Chapter 10: Secrets Scatter Everything

Kunle try free himself, but uncle strong. Kunle struggle, grab wine bottle, uncle slap am.

People begin stand up, dey ready separate fight.

"You wan fight me?"

"See this man!"

Kunle just lose control, everywhere scatter. Morenike rush come.

She push chair, almost fall. Her face red, she dey pant.

"Wetin dey happen? Free am!"

Her voice loud, try form peace maker.

Uncle push Kunle fall. Kunle just dey curse, no get control again.

He talk say "Thunder fire you!" Everybody hiss.

"Morenike, which kind padi be this! E no get sense!"

Another auntie hiss: "See as disgrace dey spoil wedding!"

"See as e dey brag for groom table, talk say he and you close—na slap e dey find!"

People dey nod, dey shake head.

Morenike face don change.

Her eye red. She stand up, squeeze fist.

"Kunle, comot!"

Her voice heavy, na real command.

Kunle try stand, hold table.

His hand dey tremble. He dey look her, dey shake head.

"Morenike, talk ‘comot’ again."

His tone get threat.

"I go talk am two times: Comot! Get out!"

The echo fill the room. Some people clap.

Kunle dey breathe heavy, try calm, then nod with bitter laugh.

He bite lip, eye dey shine. For my mind, I dey prepare for fight.

"Abeg, make we no spoil today. Kunle, come sit drink," I talk, reach hand to am.

I dey try form peacemaker, but my mind dey boil.

He slap my hand away, eyes red.

He nearly pour drink for my cloth. Small pikin shout, "Ah!"

"Yusuf, I dey warn you—no dey do like boss!"

The insult loud, elders dey shake head. Some dey tap foot in anger.

I just look am. "I don dey endure you since yesterday, now you dey talk rubbish? Maybe I too gentle."

I talk am slow, voice deep.

"Yusuf, thunder fire you!"

Kunle rush me. I raise leg, kick am for belle. He fall scatter table, try get up, Morenike block am, slap am again.

Food fly for air, one plate land for ground, break.

"You don do? Comot—and no ever come my house again!"

She dey shout, her voice crack. Everybody shock.

"Morenike!" Kunle shout. "Na second time today you slap me! You think say I be mumu? If I talk everything wey happen between us today, nobody go happy!"

People begin murmur. One mama pray: "God, let peace fall for this house."

E don reach breaking point—e wan confess?

My hand dey shake as I light cigarette. I dey fear, but I dey hope.

My chest dey rise and fall like generator wey dey overheat. My hand shake so till the lighter almost fall.

I love Morenike die. We don dey together three years. I know say she love me too. If na just ex, na past, I for forgive.

I dey remember all the times wey we dey plan future, dey laugh for rain. The thought say another man fit get her pain me pass malaria.

But wetin Kunle shout next make me freeze like say harmattan blow me naked.

The whole compound hush. Even generator for back pause small, as if e dey wait Kunle talk.

He eye me, shout, "Yusuf, I dey tell you—the wife wey you marry, I don knack am before! And the last time na on top your wedding bed. You know how sweet e be for us? Hahaha!"

His laughter echo reach gate. Some people cover mouth, one old woman faint, others begin shout. For my heart, I feel cold—like say I enter river for midnight. The shame and pain choke me, na only God know wetin hold me from fainting for there. My ear dey ring, my leg weak like person wey malaria catch.