Chapter 3: Debts, Betrayal, and Goodbye

4

That afternoon, I go meet Jide.

Sun dey hot, my palm dey sweat. I reach Jide compound, knock gate. Him housegirl open, show me parlour.

But the words "borrow money" no gree come out.

I dey look ground, dey rub leg. Jide dey play game for PS2, he no even look my face. I dey fear.

The small boy tire, pinch my cheek, dey shake am.

"Wetin you wan talk? We no go play game again?"

He dey look me like say na normal gist I come gist. Him innocence dey sweet me, but I no fit smile.

My face red, I stammer: "Fit borrow me money? When I big, I go pay you back."

My voice dey shake, but I try talk am. I no wan cry. I hold my two hands tight.

Small Jide raise eyebrow: "Na that one?"

He no even ask why I need am, just carry plenty Christmas money from bedside, give me.

No question, no judgement. Na so Jide dey do. He just bring out envelope, count money, hand am to me like say na sweet he dey share.

"We fit play now?"

Na normal play, na house we dey play.

Na so we dey play family-friend game. No wahala. Sometimes na wedding, sometimes na shop, sometimes we dey act teacher and student. Those days pure, e dey my memory.

He wan act papa, me be mama, hold my hand go wedding hall.

He go wear him big daddy cap, I go use wrapper tie chest. Sometimes we go invite teddy bear as guest. Na so childhood sweet reach.

We don play this play hundred times, Jide no dey tire.

I still remember.

That day, as I carry money come house.

Stepmama hug Zainab, almost kneel for me.

She call me her angel, her only hope. Na tears of joy. She nearly kneel down, but I hold her. I fit smell soup wey dey boil for kitchen.

"Funto, when Zainab well, mama go work pay you back."

I nod, but my mind dey heavy. I no even believe say stepmama fit get money pay me back. But I no talk am.

Papa form caring husband, drag her up, blame am: "Who dey pay back for family? Funto get friend like Jide, na blessing."

Papa dey try form soft man, but na lie. E dey look the money with one eye.

Stepmama push am, just dey hug me dey cry.

Na the first time I see stepmama show that kind weakness. E touch me deep. I dey shiver for her hand.

I hear her repeat: Sorry.

Sorry, Funto, sorry.

The word dey echo for my ear. I never forget am. Sometimes, I dey hear am for dream. Sorry fit no change anything, but e dey soften heart.

5

After that, many things happen.

House wahala just dey multiply. Bills dey show, no dey finish. Even Zainab school fees, dem pursue am for class two times.

Zainab need best hospital, best medicine, papa wound person for bar, need pay, stepmama fall for one fake business lose all her money...

Every week get new trouble. Sometimes na NEPA, sometimes na water bill, sometimes na one angry neighbor wey say we block road. Na so Lagos life be.

I no do anything bad.

But na me still go borrow money from Jide.

The shame dey heavy for me. Every time I go, Jide no ask question. He just dey look me, dey hand me envelope. I dey feel like thief.

Nobody tell me sorry again, nobody say dem go pay back.

Sorry just disappear from house. I just dey work like machine, dey do anything dem ask.

Everything just turn normal.

Nothing dey my neck.

No be like Zainab wey dey wear coral bead wey stepmama beg for.

The beads fine well, e dey jingle for her neck. I dey look am, dey wonder if my own life go ever sweet like that.

But my head just dey heavy.

Heavy sotay I no fit raise am for Jide front.

I no fit look am eye to eye. Na like say I dey owe him life join. Guilt dey bite me, e dey scatter my chest.

And he no even know.

Jide just dey do as e like, dey give me, dey play with me, e no know the weight wey dey my back.

6

Years pass, we grow from pikin to teenager.

Na then everything start to change. For school, clique begin form. I dey stay for my own lane. Jide still dey try draw me out.

The biro for our hand, shoe for leg, lesson after school, all begin divide people.

People dey show who get money, who no get. Some dey go lesson with driver, some dey trek. Me and Jide, difference dey clear, but he no send.

But Jide always treat me like him own.

Of course, he confuse.

Jide no sabi why I dey dodge am. Sometimes e go buy me gala, I go return am. He dey try, but I no fit open up.

Confuse why I dey dull, why I dey run from am.

He go ask, Funto, wetin I do? I go just smile, dodge answer. Na inside heart I dey cry.

He think maybe he never give me enough money, na why my papa and stepmama dey treat me bad.

