Chapter 3: Like Leaf Weh Harmattan Breeze Dey Carry

I just siddon dey look like mumu.

The chairs for hotel bar be like say dem dey swallow person. My bag heavy, my leg dey stiff. I dey reason how my life just dey play for other people hand like kalo-kalo.

I remember this morning, when I wake, Lanre kiss my forehead.

E brush my face with him hand, smooth my hair wey scatter for pillow. The morning sun dey shine through curtain, breeze dey blow small, e sweet. I feel like leaf wey Harmattan breeze dey carry—light, lost. Like small girl wey never taste heartbreak.

That time, I blush, push am.

I dey shy, laugh, "Abeg, leave me! Your hand cold!"

"That thing wey you do last night... I no like am."

Lanre help me arrange my hair.

E dey gentle, dey smile, "No vex. Na just play."

"E no go happen again."

He look my eye, promise. Me, I wan believe am.

"You talk am last time too."

My voice small, I dey look ground. I dey hope say e go really change.

Lanre no vex. E just smile.

He tap my nose, say, "I go change for you. You too dey gentle."

"So wetin you want make I do? Next time, make I do am the way Amaka like?"

I shame sotay my neck red.

I cover my face, dey laugh, "Lanre, abeg rest."

"Abeg rest. You no dey late for work? Why you never commot?"

I dey try change topic, but my mind dey busy. This man, this same man...

Lanre act like say e dey check time.

He pick phone, hiss small, "Chai, if I no rush now, dem go cut my bonus this month."

"True, if I no rush now, dem go cut my bonus this month."

He sigh, stand up, adjust shirt, squeeze my hand for bed.

"I still need save money buy bigger house for Amaka—one wey get cross ventilation and big window."

He smile as if na big dream, as if e dey plan family. My chest dey warm.

For the hundredth time, I tell am say I like our house as e be. E old, but e get home feeling.

I look window, smell the old wood, remember nights wey NEPA off light and we go just dey laugh under candle. The house old, but na home.

"No need put only my name for house paper, since na you pay."

I dey fear him people. I sabi say for our side, if woman name dey house, people fit talk.

"If your people hear, dem no go happy."

Lanre dress finish, kiss me.

E peck my forehead, rub my shoulder, then smile wide.

"No be waste."

He look my face, like say e dey talk from inside heart.

"If one day I no dey with you, at least you go get where you fit call your own."

I yab am for mouth, say e dey talk bad thing.

I push am, joke, "No dey talk that kind thing abeg."

But I no know say e go come true.

I feel cold. For my mind, I dey pray say God no go let am happen.

Prince go still go back palace marry princess.

Cinderella go still dey hustle, dey save for better house.

I dey laugh for outside, but my heart dey soak like sponge. As I hear all these, my eye dey open to reality.