Chapter 8: Obsession or Love?

But the more I cold, the more e glue me. E no dey let me rest, always dey fear say I go run.

Na true love or na wahala? I no sabi again. The more I dey withdraw, the more e dey find way enter my space. For Lagos, some love dey turn obsession.

I get idea.

For this life, na who plan ahead dey survive. I dey prepare my next move.

"Honey, I dey go market. You go follow me?"

I dey ask, dey hope say e go stay house. I dey try test am.

Ifedike shake head sharp. "No, I go wait for house."

E talk am like small pikin. I dey hide smile. For my mind, na checkmate.

No wahala. I waka commot. But na lie, I no dey buy anything.

I dey form, but my plan different. I dey test the length Ifedike fit go for me.

As I commot, bullet comments dey laugh:

[Who autistic pikin dey follow mama waka?]

[Villain, when you remember this your hide and seek, you go shame for midnight!]

Area gist na another thing for Lagos. I dey read all, dey try hide my own shame.

I sit for makeup stand, dey look mirror, but na Ifedike I dey watch as e dey follow me. E wear black cloth, mask, dey sneak behind kiosk.

Na so e dey do like detective. I dey laugh for mind. E dey try hide, but e no sabi say woman eye dey sharp. I dey watch am, dey wait make e show.

Sales girl waka come. "Oga, you need help?"

Na so e dey fidget. E voice low, I dey pity am.

"N-no, I just dey look."

Na stammer e dey stammer. Sales girl dey look am like thief, but I dey wave am off.

Ifedike bow head, rush waka. As I dey do makeup, I see am dey peep from another side. I just wan get fresh air—who know say villain go turn full stalker?

For Lagos, you no fit hide for long. If man love you, e fit follow you everywhere, even if na inside market.

Morning, I waka leave makeup stand. Afternoon, I chop for small mama put. Madam drag Ifedike enter; e nervous so tey e poke spoon through mask. By three, I enter private spa, Ifedike dey get hit by small pikin. Six o'clock, I do massage, allow masseur dey feed me fruit. Nine, I play pool, dey flirt with the guy. Midnight, I reach house on time.

Na full day. Ifedike dey everywhere, but always hide. I dey wonder if e dey do spiritual monitoring. For my mind, I dey plan how to shake am off, but e too smart.

I do this thing for days. Ifedike follow me everywhere, but always rush reach house before me, dey change cloth cook for me. The guy dey try.

E dey hustle for my attention. Na only stubbornness dey keep me away. I dey test my limit.

Today, na the same. As I enter, e turn, spatula for hand, smile wey worse pass cry.

E smile dey force, I sabi. I dey pity am small, but I still bone.

"You don come. I cook for you."

I reply cold.

Na so I dey act, dey try keep face. If no be say my heart soft, I for hug am there.

Today, Ifedike wear pink cat apron. No shirt, just trouser. Apron tie am for waist. E arm dey show muscle, back smooth, waist dimple dey call person.

I dey look am with corner eye. For my mind, na so temptation dey start. Apron dey call me, but I dey resist.

I swallow spit, but hold myself.

I dey try act tough, but my mouth dry.

"I no hungry."

"Okay, I go keep am."

E talk am with quiet voice. E rush waka, dey tidy up. I dey watch as e dey try hide pain.

"You no need cook for me again."

Na so I talk am. My heart dey beat, but my face dey stone.

Ifedike freeze, but act like nothing. E continue.

For my mind, I dey see say e dey try act strong, but I know say e dey break inside.

"I must."

Na short reply, but e loud for my mind. Stubbornness dey show, but na love dey drive am.

E stubborn.

For my mind, na wahala dey build. Two stubborn people for one house, na who go first break?

"If you hungry nko?"

I ask, but my heart dey pain. I dey try show small care.

"I fit chop outside, or order food."

E voice dey low. For Lagos, na pride dey make man talk like this. But I dey see pain.

