Chapter 5: Simple Girl, Simple Food, Big Wahala

I begin remember all I sabi about Aisha.

Na babe wey dey greet person with smile. Even lecturers dey like her. If you see her for market, she dey price fish like professional.

We don meet before.

I remember that time for hostel, she help me carry my small cooler as rain dey fall. She just talk, "No worry, Oga Tunde, rain go soon stop."

She dey the same uni, dey stay for the same hostel with Morayo.

Sometimes, I dey see am for corridor, dey read novel. Her face always dey calm, like say nothing fit shake her.

When school start, people dey argue who be real campus queen—her or Morayo.

Boys dey debate for WhatsApp group, dey compare pictures. One side dey talk, "Aisha too humble, see as her skin dey glow." The other side dey shout, "Morayo na main deal, na her get the sauce."

One cold, long hair; the other cute, pure, always tie scarf for ponytail.

Even girls dey envy Aisha. Her kind smile dey win hearts, but she no dey do gra-gra.

But to win points,

I use money boost Morayo popularity, so she carry campus queen crown.

I even dash her classmates gifts, arrange DJ for hostel party, just to make sure her vote no drop.

Who know, she just bone face, talk for public:

“I, Morayo, no get anything to do with am. Na him dey imagine things.”

She burst my bubble, live on stage. Crowd dey laugh, even MC no fit rescue me.

But Aisha no send all those titles.

I notice she just dey lowkey. She fit dey smile when people hail Morayo, but she never dey carry am for head.

Her face always calm, like say nothing for this world fit shake am.

Her voice na soft breeze. If you talk to her, e be like say you dey talk to water for river bank.

One time I dey wait for Morayo outside hostel.

My body dey tense, my mind dey race. Even my driver dey ask, "Oga, sure say you go win today?"

Aisha rush come down, two hand dey carry basket of food.

Basket big, e almost fall for her hand. She dey manage am with small strength, dey breathe hard.

Na all those correct food wey top chef cook, specially for Morayo.

Even the aroma dey tempt passersby. Na only VIP dey chop that kind food for school.

That time, I vex small, ask Aisha wetin she dey do with the food.

My voice loud, people turn. She just pause, look ground.

She blush, dey stammer:

“Morayo talk say she no dey come back hostel today. She say make I throw the food, but e go waste. I... I fit chop am? If no, I go give the stray cats.”

Her face dey red. She dey look me like say she dey beg, but pride no gree let her talk too much.

My mind no dey there, I just dey reason where Morayo go.

I dey check my phone for text, dey tap leg for ground. No be Aisha I come find.

I just wave her off, talk small thing.

"Do as you like, sha."

...

I only remember, as I dey go, she thank me softly.

That "thank you" sweet for ear, like song. But na Morayo still dey my head.

Her voice gentle, sweet, but e no dey do too much—just dey cool person mind.

For that brief moment, my mind calm, but I forget quick.

Another time na for concert—one big artiste dey perform for our city.

Na stadium show, everywhere jam. People dey sell gala, suya, drinks, even policemen dey groove.

Of course, na Morayo best singer.

I plan the thing well, buy VIP tickets, hire driver. Everybody for hostel hear am.

She dey shy, no wan collect the tickets.

At first, she dey do like say she no wan go, but her eye dey shine.

But last last, she gree—on one condition: make I invite all her hostel mates.

I run am. Money no be problem. I arrange coaster bus, invite full hostel.

If na money, e no hard.

I spray am. Everybody chop, drink, snap selfie.

Music loud, everybody dey shout.

DJ dey drop banger. Girls dey dance, boys dey vibe.

As slow love song start, I quietly hold Morayo hand.

For my mind, na jackpot be that.

She no pull back.

Hope dey my heart. I dey thank God for small mercy.

I happy die.

As in, I dey float. My guys dey cheer me from back. Even the MC wink me.

But as song finish, before light come on, Aisha soft voice just enter: “Erm, your hand too warm—abeg, leave am.”

I freeze, keep quiet, then release am quick.

Inside dark, na wrong hand I hold.

I shame, but I bone face. E pain me sha.

That night, na my fifteenth confession.

I even spend money, arrange make singer call me up, plan to confess.

I even order nkwobi, isi-ewu—Morayo just dey look me like say na garri she prefer.

E be like movie. My heart dey beat, my leg dey shake.

But as singer call my name, Morayo don waka.

She don ghost me, no even wait for main event.

I rush go find her. She turn, give me slap, voice cold:

“Tunde, stop to dey disgrace yourself. Even if you climb stage, I no fit gree for you.”

Crowd dey look. My ear dey ring. The slap loud.

