Chapter 5: Heartbreak and Confession

"Gbosa!"

One hot slap land for my face.

I see stars—na the kain slap wey fit reset generator. My mouth open, no sound come out.

"Tunde, wetin dey your mind?"

Her voice crack, tears dey her eye. I fit hear her pain for my bone.

"No, Ifunanya, make I explain..."

I dey try hold her hand, but she pull am away sharp.

"You dey mad? You dey do am with me, but you dey think of my sister? You be human at all?"

Her mouth dey shake, she dey squeeze pillow. I dey try talk, but my tongue heavy.

"No be so—I swear, make I explain."

The words dey come slow. I dey sweat, my heart dey pound.

How I wan tell her say last time na Ifeoma I mistake for her, come kiss anyhow?

If I talk am, e go worse. But if I no talk, how she go understand my fear?

I dey stuck for crossroads. Wahala dey left and right.

"Una too resemble... I just dey fear make I no mix una up."

I no fit look her for eye as I talk am. I dey pray make she believe me, but the thing weak.

"Which kind talk be that? My sister go do that kind thing with you? You dey craze? I for no even follow you at all."

Her voice rise, she dey pace up and down. The thing pain her deep.

"Ifunanya, abeg, na mistake. You dey misunderstand."

I kneel for bed, hold her leg, dey beg like person wey dey owe landlord.

"You sure say una never do anything before?" She look me straight.

Her eye red. Na trust issue dey her face.

"No, I swear, nothing."

I lift hand up like say I dey for court. I no wan lie.

"I no believe you."

She hiss. The thing cut me for heart.

"Na because una resemble, I just ask, if not... if not, how I go sure..."

I dey talk, but words dey tangle for mouth. The guilt dey choke me.

"If nothing ever happen, why you dey worry?" Another slap.

The sound loud, my ear ring. I hold my cheek, tears almost drop from my eye.

I watch as she cry, tears just dey fall, she wear her cloth, waka commot, bang door.

She close door gentle, but the pain loud for my chest.

Nothing I fit do. The more I try explain, the more wahala dey.

I just tell myself say make I wait make she calm down, then beg her well.

I dey plan how I go take buy her favorite gala and soft drink, maybe she go gree listen.

I sit down for bed. Her body still warm for the bedsheet, with evidence of wetin we do.

The pillow still dey smell her perfume. My hand dey shake as I touch the spot where she lie down.

How this sweet thing take turn to this kind wahala?

I just dey reason say love for Nigeria dey hard sometimes. If person no use eye clear, wahala dey quick enter.

I scratch my head, too vexed to clean up. I open palm wine, begin drink.

The palm wine cold. E dey bitter small, but e dey cool my chest. I pour for cup, drink like say I dey with elders for village.

If we break up because of this, e no go make sense.

My mind dey heavy. I dey reason say, after all the good moments, na this one go spoil am?

I know Ifunanya for like six months. Na love at first sight. She just dey gentle as her name.

That first day, she greet me with respect, no form. She dey calm, never dey shout. Na that gentleness hook me.

She fine, get sense, and dey thoughtful.

She dey ask if I chop, if I sleep well. She dey help me iron cloth sometimes. I dey cherish all those small things.

Her sister na her reverse scale—nobody fit touch her sister, including me.

Ifeoma dey loud. She fit gist with conductor for bus, dey play rough. Everybody dey respect am for her wahala.

I no know how long I drink, but my head dey spin. Na so I hear door open.

The sound dey slow, like horror film. I hold cup, no know if na ghost or human dey come.

Ifunanya come back, she look tired.

She drop bag, eye puffy, face no dey smile. I dey happy say she come back, but fear still dey catch me.

I rush hold her hand. "Sorry, abeg, na my fault."

I dey squeeze her hand, try show say I dey serious. My voice dey beg.

She look me cold. "You well so?"

Her face no dey show emotion. E dey freeze my heart.

"No vex, abeg. I know say I mess up."

I dey try hold her waist, but she shift. The thing pain me.

"No, na you drink yourself scatter? I just finish work, I dey tire. Abeg leave me."

She no look my face, she dey remove her earrings. I dey feel useless, like person wey miss exam.

Na that moment, all the drink just turn to sweat, my body dey soak.

The cold sweat run from my armpit reach my back. My brain dey clear.

"Just now... no be you?"

I dey whisper, dey fear answer.

"Which kind talk be that? You dey craze? You don drink finish." She push my head small.

The push light, but e heavy for my chest. My eye clear, but my mind dey scatter.

That push clear my eye, but my head come scatter pass before.

I dey try remember every moment, dey arrange the faces for my head.

"I no dey talk to you again. I go lie down."

She waka go bedroom. I dey follow her with eye, but my leg weak. I dey fear say I fit lose her.

Before I fit stop her, she don see the rough bed and the condom pack by the side.

Her leg pause. I see her face change, her mouth open small. Na there I know say everything don cast.