Ifedike mouth fall, eye full of pain. Skin round eye red, e look away, one tear drop for apron.

E no fit hide am again. My heart dey cut. For Lagos, na rare thing to see man drop tear because of woman.

"No wahala. Cooking no hard. I no dey always cut my hand."

E hide hand, bandage dey show small. For my mind, I dey see the effort. Na real love dey there, stubbornness join.

E hide bandaged finger, blink away tears, force smile like puppy.

The smile dey break my heart. For my mind, I dey beg God to show me road.

"Ifedike, you no get your own thing to do?"

I dey try provoke am, make e talk. For this life, na talk dey solve wahala sometimes.

As I talk, the light for him eye die. E freeze, look another side, voice low:

E dey act like person wey spirit don possess. I dey worry.

"I do my own today."

Na so e talk, voice low. I dey pause, dey wait make e explain.

"Wetin you do?"

I dey ask, dey hope say e go open up.

"I go cut my hair."

Na so e talk, soft voice. I dey shock. My heart dey pound.

E look up. Na that time I see say him hair short, eyebrow sharp, eye dey shine. My heart skip. Those eye dey cry, eyelash wet, nose and eye corner red, I just wan scatter am.

E dey look me with hope. For my mind, I dey see the effort e dey make for me. My own dey weak me.

"Na you talk say you like am."

Na so e talk. I dey remember when I talk am, my mind dey sweet. I dey melt small, but I dey hold myself.

I no be person wey soft because of tears. For my old world, my parents beg me marry one boring guy for my brother. I tire for their tears, tire for my own weakness. I come dey act sharp, dey lead for every relationship. Even that boring guy wan sleep with me before marriage because I dey control. I no gree, na so accident happen. My parents just cry small, nothing else.

For my heart, I dey carry wound. I dey try use strength cover pain, but for Ifedike matter, the wall dey break. Na only God know how e go end.

I no believe anybody fit yield for me for free. But now, I no fit understand Ifedike.

I dey reason am, dey compare with my past. My mind dey heavy, but body dey move on its own.

[Just sleep with am, e wan hug you die!]

[Imagine, person wey dey carry food go avoid people for afternoon—how e take talk to barber get hair wey wife like?]

[Na puppy style, dey look you, dey wait make you notice him new look, but you dey bone.]

[Big woman, see am—why small man dey cry? All the luck for this house, you dey waste am.]

[Abi babe too much?]

[Villain go still chase heroine? Babe just plot bug? I dey ship them.]

[No insult babe—na only who wear shoe know where e dey pain.]

Bullet comments dey loud. For my mind, na only me and Ifedike dey this world, but area boys and girls still dey watch. Gist dey fly everywhere.

Ifedike just hug me, bury face for my neck.

Na soft hug, but na plea dey inside. For my mind, na love dey win.

"No leave me, abeg."

Na so e talk, voice crack. I dey weak.

E carry me put for lap, hot tears dey wet my chest.

For my mind, na only love and pain dey mix. I dey rub am, dey pray for peace.

"Ifedike, I sabi say you dey follow me."

I talk am, dey wait for confession.

E pause, voice dey shake: "Sorry."

E dey fear, but e still gree. For this life, na only love fit make man confess like this.

"Sorry? You go do am again?"

Na test I dey do. I dey wait make e talk true.

E hug me tight, hand dey shift my cloth.

Na so e dey act like say e no hear, but hand dey find way. I dey laugh inside.

"Hotel na just hotel. Here na home. Wife, I happy say you dey come house."

Na so e talk, voice low. For my mind, na real feeling dey there. I dey melt, but I still dey guide my heart.

E shock me. Ifedike carry my hand, put am under apron. E skin soft, smooth, strong—all join.

For that moment, na only us dey this world. I dey pray say peace go last, but my mind dey prepare for wahala wey fit still show face. But for this Lagos, even love get expiry date—my heart dey hold hope, but my hand dey ready pack load if wahala burst.