Chapter 1: The Masked Lover

Ifeanyi Adeola pretended to be broke by my side for three years inside our small flat for Mokola, Lagos, with generator noise for background.

Sometimes I remember those nights wey NEPA carry light, and the room go hot, sweat dey drip for my back, even mosquito dey celebrate. He go dey laugh, dey say, "Morayo, make we manage. E go better." I go look am, my heart go just dey soft. I no know say person fit hide him real face like that for so long, especially for this our Naija wey everybody dey hustle dey show face.

When he hear say my mama urgently need money for surgery, he even go as far as faking joblessness, forcing me to carry his load.

Even for that time, my friends go dey ask me, "Morayo, this your guy dey try at all? Abeg, you sure say na husband material be this one?" I go just smile, form strong head, say na true love. Na only me know wetin my eye dey see. Ifeanyi dey always talk say, "Love no be money," but sometimes e be like say my own dey different.

At last, I couldn’t keep up the act again.

My spirit don tire. E no easy to dey do strong woman every day for Lagos, carry man join. I come dey ask myself, na so love suppose be? Abi I dey fool myself?

My hand dey shake as I pack my load, but I just bite lip, tell myself say suffer no be love. I broke up with him and married the rich man wey dey chase me since.

No be small thing. My friends, even my aunties, clap hand for me. "Na sense you use, Morayo!" E pain me small, but I gats move on, especially as wahala no dey finish for this life.

Today, I come attend one client wedding, only to find out say na Ifeanyi Adeola be the groom.

See God! I just dey look left and right for hall, dey greet people, na so my eye jam Ifeanyi for altar. My belle turn. If no be say I dey control myself, I for shout, but I just package face, dey smile like nothing shock me.

I hear the groomsmen dey tease am—

All those boys, sharp mouth as usual, dey shine shoe, dey laugh like say na beer parlour dem dey. I just siddon dey observe. Na so dem begin run mouth, dey yarn Ifeanyi story like say na skit dem dey do.

“Remember how Baba Ade insist on playing that pure love game, but at last, na dumping he chop?”

If to say na home, I for just cut side eye, but for there I just press my lips, dey pretend say I no dey hear. Even the way dem take call am 'Baba Ade' na sign say e no dey play with money matter.

“What a pity. That your last test—pretending to be broke. If the girl for just endure small, na she go dey wear wedding gown today.”

The gist dey sweet dem. I even hear one talk say, "Some babes no sabi wait. Dem dey use short cut for everything."

“If that gold-digger know say na heir to Adeola Group she dump, she go just dey regret till she die. Haha.”

Dem dey talk like say woman wey no wait for suffer na gold digger. For Naija, no be everybody get patience for empty promise, abeg.

But truth be say, I know everything since.

If only dem know say na me dey watch dem dey talk, and say I sabi pass wetin dem believe. Life get as e be.

I just stand for corner, dey watch. Na me, Morayo, dem dey shade.

So na so dem believe say I dump am because he no get money. Dem no know say na my own cross I carry that year—no be only love dey hungry person.

But the truth be say, I sabi everything since.

If to say dem know wetin I know, dem go zip mouth.