Chapter 1: The Call That Shook Lagos

On the variety show, my heart dey beat scatter as I brace myself and call my ex-boyfriend:

"Abeg, you fit run me five hundred K?"

From the other side, his voice just dry: "You get mind, sha."

Next thing, transfer alert land.

[Your account has received ₦50,000,000.00. The other party's account ending in 2222...]

The alert loud for my phone like police siren. My hand begin shake, sweat dey my palm. The entire studio just gasp, and my body start dey vibrate like generator wey dem just start after two days of blackout. Even the host mouth wide open, and one cameraman nearly forget himself, zoom the alert until the whole Nigeria fit see am.

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Live broadcast. Variety show.

The challenge: Call the person pinned at the top of your contacts and borrow money for today’s group task.

I open my phone, and as soon as I see the top contact, my heart just cut.

Wahala. Na my ex-boyfriend—and na me even break up with am.

I even swear that time, do all the drama, say I no go see am again for this life…

My phone screen dey project for the big studio display.

His contact name show clear: “Obinna Nwokedi.”

All the other guests pause small when they see the name.

[Na that Nwokedi family second son I dey think?]

[Who be that? Na celeb?]

[Better pass celeb jare. Real old money. E get as e be.]

[Dem say he mistakenly show for one business summit, all the babes online nearly faint. Since then, na him dey top the ‘business world must-chop list’ every year.]

[Must-chop list? I don taya, lol]

[Abeg, you think say he go dey do friend with small small celeb like Amaka Chu?]

[True talk. Even if na him, see Amaka Chu face—she go don try, but no fit reach am, dey fear to call make dem no expose her~]

The bullet comments dey mad. One aunty for front row just cover her mouth, whisper, "Ewo!"

The host dey enjoy the drama die.

“People for Facebook wan craze to know—na the Mr. Nwokedi we dey think be this?”

I wan just deny am sharp sharp. My mouth open, but words no gree come out. If I talk now, wahala go double.

But before I fit talk, Halima Ruo, that small actress, waka come.

“The profile pic resemble am oh, but we no sure yet~”

As everybody dey look her, she come do that her fake surprise, cover mouth with her long acrylic nails, eyes wide like person wey just see NEPA bring light.

“Ah, I no mean talk am.”

“Because the person wey I wan call too na him.”

“Amaka-jie, you go first~”

She wave her phone, smile like say she wan sweet person die.

Camera zoom for her top contact: [Nwokedi Junior] (meaning ‘Nwokedi Second Son’).

Host: “Your contact note…”

Halima Ruo rush cover her phone, dey form shy.

“Aiya, na just random name I write.”

“If I know, I for no show una.”

Me: …

Na wa. This kind childish ambiguous note, but you sabi show yourself.

Inside my mind, I dey reason say this one dey play mind game. For this our industry, na so dem dey do—package, form innocence, but e get as e be. I just lock up, no let my face show my real mind. Na only person wey don chop street for Lagos fit understand this kind coded competition.