Chapter 1: Heartbreak Under Rainy Skies

After Tobi Okonkwo reject my love confession for the ninth time, I just bone and talk say make I forget about am.

The way my heart just cut that evening ehn, I no fit even vex finish. The sky even dey threaten small rain, clouds gather like angry aunties at wedding, breeze dey blow wrapper for fence. Like say even weather dey support my heartbreak. As I lock my gate, my phone buzz again.

But just then, I see the comments.

[Just try one more time, the last time—the main guy go gree for the tenth confession.]

[The main guy just dey form hard guy, but for inside, e really like her.]

[Chai, see as him eyes dey follow the babe everywhere!]

The comments dey pour like pepper soup for Sunday afternoon—everybody wan add their own. E be like film for my head, as I dey replay all the wahala.

Sometimes I dey wonder if na dream or real, but memories from before dey sharp for my mind—like say I don live this life before. I remember my past life: after I finally succeed with my confession, we start dey date, marry, get pikin, and Tobi turn famous and rich.

Those years flash like NEPA light—one minute we dey hustle, the next, money dey enter. People begin hail us for church, for village. Na so Tobi turn big man. Sometimes, I go look our pikin and wonder if na dream.

But later, he tell me—

Anwuli, you think say everybody get the same background as you?

"I'm just helping her, abeg no dey unreasonable."

The words sting pass groundnut oil for fire, e burn inside body. Na that moment I realize say, e no dey easy. Everybody dey fight their own battle. My own na just different from him.

So, I just let am be. This time, there go be no tenth confession.