Chapter 4: Amaka Play Pass Nollywood

“Lanre, why you never talk since? You no fit just dey judge person by face. No think say I dey defend Seyi—I just dey talk true.”

Amaka na master for argument. Her voice dey quick, face dey tight, like say she dey ready fight whole world for Seyi matter. Amaka don already decide wetin she wan do.

Even before I open mouth, she don package answer. Na just permission she dey find, so if wahala burst, she go say na Lanre give am green light. She just wan make I support am, drag me join the matter. Na strategy, pure calculation. If her mama begin shout tomorrow, she go drag my name join. If her parents find out, she go say na me give her permission, na me go collect blame. She no go chop alone—wahala must reach my side.

She don dey do like this since we small. Even for primary school, na so she take chop my meatpie in Primary Four, then go tell teacher say na me misplace am.

I senior am by half year, always dey do big brother. Since pikin, na me dey protect her from bullies. My own pikin body small, but I go still fight for her head. Anytime she enter wahala, na me dey collect for her head. She dey enjoy my kindness, no even get small guilt.

I dey feel say na love, but na me dey carry load alone. She just dey use my soft heart. But this time, I no wan do am again.

This new life, my eye don open. I no fit dey play fool again—everybody dey chop consequence of their action.

As I no answer, Amaka come try beg: “Okay, okay, I agree—I really wan go. Abeg, just help me, no need do anything, just no tell my parents. If them ask about lesson, just talk say everything dey okay.”

She dey form humility, but I know her plan. Na cover-up she want, not real beg. Amaka suddenly lean close, put her palms together, her eyes dey beg me like bambi: “Abeg, abeg.”

If you see her, her big eye dey shine, lips dey pout. If na another guy, e for don fall yakata. She sabi how to take handle me. Since pikin, she know say my heart soft. If she just form this bambi face, na so I go forget my anger.

I wan answer, na im noise start for outside classroom. The corridor just burst, everybody dey chook eye inside, like say film dey happen. Classmates dey whisper: “Ah, na Seyi—wetin carry am come here?” Even boys wey dey do strong, begin dey shift chair, dey reason say wahala fit land.

Seyi stand for door, tall and fine, just dey among crowd. He no dey rush, just dey relax, hand for pocket, like say na him get the place. Even as guy, I no go lie—this guy fine no be here. Him skin fresh, beard connect, e be like all those Instagram models wey girls dey crush on. E fine reach to make person feel somehow.

Small envy dey bite my chest, I no go lie. Seyi lean for door, just ask Amaka, “You don decide? You dey come or you no dey come?” Him voice cool, but everybody know say if you cross am, wahala go show.

Whispers just dey increase. “Ah! So na Amaka im dey find. But Amaka suppose dey read with Lanre this night now?” “You dey craze? If na you, you go choose Seyi or Lanre? Abeg, na Seyi jare! See as him fine!” Girls dey argue, boys dey hail. Some dey jealous, others dey pity me small. “Sha, make dem no read for final year—dem go regret am.” One sharp guy for back yan that one, but nobody dey reason consequence now.

Seyi look vexed, sweep eye look everybody, then kick door: “All of una wan lose mouth abi?” As him leg touch door, everywhere freeze. Even the bold ones zip mouth. Everywhere quiet one time. Pin drop silence. Only Amaka laugh small, like say she dey enjoy the attention.

Amaka look me, her eyes dey beg. She dey plead with her eye, make I no spoil her game. I just talk calm, “Go if you wan go. I no fit stop you.” My voice low, but e clear. Everybody shock small, dem expect say I go drag matter.

After everything for my last life, I don learn one thing—Na respect person choice dey bring peace. Saviour no dey always get thanks. No dey carry saviour mentality, respect people choice. Let her see for herself.

Amaka just jump, even hug me. Her perfume—like coconut mixed with baby powder—just enter my nose. Her arm soft, she squeeze me like say she win lottery. “I know say you be the best, Lanre!”

Everybody shout, dey hail. Boys dey slap desk, girls dey laugh. Class just burst: “Yay!” Na so wahala dey sweet them. Only me dey wonder if na my life dey spoil like film.

But Amaka quick quick leave me, her soft scent still dey my nose. She run, her weave fly. My chest still dey shake from the touch.

Amaka dey always act cold, people dey call her ice queen—she no dey show this kind playfulness. Only me dey see this her playful side—others just dey fear her hard face.

If na before, I for don happy, dey feel say blessing don touch me. Before, I for dey reason say this na sign. Now, I sabi say na manipulation.

But now, I just wan go back my test paper. I dey pretend say e no pain me, but my hand dey shake small.

Seyi face change small. He waka come stand between us, sharply separate us. The way he take waka, e get small jealousy for him body. Him eyes sharp, like say him dey size me.

“Let’s go. Bookworm, if you try run mouth to her parents, you go suffer.” E point finger for my face, voice low. I just keep my mouth—no need reply.

He just remove my glasses, throw am for desk, hiss: “Tsk, even worse without glasses.” He use back of hand shift my specs. I gats adjust am back. Shame dey catch me, but I no show am.

