Chapter 2: Tail Wahala and Heartbreak

I no dey comfortable at all.

Na so the sun dey roast, dust for road dey rise, traffic dey jam, and okada dey dodge pothole. People dey look me like say I be market drama. I just dey wish ground go open swallow me.

The grasscutter tail wey just show dey worry me.

E dey tickle me sotey I wan shout. If no be say I dey try hide, I for don scratch am sharp. But I gats compose, dey pray say I go fit hold myself.

But the main wahala be say one kind strong feeling, wey I no fit explain, dey rise for my body.

E dey do me like malaria dey bite, but na inside my spirit. My whole chest dey burn, I dey breathe heavy. E be like say something dey run for my blood.

I dey crave make Tunde kiss me, hold me.

E dey pain me as I remember how him hand dey warm pass harmattan morning when e hold me last time. I dey miss the way him cologne dey smell—omo, e dey sweet die.

Even... do more.

My mind dey waka places wey I never let myself go before. Even as I dey shy, the urge strong. Na only person wey get my kind wahala go sabi.

But just five minutes ago, he sharply talk say he wan break up.

As I dey process am, my mind blank. Na only "break up" just dey echo for my ear. I wan argue, but voice no come out.

At first, I shock.

My mouth open small, I no believe say na so Tunde go waka leave me. My body just freeze, heart cold like freezer.

Then I see Halima stand for one corner, everything come clear.

Halima—tall, slim, always dey form mature. She stand for one side with her fine weave, dey press phone like say the matter no concern am. Her gold anklet dey shine for sun, her perfume dey choke like aboki market. My mind just cut; all the signs wey I ignore before come make sense.

So na the ex-girlfriend, the one wey still dey his mind, don come back.

E pain me, but the wahala for my body still dey overshadow the pain. E resemble as if person dey pull my heart in two.

"Abeg, Ngozi, we don talk finish. E don do."

Tunde voice dey sharp, e face stiff like landlord wey never see rent. E no even dey look me reach, just dey bounce leg like person wey wan run.

Tunde just dey vex, dey look Halima every few seconds.

I see am, e dey restless. Halima just dey wait like say she no get all day. I dey wonder if na me dey slow everybody down for this my wahala.

"I don try for six months. I no like all this cute-cute style, sorry."

E say am as if na sin to dey soft. E talk am like say na me dey chop government money. As if my own na baby play, im own na correct adult love. I just dey feel say my wahala no get solution.

"To dey with you be like say I dey raise pikin."

E pain me. The way im talk am loud, I just dey wish say ground go open. Some okada men wey park for junction sef dey look, dey whisper.

"You fine and you cute, but... I no dey feel say we dey real relationship."

The words land like slap. I try smile, but my mouth just stiff. E be like say every word na new wound.

"I still prefer person like Halima—more mature, more womanly."

Halima shift body, her face dey proud. She no talk, but her eye dey talk hundred things. E pain me, but I just swallow am like bitterleaf soup.