Chapter 6: Game Stream Drama and Jealousy

As I dey think say all my sweet mouth don make us dey friendly, that night e come down, face squeeze.

E face don fold like Ankara wey no iron. I dey chop apple for kitchen, e waka enter like breeze.

As e see me, e eye calm small.

I see the way e relax, e just look my face, then look away. E try hide am, but I notice say e dey glad to see me.

"I wan comot small. I go buy food for you."

E shake car key, talk am.

E shake key for air, like say make I no argue. The key chain carry small fufu keyholder. E fine.

Him hand long and fine. I just dey look am, then I nod.

My mind dey play with the way e dey move. I dey reason if I fit snap picture of e hand join my secret album.

Tunde look me, e be like say e dey happy say I dey obey—e even waka dey light.

E even do small whistle, open door, turn back, smile small. I wave am, form busy.

E come back that night, bring rice bowl for me.

E drop am for table, no talk much. E dey always quiet after waka. I dey wonder if e dey tired or just dey form.

E rush go upstairs go stream, face still dey vex.

Na so e dey do. When game dey worry am, e go just waka up, no talk. I dey wish say I fit help am calm down.

I dey curious, but I no ask. I just open him stream for phone.

I wan know why e face dey squeeze, but I dey shy to ask. I just dey observe for stream.

I hear as e on camera, face dark, quiet for some seconds, then tell chat, "Company say make I duo today."

E voice dey deep, e no dey laugh. Even the fans notice, dey comment, “Oga Tunde, who vex you?”

E too sabi play, e dey always solo for stream.

E like challenge, e go dey show muscle for fans, dey win alone. Na so e dey get fans.

Sometimes e go duo with old teammates or other male streamers.

But e no too like play with people wey e no trust. E dey form hard guy.

Before me or fans fit talk, one cute avatar invite am for team.

E pause, accept invite. The avatar name get love emoji. I dey look phone with side eye.

E accept, but still dey vex.

E no talk. Just dey click mouse anyhow. Chat dey run, dey notice the change.

The female streamer on her mic, her voice dey sweet like sugar.

Her voice dey sound like Sunday choir. I dey try remember if I don ever hear am before. My mind dey do backflip.

Fans for chat dey explain say she sef be streamer.

Dem dey hype her for chat, dey type her name in capital letters. I dey look am, dey form say I no dey jealous.

Me, apart from am, I no dey watch other streamers, so e normal say I no sabi her.

Na true. I get only one interest for that stream life. My own focus na Tunde.

But e dey play with another girl.

My mind dey wonder, “Abi this na the kind girls wey dey attract am?” I dey feel one kain for belle.

Even though I know say na work, e still pain me small.

I try reason say no be anything, but my chest dey tight. My fork dey knock rice for bowl, I no even chop well.

Game start, I dey chop dey listen to their gist.

I dey pretend say I no dey hear, but every word dey enter my ear like radio.

Na mostly the female streamer dey talk—e no dey reply much.

E dey focus on game, just dey mutter, “Hmm.” The girl dey yarn anyhow, dey throw soft voice. My own heart dey knock.

The babe fans plenty, as dem see as e dey act, dem begin yab am for chat:

Dem dey call Tunde “wicked guy.” Dem dey form drama for chat. Some dey even send angry emoji.

"Our Shally too sweet, why this guy face dey like this."

Dem dey tease am, dey say make e smile. The girl dey laugh, dey call Tunde "bro." My mind dey prick me.

"Sorry for Shally."

Some dey pity the babe, dey beg Tunde make e soft.

"Abeg make we carry Shally go, this guy make you park well."

Dem dey hype the girl, dey try press Tunde mouth. E just dey shake head, dey play game.

The chat just scatter.

Comment just dey fly. Tunde no even look camera, just dey concentrate.

The girl no send, still dey act cute, dey beg make e give her blue buff, even move her character near am for game.

She dey whine, “Oga Tunde, abeg, leave am for me.” She dey laugh, dey form baby voice. I dey frown where I dey.

