Chapter 4: Scars and Pepper

"Sit down."

Inside the office, Tunde Adekunle treat me like guest.

The AC strong, the room neat, but everything don change. Na new era.

I look the sofa, everywhere full with plush toys. Bookshelf wey used to get books now dey full with snacks. The private lounge door dey open small, I fit see women clothes for ground.

Old memories dey crowd my head, but I push them aside. I focus on why I come.

Tunde Adekunle dey look me, face no show anything. I just look away.

He still get that serious CEO look, but for my mind, he no reach to fear again.

"Agreement?"

He give me the divorce paper from his desk. As I dey read, his eyes no leave me.

My hands steady, I scan through—no be today I dey sign document.

"We don dey together for years—I no go cheat you. Pick any car or house you want. If you get any other request, just talk."

So na compensation be this?

Money no fit buy back my peace. I just dey calculate—no be this same generosity dey spoil everything?

Na only that thought cross my mind, but I no slow down.

All the things Tunde Adekunle dey give me, I no fit finish am for my life. He always dey generous for these things.

"No need. This one reach. The house wey I dey stay now—just give me that one."

I talk am. I sign sharp sharp, give am back.

No need argue. My future no dey here again.

He look like say he wan talk, open mouth, but I just dey move.

I ready to waka, my heart dey beat fast, but my face dey calm.

He look as I hand over the agreement, almost no believe say everything finish in less than five minutes.

I stand up.

"Cooling-off period na one month. I go reach you after one month."

I turn dey go.

"Kemi."

"Anything dey?"

"You no get anything to talk give me?"

Tunde Adekunle frown, small confusion and surprise for him tone.

I look am, see say he really dey ask. I think small, answer am serious,

"You dey expect me to wish you and Morayo happy marriage with plenty children?"

I don let go, but I never reach that level of holy.

No need to form what my spirit no get. If e reach heaven, na God go judge us all.

...

He no talk again. Tunde Adekunle just dey look me, eyes deep like river.

His eyes dey beg, but his mouth no fit talk am. Na so pride dey do man sometimes.

As I touch doorknob, him voice come again.

"Kemi, na me wrong you. I go always pay for your mama medical bills."

As he mention my mama, I pause.

Na only person wey dey my mind since. My mama dey pray for us every night—her Bible no dey far from pillow.

If anybody no want make me and Tunde Adekunle divorce, na my mama.

Her voice still dey ring for my ear: "Kemi, marriage no be for play. No carry matter outside."

Me and Tunde Adekunle don dey together since we be seventeen. That time, we dey suffer. Sometimes we go share one takeaway food, he go give me all the meat. Harmattan, Tunde Adekunle dey ride okada carry passenger save money. He no dey spend for himself, but he buy me ring.

I still remember that small ring—he use rope measure my finger for market. Na pure love.

"Na ordinary band now, but one day I go buy you big diamond."

We once live for small room, no fan for heat, we go huddle together for warmth. For hot season, we go sleep for corridor.

Even when NEPA disgrace us, we go gist for dark, dey plan future wey no sure.

My mama see everything. She pity me, sell all her things to help Tunde Adekunle start business.

Her wrapper, her golden chain—she sell everything. She say, "Make una two stand together, no let hunger separate una."

When he make first big money, he buy big apartment for city center, with gen 24/7. For my mama front, he swear say he go treat me well forever.

He talk am with chest. My mama nod, wipe her eyes with scarf.

My mama cry, just talk one thing:

"You two must happy for future."

That time, I get hope, believe say life go better.

But after just two, three years, everything scatter. Tunde Adekunle cheat. My mama get cancer. Her treatment dey cost plenty every year. If no be Tunde Adekunle help, I for don lose her since.

Even hospital staff know us—"Kemi, your husband dey try." Na so dem dey talk.

But now…

"No need disturb yourself. Thank you."

I end the talk and waka.

I no look back, even as my eyes dey hot with tears wey I no go let drop for that office.

As I dey come out from Tunde Adekunle company, Morayo voice call me from back.

Her voice sharp, her shoe dey tap floor like cockroach dey pursue am.

"Miss Kemi."

She rush come, arrange her hair.

She stand for my front, full of confidence—her perfume strong, her lipstick perfect.

"Thank you for freeing us, for letting Tunde go."

I see the wide smile for her face, eyes dey shine—the look of person wey win.

Her teeth dey shine, as if she just collect trophy. I just nod, my own smile small.

"No wahala. I pray make your own story sweet pass my own. But if e turn bitter, no say na your turn to chop pepper."

I smile small, warning as person wey don pass through am.

My voice dey calm, but my eye dey talk another thing. For this life, everybody dey learn for their own head.

The smile for Morayo face shake, but she recover quick.

She wan prove say nothing fit touch her. Pride dey her voice.

"How I go end up like you? You never see as Tunde love me?"

She dey refer to one time for past.

That time, Tunde Adekunle carry Morayo go meet him friends. One of them mention me and Tunde Adekunle.

