Chapter 2: When Eyes Open

Final year internship.

The sun never rise finish as I dey dress for work, tie scarf, rub small powder for face. My heart dey beat—first day for company wey my husband dey run. As I waka enter BRT, my mind dey race like danfo for third mainland bridge; will people notice me or I go just blend in? I arrange myself, wear small smile, dey tell myself, “No do madam here.”

Just because I wan dey see my fine husband every day, I carry myself go do internship for Tunde company—as ordinary staff.

No be say I wan do eye-service, but sometimes, if you love person, you go wan near am. Even my friends for hostel dey laugh me—“Ngozi, you don turn office wife?” I just smile, carry my bag dey go. Love fit make person do wonders, sha.

I low-key reach, even Tunde no sabi say I dey. I just no wan disturb am, no wan be distraction.

When I reach reception, I just sign as ‘Miss Okafor’, wear glasses, bone face. Nobody suspect anything. For office, dem dey respect chain of command—nobody dey do pass themselves. I just dey observe, dey learn the ropes.

Sometimes, I go dey hear the other interns dey talk about Tunde. I just listen, but I no dey join gist.

Dem dey yarn anyhow, as young people dey do. Some dey whisper as if CCTV dey everywhere. Me, I just focus eye for computer, dey type report. Na so I learn skill of blending in—no draw attention, just dey.

"Chairman Tunde fine no be small. Thirty-five na the real age for man."

I dey hear am, my ear dey sharp. Na every woman for office dey trip for Tunde, even married ones. Sometimes e dey funny me—if dem see am for corridor, dem go greet, “Good morning, sir!” with extra smile. I just dey form like say I no hear.

"But e be like say him don marry, and the wife na one small girl nobody sabi."

One guy talk am like secret. I just laugh inside. Na me dem dey talk. Sometimes I wan just show dem say na me be madam, but I respect myself.

"Chai, why luck no shine for me like that..."

Everybody dey find shortcut, dem no know say luck dey drag plenty wahala join body. For Lagos, dem dey say, “No be all wey shine be gold.” Me, I don learn.

When I be eighteen, na Tunde first toast me. First day wey him start to chase me, na so he talk say him wan marry me. E even give me engagement ring that same day.

The memory still dey fresh for my mind. Na one December, cold harmattan breeze. Tunde just show for my mama compound with flowers, ring, and bold face. My papa nearly shout, but Tunde beg, kneel down, talk as if na heaven send am.

Me, I no even think am twice—I gree.

I remember my friends dey drag me, “Ngozi, you too quick na!” But my heart dey feel say Tunde na correct man—confidence full ground. My mama dey dance upandan, dey call all her sisters say, “Ngozi don catch big fish!”

One year after, we do marriage certificate. E be like say we no get sense, but the thing sweet us die. The way him love dey rush me ehn, e be like dream—na so e dey choke person, dey carry me like say I be leaf wey flood dey carry go.

That time, everything just dey shine. Tunde dey send sweet text, dey take me out, dey call me ‘Queen’. People dey ask if we no dey quarrel. I just laugh. Love dey blind, na true talk.

If no be this internship, maybe I for no know the kind secret wey he dey hide.

Sometimes, I dey think—if I just stay house dey enjoy, maybe my eye no go open. But na as I dey office dey see things, my mind begin change. Office wahala no be here, na there person dey see true colour.

Morayo. Na Tunde secretary. The babe fine, get shape, sabi dress—real mature woman. Na she dey follow Tunde go business trips, all the big meetings. She dey run everything for company, sometimes e be like say she sabi pass Tunde.

The first time I see Morayo, na confidence I notice. Her perfume dey enter nose like those big girls for Lekki wedding, scent wey fit turn head. Her laugh dey ring for corridor. Even men for company dey respect her—nobody fit talk anyhow near her. I dey reason, “If Tunde no marry me, e for marry this kind woman.”

So, before people know say Tunde don marry, everybody for company dey think say na Morayo be madam.

Nobody dey question her authority. If she waka enter boardroom, all the managers go stand. If she talk, na final. As I dey observe, I dey learn say power no dey for title, e dey for presence.

When I dey queue for canteen, I dey hear old staff dey gist:

"Chairman Tunde no get eye, see as him dey waste beauty like Morayo."

Old staff dey yarn like beer parlour. Some dey shake head, some dey laugh. “If na me get this kind woman for office, I no go let am go.” I just dey chew my meatpie, dey smile small.

