Chapter 2: Abuja Men and Their Wahala

For Halima place.

My phone dey vibrate non-stop.

“You no wan pick?” Halima bend head look me.

I tip my head, sip my palm wine. This Kabilong dey burn my throat with that bitter hotness.

I off my phone.

I yab her, “Which kind nonsense cigarette you buy? One stick, my voice don die.”

Halima just dey smile as she dey play with cigarette pack. “E fine for eye, na why.”

She wave am for my face, dey try make I talk more.

I no dey hide anything from her, but I still get doubt for my mind.

“Why Musa no dey touch me?”

“Maybe he no like woman?”

I shake head.

For secondary school, Musa dey date girls, and no matter how many people—man or woman—throw body give am, he dey reject them all.

One thought enter my head.

I narrow my eye. “Maybe na my sister wey go London he dey wait for.”

People don dey talk since say Musa get eye for the gentle, quiet first daughter of Eze family. Now as I reason am, e make sense.

This marriage, I just be stand-in.

Na my sister suppose marry Musa, but she japa go abroad with her artist lover.

Musa dey act gentle, polite. Since we marry for six months, he no dey reject my request—except that one thing.

But anytime he dey help me, as I dey lose myself, him eye go still dey cold, dey control himself.

No single desire for him face, like say him just dey do stranger favour.

Abi he still dey see me as dirty?

As I think am, my mind scatter.

All my old pain just come back.

With gbam, I drop my glass for table.

“I don decide.”

Halima shock. “Decide wetin?”

“Divorce.”

Any man wey no sabi do, no matter how fine, make he dey go.

Talk less of say na another woman dey his mind.

Me, Amara, I no lack man.

I snap my finger for air. “Na so. One fine babe dey find love, man dey do as if dem force am.”

Halima just shake head, “Abeg, abeg, stop to dey drink.” She think say I don high, rush carry me go baff.

She just fix her nails, no even fit rest for sleep. Next day, as I wake, I see red scratch for my neck.

As I on my phone, message just dey pop up.

All from Musa.

Back to villa, as I see am for house, I shock small.

Everywhere smell smoke, ashtray full of cigarette stubs. From outside, suya smoke dey drift in through my window, and I fit hear soft Afrobeats music from the next compound. Abuja get one kind vibe, even when everywhere quiet.

He look up, face sharp die.

“You don come back?”

Him voice rough.

Him eye catch the mark for my neck, e pupils shrink quick.

Him face just dull immediately.

I no sleep well for Halima place, my throat dey pain from too much smoke.

I no even get energy to argue.

As he wan talk, I wave hand, voice dry. “I too tire last night. I dey go upstairs.”

I no dey joke; I really wan divorce Musa. As I dey waka up, my mind flash back to my mama warning—'Abuja men and their wahala, no let anybody use you play.' I just drag my bag go up, slippers dey drag for tiles, mind dey heavy. This one na proper Naija drama—person marry rich, but happiness na another wahala.

But that same night, fever catch me.

Body heavy, brain dey dull.

Door open.

Musa just baff, mint scent full everywhere, wan suffocate me.

I frown, push am.

“I no need your help.”

Him body stiff. “So who go help you?”

Him voice deep.

He try calm me, dey beg.

“Just take your medicine, you go dey alright.”

Him cold finger brush my lips, him hand wey dey side just hold tight.

As him dey look my red lips, him breath dey heavy.

I no notice. I just turn face, lie for bed, no comfort at all.

“Okay, abeg, you fit dey go.”

Half sleep, I hear water for bathroom.

Musa dey baff again.

When I wake again,

Na Musa dey hold me for arm.

Something hard dey press my thigh.

Him hot breath dey my ear. Musa sef just wake, still dey try check my forehead.

“Still dey hot. Fever never go finish.”

Na that one wake me fully.

Na you make am worse.

I use elbow try push am, but he just hold my waist correct.

Him rough finger touch me, my body just dey electric. I no fit hold the moan.

“Amara.”

Musa call me soft, voice deep, rough, get one kind charm.

“Make we try am?”

Normally, I for rush accept, but after last night, I no even get mood. To me, this one wey he dey do be like say you slap person, then dash am sweet. Charity.

I just recover from sickness, body still weak. I bone face reject am.

“I no fit handle am.”

The guy just pale, breath dey shake.

Musa just move small.

He no talk anything.

As I turn, I see am dey look me deep, bitter smile for him mouth.

“Na my fault. I no blame you.”

I hiss.

At least he sabi himself.

“But abeg, next time no dey overdo. Fever no good for body.”

Musa just look down, no let me see wetin him dey think. As he finish, he no even wait make I talk, just go wardrobe carry cloth for me.

Normally, he dey wear silk bathrobe, but today na just towel for waist.

All him muscle, v-line, everything show.

I look him slim waist, small nyash, my heart beat fast.

But na only that one.

