Chapter 7: Temptation for Palm Grove Park

Next day, danfo horn dey sound for distance, early morning breeze dey blow small dust. Ifeoma wear crop top, her big eyes dey shine, she dey sip kunu for park bench.

The sun never too high, but breeze dey blow. She cross leg, dey scroll phone. Her bag na designer, but she still dey act like street girl.

"You no dey cold?"

I dey check her top. The thing short, Naija harmattan dey bite, but she no send.

She pass me her half kunu. "You dey worry for me?"

She dey smile, her teeth white. Her perfume loud, e dey mix with kunu smell.

I push her hand. "No dey try me."

I dey bone face, but inside my mind, I dey fear wetin she wan talk.

"You no wan drink? I go shout for street say you be bad guy—police go carry you sharp sharp." She stand up like she wan go.

Her threat dey sharp, like small pikin wey know say e get power.

"Come back, I... I go drink." I bone face.

I collect the kunu, turn straw. The lipstick wey dey straw dey vex me, but I no talk. I sip am, then return cup.

Lipstick dey the straw, and small girl smell. I frown, turn straw go another side, drink am.

I dey do like say I no care, but the taste dey my mind.

"Talk, why you do all this?"

I look her for eye. I dey try read her mind, but Ifeoma eye dey sharp, e no dey show anything.

"Why else? I like you."

The way she talk am, e plain. E shock me.

"Abeg, talk true. We never even see reach."

She raise eyebrow, dey twist her mouth. She dey act like say the thing dey funny.

"How many times you see my sister before you fall for her?"

I no get reply.

True talk, na only two times I see Ifunanya before I begin chase her. But I no wan gree for Ifeoma.

"To like person, e dey count how many times you see am?"

She dey press her phone, but her eye still dey on me.

"I be your sister-in-law."

I dey talk am slow, try remind her say e no fit work.

"We never marry."

Her voice sharp. She dey remind me say e never late.

"Still, I be your babe sister."

She stand up, chest out. "Since small, I dey resemble my sister. Face, body—everything. Wetin I no get wey she get?"

Her question get pain. E be like she dey compare herself for mind since childhood.

I stand too, look her for eye. "True, your sister fine, and I like her, but no be only beauty dey make me love am."

I talk am soft, but I dey firm. I dey try show say love pass face.

"Oh." She smile, lean close, whisper for my ear, "I sabi pass my sister for bed. You don know now."

Her words cold, but e hot my ear. I shift back, my face dey burn.

That one line make my face hot. "You dey craze."

I no fit hold myself. I throw the kunu for bench, dust my hand.

I throw the kunu, turn dey go. "Forget am. Even if me and your sister break, I no fit follow you."

My mind dey made up. I dey waka dey go, no look back.

"If you go, I go tell my mama say you sleep with my sister then with me. You no go fit marry my sister again."

Her threat loud. E shock me.

"No wahala, I accept. Make we break up."

I dey talk with anger. I dey ready for anything now.

"I go call police, talk say you force me."

I stop, look Ifeoma well. "Wetin you really want?"

I dey fear but I dey ready for truth.

"Make you take responsibility."

Her face serious. I dey confuse.

"But I sleep with your sister too. Who I go take responsibility for?"

I dey reason the thing, but e no make sense.

"Both of us."

She talk am like say na joke.

"Three of us together?"

I dey laugh small, but my chest dey heavy.

"E no too bad."

She dey smile, but I know say she dey serious.

"Abeg stop. Your sister go kill me."

I dey wave hand, dey try end the gist.

She reason small. "Then just be my boyfriend."

Her eye dey soft, voice dey low. For the first time, I see her small girl side.

"Impossible."

I shake head. I no fit do am.

"Then... fit pretend say you be my boyfriend..."

She dey beg now. Her voice soft, she dey look ground.

I sigh. "Plenty better guys dey this world. Why you dey follow me?"

I dey pity her, but I no fit gree.

She quiet, put head down, tears just dey drop like bead. "Where better guys dey? Why I never see even one?"

Her tears dey genuine. My heart soft small.

"You go see."

I dey talk am, but I dey wish say she go believe.

Ifeoma grab my hand. "Brother-in-law, be my boyfriend. Just seven days. After that, I go explain everything give my sister, make sure una patch up. My sister love me pass anything—you gats trust me."

Her hand dey shake, voice dey tremble—no be play, na real pain. She dey look me with hope, eye dey shine.

"True?"

"True. I swear. If I no do am after seven days, make motor jam me for road..."

I cover her mouth. "Abeg, no dey swear. I promise you."

I dey beg her with eye. I dey pray say she no go add more wahala to my life.

She smile one kind, lick my palm, I quick pull my hand.

The thing tickle me, I just shake head. For this Naija, temptation plenty. But I dey hope say this own go pass. But for Naija, temptation no dey ever finish. Wetin go happen next, even me I no sabi.