Chapter 2: Broken Pride

Everybody for the Okafor family na werewolf. Once dem clock twenty, every full moon, wahala dey. The first person wey dem mark, na that person go be their partner forever!

Even for community, people dey fear Okafor family small. Their house for GRA dey always quiet on full moon, children dey hide, elders dey pray for peace.

I bin dey think say na me Okafor Yan wan mark!

Na since we small, him mama dey always call me their family pikin, so everybody for street think say na me go marry Yan.

But when e first awaken, na him friends call me to come help am!

Boys dey panic, dey call my number back to back, like say na my body get solution.

But for outside the private room, I hear Okafor Yan dey vex:

"I no wan let Kamsi just get am like that!"

His voice loud, stubborn, like say he dey toast for inside local beer parlour, no send who dey hear.

"I dey eye school beauty, but she no be anyhow babe!"

His friends dey hype am, dey gist am say make e go for better girl, say I too dey dull.

"No be like Kamsi, wey dey follow me everywhere like puppy, just dey answer anytime I call!"

That line touch me sha. My heart shift small, as if dem pour cold water for my body. I nearly rush in, fist clench, but I bite my tongue, swallow the pain—make I no just disgrace myself for here. I hold myself, tears almost show, but pride no gree let me cry.

"If she come, even if she beg, I go still try hold myself!"

Omo, the forming dey too much. No be small ego dey worry am.

"I no fit use one night spoil my whole life, make she come dey control me forever!"

I stand for door, my head just blank!

The breeze wey blow from the AC self no help. My hand dey shake, I just dey look my shoe.

I no believe say Okafor Yan, wey I grow up with, dey see me like that!

I remember how I dey help am wash him uniform that year, dey do assignment together—e reach now, na so him take pay me back?

Him friends, all those yeye people, just dey laugh:

"So, for your eye, na just plaything she be!"

Dem dey talk with mouth full, chewing gala like say dem dey chop better meatpie. The mockery dey pain, but boys go always be boys.

"Make I call her tell am make she no come, so she no go use you climb better place. Abeg, cheap thing no dey last!"

The insult dey loud, like generator for rainy season, no shame at all.

But Okafor Yan stop him friend from calling, just dey reason am, e say:

"Leave am. If I tell her make she no come now, how she go take see am?"

His voice drop small, like person wey still get soft spot for me.

"Even if na plaything, na the one wey I don dey pet since we small. I no fit just make her feel bad like that!"

Na the only small respect I get, but e still dey pain.

"If she come, make I see if I fit hold myself!"

The stubbornness dey clear for him voice. I know am reach that level.

"Some things better make person see am by herself!"

That time, I wan rush enter, shout for Okafor Yan:

My spirit dey vex, I dey bite my tongue make I no talk too much.

"You talk say you no wan hurt me, but you dey compare me to puppy for your friends front, make dem dey insult me. You deserve my love so?"

If to say na street, I for don drag him shirt—Naija babe no dey gree this kind insult.

But I hold myself. Why I go waste my mouth for person wey no send me?

I just waka jeje, my slippers dey make noise for corridor. Sometimes silence dey loud pass shouting.

I waka comot, shame just dey my body, I tell myself make I no cry!

As I waka go, I feel my chest dey hot, my leg heavy like say sand dey inside my shoe. But I tell myself, tears no go drop for this matter!

As I think finish, I call him brother bodyguard:

"That thing you talk before, say make I help Okafor Qing—e still dey?"

My voice no steady, but I use stubbornness package am.

"Send me address, I dey come now now!"