Chapter 5: Plot No Get Mercy—Sade vs Fate

I first want prove comments wrong—show say I no be villain. Timi na my own, e no fit fall for another.

I dey form strong, dey do like say na me hold steering for this love. I no wan let online people write my fate. But my spirit dey weak. Every time I see Timi and Kamsi together, my heart dey shake.

But plot slap me.

The way things dey happen, e no get as I go twist am reach. Destiny dey use us play ludo. I fit feel the plot for my bone, as if scriptwriter dey type my line.

So, the empathy na real.

Na true life magic. No matter how I fight am, connection strong. My belief shake, my hope dey scatter.

Maybe Timi go really begin like Kamsi.

My mind dey play scenario—today me and Timi, tomorrow na him and Kamsi dey waka together. I dey try chase fear commot, but e strong pass me.

And dem go force me transfer, I go fail, die for accident...

All the wahala just dey build for my chest. Na like say cold hand dey hold my heart. I dey try hold tears, dey swallow pain.

Fear catch me.

My hand dey shake, voice dey tremble, mind dey run. I dey pray say make all these things na just bad dream.

Na cry drag me back to real life.

Tears dey my eye, but I gats form hard babe. I wipe am sharp sharp, hope say nobody go notice. The pain deep, e reach bone.

Timi, taller than me, red eye, dey hold my hand like say world wan end.

E dey beg, e voice low. I never see am this vulnerable before. Na true love or na just confusion?

"Sade, wetin you mean by 'forget about us'? You no want me again?"

E voice dey shake, almost like pikin wey dem flog. My heart dey cut, but I gats talk am.

"Na my first time o—I no get experience. I mess up? Abeg tell me, I fit learn."

E eye dey beg, hand dey cold. I want talk, but voice dey hang for throat.

I wan form excuse, but as I wan talk, I no fit. No fair for Timi.

If I lie, I go regret am. If I talk truth, e go pain us both. I bite lip, dey struggle for word.

I talk true.

"Because Kamsi dey right. You and her get empathy. Just now, you no sick. Na Kamsi period come, you dey feel her pain."

I swallow spit, voice low. I see say e shock Timi, but e no argue.

Timi shock, but e believe me.

E dey try find word, but e mouth dey hang like NEPA wire. Small time, e just nod, accept fate.

E rush talk, "Even if this empathy dey, na you I like, only you, Sade."

E voice strong, but fear dey hide under. My own fear pass e own, but I gats finish talk.

I sigh, comot my hand from e grip. "Timi, if she dey pain, you go pain. If she dey happy, you go dey happy. If her heart dey move, your own go move too."

"Una body dey connect. How you wan take sure say your heart no go follow connect?"

My voice break. I try smile, but tears dey my eye. I dey see my own ending clear.

Timi head drop like plantain wey dem forget for fire. E no argue, just beg, "Sade, maybe way dey to break this nonsense empathy. Abeg, no leave me yet..."

E beg, e grip my hand, but I gats pull am off. I dey fight myself, but I must survive this one.

I harden my mind, cut am. "Exam dey come. UNILAG na my dream. I no want your matter and Kamsi own disturb me."

"Timi, between my future and you, I choose my future."

I no wan let tears drop, but e dey come. For my mind, na only way wey fit save me be this.

I close eye, fight tears. "And, to dey share body connection with opposite sex... e no pure."

My mama voice dey ring for my head: "No share yourself anyhow, Sade." I gats listen. I dey protect myself.

Tears just dey drop from Timi eye.

E no fit hold am. E dey cry like baby, shoulder dey shake. For that moment, I just see say love no dey always win.

I waka comot. If I no go, I go soft.

As I waka reach door, I look back once. My heart dey break, but my head dey clear. Na for my own good.

As I sit for back, I dey reason—if I no fit change my story, who go do am for me?