Chapter 6: Final Break and Hard Lessons

I think say I don clear myself from Morayo wahala.

I dey happy small, dey hope say peace go dey. I focus on my books, dey plan my life.

But after school that day, Sunkanmi and him boys ambush me for corner.

For behind old canteen, dem block road. Boys dey chew stick, dey bounce, dey glare me.

"You this small boy, you dey try collect my babe? You don die!"

Sunkanmi voice loud, him shoe dey tap floor. Other boys dey echo am, dey hiss.

I quickly deny. "No be me. Una get wrong person."

I raise hand, dey try show say I no mean any harm. My heart dey beat like drum.

Sunkanmi just hiss, bring out him phone, show me picture.

He dey press phone rough, hand dey shake small. Boys dey gather, dey peep.

For the picture, Morayo dey lie for my bed, hair scatter, face red, shirt half open.

My bedsheet dey show for background. Her school badge dey floor. Boys dey whistle, dey laugh.

Anyhow person look am, e no pure.

The pose bad, the look bad, e go spoil person name.

Sunkanmi glare me. "See your picture for table. Talk true, no be your bed be this?"

He dey squeeze face, eye red, dey wait my answer.

I frown, try explain. "Morayo dey live next door. If she come, my mama dey let her enter. I no know when she snap that picture…"

My voice dey low, I dey sweat for forehead.

Before I finish, Sunkanmi kick me hard. "Shut up!"

My leg pain, I fall, my books scatter. Boys dey laugh, dey record with phone.

I fall for ground.

Dust enter my eye. I dey try stand, but pain hold me.

Person gasp behind us.

One girl shout, "Ha! Leave am now!" Some people dey peep from corner.

Morayo run come, worry. "Ikenna, you dey okay? E pain you?"

She bend down, try touch my face. Her eye dey red, she dey pant.

I push her, keep my distance.

I vex, I move hand. I no want make people reason say na true.

She snap that kind picture for my room, just wan drag me enter her wahala.

I dey vex say she no even reason me. I dey feel betrayed.

Now she dey form good person?

She dey act innocent, but na she cause the trouble.

Morayo face change. She shout at Sunkanmi, "Why you beat am? Who send you touch am!"

Her voice dey shake, but she no fear. Some boys dey look her, dey talk, "Wahala dey o."

"Sunkanmi, you dey craze!"

She point finger, her voice loud, boys dey quiet.

Sunkanmi vex. "So you still dey care about am?"

He dey eye her, dey stamp foot for ground. Him boys dey hiss.

Morayo look am back. "And so? No concern you. We don break up. I fit follow anybody I like!"

She stand strong, no dey blink. Some girls dey whisper for back.

Sunkanmi, full of anger, pick one block dey waka come my side.

The block heavy, he dey grip am hard. I try crawl back, my hand dey shake.

Morayo jump stand for my front, open hand. "Touch am make I see!"

She dey vibrate, her eye red. Boys dey hold breath.

Sunkanmi: "Comot!"

He dey shout, but Morayo no dey fear. She open arm wide.

Morayo hold am for waist, beg, "If you injure am, na police go carry you!"

She dey squeeze am, voice low. She dey use sense hold am down.

So na police she dey fear for am.

She sabi say Sunkanmi no wan enter cell. Once police hear, na big wahala.

Sunkanmi pause, drop block, come hug her. "Baby, I know say you still love me."

He dey form lover boy, dey rub her back. Her friends dey look, dey giggle.

Two of them come dey hold each other again.

Dem dey whisper, dey touch face. Boys dey hail, some dey vex.

Sunkanmi swear for Morayo:

He raise hand, dey talk like preacher. "Na Dapo leak am, no be me!"

"I swear, no be me leak the picture. Na Dapo do am."

He dey explain, dey beg. Morayo dey nod.

"Last time my phone spoil, na him repair am. He see our picture. I go beat am well."

He dey boast, dey promise say he go fight for her.

"Baby, you fine die—I no fit show you to another person."

He dey talk love, but eye dey shift. I dey look dem, dey reason say na wash.

Sunkanmi hold her, dey shake body, dey look me with bad eye.

He dey show muscle, dey form boss for area.

Morayo believe am, pinch his ear. "No try that rubbish again!"

She dey smile, voice dey soft. Sunkanmi dey nod like goat.

Sunkanmi nod, she finally smile.

Her face don bright. People dey smile with dem.

"Baby, I never see you since. I miss you die."

He dey rub her hand, she dey blush.

Morayo whisper, "I miss you too."

Her voice low, boys dey laugh for back.

Sunkanmi look public toilet nearby, dey smile like thief. "Oya now…"

He dey signal, dey point head towards toilet.

Morayo bite lip, dey reason.

She dey look round, dey try form hard girl, but eye dey shine.

Sunkanmi whisper something for her ear, she begin laugh.

Her laugh loud, she dey cover mouth. Some people dey peep, dey gist.

Dem waka go public toilet together.

She hold him hand, dey waka slow. People dey clear road, dey look dem.

Before dem enter, Sunkanmi turn, warn me, him eye wicked. "If you try follow us, you go die!"

He dey bare teeth, face like say he fit bite person.

I dust my cloth, go house.

My mind dey pain me, but I no let am show. I just dey form say e no concern me.

As I reach, I change my bedsheet.

I fold am, soak for Omo. I dey scrub hard, dey think say make I wash away every wahala.

My mama ask me wetin happen.

She dey look me up and down, dey inspect my cloth.

I just reply, "Dem don dirty am."

I no talk plenty. She look me, sigh, enter kitchen. I go wash hand, try rest.