Chapter 4: The Voice from the Other Side

Halima just drop her talk waka comot like say nothing happen.

Her slippers dey make kpa-kpa sound for corridor. Nobody talk again. Breeze enter room small, window blind shake like say e dey fear.

Ifeoma vex so tey she cry for room:

She cover face with wrapper, dey sob. Her shoulder dey shake. “Why my own different? Why my own roommate no fit let person happy?”

"Na me get worst luck for this school to dey share room with Halima! She no dey like see person happy. She no get friend, no guy dey look her face, so she wan spoil my own."

Her voice high, nose dey run. You go think say person beat her. Sometimes, Ifeoma dey overtake herself with emotion.

"True talk!" Morayo support am. "Some people just bitter, dey form scary."

Morayo snap finger again, “If I dey see am for street, I for dodge. Wetin she dey find for our room?”

Dem two just dey curse Halima.

I listen small, then I raise my hand gently: "But... una no reason say wetin she talk make sense? Fifi, your boyfriend really never do voice call."

As I talk am, Morayo give me side eye, Ifeoma pause her crying, look me like say I grow two head.

"Ngozi, wetin you dey talk?" Ifeoma look me with red eye, like say I betray am. "You dey talk like that mad Halima say my boyfriend na ghost? Dead person?"

Her voice high, almost break. Her chest dey rise. For Nigeria, once quarrel enter this level, small thing fit scatter friendship.

"No o, abeg," I shake my head quick. "I just dey talk say—since Halima talk say your boyfriend no fit do voice call, make you try am. Prove her wrong make she shut up."

I talk am small small, dey beg make matter no spoil. My mind dey my leg already.

"Correct!" Morayo knock her head. "Good idea! If you do am, record am, send for group. Make we see Halima face."

Morayo fit like wahala, but her idea make sense that time. She clap her hand, dey bounce for foam.

Ifeoma eye shine, her mood change quick: "No wahala! I go tell Emeka later."

She smile, use tissue clean her face. "This one go sweet me!"

Emeka na Ifeoma boyfriend.

We don dey call am Emeka since, but Ifeoma never even sure say na him real name. For her phone, she dey save am as 'Stinky baby'.

As we still dey class, message land for our three-person room group (no Halima).

Ifeoma: "Boyfriend agree for voice call!"

She send screenshot of their chat:

Piggy is flying (Ifeoma): "Stinky baby, I wan do voice call with you!"

Stinky baby (Emeka): "Ehn? But baby, I no too dey convenient to talk."

Piggy is flying: "Why? I no send! If you no do voice call, I go break up!"

Stinky baby: "Shocked.jpg" [meme: shocked face]

Stinky baby: "No break up abeg, baby."

Piggy is flying: "Because you no dey do voice call, my roommate dey talk say I dey date dead person. I no fit bear am—I gats prove her wrong!"

Stinky baby: "Stunned.jpg" [meme: stunned face]

Stinky baby: "Baby, your roommate too much."

Stinky baby: "I no dey do voice call because... I get small lisp. I dey fear say you no go like my voice."

Piggy is flying: "No fear, na you I love pass, stinky baby~ I wan hear your voice!"

Stinky baby: "Okay then, when you get time, we go voice chat."

Morayo drop voice note, laugh dey enter, "I talk am! No be everybody dey like their voice for phone!"