Chapter 11: Real Talk

The last time I speechless like this… na the last time, abeg.

E no easy to dey face woman wey no dey smile. For my mind, I dey recall all the small small embarrassment. But I gats hold ground.

No be her fault—na because before, I dey care too much about her every move.

As person wey dey play stand-in, my own na to dey look her face for sign. E tire me.

System dey shout:

[Go, hold her hand! Tell am make she no wicked to you!]

[Kick main guy commot! Na your wife, your woman!]

I dey fear system shock, so I just stretch hand, touch her finger. The thing cold like stone, she comot am sharp sharp.

To avoid shock, I just touch her pinky finger, she shake me off sharp.

No be my fault. I dey obey system order. But I no be mumu.

I talk calm, follow system script: "You, abeg no too wicked to me. If you wan wicked, sign this agreement first."

I dey act script, but I add my own spice. Man no fit dey beg dey look like goat.

System: [Who tell you make you add that last part?]

Na so system dey vex. I no send.

Sewa collect agreement, open am, lips tight: "You sure?"

She dey look me like say she wan see through my soul. If na lie, she go catch am.

Before she finish, main guy come out, eye dey squeeze: "So na you."

The tension thick for room. If you throw knife, e go hang for air.

Sewa hide the agreement behind her.

She no want wahala. Na Lagos we dey, anything fit happen.

The main guy begin run mouth.

He dey talk like person wey just land from Yankee. I just dey look.

"Heh, no wonder you wear mask—you resemble me small. Na only luck you get."

"If Sewa no beg me for your sake yesterday, by now you for dey hospital dey sleep."

"No wahala, I go find new security for Sewa. Go HR, collect your money—no come tomorrow."

E dey act big man. But I no dey fear. I get my plan.

The guy sabi act.

For my mind, I dey reason say this one dey overdo. But na so book talk am.

E make sense—he no know say I marry Sewa. For book, once he find out, na so he vex, spend money hire boys beat me—iron, stick, fist, kick, I no get better skin. I dey bed for over thirty days before I fit waka.

Omo, dem describe am like action film. The pain ehn, no be here.

The kind beating wey dem describe for book—no ask me how e pain.

If na me, I go faint twice.

So, better make I talk am myself now. I tap the main guy shoulder: "Abeg, make we yarn for corner."

E shock am. For his mind, he no expect say I go get boldness talk. Na so I play my card.