But e just collect the blue buff, waka go another lane, no look back.

He no even talk, just walk out. Chat dey scream.

Chat just dey run.

Dem dey type, "Tunde you wicked o!"

He look screen, talk small: "You no sabi use blue buff."

Voice cold. Even chat freeze, then burst laugh. Some dey type “Omo! See strong head!”

Him fans just dey laugh, dey type 'straight guy,' while the girl fans dey vex.

Dem dey drag am. I dey laugh, but I dey proud small. My own guy dey stand ground.

Tunde old fans sabi say e get sharp mouth, dey do wetin e like, so nobody shock say e no give the blue buff.

Dem dey used to am. E no dey fake. If e no like you, e go show am.

Na so e be.

E always be himself. Na one thing wey dey make people fear am and like am.

As chat dey scatter, I just dey send plenty gifts.

Na so I dey tap my small savings, dey buy sticker for him stream. E go see my name pop up, smile small.

Chat begin hail, 'Number one fan big sister, long time.'

Some old fans don sabi my username. Dem dey tease me say I be elder sister for chat. I dey laugh, dey blush.

He just glance, reply cold: "Thanks for the gifts."

E voice no soft, but e always dey acknowledge me. I dey collect my own special shout out.

As I dey chop the food wey e bring, just to hear that 'thanks' from am, my belle sweet.

I dey smile like goat wey see yam. For my mind, na only me e dey thank like that.

Game finish fast, and maybe the girl see say e dey cold, so she find excuse commot.

She no even do goodbye, just off mic. I happy small, dey gist myself for mind.

As she waka, e face relax, anybody fit see say e no like her.

Na that time e smile small, even fan for chat notice. I dey beam like NEPA light for new transformer.

Chat begin laugh, dey ask if e no like soft girls.

Some dey joke, “Oga Tunde, no like baby voice?”

Normally, Tunde no dey answer, but today e pause, dey look chat.

E look camera, face serious. Even me stop chop.

"I like them."

One sentence. E just drop am. My mouth open. I dey shake.

Chat freeze, then burst.

Comments just dey scatter: "Like wetin?" "Abeg explain!"

"Like wetin?"

Some dey whine, dey tease. Everybody dey expect story.

"So you like soft girls?"

Everybody dey push am, dey drag mouth for explanation.

"Why you dey do Shally like that then?"

Some dey try defend the girl, others dey shout, “E get another soft girl for mind!”

He just hiss, "That one na soft girl?"

Voice cold, e twist mouth. For my mind, na me e dey describe.

As e dey think of the girl wey dey downstairs, dey eat slow, just like those rabbit or hamster videos.

If you see as I dey eat, na slow motion. I dey use small spoon, dey scoop rice, dey chew like person wey dey fear food go finish. Even my pajamas na pink, I dey squeeze small face.

So obedient.

I dey always dey gentle for house. If I hear sound, I go pause, listen, make sure say nobody dey watch me.

Nobody dey eat like her.

Na so my mother dey talk. “This my pikin, if you give am food, you no go hear sound.”

Just sometimes, she no dey obey—dey fear am, no dey call am brother.

E dey pain am. E wan make I dey close, but I dey fear, dey shy.

So na true, e like soft girls.

The way e talk am, my mind dey reason if na me e dey think.

My head just dey turn, dey reason why e go dey form.

I dey question myself, dey wonder if I dey see sign wey no dey.

But if e like me, why e dey act like say e no send?

Maybe e dey shy too. Or e dey protect my brother friendship. I dey confuse.

Few days ago, my brother message me, dey worry say maybe we no dey get along, tell me make I no dey disturb am too much.

My brother always dey worry. E no wan make Tunde vex. E go dey text me, “Sisi, abeg, no dey press your luck o.” I dey laugh for mind.

I just sigh, pack empty food pack, throway am.

As I dey go kitchen, my mind dey replay everything. I dey hope say one day e go notice me.

As I hug my teddy bear, Tunde’s warning still dey ring for my ear—maybe tomorrow, my secret go finally burst.