Chapter 5: Puff-Puff and Pride

The day after break up, Ifedike wey ghost me for one week just show for my hostel, beard rough, body dirty.

Him shoe even get dust, eye red like say he dey chop pepper for dream. E no resemble school fine boy at all. People wey dey pass dey point, dey whisper.

“Fit make we talk?”

E talk low, voice crack. Some girls stop for corridor, dey look. Dem dey whisper, dey point. Dem wonder, "Abi na Temi cause this one?" I just bone, tie wrapper well, follow am.

People wey pass dey look us, dey wonder. When Ifedike don ever rough reach like this?

Because of me? Abeg, e no fit be.

I reason am—Ifedike wey dey always fresh, dey shine, come be like this? I no gree believe say na me cause am. For my mind, I dey talk, "Wetin concern me?"

We waka go mama put near school—na me choose am.

Dem get one puff-puff wey I dey like. I don invite Ifedike two or three times, but he dey always dodge.

The place dey local, but the vibe dey sweet. Scent of fried oil, sound of traders haggling. For my mind, na comfort food I need.

I chop my puff-puff, my mind just dey calm small. The puff-puff hot, dey soak small oil for nylon, sugar dey melt for tongue.

For the first time in days, food get taste for my mouth. I bite, sugar scatter for tongue, heart cool small.

“Why you come out? She no need make you dey take care of am?”

I dey throw shade, but I dey smile. The guy just sigh, face table, dey rub him hand.

“You go dey talk like this?”

“Like how? I just dey ask na. I really wan know—Halima no need make you dey with am?”

He sigh, push him malt away.

His hand dey tremble small. The malt even almost fall. Na so him eye dey roam, no fit look my face.

“I know say you dey vex, but you suppose know say I never do anything wey go make you shame. I no go beg you.”

He wan form hard guy, but I see say him voice dey shake. I no talk, just dey poke puff-puff.

“So I dey ask you serious—na break up you want?”

As I dey chop my puff-puff, the heart-shaped design I don scatter am, na only one corner remain.

I dey look the small corner, dey remember how love dey sweet for beginning. Now na only pieces remain.

I just use fork scatter am finish.

I press fork down, scatter everything, make e match my mood.

“No be say I want break up. We don already end am.”

Ifedike face cold pass the ice water wey dey table.

He dey look me like person wey see ghost. Even breeze stop for table.

He delete all my contact for my front.

He open phone, press delete, show me. E pain me small, but I hold face. If you see the way he press, e be like person dey block scammer.

“Hope say you no go regret.”

He stand up. As he dey pass me, I grab the edge of him shirt.

My hand cold, but I still grip am. E stop, look back, face blank, but I see small spark for eye.

I look up, see one small, sly smile wey just dey hide for him mouth.

He dey form strong, but the smile betray am. Maybe e think say I wan beg am back.

But e be like say he dey misunderstand something.

I look am well, talk,

“As ex-boyfriend, abeg make we split the bill for this food.”

I fit see say the pride for him face just cut, e surprise. I stand up, clean mouth, ready go. Make everybody see say Temi don get sense small.