She pause, sigh:

“I just wan finish school jeje.”

Her voice low. E pain me pass the slap.

“No matter wetin you do, you no fit move me.”

I for cry, but I gree say na men dey cry for toilet.

“We no be the same kind of people.”

The words sharp like cutlass. My confidence drop. My body cold.

That time, e be like say my heart don break finish.

I no fit even breathe well. I just dey stand like statue.

But I force smile, try crack joke:

“Heh, no wahala. I fit wait.”

My teeth dey shake, but I dey try form hard guy.

“Even if my heart break into QR code, if you scan am, e go still show ‘I love you.’”

People dey laugh, but my mind dey bleed. That night, I no fit sleep.

When we reach school, old steward look me with worry:

Baba Femi dey shake head, e eyes red small. E fit see say my spirit low.

“Oga Tunde, love no be by force. Miss Morayo no reach your stress, even your anger.”

E talk am with experience. E don see many boys wey heartbreak nearly finish.

I smile: “No worry, I don move on.”

I try force small laugh. My chest still dey pain me, but I no wan show am.

E shock am, he just sigh—he no believe me.

He look me with "this one never learn" face, then waka go start car.

As I come down, I see Bayo and Morayo dey gist dey laugh for gate.

Dem dey lean for fence, dey share gala. The sight just bite me for heart.

As dem see me, Bayo sharply leave Morayo hand:

“Oga Tunde, good morning.”

E voice dey tremble. Na like say I be lion.

Bayo short pass me—e never reach 1.8 meters. Just recover from sickness, still dey look pale.

E dey try stand strong, but I see am say body never too balance.

“You don well?”

I check am up and down, dey form big bro.

He nod: “Yes, yes, Oga Tunde, na you save me.”

And you come back dey drag my babe?

My mind dey talk, but my mouth dey smile.

“No be save, I just pay your hospital bill. The money, you go pay am small small.”

I just dey yarn am, make e know say money no be play.

As I talk am, Bayo face change: “Morayo, you borrow money from Oga Tunde for me?”

E eye wide, na like say e wan cry.

Morayo frown, no talk, just dey look me.

She cross hand for chest, e be like say she dey ready for wahala.

Normally, I no dey mention money.

Even my guys know say I get pride. But today, e pain me.

Dem just think say I pay from my pocket?

I no like that kind impression. I need make everybody know say e no be free.

“No be her. Bayo, the contract you sign abroad get loan agreement—no be English you read?”

I dey talk as if e dey for court. My tone strong.

Him face red, e look Morayo for help:

“I remember the amount. If you change am, na 1.69 million naira...”

Him voice dey shake. Morayo dey squeeze her palm, e no dey look anybody.

Morayo cut in, dey para: “Enough, Tunde. Wetin be your demand this time? Talk am.”

Her voice high, her face cold. Crowd begin gather small.

I reply straight: “Debt na debt. Bayo, you wan run?”

I dey stand like area boy, my voice loud.

Bayo begin shake:

“No, no, Oga Tunde, I go find way pay you.”

E voice low, e dey fear.

Morayo no fit hold am again, she stand in front of Bayo:

“I go pay for am. Abeg, leave am.”

She open her purse, dey shake. Her face strong, but I see say she dey worry.

“Good. Wire me hundred thousand first. I dey broke small.”

As I talk am, I dey smile small, but na shame dey cover am. I dey beg for money lowkey.

Because of Morayo, my papa freeze my cards—I no get shishi.

My guy dey gist me later say, "Omo, rich man pikin dey collect debt now?"

As I pull out payment code, I see small confusion for Morayo face.

She dey reason whether to vex or to pity me. I no send.

“Give me some days. I go run am for you.”

She talk am with low voice, her eye no gree meet mine.

“Tch.”

I hiss, just waka enter school.

My heart dey pound, but I bone face like street guy. No time for shame.

I wait for cafeteria entrance tire before I finally see Aisha.

I dey tap leg, dey scroll phone, dey check time. My mind dey race, hope say I no go flop first impression.

She wear big, oversize cotton jacket, eyes bright but dey look ground, sometimes frown, sometimes bite lip.

Her scarf fine, white and blue, match her shoe. The way she dey waka, e be like say she dey run from cold breeze.

She look like person wey get wahala.

Her face show say she never sleep well. I dey wonder if na Morayo matter dey disturb her.

I rush go meet her, dey smile: “Aisha, you don chop breakfast?”

I try soften my voice, no wan scare her. My hand dey for pocket, dey squeeze key.

She blink, look lost:

“Eh?”

