Chapter 2: Family Calculations

The Okoli and Eze families don dey close since.

For family meeting, dem go dey talk, "We be one blood." My papa and Baba Okoli dey play draft for veranda, dey drink palmwine together since I small.

Obinna and me, na childhood sweethearts—at least for mouth.

Anytime my mama dey gist her friends, na so she go say, "Obinna and Amara, na love from small pikin." But for my mind, I sabi say Obinna get coconut head.

But this stubborn guy always dey look my sharp, jollof lifestyle like say e no sweet am.

When I dey go party, rock mini skirt, Obinna go dey corner dey shake head, dey judge me with eye. I no send am.

Anytime I dey party or dey drink, he go just sit down one side, dey frown.

I go dance azonto, my guy go dey drink malt quietly. Na so him style be. Sometimes I dey wonder if na old man enter young body.

Anytime I dey laugh with my friends, his face go dark like rain wan fall.

My bestie, Sade, dey talk say, "This your Obinna no like joy." E fit be true, but e no stop me.

Abeg, if he no like me, e no consign me. The men wey dey my side fit reach London if dem line up.

Last Christmas, my phone ring sotey I almost off am. So, if Obinna dey do like say I no matter, I just dey look am.

So when our families talk say make we marry, I no even shock.

For my mind, na so dem dey do for Igbo land—family tie dey strong. As dem dey talk, blood thick pass water, but for Igbo land, money thick pass both. I just dey wait for my own turn.

The Okoli Group and the Eze Group—two ogas for the solar energy business—wan join together.

See power couple—solar energy na big money. Dem wan use marriage seal the deal. All those uncles for village go hear am.

I no even get anybody wey I like like that; marry anybody na the same for me.

Na so life be. My own be say make I no fall hand. If na Obinna, so be it. If na another, I go manage.

But I still form bad face, just to dey worry am, make e be like say dem dey force me.

Sometimes, I go purse mouth, roll eye, dey talk, "I no ready o." But for my mind, I dey reason calculation.

I no expect say him own stubbornness go pass my own—he face his papa for family compound.

Obinna na real strong head. For village meeting, he stand like Iroko tree, tell all the elders him mind.

"I no gree marry. No force me."

If you see as everybody shock! Aunties dey whisper, elders dey look ground. My papa clear throat, but Obinna no send.

He talk am cold, but him stand straight—there dey something wey dey attractive for the way he dey stubborn.

E get one kind boldness. Even as I dey vex, I dey admire the courage. No be everybody fit challenge papa for family meeting.

See levels. He rather scatter everywhere than marry me?

For my mind, I dey reason—so na me no sweet reach? Abi e get babe for outside?

Besides, Obinna don open him own company with him guys, so him no dey depend on papa for money. E fit run him own show.

Him dey run business, dey travel Lagos, Abuja, even Port Harcourt. Na young CEO, no be small boy.

Him mama don die since, and him papa no fit control am at all.

Na only Baba Okoli dey try, but e no dey enter. Obinna na free bird.

If no be say he jam wahala for street race, this marriage fit no happen till I old finish.

For my mind, I dey thank that street race small. If not, I fit still dey single till forty.

Doctor talk say once the blood clot for him brain clear, he go return to normal.

The thing dey fear me small, because if Obinna wake up tomorrow, e fit turn to old stubborn self again. But I dey hope say small belle go fit hold am down.

Uncle Okoli don dey worry, he call me one side.

"Amara, before him head correct, try born for am. Three hundred million straight to your account."

He talk am for corner, make sure say nobody dey hear. As I hear the amount, my eye open like torchlight.

Obinna fine, body correct—sleep with am once sef na blessing, still collect three hundred million join?

I tell my bestie, Sade, she laugh sotey she roll for bed. Na win-win for everybody.

Who no go gree?

Even my papa go kneel down thank God if e hear this arrangement.

Most important… when he come back to himself and find out say I knack am, the look for him face go too funny.

I dey imagine am—Obinna dey do gra-gra, suddenly see pikin wey resemble am, na there e go know say street no dey forget.

Just dey think am dey make me wan laugh.

Every night, as I dey bath, I dey rehearse my story. The day e go realize, I go just play innocent.

If this one fail, I no know wetin fit work again—God abeg, run am for your girl.