Chapter 4: All Their Beta Beta Secret
With heavy heart, I start to read their old chats.
As I scroll up, I dey see chats from months ago. She no even try delete am. The thing pain me pass.
She no even clear all.
Everything dey there. All their beta beta secret. Like say na nothing.
"Your boyfriend no go just call you suddenly today?"
She dey assure am, dey plan how to dodge me. Na me dem dey arrange against.
"No, I don tell am say I go reach house late."
She dey play two side, dey form loyal, meanwhile e be like movie for back.
"Morayo, my period never show this month, I dey worry…"
The man dey panic, dey reason say wahala fit happen. E be like dem no even dey use anything to protect.
"No wahala, buy test kit check. If you get, I go arrange am, we go hospital for outside town."
Dem don dey run am since, dey even plan how to cover everything. The thing pain me, e dey burn my mind.
Na so she dey talk about me with her supervisor.
Dem dey use my head do joke, dey turn my name upside down. No respect at all.
"He dey treat me well, dey spend money, but I fine—na normal make he dey worship me."
She dey talk like say she dey do me favour. All my effort na nothing for her eye. My heart just dey break.
"We don dey too long, spark no dey again."
She dey complain, dey talk say relationship don dull. No be today this thing start.
And that yeye old man dey talk about me like say I be mumu.
I read am, I wan cry. How two people go use another person play like this?
"That small boy—wetin he fit give you except dull marriage and wahala? He sabi art? He sabi woman? He sabi you?"
Old man dey run mouth. Dey try run me down, paint himself like say na only him fit give my babe beta life.
"You be my best student. I no fit stand make you dey cook dey born pikin for some loser, later turn to boring housewife."
He dey gas her up, dey tell am say na waste if she settle with me. Old wolf, e dey fear say she go leave am.
"Heh, Morayo, why you no leave that your boyfriend? If you fit, I go break up with my wife."
As I read that part, my body just cold. Old man dey promise heaven and earth. Lie full everywhere.
"Good girl, no dey find trouble. We dey okay like this."
She dey agree, dey laugh. Dem two dey balance, dey use me do cruise.
After I read finish, my body cold like say dem throw me inside freezer.
My whole body just numb. Na only fan dey spin, but my mind no dey.
Every word, every line, na like cane for my skin.
E pain me deep. All the things I do, all the plans I make. I just dey waste.
I no believe, after almost five years, my babe dey run me street.
The trust I get for her just break like bottle for gutter. My eye don clear.
Then, as I remember that Q&A post…
The thing pain me pass. Na so she use internet tell stranger, but me, she no talk.
My hand dey shake with vex.
I nearly smash the tablet. Na only God hold my hand.
That yeye ‘little angel’.
So na abortion she carry call 'angel'. My chest tight. My trust for humanity just reduce. Na so dem dey talk—person wey you trust fit use your cloth clean shoe.