Chapter 3: Pink Wahala and New Enemies

Me and Kamsi na childhood friends—the kind wey know each other since we dey three years old.

If you see the pictures from when we dey small, na so so two of us. We dey bath for same basin, dey chop together, our mamas dey tie our wrapper as we dey play inside compound.

Our parents don be padi for over ten years, dey live opposite each other for the same compound.

If rain dey fall, Kamsi mama go call me come take shelter. If my mama dey cook, e go keep extra food for their side. We be like one big family.

I like Kamsi since small.

Na that kind crush wey start before I even sabi say e be crush. Sometimes I go dey daydream say we go marry, carry children, still dey play ludo for veranda when we old.

For primary school, boys always dey bully me.

Dem sabi my wahala—say I no dey quick talk back. So dem just dey use me shine for school.

One boy bad pass. E dey sit for my back, dey pull my hair, dey put chewing gum for my chair, even put banger for my desk.

E get one time wey the chewing gum tangle my hair sotey, my mama use scissors cut am. Na that day I vex pass.

I go cry meet teacher. She scold am, but still laugh say, “Na because he like you.”

For my mind, I dey reason say, if na so boys dey show love, abeg, make I no need am. I no gree that kind play.

Me I no believe am. The boy still dey do rubbish, so I run go tell my parents.

Na so my papa call meeting for parlour. E warn me, 'No let anybody treat you like rag, Ifeoma.' My mama just dey frown, dey talk say dem go go school next day.

My parents vex, say dem go meet teacher. Na so Uncle Chukwudi, wey dey visit that day, hear am, call Kamsi come, tell am make e dey protect me for school from that day.

Uncle Chukwudi talk like say na big contract. E look Kamsi face to face, say, 'You hear? From today, na you go dey watch Ify.'

Kamsi na my mate, but we no dey same class. The next day for break, Kamsi enter my class, drag that boy come outside, beat am well.

For compound, everybody respect Kamsi. E tall reach for age, strong too. That day, e beat the boy sotey other children run.

Even as pikin, e tall and strong. He beat the boy and e friends sotey dem dey cry.

After dem cry finish, Kamsi come back inside, dust im hand, look me. E no even talk much, just nod like say 'I don handle am.'

Before e waka, e warn the other boys, “Anybody wey try bully Ifeoma again, go see!”

From that day, na me be untouchable for class. Boys begin fear to talk anyhow to me.

Na from that day I begin like am.

My small pikin heart just dey beat any time I see am. I dey feel say, 'Na true friend be this.'

After Kamsi fight for me, him mama fry puff-puff for us to celebrate. I chop puff-puff that evening with joy.

After that, I just dey follow am everywhere like shadow.

Anywhere Kamsi dey, na there you go see me. If e dey play ball, I dey carry ball come. If e dey go buy gala, I go follow. E reach one point, even people for compound dey call me 'Kamsi-tail.'

Kamsi no like am at all. E be strong head boy, feel say to dey waka with small girl go make am look weak.

E go sometimes chase me, tell me to go play with girls. I go cry, come back later. Na so my stubbornness strong.

But me, I no gree. I dey always chase am, dey call am “Kamsi my person” every time.

Even for church, I dey drag am go sit near me. If dem dey share sweet, I must give Kamsi first.

Years just dey go, e come soft small, no dey push me away again.

As we dey grow, e come dey allow me follow am go everywhere. Dem no fit separate us for holiday or family party.

I begin notice say e dey look me more, when our eyes jam, sometimes e go dey shy, dey stammer, or change topic with red face.

I dey always catch am dey look my direction, especially when I dey laugh or dey gist with my friends. Sometimes I go wink am, e go just look ground.

One day, Uncle Chukwudi joke say, “Since these two dey together like this, why we no just do childhood engagement?”

Everybody for parlour burst laugh. Even my papa clap hand. 'Abeg, make dem finish secondary school first.'

Kamsi no talk, but e squeeze my hand tight. I see as e ear turn red.

That squeeze sweet me reach bone. E soft, but strong—like promise. My mind dey fly.

My heart sweet me, I shout, “Okay! I wan marry Kamsi!”

All the adults just dey laugh. Even Kamsi mama say, 'Ify, no worry, na your wish go come true.'

But as we enter secondary school, everything begin change.

Hormones, new friends, new faces. Kamsi begin dey waka with boys, dey form big boy. Me, I dey try catch up, but e no easy.

End of first term, new transfer student land our class.

Her name na Halima. Dem say na because her papa and mama get work transfer. She sabi book well, fine join.

From her first day, all eyes dey on her. She carry confidence, dey walk like say school na her own.

First day, she enter with brown curly hair, smile for class teacher.

That hair, e just dey shine. Some girls dey envy, some dey admire. She waka with swag reach teacher desk.

“Teacher, this one na natural. My hair just light and curly like that.”

She talk am with full chest. Even teacher nod, dey smile. Some girls for class dey eye her, dey reason their own hair.

She turn look everybody. When her eye reach me, she pause, then burst laugh.

E be like say she see me finish in one glance. The way she laugh, e get one kind sharpness.

“Ah ah… see help o… who be this Barbie princess… hahahahaha. Everything pink, see as you dey do like small pikin for SS class, no shame?”

E shock me. I never see anybody talk to me like that before. I just dey look ground, dey wish I wear black instead.

Everybody for class look my side.

Dem dey wait to see if I go reply. Some dey hide smile, others dey look sorry.

My face just red—well, as e fit show for my brown skin. I dey try hide am, but you know as e be—my own redness dey always show. I just dey hope bell go ring.

I too like pink—almost craze for am. Everything I get na pink: pink bag, pink cup, pink hair clip, pink T-shirt, pink sweater, pink phone case, even small small things.

Na my identity be that. Even for compound, if dem see pink, dem go shout, 'Na Ify own!'

Because of am, dem don talk before. For primary, boys call me fake, girls say I dey do over.

Sometimes, e pain me, but I no dey change. I go still dey rock my pink, dey shine.

But most people dey nice. Many girls say I fine, say pink fit me.

Some girls dey always beg me to borrow them pink pen or hairband. Na my own way to shine.

Na the first time person go mock me like that for public. I just confuse, shame dey catch me, I wan dig ground enter inside.

My mind dey run: 'Wetin I do this girl? Na me she see today?' The ground for my leg dey heavy.

“Hahaha, sorry o, na joke. No vex, small princess.”

Halima wink for me, dey form innocent.

She just dey show herself. Her laugh dey ring for my ear. I dey wonder whether na play or real fight she dey find.

“Okay, today na your first day, calm down,”

Na that time, Kamsi voice come out, full of impatience. I look back see as e dey bone Halima.

If to say eye fit kill, Halima for don vanish. Kamsi face just tight, like say he dey hold anger.

Halima raise eyebrow, look am back.

She no fear, just dey size am up. Na so two of them dey do like cat and dog.

“Ehen? Princess knight don show?”

She talk am with sarcasm. Some people snicker.

“Which kind talk be that! You dey craze?”

Kamsi knock desk with vex.

That one shock everybody. Even teacher pause for register, dey look their side.

Teacher quick warn am, tell am make e sit, then put Halima for only empty seat.

Teacher voice high, 'No bring wahala for my class!' Na so everybody quiet. Halima just smirk.

Whether na plan or not, na only the seat wey dey front of Kamsi remain, so two of them come be seatmates.

Everybody begin dey whisper. Some dey laugh, dey tap their neighbour. I just dey watch, my mind dey twist.