Chapter 3: Divorce Money and Orphanage Memories

Ifeoma carry me go house. After she confirm say my memory no go come back soon, she give me small gist about my life.

She sit me down, warm pap and akara for me, begin yarn the story as if na bedtime tale. Me, Ngozi, fall in love first year for university, meet one broke guy called Pastor Sani.

I date Pastor Sani for ten years, from eighteen reach twenty-eight. I help am build ministry, suffer with am, born children for am, serve im papa and mama.

Then this year, na im sue me for divorce.

"Ahhhhh..."

I shock. Wetin be this kind Nollywood story?

After I quiet for long, I ask with my voice dey shake: "So you dey tell me say, I serve another person for ten years, then at twenty-eight, dem throw me comot?"

Ifeoma nod. "Yes, and you get two children. Your son na six years, your daughter na four. But since you be housewife, no dey make money, both children choose to stay with their papa, so in the end, na Pastor Sani get custody."

"...Ahhhh, the two children wey I suffer raise don go..."

My chest tight. Even though I no remember all this, e still dey fear me.

I nearly cry.

Then Ifeoma laugh, pat my shoulder: "No cry jare. At least you collect money."

She pat my back small, voice soft. Tears full my eyes. I ask her small small: "How much?"

Ifeoma stand well: "Ngozi, hear well. You collect 20% of Pastor Sani property, 10% shares for three companies—Zenith, Dangote, and one oil company wey I no remember name—plus two duplex for Maitama—everything worth about 1.9 billion naira."

"...."

Everywhere quiet. The fan dey whine for ceiling, breeze dey blow curtain. I reason am, then ask Ifeoma, "You no dey lie give me so?"

"If I dey lie, make I turn goat."

That day, I just look window dey wonder.

I forget ten years memory. I no know how those years take pass.

But Ifeoma say I rich well, and when I be eighteen, na money I like pass.

So I reason am, e no bad at all.