Chapter 4: Food List and Family Fights

The boy handwriting fine and neat, just like him clear, honest eyes.

If you see the way e take arrange the letters, you go know say person wey dey quiet fit sabi express pass noise maker sometimes.

WhatsApp comments just rush my face:

[Wuwuwu, this main guy na good boy! Auntie wan kiss am!]

[But why e dey nice to this supporting sister? She get plan. Now wey nobody dey, she go surely mock am.]

[But true talk, this sister no too get that wicked vibe…]

[You wey talk that one, abeg go reread the book hundred times!]

Sometimes e be like say I dey watch myself for film. Everybody get opinion, but my own heart dey clear.

The comments dey argue, e dey flash so till my eye dey pain me.

E be like say the voices no wan leave me, but I gats focus on real life, abeg.

Ifedike no fit see the comments, but as he see my frown, he begin panic. E grip the notebook till e knuckle white. After small time, he drop eye, hand fall, hug the notebook for chest, wan waka go.

The boy try hide him feeling, but you go see am for him body—shoulder drop, leg slow, like rain dey fall only for am.

That small body just dey lost for the corridor darkness, half for light, half for shadow.

The corridor dey cold, old wall paint don peel, na only dim bulb dey shine for far corner. The boy shadow long for floor.

But he never waka reach before I hold him sleeve.

I just hold small, like say I dey call person back from inside river. E turn, look me, hope small for eye.

Ifedike turn look back, disappointment still dey him eye.

But as I see am now, my heart just move. I purse my lips.

Omo, before I enter this book, I be only child—no brother, no sister, nothing. I think say I go just mind my own, but—

Who go see this kind sweet, gentle brother, no go soft?

I no fit do like stone. The world fit hard, but for house, make person get small softness.

I smile, my eye bend, begin list food: “I like peppered snails, coconut rice with dodo, stir-fry ugu with cocoyam, stewed garden egg, crispy fried goat meat…”

I add, “And that puff-puff wey dey soft for inside, crunchy for outside. You sabi am?”

I begin list am like I dey do JAMB registration—Ifedike pen dey run marathon.

I just dey run dish name. The boy, already dey confuse, just dey look blank, but still carry pen, dey write like person wey dey do WAEC.

Even as e struggle, I see determination for him eye. E wan do am for me.

[Wait, the supporting character dey list am real! Why e funny like this, hahaha!]

[Main guy: Sister, abeg, slow down, my pen wan catch fire!]

[Hahaha, e don confuse.]

[No be another way to bully main guy, make am dey write?]

The comment dey burst my brain. But for real life, e get as the moment sweet.