dey shout. She reach out, her eyes shine for the light.

I no understand, I just hold her hand, dey look fireworks with her.

Na that kind misunderstanding dey spoil love. I think say she dey happy, but her eyes dey talk another thing.

But she no happy.

Even for all the colours wey dey fly for sky, I see small cloud for her face.

I see tears fall from her eye, but I no know why.

Her tears shock me. For my mind, na joy; for her mind, na sorrow. Men dey miss signal sometimes.

Till after that unhappy outing, Amina tell me the truth.

Na so I hear the real story from outsider. E pain me, but na lesson. Sometimes, na stranger go open your eye.

Fifteen years ago, for that Aba bankruptcy wahala, the big clients collapse within two weeks.

Aba don scatter that year—plenty companies close. My own clients, na dem first run. I remember how I dey sweat for office like person wey get fever.

End of year, as we dey collect debt, dem still dey form big man, owe us, but want make we still supply them to help them survive.

Na so dem dey chop your money, still dey do big man for your face. Nigeria sabi show you levels.

That day, I leave suicide note for my wife, waka go Aba alone.

I no fit tell her true plan. I just write short note, tears drop on top paper. The kind fear wey dey grip man, e no get age.

As their chairman dey dodge small suppliers, I carry knife for left hand, gas cylinder for right; nobody fit stop me.

I dey mad that day. If to say dem block me, maybe I for fight. I dey ready for anything.

Dem prepare big party, but last last, na five hundred boxes of fireworks dem use pay me.

The man wey dey owe me bring out boxes of fireworks, say "manage am". No shame for am—just business.

I risk my life, handle fireworks, bring home bag full of cash.

I hustle, dodge police, dodge agbero. At the end, na small victory I manage bring house.

As I reach my wife mama house, her whole family insult her, say she blind, make she divorce me, cut off.

Dem carry meeting, dey talk like say she no get sense. Na so in-law matter dey be for here—if small wind blow, everybody go talk.

As I see my woman dey suffer insult, I vex, I open the bag, begin throw naira note for air. People rush, dey scramble for ground—old women, small pikin, even my in-law bend pick money, pride no dey again.

I keep one box fireworks, light am.

The sky light up, even pikin begin shout. Na small sign say hope never die finish.

I reach out to her: “You go do marriage certificate with me tomorrow—are you ready?”

My voice strong, my heart dey pound. For my mind, I dey beg, but I act like say I get plan.

She laugh and cry, hold my hand: “I dey free today.”

Her tears mix with laughter, her grip strong. She dey guide me like matron for LUTH dey guide patient. For that moment, I dey feel on top world.

Under the fireworks, money dey fly for air.

The whole street turn carnival. People dey dance, pikin dey play, all the stress for the day just vanish.

People dey rush pick money, I hold her waist, kiss her deep.

First time for public, I no send anybody. I pour my love for that kiss, the kind way wey people go talk for years.

Na then I understand—na kiss she want that time.

Na small thing dey make woman happy, but men too dey carry shoulder up. I learn am that night.

But I don forget all these things.

Memory dey fade like old cloth. If no be for diary, all these gist for don loss.

I try make Amina tell me my love story, but she be outsider.

Her own version dey short, dry. She no dey there when everything dey happen. E dey pain me say na outsider dey remind me my own love.

As my pikin for work, she fit save my business, but not my love.

For money matter, she fit stand by me, but for heart matter, na another thing.

I dey forget more and more, dey disappoint my wife again and again.

Each day, she dey lose faith. I see am for her eyes, but I no fit help am.

She go look me, tired: “How we take reach like this?”

Her voice low, almost whisper. Na pain and resignation dey there. E cut me deep.

I no fit answer.

Words dey hard to form. My mind blank. Shame dey my face.

I open mouth, but no words come out.

Na only sigh escape. The silence loud, heavy, e dey echo for room.

Which kind love a man go get, to break woman heart again and again, only for her to still ask with gentle voice at last?

For Naija, woman fit endure, but e get limit. My own don reach the end.

Sadly, I no remember.

I dey try drag memory, but e slippery. Like say person dey pursue shadow.

All I fit talk be say, work carry me go far from her.

Ambition na double-edged sword. As I dey chase money, love dey fade. E be like say na only me waka come.

I get wedding photo—me dey hold her, both of us dey smile.

I dey hold am for my hand, dey press am for chest. My son mouth wide, my wife dimples deep, me, I dey shine teeth like say I win lottery.

As I look the photo, I whisper, “I no remember again—whether na the heartbeat or the joy, I don forget everything… But I promise, I go protect her for you.”

I dey talk to my old self, my old love, the one wey still dey inside that picture. For my mind, I dey swear oath—at least make I do one thing right before I vanish.