Person talk,

"One time, Brother Tunde work late, Kemi wait for am outside near flowerbed, then one mad man disturb her."

That time, Morayo dey Tunde Adekunle arms. When she hear am, she wrinkle her nose, hiss,

"No be dirty?" Dem laugh, eyes dey my side—everybody sabi na me dem dey shade.

Who know if na me sleep for garden she dey call dirty, or na the mad man. Everybody laugh.

I dey outside that time. I wan catch them, but as I hear am, my body just cold, like say I fall inside freezer—still dey burn, dey pain me.

I still dey hear their laughter for my dream sometimes. Shame dey bite person for bone.

What pain me pass na Tunde Adekunle attitude. He just sit down, hold Morayo, as dem dey laugh and joke, he just smile, no talk—like say na another person dem dey insult, not me wey he once protect.

He no talk to defend me, just dey rub Morayo back as she dey mock me.

For the last drinking game, Tunde Adekunle drink wine wey Morayo pass from her mouth. As she dey play, he talk,

"Kemi, dirty."

Those words sting pass cutlass. But I hold myself, swallow am.

That day na one of Morayo big win, and she still dey proud of am. Her smile wide.

I look her, talk coldly,

"You forget wetin I do that day? If you no remember, I fit help you remember."

My voice low, but e cut like knife. I see am for her eyes—she remember.

Morayo face change sharp sharp. I fit see say she never forget.

That night, I rush enter the private room, drag Morayo from Tunde Adekunle. Before anybody fit move, I slap her two times, then press her for table wey wine dey.

"You dey laugh? You sabi wetin happen to that mad man after?"

Na so chair scatter, drinks fall, one guy shout "Yepa!" but nobody fit move. My hand still dey pain me when I remember the sound. All the friends shock, nobody fit move.

Vex catch me, I break wine bottle. As glass scatter, Morayo scream. I hold the sharp bottle near her face, let her dey shake for my hand.

Her wig shift, her powder mess. She dey beg with eye, but pride no let her talk.

"Just like today, I crippled am."

"Sister-in-law—"

"Kemi—"

Everybody just freeze. For that small room, silence heavy like thunderstorm. Na only Tunde Adekunle voice finally break am.

Nobody fit breathe. Na Tunde Adekunle come pull me away at last. He drag me, throw me one side. Morayo hide behind am, dey shake.

Her legs weak, she dey shake like person wey fever catch.

"Tunde, abeg save me."

Vex dey Tunde Adekunle eyes. He raise hand, wan slap me. But as he see my red, angry eyes, he freeze.

His hand high, but na memory hold am. Old love still dey show small.

"Ah Kemi..."

"Tunde Adekunle, you no fit beat me, abi?"

But me, I fit.

As he pause, I slap am with all my power. My hand shake after.

E loud, everybody shock. My own pain pass slap.

Na from there our marriage scatter. After that day, he ask for divorce, move out go stay with Morayo.

The story spread reach our street, family house, even my mama village hear. Na so marriage dey finish in Lagos.

Since then, Morayo never try me again. She know say if I lose control, I dey wild.

Even for social media, she dey avoid my matter. Nobody wan collect another slap.

She look me with anger.

"Now Tunde don divorce you, you still get mouth?"

Her voice shake, but she still dey pose. As if my pain dey sweet her.

I reply, "No be your concern."

My tone flat, no need waste energy.

I waka go.

As I reach house, I start pack. Even though I want the house, I no plan stay long. When I remember all the years of fight between me and Tunde Adekunle, I just feel empty.

My clothes scatter everywhere, old pictures dey corner, I pack them inside nylon. Na only passport and my mama picture I keep for handbag.

I quickly list the house for sale, begin buy plane tickets. After all, Tunde Adekunle give me plenty money—I go enjoy am well.

I tell myself, "No more tears for Lagos men. I go chop, I go travel, I go laugh."

I decide to travel small, come back when time reach to finalize the divorce.

Maybe go London, or just relax for Abuja, find new friends. Life too short to dey sad.

The day before I comot, I get new message:

[Hello Miss Kemi, na me be Time Capsule blogger. Your street interview video go post by 7 p.m. Sunday. Just want confirm—are you really okay with am?]

I no surprise for the message.

For this Lagos, any small gist fit turn to content. I just smile, shake head, delete old chats.

You fit no believe, but the day after I see Tunde Adekunle and Morayo video, I just dey waka for street, na so the same blogger jam me, ask the same question.

I still remember, I wear Ankara and sneakers, just dey think my life. Blogger stop me, "Aunty, abeg one quick question."

That time, I feel am funny. But na so life be.

I no reject the interview, and when I answer, I just dey wonder: if Tunde Adekunle see my video, how he go feel?

[No wahala, post am.]

I reply.

At the same time, I finish pack my last thing, waka comot—finally free.

For once, as I lock my door, I hear generator hum for compound, children dey shout, but my mind just dey calm. For the first time, I feel free—like harmattan breeze blow away all my wahala.