She look up, her eye dey wander. Maybe she dey think say I go ask for Morayo gist.

“I no sabi where Morayo dey.”

She quick add am, dey use hand hold her bag tighter.

I raise eyebrow.

I smile, try act calm. Wetin I dey find na friendship, no be wahala.

Why she dey fear me like this?

Her body language show say she dey expect attack. Na wah.

I soften my face, talk calm: “No be her I dey ask—I dey ask you. Abeg, come chop breakfast with me.”

I talk am gently, dey wait make she relax small.

Next thing, she look me with pity:

“I fit say no?”

Her voice small, like person wey dey beg but no sure.

“Lie lie.” I just carry her go cafeteria.

I no even give her time to dodge. I dey smile, she dey follow, no choice.

Aisha slim—her hand light like feather.

If I grip am well, e be like say breeze fit carry her. She no get wahala.

Wetin she dey chop every day sef?

I dey reason say if na my level, I for dey order full English breakfast. But Aisha dey look like person wey dey manage.

I check breakfast menu, frown: “Wetin you wan chop? I go queue.”

Cafeteria full. Boys dey shout, girls dey drag table. I dey wait for her to decide.

She answer quick: “Just akara and pap.”

She no even think twice. Her mind dey made up. Na simple girl.

“Na only that?”

I dey look am, dey wonder if e go reach her. I dey remember say Morayo dey always dey order extra.

The breakfast I dey arrange for Morayo na big man food—yam porridge, pepper soup, nkwobi, anything.

My chef dey vex say I dey use all the ingredients for one person every day.

At first, she dey form, later, hunger catch am, she start to dey collect.

Na so her friends begin dey drop by, dey ask for "Tunde's special" too. I dey run expenses like say I dey own buka.

Not only she collect, she even dey complain—porridge cold, soup no sweet.

One day she talk say, "Tunde, na only you dey chop pepper soup for morning?"

I change chef, change menu, she still talk say pepper soup na the best.

I dey try impress, but e no ever work.

Round and round, I no ever know wetin she like.

My steward dey advise me say, "Oga, try simple food sometimes. Not every day pepper soup."

Anytime I ask, she go just say, “E dey okay.”

Na the same answer every time. I give up.

Now, as I dey queue with Aisha, I point: “Meat pie, moin-moin, boiled egg, soya milk—two each.”

I dey add extra, make she no think say na manage I dey do.

Cafeteria aunty rush come: “Swipe your card.”

She get strong voice, hand dey for POS. I dey fumble my pocket.

I pull bank card, then remember—cards don freeze.

My chest just catch. Wetin person go do?

Wahala—na disgrace remain for front of my new target?

All eyes don dey my side. E be like say everybody dey wait make I fumble.

“Aunty, abeg, make I owe you? I go send person bring money later.”

I dey beg, my pride dey shame me.

Cafeteria aunty look me one kind, but small pity dey her eye.

She know me. Maybe she dey remember say I dey always pay before.

People around begin look me.

Boys dey whisper, “E don happen—big man pikin don broke.” Girls dey cover mouth. My reputation for campus dey on top line.

Everywhere just quiet.

Even spoon drop, people hear am. Na so tension high.

“Beep.”

Aisha bring out cute meal card, swipe am, collect breakfast with one hand, use other hand drag my sleeve.

She soft, her hand cold. She just save my face.

“You suppose use meal card for cafeteria.”

Her voice gentle, no be like person wey wan shame me. I dey grateful.

As we sit down, she mumble, like she wan laugh me but dey shy to look my face.

Her mouth dey twitch, but she cover am with spoon.

“Of course I know. Na just say I never come here since, so I forget my card...”

I dey form big boy. Na shame dey hold me.

She just dey chop, no talk.

She dey concentrate on her food, her leg dey swing under table. She no send anybody.

As Aisha dey eat, her eyes bend like crescent moon, like say she really dey enjoy.

Her smile dey real. E no get pretense. I dey watch her, my heart dey soft small.

I pick meat pie—e don cold. “This one no too sweet, e cold.”

I dey complain small, dey hope say she go reason my side.

“No, e sweet well well.”

She dey chop, dey nod head. Her joy dey genuine.

Aisha pick moin-moin, bite am, her face just shine with joy.

Na so she dey eat, dey smile. I dey look her like say I never see happiness before.

My heart skip—Aisha dey cute sha.

As she dey lick spoon, her cheek puff small. I catch myself dey smile.

Suddenly, Morayo cold voice just cut enter: “Tunde, wetin you dey do here?”

Her shadow long for door. Her eye sharp, voice cold. As she talk am, everywhere chill—wahala don land.