Nothing good dey come from his matter, and me no get reason to find wahala. I no wan lose my focus—better make I avoid their wahala.

I wear my glasses back, tell Amaka, “I no go dey cover for you again. If you no wan make I tutor you, just tell your parents.” My voice steady, but Amaka no even look my face, she dey focus on Seyi.

Amaka nod carelessly, pull food flask from her bag, shove am give me: “Chop both, no waste am. My mama do am with love.” She fit dey vex, but she still remember say Aunty Ifeoma dey always pack extra for me. Her wahala no reach food matter.

Aunty Ifeoma dey always remember say I dey help Amaka, so anytime she bring food for Amaka, she go add my own. If you taste her efo riro, you go know say God dey answer prayer. Na so I dey manage chop joy for inside my stress.

Before I fit talk, Amaka don run go meet Seyi, dey shout, “Hey, wait for me!” The way she dey skip, na like say she dey run towards future. I just shake my head, dey arrange my books.

For my last life, she no hear my advice, still follow Seyi. I do everything, beg, advise, but Amaka head dey strong. She and Seyi begin dey skip class like say na freedom.

He carry her go dey skip class, her already bad grades just finish. E no take one month—her result from bad reach abomination. Teachers begin dey write query, Aunty Ifeoma dey cry.

Aunty Ifeoma ask me why, I no fit hide again—I tell her everything. Tears dey her eye as she call me. I try cover Amaka, but the story too long. I open up, dey confess as if I thief meat from pot.

Uncle and Aunty Ifeoma vex, send Amaka go strict lesson centre, no allow her breathe. Dem lock her phone, carry am go one lesson centre for Ikeja—dem say the man na retired soldier. Amaka dey come house tired, vex, sometimes dey cry sleep.

Before university exam, she and Seyi plan to run away, but Aunty Ifeoma catch her, she no fit go. That same night, Seyi die for accident. I remember as Amaka dey try sneak for back gate, na so her papa block am. That same night, Seyi jam trailer—everywhere for street cry.

Amaka cry say she go die for love, her family no get choice but to sell house, carry her go abroad. For days, she no eat, only dey listen to sad song for room. Finally, dem gather money, ship her go London for one small college. Na so her life take change.

Six years later, when we jam again, she don turn famous dancer—every step dey make people look. Her video dey everywhere—Instagram, Facebook. If she land Nigeria, every award show dey invite am. Dem dey call her Ada Ugo—girl wey dey fly like eagle for stage.

If we talk about past, she go still smile talk, “I too small that time. You always dey do wetin good for me.” Her smile dey cold, her eye no dey meet my own. Like say old wound still dey pain am small.

Through our parents, we start to know each other, date, marry, even born pikin. Na family arrange am. We no too do love, but our people happy. Pikin come, but the love no ever sweet.

Until one day, trailer almost jam us, and I just use body block her and the pikin. E happen so fast, I just react, heart dey hope say maybe this sacrifice go touch her.

As dem dey rush me enter ambulance, Amaka bend talk for my ear: Her whisper cold like harmattan breeze. I dey shake, dey wonder how my life take reach this point. “That daughter no be your own. Every time you travel, I dey carry men enter house.”

My head burst. My eye wan close, but my heart dey burn. “I never love you. I marry you to take revenge. You know as I dey live all these years? Every time I remember am, my heart dey pain me reach die.”

She dey cry, but the tears no get water—na bitterness dey pour. “You die save another man pikin. Lanre, you deserve am! You kill the man wey I love pass—na your punishment be this!”

For her mind, I kill Seyi by reporting. I no see am that way, but pain no dey hear explanation. Na her angry eyes I take die.

I die inside bitterness, the anger for her face last thing I see. No be only that. For my last life, all my effort to save her na just wahala for my head. I try, I suffer, but all na sand for wind. My own life bend, her own no better.

Seyi dey bring boys come block me for Unity class every week, write ‘snitch dog’ for my desk and test paper, force me crawl under his legs. The bullying bad reach, even teachers dey pretend like dem no see. Seyi and him boys dey run things.

I refuse, na im he pin me for teacher table beat me. I try fight back, but him get plenty boys, na so dem just dey finish me. Dem beat me, tear my shirt, sometimes throw my books for gutter. I begin dey hate school.

Na only when teacher come, the beating go stop—small time. Teacher go shout, "What is this?" but after five minutes, dem go disappear. I go just dey pick my books, dey cry.

E happen again and again. Every week, na new wahala. That time, I be small boy—sensitive, no get experience. I no sabi fight, I dey believe say good dey always win. But life teach me lesson.

My studies suffer. Before, I dey top class. After Seyi wahala, my mind dey scatter, grade dey drop.

After Seyi die, Amaka blame everything for my head. She no talk to me for months. If I call, she go cut. For her mind, na me ruin her life.

I write the most important exam of my life with guilt, pain and fear. The night before exam, na tears I use sleep. My brain no dey concentrate. When result come out, for the first time I no enter top thirty for school, na only one bottom university I enter.

Shame, disappointment, I no fit look my parents eye. I still dey regret am till today. But this time, I swear, nobody go use my head again—Amaka, Seyi, or even my own feelings.