Chapter 4: Confession Under Premier Soap Scent

"You dey shy?"

E voice calm, but e get one kind softness inside. I no fit look im face straight.

Im tall body just approach gently.

As e walk come, sofa dey shift small. E tall, e shadow long reach for floor.

I feel as sofa sink under im weight, my mouth just lock.

As e sit, the chair swallow small, my mouth dey closed, no fit talk.

"Small."

I force the word come out, voice small like mosquito.

With im cologne scent, I grab remote, on projector, pick any Hollywood film.

Im perfume mix with that Premier soap scent, fresh die. I just press remote, rush choose film, anything to distract am.

"Little Uncle, make we watch film first."

Na my trick to dodge wahala. Film go buy me time.

"Mm."

E hum small, e no argue. E just relax for sofa, fingers dey knock sofa back.

Im long fingers dey tap back of sofa behind me, like e no too send.

The way e dey tap, e mean say im mind dey waka. But e no talk anything.

Fresh soap scent just dey enter my nose, my body dey itch.

Na clean guy e be. I dey feel am for my skin.

"Film dey help put person for mood."

I dey try joke, maybe e go laugh. But e just smile, no too show teeth.

Na so all these big men dey behave? Even massage need warm-up?

I dey reason for mind—maybe na old age dey make dem slow.

I dey reason reply, na so the main guy and babe for film appear for screen.

Na romantic scene o. I dey try pretend say I no dey notice.

Dem dey hug, dey kiss.

Omo, see as dem dey kiss for TV—if Mama catch me now, she go pour holy water for screen.

I dey look ground, dey avoid eye contact.

The sound sef loud anyhow for quiet parlour.

The way dem dey moan, I rush grab remote, reduce volume.

I sharply turn face—na im I jam im hot gaze.

E dey look me, e no blink. I freeze.

"That your boyfriend know say we dey watch this kind film?"

E voice get one kind tone, as if e dey ask serious question but e wan catch me.

Why Little Uncle dey yarn like this?

I dey confuse, my mind dey race.

And... who be the "he" wey e dey talk?

My confusion dey clear for my face.

The tension just dey rise, my brain slow join.

The silence heavy, I dey sweat.

Plus...

I dey think—wait, why e dey ask me about boyfriend? E no trust me?

Why the guy for film dey open the babe shirt?

Omo, see as things dey escalate for TV. My face dey hot.

I swallow, my back dey tingle.

My body dey send message—danger dey o!

Mouth just dry.

I swallow spit, dey hope say nobody go notice.

Little Uncle lean come close, hand touch my hair for ear.

Im hand soft, e brush my ear. My body dey shake.

Im voice soft, enter my ear like jazz.

Na jazz be this? I just dey melt for chair.

"That your boyfriend know say we wan start?"

The way e talk, I no fit reason. Na only my chest dey beat.

As e talk, im hand just dey waka from my ear go my collarbone button.

Im hand steady, slow, as if e dey count seconds.

Im finger just brush me, my body shock.

As e touch me, my body vibrate pass massage gun.

My heart dey run anyhow.

My belle dey jump, like say jollof rice dey inside.

I really vex for Little Uncle.

The way e dey play mind game, e dey pain me. Why e dey act boss?

Why e be say my body dey hot, dey dizzy, dey short of breath,

Everything just dey scatter for my inside. I no fit reason straight.

but e fit still dey siddon for sofa, dey smile like say e dey control everything?

Na real control freak. I dey vex, but I dey enjoy am.

As im hand wan reach my button, I sharply grab im knuckle.

Na so I hold im hand, no let am go further. My eye dey sharp.

E pause, look me, one kind hope dey im eye.

I fit see say e dey expect me to talk true.

"You wan confess?"

Na me go confess? No be you suppose open up?

Confess?

I dey act innocent. My mouth just tight.

No be me o.

For my mind, I dey scream—abeg, talk your own first!

Na you suppose talk am.

I dey wait, dey hope say e go finally open mouth.

Say na you dey my side for ten years, you don like me since, since.

Omo, if e talk am, wahala go end. Na so e go sweet.

So I carry im hand wey e dey shift back, put am for my collarbone, hold am there, guide am.

I no gree let am withdraw. My own power show small, I want make e feel me.

"Little Uncle, why you dey always ask about other people?"

I ask, voice soft. My eye dey look im own, dey search for answer.

Im hand just hold me tight, breath catch.

E no talk, but I feel the squeeze. The air just tight.

E resemble big dog wey dem catch as e dey hide bone.

Im eye dey roll, e dey act like person wey thief meat for pot.

So I push my luck.

Today na today. If e no talk now, e no go ever talk.

From corner of my eye, I see how the babe for film climb the guy lap.

Na so I form action—carry leg, dey shift body.

Me sef, I waka anyhow, use hand and leg climb on top im knee.

The move no easy, but I wan show say I fit do am too.

My finger dey draw circle for im tense thigh.

The muscle hard, I dey trace am, my hand dey enjoy.

"Wetin, you dey jealous?"

I tease am, voice low, but my smile wide.

But my leg still dey pain, na so I lose balance.

Omo, wahala! My leg betray me.

As I reach out, I fall back.

The fall no be joke, I just dey float small.

Before wahala go too much, strong hand catch my back well.

E catch me, steady, no let me shame myself.

Na so I just lie for im arm.

I relax, dey enjoy the comfort.

E no even move, e carry me back to sofa, steady.

E just shift me, lay me down like pikin.

Im Adam's apple just move.

I see as im throat dey jump, e dey swallow words.

Im rough palm touch my lips wey open small.

As e touch me, the warmth dey travel go my body. My breath stop small.

"Mm."

Na only that sound e fit talk. The answer dey heavy.

That na im answer to my question before.

I understand am—sometimes, action loud pass talk.

"Why everything about you dey small like this."

E voice low, but e dey sweet. Like say e dey talk true feelings.

E place me astride im thigh, for a moment, I just freeze.

Omo, I shock. My body stiff, but my heart dey happy.

Just dey feel that hand wey just catch me—

My head dey spin. This night, everything change. For inside Naija house, under Nepa light, na so love story dey start.

For outside, thunder just rumble small—like say even sky dey feel our tension.