Chapter 9: Table for Gbege

Food wan start. Kunle no expect say he go sit main table with me. As he sit, he just dey fidget.

He no dey look anybody for eye, dey rub him palm for knee. One cousin give am cold eye.

"Brother Kunle, abeg I dey apologize for my wife."

I talk am loud so everybody hear. I dey try reduce tension.

"No wahala, as long as you no vex."

He force smile, but him voice crack small.

I just smile.

I try show say I no dey carry grudge, even if my mind no really clear.

Soon, Morenike show. "No drink too much."

She stand for my back, her hand dey my shoulder. Her voice soft, but she mean am.

I think say na me she dey talk to, but na Kunle she dey warn.

Kunle look ground, rub neck. Everybody know say the message clear.

"Dear, if this one drunk, e dey misbehave. Abeg, no drink pass your power."

The elders dey nod. One uncle yarn, "See warning, e get reason!"

I nod. No worry—if I no make am fall today, I lose. I wan see if Kunle go talk true when e high.

I dey prepare myself, dey plan to use small small question fish am.

Food come, everybody dey toast me. Only Kunle never touch him glass.

The chicken dey smell sweet, but I just dey monitor Kunle for side eye.

"Wetin happen, Kunle? The glass heavy for your hand?" one of Morenike’s relatives tease.

Everybody laugh, pressure dey mount. Kunle clear throat.

Kunle force smile. "I hear say Yusuf sabi drink. I no wan disgrace myself."

He dey form humble, but e still dey vex.

"Abeg, who you be? Just drink your own, abeg."

Another cousin throw the jab, everybody laugh. The tension break small.

Kunle just drink the first glass.

Him face twist small, but he gree. The elders clap.

As we dey chop and drink, talk enter how I meet Morenike. I yarn the gist with pride, talk how she like me, how she dey chase me, how we love each other, the happy times.

Everybody dey smile, even some aunties dey say "God go bless una." Kunle just dey look away, chop slow.

I dey watch Kunle. At first, he dey calm, but after second glass, he begin dey do anyhow.

He dey talk loud, dey laugh for wrong joke. His face dey red, sweat dey his head.

"Yusuf, make I tell you about our childhood."

I gree, but my mind dey ready for wahala.

"Yarn am."

Kunle begin dey brag about their old days, dey drink as he dey talk. Whether na memory or he dey show off, nobody know. Soon, him face red, eyes dey turn.

People dey tire for his story, but nobody wan interrupt. Na only him dey talk, voice dey high.

When he high reach, I ask, "Not bad. So why you and Morenike no end up together?"

The room just quiet, all eye face Kunle.

He hiss, finish him glass, face come dull.

His hand dey shake. One small cousin dey drag rice with spoon, but everybody else dey focus Kunle.

"Na because you broke? Or you no fine?"

I push am small, wan see how e go react. My own test.

Kunle eye me. "Yusuf, you dey find my trouble? I no get your money, I no fine like you, but the bond wey me and Morenike get… you no fit reach!"

He talk am loud. One uncle nearly choke on meat.

Table just quiet. Morenike uncle knock Kunle for head.

The knock loud, like old time discipline.

"You don drunk? Which kind talk be that! No matter how close, na just padi—no fit pass husband!"

The elders nod. One mama say "Na true talk, abeg!"

As adult, that kind knock no funny. Kunle, wey don drink, just bone face give uncle.

He hold head, eye dey red.

"Uncle, abeg, drink your own!"

The uncle grab him neck. "You this boy, na so you dey talk to elder?"

Everybody just dey look. For Yoruba house, that na real disrespect.