Chapter 3: Cat and Mouse

Obinna still dey press that plastic Power Ranger for cabinet side.

Na so e go dey sit, leg cross, toy for hand. Sometimes I dey wonder if e dey hear me at all.

"This superhero really sweet you like that?" I narrow my eyes, waka go near am.

I dey expect say e go look up, but na lie. Only toy matter for am.

He no even look up. "E dey sweet."

Omo, my patience dey run low. But I dey remember the money.

I close my eyes. Deep breath. Make I hold myself.

I count to five inside my mind, remind myself say patience be key. Sade go laugh if she see me dey do all this stress.

I let my nightdress strap drop small from my shoulder. "So… you no wan try another kind play?"

I shift cloth, show small shoulder, give eye. If e be normal guy, by now e for dey beg.

He look up, eyes clear like say nothing dey. "Which one?"

For my mind, I dey dance. E mean say e dey consider.

Now na my chance.

I open arm, rush am like lion.

I pounce, hope say e no go dodge—omo, e shock me.

But he dodge, I begin chase am round the room like say we dey play catch.

Na real hide and seek. He dey laugh, I dey run, my hair dey scatter. If person peep, e go think say na children party.

He dey run, I dey chase, till I tire reach to see stars.

My chest dey pain me. Na gym session I dey do? Nightgown don almost tear.

See stamina, but na to run from woman you dey use am.

Obinna strong like farm bull, but na so e dey run from my hand.

He make me chase am round the room more than twelve times, I no even touch him cloth.

I count am—twelve times! By the thirteenth, my leg dey shake.

My leg dey slip for rug, sweat dey my back, but I no gree lose. I dey pant, sweat dey my face, my nightdress don shift anyhow.

My makeup don clean, hair dey wet, see as I dey breathe like person wey run marathon for Aba Stadium.

"You—stop to run…" I hold my waist, dey gasp.

My voice crack, I sound like frog. But na so I dey beg mumu man.

He stand two meters away, still hold that yeye toy. "You sef stop to chase."

E still dey shine teeth—see this boy. I just dey look am with corner eye.

…

Force no go work. Make we see who get patience pass?

Omo, patience go kill me o. But for three hundred million, I go drag.

Who I dey deceive? Na no be say I really wan sleep with am.

Truth be say, na money dey push me. If to say no be for money, I for don lock door go sleep.

I fall for bed, carry my phone, start to play game.

I find one candy crush, dey press am anyhow.

"First blood," the game shout.

The sound loud, I laugh small. Obinna look me, but no talk. E still dey with him toy.

He look me small, still dey play superhero fight.

I watch am, small pity enter my mind. Na so marriage go be?

E shock me. Other people dey do honeymoon, we dey here—one dey play mobile game, the other dey play with toy.

The thing funny me. I snap small, send Sade—she reply with laughing emoji.

This marriage na real one of a kind.

I swear, na only Nollywood fit script this kain story. Maybe one day, I go use am do film.

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