Chapter 7: Temptation and Trouble (Again)

That night, she no return her room. She just sleep for my lap.

Her head soft, her hair dey tickle my leg. She dey breathe calm, sleep deep.

She dey mumble for sleep, I no fit hear wetin she dey talk.

I bend ear, try listen. E be like say she dey call "baba," but I no sure.

Maybe she dey dream of her papa. Maybe she think say na her papa I be.

E dey pain me, but e sweet me say she trust me reach that level.

Me, I no sleep at all—not because I get bad mind, but because my leg don numb.

I no wan move make she no wake. Na so I dey reason life. From small quarrel, see as we dey now.

After that, we become friends. Ordinary friends—the kind wey fit chop puff-puff, watch TV for parlour together.

Sometimes, we dey play Ludo, dey argue about who sabi cook pass. Na normal friendship.

She like my person, I just dey appreciate her beauty.

No be say I wan carry matter pass, but e good to get person wey dey ginger you.

One day,

Rain dey fall. I dey reason say make I cook beans. She dey hum, dey clean window.

She dey baff for bafroom. I dey parlour, dey chop, dey watch drama.

Na my regular spot, remote for hand. Sound dey loud small, but I dey careful make neighbour no complain.

Between us, na only that broken, no-lock door.

I don dey plan say this door need repair, but landlord no send.

Ah—

Na so she scream, run comot from bafroom, panic full body.

The scream loud, I almost jump from chair. I rush stand.

She no wear anything.

Body dey drip, eyes red. Fear full her face. Na so she stand for corridor.

Omo, I shock, freeze three seconds.

I no fit talk. My mind blank. E shock me like say NEPA wire touch me too.

My head, eye, hand—I no know where to look.

I dey try form mature, dey find where to put eye. Na wall, na ceiling, na floor—I dey dodge anyhow.

I wan look, but fear catch me.

This kain temptation, abeg. I dey pray make my village people no dey watch me now.

If I look, e go bad. If I no look, e be like say I miss better thing.

I dey reason say if I talk too much, wahala fit start.

I just stammer, "You dey do naked parade?"

My voice crack. I try turn my face, dey act like say nothing dey happen.

"The water heater... shock me..."

She dey shiver, dey hold arm. My heart cut. This NEPA people ehn.

"Anything wey dey shock you, abeg, go wear cloth first, I take God beg you."

I use corner eye dey check, dey pray say no neighbour dey pass corridor. Na so I rush go find wrapper give am. But as she tie wrapper, her eyes still dey shake. Something dey—this house never finish with us.