Chapter 2: Palm Grove Test

For one small room wey dem rent inside Palm Grove Estate.

As we waka reach there, na old gate and rusty zinc I see. The house dey hide for back, with plenty mango tree wey dey drop leaves everywhere. Rain don soak the sand for compound, so everywhere just dey muddy. I wipe my shoe for step before I enter.

As we open door, that smell of old place just rush commot. Everywhere dark and damp. Only one small bed dey, stool self no dey.

From outside, I fit hear generator dey hum, small children dey play ten-ten for compound. The room small like student self-contain, ceiling dey leak small. Light no even full, just one bulb dey hang for wire. For corner, I see one Ghana-must-go bag, and old rubber slippers dey hide under bed. The place no fine, but e get Ifedayo smell—soap, dust, and small hope.

Ifedayo sit for bed, light one cigarette, no even look up.

E cross leg, take one deep drag. The way e do am, e look like person wey dey think plenty. E just dey stare wall, smoke dey curl up for air. The whole place come dey smell of tobacco.

“Sit down.”

But the only space na the bed, and he don occupy center.

The bed narrow, almost fall apart. I no wan sit for floor, so I just dey reason where to stay. I look around, then just carry myself go meet am.

I look everywhere, then waka go sit down—straight for him lap.

The move shock am, but I just dey play my part. I cross my leg, balance for e lap like say na normal thing. My perfume blend with smoke, e just dey smell everywhere.

Ifedayo just freeze, cigarette for hand. Later he just throw am for ground, match am.

The way e throw am, e do am like person wey dey vex small. E no talk, just keep face straight, but I see say e dey think.

“Wetin you want again? I don give you all my salary this month.”

E voice carry small wahala, like say e tire for my wahala. But me, I no send. I know say I fit change am if I really try.

For the book, na this time Ifedayo don already know say the old Amarachi no love am. He come school just to confirm, and na him see her accept the rich guy proposal.

For the original story, na here Ifedayo spirit for don break, because old Amarachi just use am collect money, then throw am. But now, na me dey here, so I dey try make everything different. I wan change my fate.

Na that time I enter the story.

Since I jam the real Amarachi memory, my own plan different. I no wan mess up like she do. E pain me say na this point I enter, when the guy heart don dey strong.

He don already start one small online business with person. Even though e never blow, e no too broke like before.

I notice say laptop dey one side, some files dey scattered for table. Ifedayo dey grind, dey plan how e go make life better. No be ordinary labourer again.

He just no wan waste money for me, the yeye girl.

E face dey show am, the way e dey act stingy now. Na so e dey tell himself, say no more mumu for babe wey no appreciate am.

“I no want your money. Na another thing I want.”

I talk am soft, but I make sure say e hear am well. My voice low, but sure.

Ifedayo raise eyebrow. “Abi you want my body?”

The way e raise eyebrow, e do like playboy but I know say e just dey form. E eyes dey scan me up and down, maybe e dey wonder if I serious or na joke.

No lie, the guy fine—tall, body set, face wey fit make any woman craze.

Even for this small light, I see as e skin dey shine, chest dey broad. If to say I be another girl, I for rush am sharp sharp. Na this kain guy dem dey call hot cake for campus.

“I no like that Seyi wey give me flower today. The guy just dey disturb me.”

I tell am true, my face straight. Seyi no fit Ifedayo at all. The way Seyi dey do, e go think say life na competition.

“But you always talk say you wan marry rich.”

E voice low, almost like e dey test me. Ifedayo dey remember all my old talk—how I dey shout say I no fit suffer. But now, e dey look me like person wey dey lie.

To like money na one thing, but you go dey alive first to enjoy am. For the book, after I follow that rich guy, he cheat, beat me. When I talk say I wan divorce, he lock me for store room.

As I remember the story, body cold me. I swear, no money worth that kain wahala. Na only person wey never see life dey run follow money anyhow.

I need person wey go help me run from am. Ifedayo na my best bet.

For my mind, na only Ifedayo fit stand gidigba for me. If trouble land, na e go fit use muscle and sense save me.

“Why you think say I go help you again? Because of your face?”

E voice get small mockery, but I see say e still dey consider am. If na true, e for no even ask.

I bend down in front of am, look up. Na only this my fine face I get.

I even pout small, do eyes like cat, make e pity me. If na old Amarachi, na this trick e dey use catch boys. I sabi say e still dey work, but e dey tire for my drama.

For the book, na this face make men dey rush me. Even at last, na Ifedayo still come rescue me from the rich guy.

Beauty na my power, but I know say life no end for there. If person no get better heart, face go expire one day. But I no fit talk am out, so I just smile.

No be because of this face?

I dey ask myself, if to say my face no fine, Ifedayo for dey here dey reason my matter so? For this Nigeria, face dey open door, but na character dey lock am.

