Chapter 3: Sickness, Betrayal, and the Green Heroine

My eye blur. When I wake up, person dey check my pulse already.

I dey float for darkness, until I feel cold hand press my wrist. I dey hope say na Ifedike, but...

Hope dey rise for my mind, but as I turn see who e be, disappointment just cover me. Na Dr. Sani.

My hope just deflate like tire. I no even know whether to vex or cry.

"Madam, I call Elder Chukwuma. You go dey alright soon," Ngozi try console me, but me I know say e no go work.

She dey force smile, dey wipe my face. I dey pity her sef, e no easy to watch person dey fade.

As expected, Elder Chukwuma pull him hand back talk, "I no fit do anything."

Him voice be like dry harmattan. E shake head, eyes heavy with pity.

"Elder Chukwuma, you be best doctor for Green Palm Clinic—how you go talk say you no fit even reduce her pain?" Ngozi para, blame dey her voice.

Ngozi dey vex true true, her voice dey shake. She dey hold my hand like say na so she fit share the pain.

I squeeze her hand, give Elder Chukwuma one sorry look. Thank God say him understand say na worry dey make her talk anyhow.

Elder Chukwuma nod, him face soft. E dey show say e no vex for my girl.

"Make I try again..." Ngozi grit her teeth, wan rush go, but I shake my head.

My head dey swirl, I just dey beg with eye, make she no waste her strength.

"No go. Na just two more hours remain." Nobody else fit save me. If not, I for no dey declared say I no go pass sixteen.

Two hours—na so life fit end? I dey wonder if I go see sunset again.

Dr. Ifedike save me before, but now, na him carry me go back to square one.

This kind betrayal dey pain pass arrow. I dey count all the years wey I don fight, now I dey see say e go end like this.

If I know say this day go come, why e save me before?

My mind dey run up and down. I dey wonder why God allow me taste hope before e collect am again.

Before I know, days don pass. My body don weak like before—I dey cough blood anyhow, faint dey follow me up and down.

Each cough dey sound like drum, blood dey stain my wrapper. I dey faint so often, Ngozi dey always dey beside me, dey fan me.

As I lie down for raffia chair, my face white like paper, chest dey pain me small small.

My body dey cold, but my heart dey burn. E hard to swallow saliva, my throat dey scratch.

Sun dey shine, but I no feel anything—till I hear houseboy talk say Dr. Ifedike don come back.

My ears pick am sharp. The way the boy shout, everybody for compound hear.

My heart jump. I look up, na so I see am dey carry one woman wey wear green enter house, no even look my side.

My hope melt, bitterness dey my mouth. The woman dey shine like Sallah ram—everybody dey notice am, dem dey laugh like say dem dey go owambe.

"Madam, oga—" Ngozi dey vex, wan pursue him, but I hold her.

I grip her wrist tight, my own small dignity dey fight to stand.

Bitter taste just rise for my mouth; I push Ngozi go one side.

I wan vomit bile, my hand dey tremble, but I no wan show weakness front of them.

She fit no know who the woman be, but me I sabi.

My eyes dey see clear. If green dey waka, na only one person dey fit am for this story.

Who else dey always wear green, everywhere she go, if no be the female lead?

Na that kain confidence I dey fear—person wey no dey shake for her lane.

As I reach my room, I no fit hold am again—I spit blood. Ngozi eyes red with worry. "Make I go call oga!"

Ngozi voice dey break. Her hand dey find my back, she dey panic.

"Ngozi, abeg no go. E no be your oga again." I grip her hand, no let her go find Dr. Ifedike.

I dey shake, but my pride dey make me stubborn. I no go let anybody see my weakness again.

The guy don show himself finish—why I go disgrace myself join?

Shame dey my mouth like bitterleaf. I swallow am, dey wipe my tears with back of hand.

"But oga used to care for you well-well."

Her voice dey soft, e be like she dey remember better days, dey beg for miracle.

Na true Ngozi talk; Dr. Ifedike really care for me, but na only when the female lead dey alright. Now, I no reach her level.

Comparison dey pain. I dey wonder if I ever reach ordinary for him heart.

I still remember all those sweet moments, the heartbeat, the first time wey we meet—na our wedding night.

My mind dey play the memory like old highlife tape. The candle, the quiet, the hope wey dey my papa eye.

As him lift my veil, I tell am clear: him dey to treat sickness, save life; me, I just be wife for name.

My voice that night dey steady. E be like contract, no love.

He smile, put hand for my wrist, voice soft: "Now wey we be husband and wife, e no fit just dey for name."

E talk am gentle, e dey look my face like say e dey look future. For that small moment, hope spark for my chest.

I talk say I no go pass sixteen, but he just smile more.

That smile, na promise wey warm me for plenty cold night. I dey live on top am.

After that, he no talk again, but my sickness just dey reduce, one by one.

Every new moon, my cough dey small. My legs dey strong. Na like magic.

One time, I try dash am gold as reward, but he return everything, always bring me gift instead.

E no collect anything from me. Instead, e go bring coconut cake, fanta, things wey dey sweet my childhood.

Sometimes na bracelet, sometimes hairpin, sometimes na sweet, or small fine thing.

My hair dey shine, my wrist dey jingle, my smile dey real.

He try make me happy. When I realise say I dey fall, I begin dodge am.

I dey avoid am for corridor, dey use Ngozi as excuse, but e dey try reach me.

One day, rain just dey fall anyhow. He stand for under rain, dey call my name—"A Yao"—dey use body shield coconut cake wey him bring for me.

I dey peep from window, dey pity am, but my heart dey dey beat like bata drum.

My heart melt. I think say the story don end, I open door.

For that moment, rain forget me. Only him and my hope remain.

He hug me tight, eyes red, promise me say he go stay with me forever.

I feel him heartbeat blend with my own. E sweet me, I no fit lie.

That time, I really believe say we fit make am.

I dey picture future, dey build dream for inside my mind.

But na lie, after all.

Na so story for book dey be. Love dey shift hand. Person fit dey happy today, tomorrow nah another.