Chapter 4: Missing Padi and Police Wahala

When I wake up next morning, Morayo don ready, dey do makeup for mirror. She set face well, like person wey dey prepare for interview. She no dey laugh.

Now wey my eye clear, I think of last night, my body just dey sweet me. I remember the way she hold me. My head dey swell. I hug her from back, wan start again. But she stiff small, then remove my hand gently. This time, she stop me. Her voice cold, but soft. "Tobi, you for tell me before."

I see her face dey cold, I ask wetin happen. She just shake head. I dey fear say wahala dey come. She vex, say why I no tell her about the gold before. Her voice dey low, but pain dey inside. I dey reason, "Abeg, wetin I do now?"

Na that time I remember wetin I yarn last night, just dey regret the drink. Na now regret enter my mind. I dey ask God, why I no keep mouth?

I no know why she dey press me about this gold matter, but my mind just quick lock. I dey try form strong face, dey act like say nothing dey happen. I just explain say na just gist I hear, na mouth I dey run, nothing sure. I dey dodge question, dey pray say she go believe.

Her face change. She look me well. "Who you hear am from? How you take make am sound real if na just lie?"

She dey press me, but I dey form calm. I say, "You know wetin I dey do? Na marketing I dey—my work na to sweet talk! I just hear workers dey talk when I go lodge that afternoon."

I dey form sharp guy. "You know say marketing people sabi talk, anything to sell gist."

She look me. "Then why you say you pick one?"

Her eye dey inside my soul. I laugh, try dodge. "Abeg, I dey form big man for you now. You sabi me na."

I say, "You know as our site dey—like prison. How I go enter? I just dey form big man."

I even tap chest small, try relax. She think small, then ask last question. Her voice calm, but still serious. I dey reason whether to change topic.

"You tell anybody else about the gold?"

Her question make my heart skip. I pause, look her eye. "Na just highness last night make me talk. Normally, lai lai, I no dey talk. You know NDA wey we sign. I no fit leak am."

As she see say I dey vex, she just stop. She sigh, drop topic. She no talk again. For her face, I fit see say something dey her mind. But as I hug her from back again, she turn, say she just get call from classmate for Abuja, she gats move now now.

Her phone just dey ring—she show me text, say her friend dey do wedding prep. I vex. "Haba, you wan leave me now? Who dey call you travel just before Christmas?" I dey act jealous, but I dey smile. She give me that her smile, show me bus ticket. She wave ticket, say, "You fit check the date, I no dey lie."

"True talk, I no dey lie. I go return in two days—wait for me."

I look ticket, see real name, I gree. I try smile, even though my mind dey turn. As I see her ticket, I no fit argue, just force smile. I dey pray say no be true, but her eye dey clear—she really wan travel.

"No wahala, this time I gree. Just find me as you land."

I dey act calm, but my mind dey reason plenty things. "Okay."

She pack everything, kiss my cheek. For her eyes, I see say she still dey worry, but she no talk. She kiss my cheek, pack things, waka go. I watch her back as she waka. My mind dey race—wetin I talk last night?

I sleep small, then check out, go house. I pack things, check pocket twice. I lock door, waka home, still dey reason wetin go happen next.

For road, I dey think of our talk, still dey feel somehow. I dey remember every word, dey try reason if I leak too much. Wetin dey worry Morayo, why she dey ask about the site? Abi company send her spy me? I dey imagine HR dey use fine babe collect my secret—Naija fit do anything.

But as I remember last night, I just laugh. I brush thought off, tell myself say I dey overthink. Who go use love set up small boy like me? Who go do all that just for one small info? She just dey curious, nothing more. She na correct babe—no need suspect am.

Abeg, make I first thank person. I wan call Sani, thank am for setting up sweet night. I pull out phone, call Sani. But strange, e no pick. He no dey miss my call like that—normally e go answer even if na 2am.

I call Sani many times, still nothing. I even text, send voice note, still silence. My mind dey worry—hope say no be wahala. I call house. Him mama say he come back last night, but early morning, person call am, he rush comot. Her voice soft—she talk say Sani just say e get urgent matter, never even chop.

I confuse. Christmas dey near—wetin fit make person waka disappear for half day? Normally, Sani no dey miss Christmas food. E love pounded yam pass anybody for this town.

As I dey think, I waka reach my building. My mind still dey reason Morayo matter, Sani matter, all join. I dey reason whether wahala dey come my side.

But downstairs, I see crowd and police van dey flash light. Something don happen. My heart just cut—police for my compound? I dey pray say no be my room dem break enter. My hand dey shake as I climb stairs—if dem touch that drawer, wetin I go tell my village people?