Chapter 3: Loyalty Na Currency

That time, I shock, but I still feel say e dey funny.

See as life dey do me! I still dey reason all these palava, I almost burst laugh. Me, Amaka Okezie, the most money-minded babe among all the rich people for this city.

Na so e dey. If you like talk, I go still dey count money. Even my enemies dey fear my sense. The comment dey talk say na steward daughter go use me play, last last I go die anyhow.

Dem never born the person wey fit run me street. Lai lai!

E no fit happen!

For my mind, I dey arrange plan B and C. I no dey carry last. My mama no born mumu. I fit like fine things, but my brain dey work sharp.

But as I dey think am, more comments show:

[For this novel, na the young lady I like pass—ambitious, she dey think of herself, na correct heroine.]

[The main babe use this same character take collect the guy from her hand.]

[If no be so, na the young lady for become the richest man wife.]

E come be like say na reality show I dey. My own life dey pass for people eye. The vex just dey rise. How comment go decide my destiny?

As I see the “richest man for the world” part, my shock turn to serious vex.

No be only 'richest man'—na 'richest man for Africa' sef I dey target. See as life dey play me! My chest dey hot. I squeeze pillow wey dey my hand till e nearly burst.

Steward daughter wan collect my chance to be the richest for Naija? Lai lai!

If dem like make dem born with silver spoon, na me go chop the biggest cake. For my mind, I dey plan how to block every hole wey snake fit pass. Nobody go use shine pass me, especially Morenikeji.

After Morenikeji whisper finish, she face the boy, talk with pride:

Morenikeji waka front, stand for the boy front, hand for waist, voice loud. She no dey fear anybody again, now wey she see say I dey soft.

“My madam no dey talk love, na only benefit she dey reason.”

She point finger up, like judge for Sharia court. The thing shock me small. I just dey watch.

“As for the engagement, you feel say she send am? Na just play elders play that time.”

She cross hand, face the boy. You go think say na my mother she dey protect.

“If you still get pride, abeg waka comot by yourself—no stand here dey disgrace yourself.”

Her mouth sharp. I no too blame her, but she dey push her luck. People for my house dey always try show who get mouth.

Morenikeji talk am anyhow.

But na so e dey. She dey talk am as if she get stake for the matter. Me, I just dey observe, dey wait.

But her talk just make me look more important.

In fact, as she dey talk, e make me feel like say I dey rule my own kingdom. Everybody dey look me, dey fear my decision.

The boy already dey feel small. As he hear am, e pain am, he squeeze him fist, put head down, wan waka go.

His back bend, shoulder drop. I fit almost hear him silent prayer. Even my heart twist small. I try hold face—no pity for street!

That moment, I sharply talk, “Wait!”

My voice loud reach parlour wall, echo small. Even Morenikeji blink twice. All the servants pause, dey look.

I stand up from sofa, waka go where the boy dey, my eye sharp, dey size am up.

My step dey strong, like boss lady. My perfume sef fill the air—mixture of coconut and vanilla. Na so everybody just dey look.

My whole body dey talk say, "No try me o!"

You go know say na correct Lagos babe dey para. My waist dey sway, face no smile, eyes dey shine like say I fit see wetin dey for mind.

Morenikeji think say I wan deal with am, so she add pepper for the matter:

“I tell you make you go, you no go. Now you don provoke madam. You go see am today.”

She snap finger, voice dey high. Small children for corridor run go hide. Me sef wan laugh.

She dey look me, dey hope say I go disgrace the boy well.

She dey ready to clap if I pour sand for his garri. She dey do like friend, but I sabi say her plan na to show me say I fit trust her, make I loose guard. Lagos no dey carry last, sha.

She wan play the friend wey go console am after, collect am for herself.

She dey eye the boy since. You know those ones wey dey pretend say dem dey pity you? Na to collect left over dem dey find.

But I no give her that chance.

I bone face, focus on my own plan. No time for Morenikeji drama.