Jide go dey complain for him mama, say make dem help me more. E dey carry provision come house. The thing dey pain me, but I no fit stop am.

So one afternoon for SS3.

After lesson, I dey try read, but wahala no gree let me rest. I hear knock, na Jide. My chest dey beat.

Jide carry backpack full of money come my house.

Big bag, e heavy. I dey fear say neighbor go see am. Papa and stepmama dey smile like say dem win lottery.

Papa and stepmama happy, welcome am.

Na wa for fake smile. Dem show teeth, even bring out small malt for Jide. I dey shame.

But I block door, no gree make am enter.

My body dey block door, I dey shake. I no want wahala again. I no want owe anybody.

Jide look me, confuse.

"Funto, wetin dey happen?"

He talk soft, but e dey worried. I dey see am for him face. Na person wey get clean heart.

That day, I first talk to am with vex.

I vex true-true. My voice high, I no send who dey listen.

I tell am make he commot.

Say he dey disgust me.

Say I no want be friend again.

The word heavy. E pain me, but I no show am. Jide shock. Him eyes wide, mouth open.

Jide face pale sharp-sharp.

Na the first time I see him like that. E just stand like statue, no fit talk.

Papa vex wan beat me with broom.

This pikin, you get mind talk to person wey dey help us like that!

E raise broom, voice loud, but I no shift.

He swing broom, almost hit my face.

Jide drag me enter him chest, collect the broom beat for me.

I feel him body for my back, e warm, e strong. I dey safe. E shield me from broom like superman.

Him body warm sotay e dey burn.

Like that dry season wey I no fit hold.

Sun too hot.

Na true, Jide be like dry season sun. No dey tire, e dey burn, but e dey give light.

How I go carry person like that follow me for this my wahala?

I no fit. My own darkness too much. I no want spoil him shine.

7

Back, Jide still dey explain for me.

He dey try beg papa and stepmama. E say make dem no vex, na him fault. I dey look, tears for my eye.

"No beat am, maybe na me mess up. Here, take two hundred thousand, exam dey come, make sure Funto chop well, add weight."

Jide dey talk with pity. Him heart dey pure, but the thing dey pain me more. My dignity dey for ground.

Papa and stepmama eyes shine, hold the money, dey form humility: "Ah, how we go collect am..."

Dem dey act, but I know say dem don already divide money for their mind. Life na drama.

Jide don dey go down, just wave hand: "Remember cook more goat meat for Funto, nurse say she dey too thin."

He always dey remember small details. Even the way he dey talk, e soft. E remind me of old days.

That one scatter my mind.

E pain me. I feel like stranger for my own house. I no fit talk.

I no know where I get power, push papa, grab the bag, throw am for stairwell.

Bag bounce, money scatter. People for stair dey look. I no care. My chest dey heavy, tears dey blind me.

"Hear me, I no ever see you as friend, you na ATM, mumu!"

The word pain me as e dey come out. I just wan hurt am, make e run, make e free.

Downstairs, Jide face white like chalk.

He look up, mouth open, no fit talk.

He dey try process wetin I talk. Him hand dey shake, but he no talk anything.

Behind me, papa and stepmama dey curse and beat.

Slap land for my back, broom hit my leg. But I just stand, I no shout. I dey numb.

But I just hold window, shame am more.

"Everyday be your friend dey make me sick!"

The window cold, my face dey burn. My voice dey echo for stairwell. Neighbours peep, nobody talk.

"Carry your dirty money go, I no wan see you again!"

Voice crack, but I no care. Na everything I feel I dey talk. If na film, na here soundtrack for heartbreak go start.

Tears full my eye.

Na river dey my face. I no even fit wipe am. My heart dey bleed.

But thank God, Jide no look me again.

He no talk. E just pick bag, gather money, stand like person wey lose match.

"Okay." After long, he carry bag, "I no go disturb you again."

His voice no get strength. The thing pain me, but I no show face. I just dey look ground.

He waka go, sunset long for him back.

The sun wey dey shine before, e don begin fall. E cast long shadow for stair. I dey look am, I dey pray say he go find happiness.

Till I no see am again.

Papa and stepmama shout sotay my ear almost break.

But I just close eye, allow them beat me, dey smile small.

As dem dey beat, I dey think say maybe na freedom I dey collect. I dey pray for Jide as I dey cry.

Go on, Jide.

Go shine for your life.

No follow me suffer for this wahala.

Na so I take learn to dey alone.

[Na real Nollywood episode be this o!]