Chapter 2: Second Chance No Be Beans

“Lanre, Seyi asked me to go out with him tonight. Do you think I should go?”

I just dey look the young, fresh face wey I know since small—her eyes dey blink, innocence dey dance inside. I just dey remember how everything take end before.

Suddenly, I realise say I don reborn—back to my final year of secondary school.

Kai! My heart skip. E be like say na dream. But as I look round, see the old wooden desk, hear morning assembly noise for corridor, na there e clear me say God give me second chance.

As Amaka see say I dey lost, she wave her hand for my face, vex: “Why you dey look like mumu?”

She pinch my cheek small, eyebrow raise, like say she dey wonder if malaria dey worry me. “Lanre! You no dey hear me?”

Amaka na my childhood sweetheart. Since we dey primary two, na so-so competition, na so-so friendship. Our parents go joke say na we go marry, and small me go shy. Na only Amaka fit call me anyhow name, another person try am, I fit vex.

She dey study dance, dey follow art track for university entrance exam. Na dance dey her body—if you see her move, even for Children’s Day for town hall, everybody dey clap. Her step dey sharp, she dey always represent school.

People dey yarn say her body be like Egret, long and graceful. If she waka enter hall, everybody must look.

Her only wahala be say her book work bad. Aunty Ifeoma dey always complain, say book no dey enter her head. If na maths, na zero, if na chemistry, na trouble.

Me, I dey for Unity Class—the class wey dey prepare people for top universities like UNILAG and UI. With my grades, at least I go enter one top university, but my target na UNILAG.

I no dey use play for book. Even teachers dey use my script set exam. My mama dey always boast for market say her pikin go be doctor.

At her parents’ request, I dey tutor her three nights every week, dey help her chase her dream to enter Lagos Dance Academy. We dey sit together for her parlour, all those old albums for shelf, aroma of Egusi soup for kitchen. I go dey explain, she go dey look window. Sometimes, I go verse, but na love dey keep me dey try.

I dey always dream say e go sweet. After book, we go gist, small small touch, laughter everywhere. Like all those Nollywood film. We go go Lagos together, I go find time confess, then we go marry, born pikin, just as our parents want—perfect couple.

I dey see the thing for my mind. E go be better life—together for UNILAG, then ring, then small pikin, just as dem dey wish. Our future dey clear for our front; as long as we try small, we go reach am.

For my mind, na just work remain. The path dey shine, if only Amaka no go lose focus.

But na so Seyi enter the picture. And everything scatter. Like pepper enter soup wey suppose sweet.