I reach the boy, talk:

My voice soft small, but e still get weight. I bend head small, eye dey check am from head to toe. "Obinna, listen well."

“I fit do wetin you ask—and even pay for your university. But you go gree for one condition.”

I pause make the thing enter, then I smile small, lips tight. The kin tension wey dey for room fit cut yam.

Morenikeji shock. “Madam, you…”

She wan talk, but fear catch her. Her mouth hang like fish for tray. I just raise hand, signal make she rest.

I no send her, just dey look the boy back, wait for answer.

My eye dey shine, my face set. If you see me, you go know say na decision dey ground.

“What?”

The boy no even turn, e no believe say e fit happen.

He voice be like person wey dey dream. He just dey shake small. His hope dey struggle with fear.

Next thing, I talk:

“For this life, loyalty na currency. If you no get am, you poor pass church rat.”

My voice deep, almost like my papa own when e dey vex. I make sure my word no miss.

“If you collect my money, you belong to me.”

I dey talk am with kin pride, like say na slave trade we dey, but inside me, na fear of betrayal dey worry me.

“You must dey loyal to me for life—no betray or go against me.”

I fold hand, chest out. This one no be child's play.

“If you try am—I no go ever forgive you!”

My voice thunder. I look am well, make e see say I mean am. For my mind, na Lagos spirit dey push me.

I talk am with pride, my voice strong.

E echo for parlour. My ancestors go dey proud for grave.

But the boy no waste time, he swear:

His own eye clear, he no blink. He raise right hand, voice strong, chest dey up. "I swear, I go loyal to you for life, I no go betray or go against you."

“If I try am, make I die, no get burial ground.”

I see small sweat for him forehead, but him voice no shake. Na real man e be.

This kin swear strong for our place. For Igbo land, if person swear like this, e mean am. Na only person wey ready to risk everything go talk am.

[Even though I no understand why the story change, this young lady sabi plan well.]

[The guy get serious morals. Once he promise, na for life.]

My eye dey sharp. I dey watch the comments fly. Na so I nod, give small smile.

I look the comments, nod, then tell the butler:

My voice cool, "Odogwu, abeg, carry am go arrange where he go stay. Make sure say him get better food and space."

“Carry am go arrange where he go stay.”

Odogwu salute, drag Obinna gently, lead am away. My eye follow them till dem vanish for corridor.

As I dey watch Obinna Nwosu waka go, Morenikeji voice still dey my ear:

“Madam, you keep Obinna. You don think how you go explain give Young Master Bayo? You just collect him favour.”

She dey use eye signal, like say na exam we dey write. Her own dey too much.

“No matter how you wan do, you no suppose dey change mind anyhow!”

She dey para, dey look me with bad eye.

She cross hand, step back, her nose dey flare. E be like say she dey ready to cry or fight.

I no even vex, I just reply calm:

My face blank, voice cold like water. "And you, who you be? Na you go teach me how I go behave?"

Her head drop, words hang. My house quiet like graveyard. I fit hear clock tick.

Just that one line, Morenikeji quiet.

She stiff, lips press together, eyes red. E pain her, but she no fit talk.

Her face bend, like person wey swallow bitter thing.

She rub hand for wrapper, like say she dey chase fly, but na shame dey do her.

The other house staff dey peep from corner, dey hold laughter. Everybody sabi say wahala don land.

[Omo! The young lady reply sharp. I no like that Morenikeji since.]

[The main babe family dey depend on the young lady, yet she dey plan behind her back. Na pure wickedness.]

[True talk! We no need main babe wey no get conscience.]

The comment dey hot, dey fly up and down. For my mind, I dey happy say people dey support me.

All the comments dey hail me.

My chest dey rise, confidence dey grow. I adjust my hair, wink for mirror.

I just smile, waka comot, leave Morenikeji dey look me with bad belle.

I shake yansh small, feel breeze for my back as I waka. For my mind, na new chapter I dey enter.