Chapter 3: The Mouse Wahala Deepens

Last last, na only my gift Timi collect. Other people present, e just keep for table. Na my own e dey use. I dey reason wetin that one mean.

That night, after everybody don go, he sit for desk dey play with the mouse wey I give am. Lamp dey on, small yellow light dey shine for room. E dey peaceful, but my body dey hot.

Anytime he touch am, na so I dey feel am for my body.

E be like say dem tie me for one spiritual remote control. Once he spin am, my body go just wake.

I just curl up for bed, sweat full my body, dey bite blanket like say I wan disappear.

I dey feel cold and hot at the same time. My pillow don soak, I dey pray make Timi no notice.

Suddenly, Timi softly spin the mouse wheel.

Na small thing, but my body betray me. My toe curl, my chest rise, tongue comot, I dey shake.

I grab blanket tight, eye open, tongue just comot, body dey shake.

I dey swallow spit, dey hope say Timi no dey look my side. E get as body dey do me, my hand dey find where to hold.

Saliva just drop from my mouth, soak part of the blanket.

Shame wan kill me, but no how I fit stop am. I just dey pray say make thunder no strike my room now.

But I no even notice.

Na after everything calm down, I see say part of my bedsheet don wet.

One hand dey grip bedsheet, the other dey cover my face from shame.

I dey beg God say make this thing end. My chest dey rise and fall. My mind dey shout for help.

Small whimper still escape my throat.

But I gats hold myself—I no fit shout.

If I talk, everybody for corridor go hear. Dem go begin ask question.

We both dey study computer science. Timi dey always code, dey check things online, dey play game for fun, so he dey use mouse well well.

He dey do assignment, dey click, dey scroll. Sometimes e go dey play FIFA, I go dey hear him dey curse controller.

I don use my own hand do myself.

Before, if I wan feel good, na my hand I dey use, but this one different. E dey pass my power.

But after one hour, I no fit bear am again.

I dey squeeze pillow, dey sweat. My eye don red. I dey almost cry.

I just dey cry small small, tears dey run my face.

I dey try hide am, wipe face, but e no work. My body don betray me.

I no even know when he finally drop the mouse.

I just hear click, then everywhere calm. My body relax small.

I just release blanket, fall for bed like fish wey dem don catch, my eye dey blank.

For my mind, I dey count ceiling, dey pray make this thing end. My body dey light, as if breeze fit carry me go.

Bullet comments dey laugh:

[Just small touch, you don finish. If na real one, you go blank, eye go dey roll.]

[Make dem pity am small. See this silly baby—even finger dey shake. No fit bully am again.]

E pain me, but na so life be. I gats hold myself.

I rest small before I fit sit up.

My breath dey drag. I dey try arrange myself before Timi go notice.

Sweat full my body, my pants dey sticky, I dey uncomfortable.

E no good if anybody see me like this. Hostel people sabi gossip.

I gats shower before anybody notice.

If dem catch me now, dem go think say malaria dey worry me. Me sef dey find way waka reach bathroom.

But as I stand up from bed, my leg just fail me, I nearly tumble go down stairs.

Na so I stagger, my knee almost buckle. I dey pray make I no fall yakata.

If no be say Timi get sharp hand, by now I for don land for ground like ripe mango.

Na Timi catch me, hold me for him arm.

I feel the heat from him chest, my body dey vibrate. I dey try arrange my breath, but e no gree—my body still dey shake like generator wey no get fuel.

That minty smell wey I sabi just enter my nose. Na Timi always dey use that close-up green toothpaste. The smell dey remind me of home.

I look up, jam him eye.

For that short moment, e be like everything pause. I dey look him face, my heart dey jump.

Maybe na my mind, but Timi ear look small red.

E dey blush? Abi na room dey hot? I no sure, but e sweet me small.

He raise hand, touch my forehead. "Why you dey sweat like this?"

He touch my cheek, dey check if my temperature don high. Him palm dey soft.

"You dey sick?"

E look me with concern, e voice soft. I dey reason if I go fit lie say na malaria.

I push am small, adjust my cloth, dey fear say he go notice my wahala for below. "Nothing, I go better after I baff."

I try cover my waist, adjust shirt, do as if na sleep dey my eye.

Timi still dey worry, hold my hand. "You sure say you fit manage?"

He squeeze my palm small, dey look me straight. My belly just dey do butterfly.

Our hostel mate no fit hold am: "Timi, na so you dey pamper Ifedike? Abeg, when una go do introduction?"

The guy dey laugh for back, another one join, "Abeg, una two go last well!"

"When you go give us wedding rice?"

Dem dey make noise, dey laugh, even dey tap Timi for back. Hostel wahala.

Timi just give dem one eye. "Abeg, enough. Ifedike na my best friend."

E hiss, eye red. E no dey like play that kind play. Everybody just quiet small.

He turn ruffle my hair. "No mind their talk."

E dey try comfort me. I smile small, but e no reach my chest.

I pause, my chest just dey pain small.

I dey feel somehow. I wish say e see me pass best friend, but I gats swallow am.

Best friend, abi...

For my mind, e dey pain, but I just dey smile fake smile.

Bullet comments sigh:

[This guy wicked—don play with 'wife' till tongue comot, still dey claim na friend. If he lose am now, make he no cry.]

[He go know the value when 'wife' find another person.]

Dem dey yan, but I no send again. Na me know wetin dey my heart.

I just bone the bullet comments.

If person see my face, e fit think say I no get wahala. For my mind, na war dey.

Before Timi go see say I dey sad, I grab my change of clothes, run enter bathroom like say na race.

As I run, I just dey pray say nobody go see my face. Water go help me calm down, maybe sleep go follow.