Chapter 2: New Faces, Old Friends, and Gist

After I reach house, I still call Musa plenty times, but nothing. Sometimes, I go reason say make I waka reach him side, but mind no settle. E fit be say e dey busy with family or e just dey avoid wahala.

Gradually, I try forget company matter. Life slow down—na only generator hum dey disturb my afternoon sleep. I just dey pass time play Ludo with neighbor, dey chop akara, dey sip zobo for verandah.

I put the gold inside box, lock am for drawer, wrap with old handkerchief. Anytime I look key, heart go skip. I dey pray make my village people no dream about am. I no tell anybody, and since I still get money, I no rush sell am. For Naija, to sell gold na another wahala—no connection, police fit show.

Christmas dey come, so I relax for house, dey plan say after holiday I go find work. Market woman dey shout for junction—rice don cost, goat don scarce. I dey reason how to manage my severance well.

But after some days, I start dey feel say something no right. E go start like cold air for my back, then suddenly, e go feel like eye dey pin me from window. I go lock door, but e no dey help. From that day, e be like shadow dey follow me—no matter how I waka, I feel eye dey pin me from corner.

I tell myself say na stress, but omo, sometimes, my heart go dey beat anyhow, as if masquerade dey waka near house. My hometown small, and since Christmas rush never start, everywhere quiet. Only old men dey play draft for shade, small boys dey play ball for street. So anytime I waka out, especially for street, the feeling go strong well. Even to buy bread for junction, I go dey look back. My neighbor dey always ask, “Tobi, why you dey look like rat wey thief fish?”

One day, I go downstairs buy coffee, that creepy feeling come again. Sun never high, but my skin dey tingle. I look glass, see face dey shine sweat—even though breeze dey blow, generator hum mix with market banter for air.

I dey sharp, so from when I comot house, e just be like say person dey use eye pin me for back. Dem say when your spirit dey restless, maybe person don call your name for night, or police dey watch because of gold.

So I waka round street two times, but the feeling no go. Akara woman hail me, “Oga, why you dey waka waka like mosquito? Come chop!”

As I reach coffee shop, I just turn quick—finally see who dey watch me. I just catch one figure for corner—tall, fine, sharp as razor. My mind jump—maybe na thief dey eye me.

Surprisingly, na one fine babe. Omo! Her skin dey glow, the kain babe wey fit scatter club for city, but she dey shine for my street. She tall, leg long and straight—even under harmattan jacket, her body still show. Guys for junction dey look as she waka pass, okada man slow down. Dress dey on point, long curly hair—proper city babe. But na her sneakers dey shine pass—too clean for this dust—abeg, which kind Lagos babe land here?

Her face look familiar, but I no too remember. I dey rack brain, dey wonder, "Abeg, where I don see this face?" I just dey reason if I go ask.

But Naija spirit say make I form bold, at least greet am. Na that time, the girl waka come meet me direct—no time to waste. She just march straight, face set.

"Excuse me, you be Tobi from project company marketing department?"

Her voice cool, confidence full ground. E shock me small.

I shock. "Uh, and you be…?" I dey reason whether na HR spy.

"So na you be am! Ah, see coincidence. I don follow you waka two whole streets, still no sure."

Her laugh just sweet. She smile like person wey no get wahala for life. I confuse more. "You know me?" I dey hope say no be bad news she carry.

"I be Morayo, from property management. You no remember?" She pout face—na there I remember. As she talk, memory rush back—one time for project meeting, she dey laugh with sales lead. She dey work HQ, sometimes help for sales. She no too dey our side, but anytime she land, everywhere dey lively.

Because project slow, we no see often, so we no too gist. That time, I just dey face laptop, dey count days to salary.

I quickly apologize, feel small shame, then buy her coffee. As she dey order, I dey pray make she no vex say I forget face.

As we clear misunderstanding, my mind rest. Thank God say no be police or HR wahala. And as I sit with this babe, my body dey sweet me. Na so Naija boys dey—if fine babe greet you, your head go swell.

We gist, I learn she na local too, house no far from mine. I surprise—abeg, how fine girl like this dey my area? She say she dey come home only for Christmas, na why I no too sabi am. She say, "My mama dey always drag me for kitchen, so I no dey waka about."

I ask why she come early this year—company never close? "I don lose my job," Morayo reply, just calm. She no even blink—just sip coffee. "Your project get one accident abi? Company don shut down. People like me, nothing dey keep us."

Her eyes soft, but I see pain. E shock me, but I try hide am. I shock. I no expect say our project wahala go affect reach her side. She be senior staff—normally dem dey survive restructuring. I just smile, small shame. "No vex, no be my fault o."

She laugh, then ask, "So wetin really happen for your project? Notice just say 'engineering accident.' You sabi?"

She look me, eyes wide, like say she dey search my soul. Na that time I remember NDA—abeg, wahala no good. "Ah, na just rumors o…" I wan talk, but as I see her big eyes, I remember: No let fine girl use gist collect your village secret. I zip mouth. For Naija, NDA na just big grammar—unless dem add money join. Even if na gold dey ground, who wan pay three times salary? Lai lai!

Even if I no report myself, better to just zip mouth for public. My mama always say, "No tell your secret for market."

"Who know wetin really happen? We no even near site. Maybe dem just use bad market as excuse to fire us."

Morayo blink, nod slow. "Nobody for your project know?"

She dey press, but I just shake head, sip coffee slow. "Me I no know o. Abeg, leave matter—Christmas dey near, layoff gist dey spoil mood."

Morayo laugh, change topic sharp. "Abeg, you sabi dance? Next week I dey host party for house. Come try your leg."

We gist small, then she say she get something to do, so we waka go. I watch her waka, her perfume linger for street. Na then my head clear—thank God for chance. Before she go, we add each other WhatsApp, promise to hang next time. She even do small pose—raise hand, wave bye. I no fit sleep that night, just dey replay her smile.

She look back at me before she waka, eyes dey shine, my heart dey beat. As I reach house, I just dey dance for mirror. Omo, this Christmas fit make sense. Maybe my luck dey change finally. I dey pray say this one no go end like last year.

Days later, me and Morayo move from just chatting to something hot. We dey call each night, she dey send meme, I dey reply with voice note. People for house dey tease me, "Tobi, you dey smile for phone again!" Life for small town boring, but with Morayo, everywhere sweet. Sometimes we go river, just sit dey look sunset—she dey talk dreams, I dey talk jollof rice, agidi, and zobo. With over half month to Christmas, we dey meet almost everyday, things move fast. Neighbor say, "You don catch wife be that." I just dey blush.

We even agree after holiday, we go find work for same city—almost time to make am official. Na so love dey start for Naija. Before you know, family go begin ask question.

Na then my childhood padi Sani return. Sani na my main guy from primary school—na him and I dey climb mango, dey fight ball. E dey Lagos since NYSC, but anytime e return, everywhere lively. First day he land, he call me for night food. He say, "Tobi, I dey hungry. No chop alone o!" I reason say na chance to show off, invite Morayo. Mind dey reason—make Sani see say my padi dey fresh. Lucky, she gree come. I thank God. No want disgrace.