Chapter 2: Childhood Love, Adult Tears

Me and Chijioke own start as childhood friend lose to new girl, end as new girl lose to childhood friend.

Sometimes if I dey reason am, I go say our story na like Nollywood triangle, but real life no too get happy ending. Na childhood laughter turn to adult tears, na so life be.

For SS2, I just transfer come, become number one for class. That time, teachers like to pair correct students with stubborn ones, so dem pair me with Chijioke.

The first day I see am, na so e just dey bounce for class, all the girls dey look am. Him uniform no dey ever complete—sometimes na only singlet under shirt.

But Chijioke no send book—na me him dey focus on.

If teacher dey teach, na my biro him go dey use style collect. Even when I vex, e go just bend head, smile with him dimple.

He go dey pull my hair or collect my pen hold am for up, then bend down dey smile like small pikin.

Sometimes, he go even pinch me for side, whisper, "Na so your mama dey do face?" I for para, but e dey use play cover everything.

"Chinaza, you short sha."

Everybody for class know say e go call me that name. Me, I no short, na just say him leg long pass me.

He go dey pass me small notes for class, and when I open am, na stick-man wey resemble me.

One day, e draw the stick-man put for head scarf, write 'Madam Chinaza' under. I for laugh, but teacher eye sharp.

Just as I wan para for am say he dey behave like pikin, teacher catch the note, show everybody, come pursue us make we go stand outside.

That day shame catch me. Na so I dey outside dey pray make rain fall so people no go see me. E pain me, but Chijioke just dey laugh, say make I no vex.

That time, I be correct student, I never shame like that before. With red eye, I push Chijioke.

"If no be say teacher dey, I for slap you!" But for inside, e get as e dey sweet me say person fit play with me like that.

"Chijioke, you dey craze?"

He just dey look ground, dey use shoe draw line for sand. E know say e don overdo, but e no want talk too much.

He know say he don mess up, so him just quiet. After small time, he fold the stick-man note into small star, gently put am for my hand.

The way e use style put that paper star for my palm, I for pretend say I no care, but I still keep am inside textbook for house.

As I see that star, I just smile inside my tears.

Na so my heart melt, even though my face still dey strong. Na that small act make me begin see am as person wey get better mind.

Me and Chijioke relationship start dey better. I go force am listen to my explanation till he understand, dey check him assignment, no gree make him copy my answer.

If e try misbehave, I go use biro knock him head. But after school, na he go first reach my house, dey wait make we go together. Dem for street even dey call us 'husband and wife'.

Every day, he go wait for me downstairs so we go school together, come back together. We go pass that small shop for gate, one day I just buy two star necklace, give am one.

The woman for shop dey wink me, dey ask, "Na for your boyfriend?" I just smile, collect change. That time, love dey sweet pass fanta.

…

Chijioke na star for school: fine boy, get money, sabi play ball, girls full everywhere dey trip for am.

Even teachers dey call am 'young chief'. If e dey walk for corridor, girls go dey peep from window. Me I dey form hard girl, but e dey pepper me sometimes.

One day, one of them block me, ask if I like Chijioke.

Na big girl for school, she dey do like say she no send anybody, but that day, she tie scarf well, carry her best smile come meet me.

Pride and small vex just make me talk:

If no be pride, I for talk true. But that day, my mouth just sharp.

"Me? I no fit like person wey him result no reach my own."

I for keep quiet, but I no wan make she feel say I dey compete with her.

The girl just look behind me.

Her eye dey shine like say she see gist wey sweet. My back cold small.

I turn quick, na so I see Chijioke dey there—who know how long he don dey listen.

E no talk, just bone face, waka pass. My heart jump, I for run go beg, but pride hold me.

He waka pass me with blank face.

That cold face pain me reach bone, but I still dey form strong head.

After that day, Chijioke no talk to me again.

Even break time, e go follow boys play ball, no dey look my side. Me sef stubborn, I no talk am first.

He stop to gist with me for class, stop to go and come back from school with me. Even though we dey sit together, sometimes we no talk at all for the whole day.

I go dey write note, dey hope say e go use style talk, but nothing. Na so silence dey drag long.

I wan explain, but he no give me chance.

E no even greet me. Even when teacher say make we do assignment together, he go do him own, drop for desk, waka go.

Na so, one year pass, Chijioke shock everybody, come tie with me for first position.

The day dem paste result, everywhere scatter. Even principal dey surprise. Some dey say na me give am expo, but na lie. Chijioke really try.

That night, he block me, talk with serious face:

He no smile, just dey look me straight like say e dey look inside my soul.

"Chinaza, my result now reach your own. So, you fit like me now?"

My heart soft, but I still dey form. If person talk true, dem go laugh am.

By now, I no too remember everything from that time.

But that question, e dey ring for my ear like Christmas bell.

I just remember say that day, flamboyant tree for school dey bloom, petals dey fall everywhere, and the boy eyes shine pass star.

Those petals dey fly for air, everywhere red. E be like say God just dey watch our matter.

That light just waka enter my heart.

For that moment, I no fit lie. I just look am, my own eye begin shine.

That moment, I hear myself talk:

My voice low, but I know say e hear me.

"Okay."

As I talk am, e just beam, come hug me. People for road dey hail, but e no send.

Na so we start.

After that day, everywhere sweet. Even teachers dey talk, "Una no dey tire for love?" But we no send.

Young love dey burn like fire—no way to control am. Every day, we dey together. Chijioke introduce me give all him guys, even tattoo my name for him body.

Na for him arm e put am, small, but e still pain. I for talk say make e no do am, but e say na forever.

I talk say I wan enter Ibadan University, he talk say he go follow me go there.

We begin dey dream together, dey plan future. We go dey gist for night, dey talk about marriage, even though we still dey write exam.

Him mama happy say him pikin don dey serious. Lucky for me, my own result no drop, so our parents and teachers just close eye. We be the only couple wey no dey hide for school.

My mama sef don already dey call Chijioke 'my son'. Some elders for street dey hail us, say make we keep am clean.

That time, I really believe say we go dey together forever.

Na so I dey dream, dey write love letter for diary. If person tell me say anything fit spoil, I no go believe.

Until I discover say, for him heart, one girl still dey more important than me.

The pain wey that realization give me ehn, e heavy like load for head.