Chapter 3: No Pity for Pride

Okechukwu always dey feel say him no reach for size. So before he wan see that rich woman, he talk say he wan do bead runz. He dey form say if you no get the size, at least sabi the work. He say he wan give the woman something wey she no go ever forget.

Na boys talk, but you go see as inferiority complex dey worry person. For Naija, dem say if man no get liver, na woman go show you pepper. The guy dey battle with his own shadow.

I sharply try stop am. I explain the wahala wey fit follow bead runz, tell am say make he hustle better. All these rich women get their own wahala—last last, na suffer you go suffer.

I gree show am YouTube video – one guy dey talk how e thing spoil e marriage, hospital bill nearly kill am. I tell am, "Omo, all that shine for Instagram no be everything. Make you shine your eye."

After I show am all the hospital reports and scary stories wey I find, Okechukwu fear catch am. He drop the bead matter, go meet the woman as he be.

I notice as e dey vex small, but e try put face. For street, we sabi say pride dey kill man. I just dey look am.

After one night, the woman no too feel am—she just drive am commot.

Na so e return, eyes red, no gree chop. If you see as e waka, you go pity am. For hostel, na so boys dey gist am behind back.

Okechukwu come dey down. I try cheer am up, even run package job for am for my uncle company.

I go beg my uncle for Apapa make he run warehouse assistant for Okechukwu. Even drop my own slot. But guy no get ginger, e just dey drag.

But not long after, the woman post for her WhatsApp say she don get new small celeb. That one dey show all the things the woman give am online—mansions for Abuja, many big cars, all carry him name.

The gist fly everywhere. Even our hostel group, people dey forward the video. Some dey hail am, some dey throw shade. Na internet wahala.

Na so the small celeb just jump enter A9 level. People dey say A9 na the last level before you become "Chairman". Wetin that mean, nobody sabi. But e mean money dey.

The celeb even yarn say na bead runz make the woman craze for am, say the experience na like heaven.

All those small boys for hostel dey copy. Some dey try price bead for Jumia, others dey ask nurse wey dey do local injection if she fit run am. E weak me.

Okechukwu, use thank you as excuse, call me out. He drug me, I faint. I wake, na table dem tie me. Okechukwu stand over me with big nylon of beads, face don change.

I remember say e eyes no be the same. The way e dey talk na like person wey don lose hope. For background, PHCN just take light, everywhere dark.

"Na your fault. If you no put mouth, na me for dey drive Benz dey flex for mansion."

The thing pain me. The way e talk, na betrayal full am. Like say na me block e destiny.

He use razor cut my privates, push all the beads inside. Na pain kill me.

I dey beg God make I wake up from dream. Na so darkness swallow me.

When I open eye again, na that same day my roommate dey talk about bead runz. My heart just dey beat. This time, I go play am another way. This life, if you no chop your own lesson, you no go wise.