"Na even Morayo resign from city executive just to be secretary for Chairman Tunde."

Dem say Morayo na big girl before—hold post for government, leave am come be Tunde PA. People dey wonder wetin she see for Tunde, but na only two of them sabi the koko.

"No worry, when love fade, Chairman Tunde go divorce that small girl, land with Morayo."

Na so Naija people dey talk matter—dem dey always wait for downfall. For their mind, na movie dem dey watch. But me, I dey learn to bone face, no allow office gist enter heart.

Plenty gist dey fly. Me, I no send. After all, every night, na me and Tunde dey enjoy.

No matter wetin dem talk, na my bed Tunde dey lie for night. E go come home, hug me, gist how work go. Sometimes as I dey cook, e go stand for kitchen dey play with my hair. Na that assurance dey ginger my confidence—until life show me say not all wey shine dey gold.

Until that day for company party, Morayo get drunk, come confess to Tunde front of everybody.

Na end of quarter party, everybody dey happy, music dey play, bottles dey pop. Morayo just dey shine, dey laugh loud, her face red, eyes dey dance. Suddenly, she stand, carry mic, voice dey shake but still loud.

But no be confession, na more like she dey give ultimatum.

Her tone sharp, body dey vibrate, as if she dey tire for hide and seek. The hall quiet small, people dey look face, dey hold breath. Na Naija drama live and direct.

Morayo ask am whether he get her for mind.

Her voice dey tremble, but she no back down. "Chairman, na only work I dey do for you, abi na me you dey see?"

Tunde just quiet, no talk for long.

He just dey look her, hand for pocket, face hard like stone. E be like say he dey weigh options, or maybe him heart dey inside cage.

She press am again: "If you no send me, why you no gree make I resign?"

Her voice climb, everybody dey listen. Even DJ reduce volume small. Some women dey whisper, "Kai, see drama o!" Men dey form like say dem no dey interested, but all eyes dey.

Tunde face strong. He just talk one word: "Yes."

The word heavy. Air no flow for room again. E be like everybody dey wait next move.

He look Morayo well, say, "I get you for mind. I no fit do without you, so I no fit gree your resignation. You hear?"

Him voice low, but e cut deep. Even me, as I hear the recording later, my heart do one kind. Tunde no dey lie—when he talk say he no fit do without Morayo, na real talk.

Morayo just smile, carry one big cup of palm wine, drink am finish, grab her bag, waka commot.

She no even look back. Everybody just dey stare. The way she waka na like person wey just win case for court—head high, skirt dey sway.

The whole place freeze for some seconds.

People mouth open, nobody talk. Only music dey play for background, but na like say DJ sef dey shock. Silence heavy, even ice for bucket no dey melt again.

Na so Tunde rush follow am.

He nearly forget jacket. Just grab phone, push through people, dey chase her. The way he dey hurry, e clear say na serious matter.

Everybody for that party na people wey don dey work with Tunde and Morayo for years.

Even HR manager dey wipe sweat. Some people dey whisper, dey update WhatsApp status. Na so Lagos be—if drama happen, e go reach social media before you blink.

Me, I no dey there, but one chubby babe wey like amebo, wey I dey close to, secretly record the whole thing, send am give me.

The girl sabi everything for office. If she no dey hear gist, na she dey create am. As drama break, she dey film with phone, quick send me the clip. Me and her get silent code for office.

She message me: [You think say something go happen between Chairman Tunde and Secretary Morayo tonight?]

I just stare phone, fingers stiff. I breathe in and reply.

I reply: [E no go happen... abi?]

My heart dey hope, but my head dey reason another thing. If na normal gist, I for laugh. But this one—na my own home dey line.

[Dem be adults, don know each other for years, drink, confess... you say nothing go happen?]

She type with sly emoji. Her kind wahala dey sweet am, but this one pain me small. I try maintain face.

I type back, strong: [Chairman Tunde get wife. E suppose get boundary. Morayo self no go gree be side chick.]

I dey convince myself, but my voice inside dey shake. Sometimes, you go dey talk strong, but body dey betray you.

[Maybe o, but by tomorrow we go know.]

She no dey ever wrong. As she drop message, my body just cold.

I no even understand wetin she mean by "tomorrow we go know"—but as I close chat, na that time I know.

As I drop phone, my body dey vibrate. That Naija sixth sense just dey alert me. For this city, secret no dey hide for long.