Chapter 2: Morayo’s Story

As we dey drive, we dey gist, I come know her name—Morayo. Twenty-four years.

Her voice soft, Yoruba accent dey inside, but e get one kind sadness. She no dey rush talk, just dey pick her word like person wey dey fear make e no talk too much.

She talk say na because she help person stand surety na im land am for prison five years.

I just laugh for my mind—no be today. Women wey fine like this, na so so fraud or them go just suffer for another person head.

I dey nod, dey form say I understand. I don hear this kind story before—some go say na boyfriend set them up, some na family wahala. Lagos no dey pity anybody. But I dey always wonder, how fine woman like this go land for that kind place?

After she come out, her papa and mama no gree see am. Friends and family run from her.

She talk am with her head down, voice low. I see as her finger dey play with the hem of her dress. E pain her, but she dey try hide am. Lagos people no dey forgive easily—once your name enter black book, na only God fit clean am.

Prison don make her lost, she no get anybody.

Her face show am—like person wey trek from Mile 2 to Ojuelegba under sun, no water, no helper. Even her laugh get one kind echo, like say she dey try remember how happiness dey be.

Na only me dey show her small kindness—na only me she fit hold.

I dey feel like hero. For my mind, I dey reason say she no get choice, so anything wey I do, she go gree. Na that power dey sweet me pass.

Na why she enter my car without stress.

Women like this—just treat them small, dem go follow you anywhere.

I dey remember the other ones—how dem dey beg, dey call me saviour. Na small thing dey turn person to god for this Lagos. I just dey form humble.

Morayo na the fourth woman wey I carry do this kind thing, and na she fine pass all of them.

Her beauty dey worry me. Her skin dey shine, her eye dey bright. I dey imagine say if I carry her go party, even big men go dey look my side. My chest dey rise, pride dey full my body.

Just dey imagine how e go be for bed, my body dey do me one kain, my skin dey pepper me.

I dey adjust for seat, try hide the way my trouser dey rise. I dey tell myself say tonight, e go happen. I dey sure.

Morayo no too dey talk. If I crack joke, she go just cover her mouth smile, her big, bright eyes dey shine like say she never see wahala for this life.

Her smile dey make me weak. E pure, no stain. I dey wonder how person fit pass through prison still dey smile like that. Maybe na her way to survive.

I park for one mama put, buy her food—ordinary amala and ewedu, we no spend pass small change.

The buka dey hot, steam full everywhere. People dey shout order, one small pikin dey hawk pure water by the door. I order amala for her, put orisirisi for my own. The woman wey dey serve look Morayo one kind, but I just wave am, give her extra fifty naira.

Morayo dey chop slow, dey careful. Even if food fall for table, she go pick am chop.

She dey eat like person wey never see better food for long. I dey watch am, dey feel one kind pity, but I no let am show for my face. For my mind, I dey plan the next move.

I light cigarette, dey watch her, dey smile.

The smoke dey rise, I dey form boss. Some people for the buka dey look us, but I no send. I just dey enjoy the show.

Almost every woman wey just come out from prison dey behave like this for their first meal.

Na hunger and fear dey do dem. I sabi the signs—how dem dey hold spoon like say e go vanish, how dem dey check door every five minutes. I just dey patient.

After prison, dem sabi say life outside na gold.

Na why, even if I use force, dem no dey think to call police.

I dey remember the last one—how she dey cry, beg me say make I no report her go back. I dey use that memory hold myself, dey play my role well.

After we chop, night don reach.

The sky don dark, street light no dey work. I check my phone—time don go. I dey reason how I go carry am enter my house without people dey talk.

I tell Morayo make she stay my place for the night, say tomorrow I go help her fit enter society well.

I yan am with soft voice, touch her hand small. She look me, nod, no argue. Na so I know say my plan dey work.

She gree.

She just carry her small bag, follow me. Her eye still dey look ground, but I fit see say she dey hope say tomorrow go better.