Chapter 4: The Beginning—And the Test

Na so I waka for five years.

I waka true true. From church to work, to new places, but every time my mind still dey do back and forth like danfo for Oshodi.

Some people no understand: "Na just because she call another person name?"

E shock dem. Dem believe say na small matter, say love suppose cover all things. But dem no wear my shoe, so dem no sabi the blister.

I just nod. "Yes. Because she call another person name."

I talk am plain. Some people dey laugh, some dey pity me. But me, I don make up my mind. Respect na respect, abeg.

To dey chase Ngozi, na the biggest mistake for my life.

Na true talk. Sometimes, love dey blind person eyes. You go dey follow person upandan, no know say na wrong road you dey.

First year for uni, na fellowship hangout I see her.

That day still clear for my mind. People dey sing, dey clap, dey pray. But as I see her face for crowd, my heart jump like generator wey just start after NEPA bring light.

If I talk true, na love at first sight for me.

She wear Ankara gown, e fit her well. Her laugh clear like church bell. For that moment, na only she dey my eye.

One guy always dey her side: Femi Adeyemi, her childhood friend.

That Femi guy tall, always dey smile, dey gist with everybody. Na the way he dey close to Ngozi make my body dey shake small. E no easy, abeg.

I sabi wetin 'childhood friend' mean for babe mind, so I no rush go meet her.

Experience don teach me say 'childhood friend' fit mean more than friend. I just dey observe, dey plan my move.

But na she first come talk to me.

I no believe am at all. She waka come with smile, stand near me, greet me like say we don know before. My head just dey swell.

To talk true, e shock me small.

I dey reason say maybe na mistake, or maybe she wan ask for pen. But she just dey yarn me, dey laugh, dey gist about small things.

I even dey wonder: Maybe I get special for her eyes? I still get chance?

My mind dey ask questions. I dey hope say maybe God don answer my prayer at last.

That day, we gist long.

We yarn about everything—school, family, food, even church wahala. I begin dey feel at home.

But almost everything she talk, na Femi Adeyemi matter.

Every gist go still land for Femi side. "Femi like this, Femi like that." My head dey ring like bell, but I dey manage.

So till now, even though I no too know Ngozi, I sabi Femi Adeyemi story pass.

E funny, abi? Person wey I dey chase, na another person matter full her mouth. I just dey collect free gist, dey smile.

She tell me say dem grow together, their families dey close, even before dem born, their mama don dey play arrange marriage.

She laugh as she yarn, but I see say e pain her small. Sometimes, family matter dey hard to break.

Femi dey always playful, dey disturb her, dey run her street.

"That guy na wahala. If you see am, you go pity me," she yarn, her eyes dey shine like person wey get gist wey go sweet you.

"Everybody dey talk say we fit, say e like me, but me, I no like am at all."

She talk am with chest, but I dey watch her face. Na so people dey hide true feelings sometimes.

Ngozi sit near me, dey complain small small.

She cross her leg, dey bite straw. Every small laugh na another complain about Femi.

"You no like am?" I ask.

I ask because the way she dey talk, e be like love and hate mix together. My own mind dey suspect am.

"No, I no like am. Who go like that kind guy? Even ghost no go like am."

She roll her eye, as if the matter dey tire her. But I see small smile for her mouth. My mind still dey doubt.

Ngozi vex face.

She squeeze face, dey shake head. "If you see the kind wahala e dey give me, you go pity me."

"True? If e come dey chase you nko?"

I wan hear wetin she go talk. Sometimes, na for mouth truth dey hide.

"Even if e try, I no go answer am. I don talk am before, I no get that kind feelings."

She talk am sharp, look me for eye. I gree, but my spirit still dey ask question.

So, she no like am?

I dey reason whether to believe or not. But for that moment, I gree make I give her benefit of doubt.

"Wetin you think of me?" I ask her straight.

My heart dey beat fast. I no dey fear, but I no sure wetin she go talk.

Ngozi open eye, look me, then sharply run.

She jump up, laugh, then waka go meet her friends. I just shake my head, smile. Some girls dey fear honest answer, I sabi.

"I, I, I... I go tell you later."

Her voice trail for air, but her smile still dey my mind. I dey hope say maybe one day she go tell me true.