“I go graduate next year. I fit start work now, pay you back.”

I try give am hope, show say I go hustle. My voice sure, I no dey beg like before.

“I no need am. Abeg, carry your load commot.”

E voice hard, but e no look my eye. E just dey look wall, like say e no wan gree for me.

As he talk, knock land for door.

The knock loud, but soft—na the kind wey person dey do when e no wan disturb but still dey urgent. I pause, wonder who dey.

One soft female voice talk, “Oga Ifedayo, you dey inside?”

The voice fine, like person wey dey sing. I hear small northern accent, e dey gentle. For my mind, I know say story don change.

Ifedayo face change, cold like ice, small disgust join. He just sit down like say he no hear anything.

E just freeze, no move. E face don hard, eye dey red small. I see say e dey vex, but e no wan show am for voice.

Then phone begin ring, ring tire, off, then ring again.

The ringtone loud, na all these small jingle. The phone dey shake for table, but Ifedayo no move hand. Me I just dey look am, dey wait for drama.

The person for outside hear am, but still dey call.

The girl for outside no gree go. She knock again, small voice dey shake.

I just cut the call, waka go open door.

I vex, I open door wide, ready to face whoever. Na so breeze rush inside, blow my scarf small. My eye jam her own, I see am clear.

One girl stand there. As she see me, she shock.

The surprise for her face clear, mouth open small. She no expect to see me at all. Her eye round like person wey see snake.

I look am up and down. Na the female lead, Halima, wey Ifedayo go later cherish.

She be that kain girl wey get innocent face, soft smile. Even with sweat, her skin still dey glow. I just dey look am, dey compare myself small.

She just wear simple T-shirt and jeans, light makeup, fresh look. But she don dey wait for sun, sweat full her forehead.

Sun dey burn her neck, sweat dey trickle down her temple, but she stand like say she no dey feel am. Her shirt get small wet patch for under arm. I see say she dey try, even though she no get plenty money. The sun for Lagos no dey pity person.

Her makeup don even smear small...

She try use hand wipe her forehead, but e only make the powder scatter more. Even her lips dey tremble, as if she wan talk but words no come out.

Me, I wear one expensive dress wey Ifedayo salary buy, my hair and makeup on point. The difference clear, she just shift leg and bite her lip.

I see am, the way she dey do like say she no care, but na lie. The comparison dey pain am. I stand gidigba, make sure say I look confident.

But her eyes still get one stubborn shine.

Even with all the shakings, her eyes no gree dull. I see hope, fight. The kain look wey person dey get when e no wan lose.

“Who you be?”

Her voice shake, but e still get edge. She no dey look down, she face me.

“I be Ifedayo girlfriend. He never tell you?”

I talk am with smile, make sure say she know say I mean am. I even throw small attitude inside.

Of course, Ifedayo talk am before, but she never see us together. Even Valentine, Amarachi no show.

Halima think say na story Ifedayo dey tell, like all those boys wey dey lie say dem get babe for another state. She never see me before, so her confidence just scatter.

Halima face just pale, look like she wan faint. Na that time Ifedayo waka come out.

Ifedayo waka come out from back room, face cold like ice block. E just stand for door, look both of us.

“Halima, wetin you dey do here?”

Ifedayo voice low, but I see say e dey worried. Halima just look am, eyes red.

Halima eyes red as she give am one file. “Something urgent dey for company. I call you, you no pick, so I come.”

Her hand dey shake as she hold the file, voice dey tremble. E show say she don try call am tire, but e no answer.

“I hear you. I dey come now. You fit go back.”

Ifedayo try make e voice gentle, but e still hard. Halima just nod, no talk again.

Halima no fit hold tears again. Sweat and tears just dey mix for her face, she look really pitiful.

Her mascara don run, her face look tired. I pity her small, but I no wan show am. I bring out wet wipes from my bag, give her, “No cry, your makeup don run.” As I pass her the wipes, one pang of guilt catch me. I remember my own heartbreak, how e dey pain when person treat you like extra.

I give her wet wipes, try act like say I dey help, but I know say e go pain her. My voice still dey sweet, but inside I dey ready for anything.

She just push me, vexed: “Abeg, keep your fake pity.”

She push my hand, eyes sharp. Her voice get edge, no dey beg me. The thing pain me small, but I hold myself.

She run go, dey cry.

She no look back, just run. As she waka go, her shadow long for corridor, and I know say this story never finish. Some neighbours dey look her. I just shake head, no talk.

Me: “...”

I shrug, arrange my bag well. Na so life be, person no fit get everything.

Knowing say na she go be Ifedayo future wife, I just ignore am.

For my mind, I dey reason how story go change. Na her destiny to win, but make I see how long e go take.