Chapter 7: Morning Encounters and Jealousy

“Hiss hiss—”

By my pillow,

The small black snake stretch, curl body like kitten.

E look like e just wake too, big black eye dey look me.

I no know why, my face just dey hot.

Like small pikin wey dem catch for bad thing, shame wan finish me. I dey wish say ground go open swallow me.

I pretend say I dey busy, stand up, carry cloth go baff.

Since my bathroom spoil, I gats use the big one outside. I dey pray make I no jam person for corridor, but luck nor dey my side today.

As I dey waka with my cloth, na so I jam Tunde come out.

“You…”

Na only towel cover him waist.

Him body, clean and fine, just like the one for my dream. My eye dey do waka-waka, no wan focus.

My brain just off. I dey stammer,

“You, you, you—go wear cloth!”

Tunde click tongue.

But him face red too.

He bone, talk: “You dey peep me everyday, now you dey form shy? You suppose think am before.” Him tone get small tease, but e dey gentle.

Just then—

I see bullet comments again:

[Guys, why we no fit comment last night?]

[Yes o, as bad snake hypnotise, we no fit see anything.]

[Na author do am? Why VIPs no fit see? Bad review.]

Mama Chinyere dey sweep corridor, she just look me with side-eye, as if she sabi wetin happen.

I hug my cloth, shame dey catch me. “I wan baff, abeg commot.” I no wan hear another word.

Tunde look me. “See sweat—na me you dream last night?”

“Commot!” I shout, shame wan kill me, I rush enter bathroom. If person see my face, dem go think say pepper enter my eye.

Tunde no tease me again.

He just ask:

“You still dey fear snake?”

I freeze, last night dream flash my mind.

I reply, shy:

“Yes. Fear wan kill me.”

As I close door,

I fit hear am sigh small. That kind sigh wey man dey release when e no fit talk wetin dey him mind.

Because I use travel as excuse,

I still dey force myself pack.

Dey think where I go fit go. My mind dey heavy, I dey calculate which auntie I fit lodge with if wahala burst.

At first, I wan sneak go house, form strong woman, break up.

But as dem catch me, I just dey continue the lie about travel. Sometimes, lie just dey push person dey go.

Plus, after last night and that kind dream, I dey really confuse. My mind no fit settle, everything just dey swirl like amala for hand.

“So, where you dey go?”

Tunde show again, wrong timing as usual.

The small black snake hiss, crawl come. He carry am, let am wrap his hand. E be like say Tunde and this snake get secret language.

He glance me. “Abi your friend don dump you?”

Ready-made excuse just land for my hand.

I nod.

“Make I follow you go?” he ask.

I wan answer—

One clear babe voice cut in.

“Tunde.”

Halima, white dress, smile like flower, waka come: “And Sade, you dey pack? Where una dey go flex?”

My face freeze.

I lower my head, no talk.

“I no know o, her friend no show, so I say make I follow her,” Tunde talk sharp. “I just dey ask where she wan go.”

Halima smile. “You talk say Sade never see sea before? Make we go beach—villa dey there too.”

“That one good,” Tunde answer.

My head come down even more. My mind dey pinch me—Halima fit snap better picture with Tunde, na me go dey waka behind like handbag.

“Sade.”

Halima squat, tap my shoulder. “Come, I go snap fine picture for you. This guy no sabi anything.”

I look up.

No wickedness for Halima smile. Her eye soft, e resemble person wey just wan see you happy.

The ‘no’ wey I wan talk just hang for my throat.

“Pack your things,” Tunde don decide. “I go book ticket.”

This thing dey somehow.

Engaged ‘friend’ couple.

Halima wey dey blend with my fiancé.

Three of us, dey go beach for holiday—wetin be this? Na so life dey sometimes, you go think say you dey in control, but everything go just curve like Sango staff.

As I pack my bag, I wonder—na which kind love triangle be this? Make person no turn snake herself for survival.