Chapter 6: The Apology and My Promise

I bite my lip, tears dey my eyes, my nose dey pepper me: “No be me.”

My body dey shake. I dey try talk, but the tears dey push. My own nose block, like say I dey catch cold. I swallow the pain.

“No be me, na she just hold my hand, I only free myself.”

I explain, voice break. I dey beg make person hear my own side, but nobody listen. The whole house dey look me like enemy.

Halima hear, start cry, “Na my fault, Tunde, no blame Miss Yemi.”

Her cry soft, but e loud enough to collect all the attention. She dey try defend me, but everybody dey pity her more. The game clear.

“I forget to lock the wheelchair, na why this thing happen.”

She rub eye, voice low. Everybody dey rush comfort am. Me, I just dey stand.

“Halima, no need defend Jin Yemi again,” Uncle Tunde talk cold. “I know her kind temper.”

He no send my explanation. He believe the worst. The pain dey my heart deep.

“All these years, any woman wey near me, na she dey chase them with her small tricks.”

He voice dey sharp. I dey shame, I dey vex. My own Uncle, my own guardian, dey disgrace me.

I just laugh, tears dey my eyes: “So Uncle, you no believe me, abi?”

I for want shout, but only laugh come out. Tears dey fall. The pain dey cut deep, like knife.

“You fit trust me?” he fire back.

His voice dey high. The question heavy. My own heart dey bleed.

“You dey right, I no deserve am.”

I talk am, voice low. I dey surrender. No need fight again. My own words dey bite me.

“Na only Halima deserve am. Anything she talk, you go believe.” I drag my box, wan go.

My hand strong for handle. I dey ready to waka, leave everything behind. No need look back.

But Uncle Tunde tell the workers make dem block me. He talk, “Apologize.”

His face strong, no pity. The workers dey shift, ready to hold me. My pride dey bite me.

I look Uncle Tunde, shock.

My mouth open. Na like say cold water pour for my body. I dey look am, no believe my own Uncle dey treat me like stranger.

He repeat, “Halima just suffer for nothing. You suppose apologize.”

His voice dey shake small, but his eyes dey hard. I dey see anger and something else—maybe guilt.

“If I no gree nko?” My eyes full with tears.

I dey test am, voice stubborn. I dey show say I still get small fire. The tears don blur my sight.

I think say if I see this kind thing again, I go fit hold myself.

But the pain too much. All the memory from last life dey rush me, I dey weak.

But I still overrate myself.

The strength I think say I get no reach. I dey cry, body dey shake. My voice almost disappear.

When all the old love turn to knife dey cut me—

The betrayal dey cut, like say person dey slice me with sharp blade. I dey remember everything—every small kindness, every soft word—now dey turn to poison.

E pain.

Na inside bone e pain me. The shame, the rejection, the loss—all gather for chest. I wan disappear.

“You sabi wetin I fit do,” Uncle Tunde talk cold.

His own warning sharp. I know say if I resist, wahala go blow. The workers dey eye me, ready.

He look the workers. Dem dey ready to hold me.

The way dem stand, na like say dem dey wait order. My pride dey fight my pain, but I surrender.

I just laugh for myself.

Na sad laugh. I dey wonder how my life reach here. My own people turn stranger.

I drop my box, bend down, talk to Halima:

I kneel small, face her. My voice steady, even though my heart dey scatter. Na who get shame dey beg, but today, I drop am for ground.

“Today’s wahala na my fault. I no suppose free myself when you hold my hand.”

I talk am, voice low. My apology full mouth, even though I know say I no wrong. I just wan make peace.

“I nearly make you fall. Sorry.”

I look her eye, show small sincerity. My voice dey shake, but I no look away.

Halima shock small, Uncle Tunde face come even more dark.

She blink, dey surprise. Maybe she expect I go fight. Uncle Tunde fold arm, dey vex more. His own pride dey battle his sense.

As I stand, I look Uncle Tunde: “Uncle, e do so?”

I ask, voice firm. I dey challenge am small, but no too much. My own dignity still dey intact.

“If e no do, I fit kneel down.”

I dey show say I fit humble myself, but inside I dey die. I dey wait for his own answer, even if I know say e no get meaning.

Uncle Tunde eyes dey complicated, but he no talk again.

He just dey stare, lips pressed. Maybe regret dey bite am small. But e too proud to talk.

I drag my box go downstairs.

The box heavy now, but I dey drag am. My own tears dey flow, but I wipe am quick.

As I reach ground floor, Aunty Rose talk, “Oga fit dey vex today.”

She dey stand for kitchen door, arms folded. Her wrapper tight for waist, her eyes soft. She dey try comfort me with small smile.

“Madam, no let am enter your mind. All these years, we see as oga dey pamper you.”

She rub my back, whisper, "No let wahala swallow you, my pikin." She dey try talk for Uncle Tunde, wan help me with my box.

She stretch hand, want help me carry box. I thank her, shake head. My own mind dey far.

I just smile.

Na weak smile. I dey try show say I dey okay. My heart dey heavy.

Before, anytime I quarrel with Uncle Tunde,

Aunty Rose go always come, go beg, settle us. She dey tell story, crack joke, make everybody laugh. She dey try restore peace for house.

Aunty Rose go always try settle us. All these years, she never change.

Even now, she still dey play peacemaker. Her own love steady, even if the world dey fall.

But me and Uncle Tunde, we no fit ever go back to before.

I know am for my mind. Some things, once e break, e no fit repair. My own innocence don go.

“Madam, you no go guest room?” she ask, surprise.

She dey look me, eyebrow raise. She dey expect say I go obey order, go rest. Her concern dey genuine.

I shake my head. “No.”

My voice soft, but final. I don make up my mind.

“But oga—”

She wan talk, but I raise hand. No need more words. My own decision stand.

“Help me tell Uncle: thank you for all the care all these years. I no go disturb am again.”

I talk am, voice steady. I dey free myself from bondage. The pain dey still fresh, but I wan move on.

This life, e end for here.

For me and Uncle Tunde, na here our story stop. I dey walk into my own destiny. I dey free myself from love wey dey suffocate me.

The pain wey I see for my last life—I no go bear am again.

I swear for myself, I no go repeat old mistakes. No more tears for man wey no dey see my value. I go find peace for my own way. But as I waka commot, I swear for my mind—this no be the end. My own story just dey start.