Chapter 3: The Lagos Gossip Tsunami

Account ending 2222.

Na Obinna Nwokedi private card be that.

My brain blank. I open the message.

Everybody see the transfer record.

All the guests and host shout, dey look the zeros, freeze.

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million…

Obinna Nwokedi, you dey craze?

You cut call, but you send fifty million?

Na only for ancestor grave I don see that kind money before.

You wan send me go meet my forefathers? Make I be chief security for underworld masquerade court?

If people for WhatsApp see this kind money, dem go think say we dey run package.

[Ha, see as e shock dem!]

[Both borrow money, but as Ruo Ruo ask, Obinna answer quick send am.]

[Pure flower x business boss, na that ship dey sail!]

[Ship ke? Amaka Chu just collect fifty million once. Who care about ten million?]

[God, my eye dey pain me for zeros.]

[Who send money to Amaka Chu? Na Obinna too?]

[No wonder their call get as e be.]

[Chu fans, shine eye—the account number no be the same. Still dey chop?]

[Lol, Amaka Chu na sugar baby be that.]

[I remember say she always get good connections. E fit be say she dey follow sugar daddy for fifty million, still dey eye small rich Obinna...]

[Too bad, Obinna no even send her~]

[Abeg, na bot dey type all these comments?]

[Una no fit survive without man gist or conspiracy?]

[Abeg, not everybody dey worship money.]

[Na all Halima Ruo fans dey talk jare.]

[All I fit talk be say, fans resemble their idol~]

Before wahala swallow me, my street sense wake up.

“I forget, today na the day my studio dey settle money matter.”

“Sorry for the drama.”

Halima Ruo eye me suspicious, face no friendly at all.

I give am cold face back.

Believe am or not, na your wahala.

If you get liver, go ask Obinna Nwokedi by yourself.

My body still dey shake, but I package myself well. No be today I start to dey dodge Lagos gossip. I just arrange my bag, cross leg, dey do as if na normal thing.

...

After the show, I waka go garage with my assistant.

The usual van no dey.

Na only one silver-black Mercedes Maybach dey there, engine dey on.

Window roll down.

Obinna Nwokedi just dey back seat, face like say nothing concern am.

“Enter.”

“For what?”

“Fifty million no reach for Miss Amaka to buy me food?”

I no gree move, him sef no move.

Car just dey for middle of garage, everybody dey see us.

Omo, make I no disgrace myself more.

I hold breath, enter, jam the door.

The inside of the car smell like new leather and small vanilla, AC dey blow steady.

“How you take know where I dey?”

Obinna Nwokedi lift hand, press privacy glass.

“Two people back to back dey borrow money from me—I no be mumu. And no forget, your variety show contract dey with company wey I get shares. To find you na small thing.”

I look window, hiss.

“Oh? You sabi remember that one? I think say your mind full another person.”

Obinna Nwokedi laugh small, then talk slow.

“Her papa na business partner. Ask me to dey look after her. But she no dey hear word, na why today scatter. I fit use am collect something from her papa. Ten million to catch big fish—na better deal.”

“Plus, na my assistant send her the money. I no even touch am.”

“Oh, so you dey broke? You dey go bankrupt? E sweet me.”

I no even know why I dey vex. Once he talk, I must reply.

Obinna Nwokedi no even vex, just sigh, like say I be wahala.

“True, I broke. When person run commot, she no even leave house furniture for me. Bathtub, toilet, solid wood door—even berry-pink bedsheet she carry. If I no hustle, I go sleep for street.”

He look me, eyes soft pass normal.

My body just shake. Omo, story long o…

I remember that his stubbornness—na so e be since uni days.

I just dey remember how I scatter that house, even carry the big mirror. Na me be landlord and tenant that day. I wan laugh but I bone face. Life no balance.