Chapter 1: When NEPA Take Light For Love

In my final year of secondary school, my childhood sweetheart fell for the school bad boy.

That kind pain ehn, e be like when NEPA take light in the middle of Champions League final. Everybody for street go shout—na so my heart shout that day. Amaka, wey I don know since pikin, just begin dey waka dey follow Seyi—everybody for school sabi say him no get better plan.

He start dey carry her go skip class, dey teach her how to smoke and drink, and her grades just begin dey drop like rain for August.

As she dey waka with Seyi, every day na new story. Before nko, Amaka wey dem dey hail as best dancer, suddenly begin miss classes, dey follow Seyi dey drink pure water mixed with gin behind back fence. Her books, dem just dey see pepper, na so e dey go.

I no fit just stand dey look make she destroy herself, so when her parents ask, I open mouth tell dem everything.

I struggle with myself small. My mind dey do me like wahala go burst, but I no fit keep quiet see Amaka dey waka enter gutter. So, when Aunty Ifeoma and Uncle Ikenna corner me one evening with their serious face, na so I spill. I tell dem wetin I see, my heart dey beat anyhow.

From that day, her family begin dey monitor her strictly. Dem even seize her TV remote—no more African Magic till further notice. Dem begin dey check her bag, dey follow her up and down, phone collect, even house help dey watch am like eagle. Amaka start dey para, but nothing she fit do—every move, dem dey monitor.

The night she plan to run away with the school bad boy, her parents block am—she no fit escape. That same night, the bad boy die for accident.

Na God save am that night. Just as she package her Ghana-Must-Go to run with Seyi, na so her papa catch am, lock everywhere. That same night, wahala burst—Seyi, as e dey ride okada, enter trailer for Oshodi express. Dead before dem fit carry am go hospital.

Time waka. Na so family meeting set, my people and Amaka people join body, everybody begin push say make we marry. Dem say na old family friends, say na good thing. Small time, pikin land—na so I become husband and father.

Rainy evening for Third Mainland, trailer tyre burst. Without think, I use my body block Amaka and our small girl. Na my chest chop the blow—my whole body just heavy, like ground dey drag me.

If say thunder fit strike two times, na wetin I feel. As my eye dey close, Amaka bend talk for my ear, her voice cold, bitterness full am: “That pikin no be your own. I no ever love you. I just marry you to pay you back.”

Her eye no get pity—just anger and old pain. Na so I take commot for this world.

But God get sense pass man. Na so I open eye, sweat dey my face, see say I dey back for that same secondary school classroom. The day everything start.