Chapter 3: Rebound or Real Love?

How my relationship with Ngozi take start?

Na Tobi cause am. Funny enough, me and Tobi get one kind connection—same secondary school, same university, but different course, so we no too dey talk again.

For secondary school, he get respect. For university, I get hustle. We just dey cross road sometimes, nod, pass. Na so e be.

If we jam for road, we go just nod greet, nothing more.

Sometimes, I go see am for canteen. He go dey laugh with his friends, I go dey my own dey calculate change for rice.

Him na school fine boy—better result, fine face, better family, everything wey I dey wish for. Na him be Ngozi unreachable crush, while me na her full-time footmat.

Even my roommate dey talk say, "Omo, if Ngozi get chance, na Tobi she go choose." I dey just laugh am off.

We no get anything in common, except say Ngozi like am.

I dey reason say, maybe if my papa and mama still dey, I for fit stand chance. But who I be?

One night, very late, Ngozi call me ask if I get car. I say yes.

I pause small before I answer. My own car na keke napep wey I dey use carry runs for campus. But car na car.

She say she don drink, no fit drive, then send me chop money make I come carry her.

She add extra for fuel. Na so I thank her, jump go start my keke. As I dey go, my mind dey race—how I go take package myself?

So, midnight, I ride my old keke napep go club. As the babe see me, she just laugh.

Her laugh loud, make everybody for club look my side. She no even shame.

"Na my first time for keke o."

I look my second-hand keke. E no reach her level. "Make I call taxi for you?"

I dey reason say maybe she go shame me. But Ngozi dey happy. "No need, taxi no dey comfortable. This one dey okay, I fit enjoy breeze."

Her confidence choke. She just cross leg, dey play with her hair. I dey drive, dey look mirror, dey smile like mumu.

I carry her, but before we reach campus, she start dey act drunk, dey cry small small, dey mumble:

"He reject me... Na the first time wey I confess to guy... and he get mind turn me down... E mean say na only him want me?"

Her voice dey shake. I dey look front, dey pity her. For my mind, I dey wonder which guy go reject this kind babe—maybe the world dey mad.

Ngozi just dey vex more as breeze dey blow, then she hug my waist sleep for my back.

Her perfume still dey my shirt till today. That kind hug, na only Lagos cold fit make person do am for keke.

Her hand soft, my body freeze. I come here to carry person—hugging suppose add money join!

I nearly turn comedian. "Aunty, if you hug me like this, I go add extra for your bill o." She just laugh, then sleep.

As I park the keke, Ngozi come confess. She look me, send me twenty thousand naira, then for hostel gate, she talk: "From today, you be my boyfriend."

Na so, just like film trick, babe don define relationship for me. I just open mouth, dey look her as she dey waka go.

I shock. Before I fit talk, she don waka go. I still collect the money, keep my phone. The babe dey cute sha.

I dey look her back as she dey waka enter hostel. My hand still dey shake, but I dey happy say at least, na win-win.

Maybe she just dey use me cover face after that rejection.

For my mind, I dey reason: abeg, if na rebound, make the thing bounce well.

That night, I check my phone balance, the more I look, the more I happy. I sleep with big smile for face.

I even dream say I dey cruise for Victoria Island, dey flex.