If na another fine man stand for front, my heart go still beat.

Musa give me cloth. I change for front of am, no send anybody.

As I expect, he just turn face quick, him eye no even look me.

But wetin I no know be say—

As I comot room, Musa rush enter my bathroom.

E be like say the boy dey hide something. Maybe he wan go release him stress inside bathroom. I just laugh inside my mind. Men wahala!

Few days later, I notice my cloth dey miss.

At first, I no send, since e no cost and I no lack am.

But as time dey go, even the lace pant Halima buy me last week disappear.

I no fit understand. House no get camera.

No way to know who be the thief.

During food, I talk am to Musa.

“Thief enter our house.”

He sit down for dining table, dey spread Blue Band for my bread slow.

As he hear, his hand pause.

He no even look up, just open mouth talk.

Calm like nothing dey happen.

“Wetin miss?”

“Pant.”

I just talk am anyhow, no expect say he go even react.

The knife press the small mole for him thumb, stain am.

I look am well, see say e dey behave somehow.

“Why you dey nervous? Na you thief am?”

Musa quiet for some seconds, then laugh small, him long eye dey look me direct.

“Wetin you think?”

Before he go work, Musa dey always dress neat. Him no really need glasses, but he go wear gold-rimmed one, make him face look deeper.

Now, behind that lens, him eye cold pass the sun outside.

I just hiss.

Think wetin?

Musa too stiff, too correct.

Besides, wetin he wan do with my pant?

I just change topic. “What time you dey come back tonight? I get something for you.”

Divorce paper don ready since.

Musa give me bread, answer quick. “Anytime you want, I go come back sharp sharp.”

Even him talk dey rush.

So rush I no even fit know where the sentence end.

Phone ring.

Assistant wey dey wait outside remind am say time reach.

Musa waka go.

I touch my chest wey just skip, then my ear wey dey hot.

Shame and vex mix together.

Why the guy no dey talk normal? Why he dey flirt?

As he close door, I look my hand wey dey shake. This thing dey tire me. E be like say na only God fit settle this kind wahala.

After chop, as I get time, I waka go hospital.

Doctor check me, shake head, then laugh small. “Madam, your body dey ask for man, no be small.”

Halima hear, quick offer me her company’s eight-pack model and big chest wolfdog.

That time, I dey inside AC, dey draw manga outline.

My mind just dey how I go draw the character fine.

I reject am sharp sharp.

She hit target. “You don dey get pimples?”

I nearly faint.

I curse Musa for my mind again.

Two pimples don show.

Right for my chin.

“Home flower no sweet reach wild one. You and am go soon divorce, why you no try am?”

Halima dey ginger me.

I drop pen, think small, since I no get inspiration for supporting character face, I fit use reference.

“Na just look, no touch.”

Na just high androgen. After divorce, I fit find hundred or eighty of them.

But not now.

No be say I dey fear, na just say my morals high. I no dey eye man body anyhow.

Halima just laugh, no believe me.

I sure for myself before, but as I finish drawing, go sleep, na that night I disgrace myself.

One hot, dirty dream catch me.

For dream, Abuja heat dey roast my skin, generator dey hum for background, and as I dey kiss man, I still dey taste kunu for my lips. Breath dey mix, the man hot pass fire, sound of wetness dey everywhere, I just dey float.

I dey lost for the play.

Enjoyment just dey carry me go.

Desire wan kill me.

Until—I see Musa face for front of me.

I shock wake.

Heart just dey run, sweat dey everywhere, I never recover from the dream.

With leg wey dey shake, I go down go find water drink.

Suddenly, I hear lazy, mocking voices for parlour.

“Some people get strong urge, but dem dey try hold am back, so dem no go scare wife. I no go call name.”

As I dey descend the staircase, the way their voices dey enter my ear, e be like secondary school hostel gist. I just hold wall, dey listen. Musa friends no dey hide mouth at all.

I see Musa childhood friends scatter for sofa.

All of them dey hold wine, dey talk anyhow.

“Na woman dey quick fall for temptation pass. Brother Musa, if you continue, if your wife waka go meet another man, you go regret am.”

Dem too used to Musa, dem no dey watch mouth.

He just carry wine sip, face no show anything.

He talk something, all of them laugh.

But me, I notice something strange.

Dem say Musa get Facebook side account.

And he dey post steady.

I curious, wan catch am, so I type the name wey I remember, and truly, I see account wey get same avatar as Musa.

As I click, I see pinned post.

I think say na macho talk I go see.

But as I read am, I freeze.

E write—

[Finally marry my crush, but I get addiction wahala. How I go take give my partner better experience without scaring her?]

Next post.

[This world fine pass. She dey see me as old school and useless. If I please her like this, she go gree?]

Attached picture na butler uniform and puppy bell.

Na so all my blood just boil...

As I see that post, my hand dey shake—Abuja wahala never finish. This night, I go find out the real Musa.