Chapter 2: The Bet and the Beginning

When I first start dey with Kunle, him friends dey bet. The bet na whether we go last pass one month. Dem talk say Kunle no dey last, e dey waka like NEPA light—on today, off tomorrow.

You know for Ibadan, word dey fly fast, and Kunle na big man pikin. You hear Lawal family, you go just respect. When I first jam Kunle for library, my roommate, Uchechi, give me that warning: "Amaka, shine your eye o! The Lawal family no be your mate. If you no wan wahala, no near their wahala."

But this Kunle, e gentle for face, but if you look well, you go see say e get small different. Dem say e dey easy to catch, e no get wahala for babe matter, and anytime e break up, e dey do am like friendship, no drama. You go even hear gist say all him exes still dey follow am talk.

No be lie.

But between both of us, sometimes e go be like say na me dey chase am, other times, na him dey chase me. Our own matter dey twist.

That time, I dey second year for my master’s, dey run research with my stubborn supervisor. I need one English book wey dem no dey see for bookshop. I tire post am for WhatsApp status. My data dey finish, nothing still show. Just when I wan give up, na im one number buzz me.

The message short but serious—

[My papa get that book. If you need am, holla me. I go run am for you.]

I no even waste time, I reply quick, my chest sweet me. I never see that kind help for this city before.

After that, I wan thank am, we jam twice for campus, gist just dey flow. Third time, as I dey waka go hostel, I see am under streetlight, hand for pocket, that him signature eyebrow up. The place dey smell of old paper and that AC wey dey always leak small. "We go see again?" he ask, like say na riddle.

For this life, as season dey change, sometimes you go just jam person wey enter your spirit. Na so my own be that night. The air for Ibadan get one kain cold wey fit make you remember home, even light dey behave.

If I talk say I no want see am again, e for pain me like say dem slap me for chest. I just smile, look am for eye, fire for fire: "Dem talk say you easy to chase. Na true?"

He burst laugh, scatter teeth, "Then try na." People wey pass dey look us, but that time, na only me and am dey for our own world.

If you never see life before and you jam person wey dey free, calm, get level—omo, you go dey reason the guy till your head full. No be new thing for me. I remember the first year I land this city, thief carry my purse for motor park, I waka reach police post with empty hand, rain begin beat me, I dey cry like pikin.

E drive pass with one Benz, slow down, wind down glass, ask, "Where you dey go? Make I drop you."

Me, I no trust easy. For Lagos or Ibadan, stranger fit turn wahala. But Kunle just dey beg, "I no be bad person, abeg, trust me, no cry."

Later, I dey always remember am, dey reason how life fit cross people path. But after that day, na silence. We no jam again for months.

For big city like this, even to see person wey help you once, na luck wey pass NEPA.

Not long after, our story start proper.

When my roommate hear, she open mouth, then just laugh, "To date person like am sweet, abi? But e dey always move on quick o! Enjoy am while e last, my sister."

Me, I no send, I gree say make I chop love while the food hot.

Everybody dey mumu for love once, e sure for this life. Love dey carry person go where head no go reason.

That time, I dey believe say love na just do as your heart dey push you. Kunle past na past, future na our own. But na small pikin mind.

But time go show you say love get as e be.

Like that their bet. Kunle never date babe pass two weeks, na record for their crew.

All those their rich boys, dem come bet one month—why? Later, na there I hear say na because I resemble that first love, Sade, na im make dem gree add extra two weeks for the bet.