Chapter 6: Market Sun and Secrets

That afternoon, I carry Morayo go buy clothes and other things she need.

We waka Balogun market, sun dey burn, Agberos dey shout, women dey price tomato, hawkers dey sing their market song. People dey push. She dey look everything like new born. I dey buy her small small—wrapper, slippers, even small perfume.

For road, she dey look everywhere, dey happy like small pikin.

She dey point bus, dey laugh when conductor dey shout. I dey see joy for her face, like person wey just escape cage.

Five years no be beans—the world don change.

She dey talk say okada no dey before, now everywhere full. She dey ask about BRT, dey wonder how e work. I dey explain, dey feel like tour guide.

As we dey go back, she dey hold me, her body dey touch my own.

She dey lean on me, her hand dey grip my arm. I dey feel special, dey smile for myself.

Anytime she touch me, my body go shock. I know say e no go tay, I go get her.

My mind dey race. I dey imagine how tonight go be. I dey sure say this one na my own.

We reach house, person knock.

I dey wonder who dey disturb my peace. I dey peep, dey ready for anything.

Through peephole, I see Small Baba dirty face.

Him dey smile, teeth brown. I dey sigh, no want wahala.

I open door small, no too happy.

I dey try form busy. I no want make am enter.

"Wetin you want?"

I dey talk with small voice, make e know say I no get time.

He smile, push door open more, dey look inside.

He dey peep, dey check if Morayo dey. I dey block am.

"Guy, we don stay here long but we never gist. I set table for my house—make we drink."

He dey try form friendly. I dey suspect am, because him no dey like share anything.

I just dey laugh for mind. Small Baba stingy—if he dey do like this, na because he want something.

Na true. For this compound, nobody dey do free.

As I wan say no, he whisper, "I sabi who kill landlady dog. Come, I go tell you."

My heart skip. I dey fear say wahala dey.

Fear catch me. I follow am, my body dey shake.

I dey look back, dey pray say nothing go happen to Morayo.

For his house, he really buy better food—correct food, one bottle of ogogoro.

Table set, meat full plate, ogogoro dey shine for bottle. The room dey smell of cheap gin and old socks, but the meat dey hot. I dey surprise. I dey form cool, but my mind dey turn.

He dey toast me every time.

He dey praise me, dey yarn say I be correct guy. I dey smile, but I dey watch am.

"Guy, you dey try—dey bring fine women. I dey respect you."

He dey hype me, dey make me feel like king. I dey enjoy am, dey drink more.

All the praise dey sweet me, I dey drink more.

Ogogoro dey hot, but e dey smooth my chest. I dey loose guard, dey open up.

He fill my glass again, come near me, dey smile like thief.

He dey whisper, dey laugh. I dey watch am, dey try decode him plan.

"Guy, teach me—where you dey see these babes? Dem fine, dem dey loyal. Even mail-order wife no reach."

I dey laugh, dey dodge question. If I tell am, e fit spoil my run.

I just laugh. If I tell am, wetin remain for me?

I dey form say I be sharp guy. I no wan share my secret.

I put finger for mouth, shake head.

"Na my own way. You no go understand."

I dey form mystery. Make e no press too much.

He no vex, just dey hype me more.

He dey nod, dey smile, dey pour more drink. I dey feel on top world.

Nobody don ever praise me like this before. E dey sweet me, I dey drink.

I dey lose guard, my eye dey red. I dey laugh, dey gist anyhow.

Soon, my eye dey turn.

Room dey spin, my head dey heavy. I dey try hold myself, but I know say I don overdo.

But I still remember to ask about the dog.

I dey try form sharp, but my voice dey shake.

Small Baba voice just dey float.

E dey talk slow, like person wey dey hide something. I dey strain ear.

"Last night, around two or three, I hear your door open. After thirty minutes, e close. Na that woman for your house kill the dog."

I shock. I dey try remember if I hear anything. My mind dey run.

I try protest, but my mind flash go Morayo knife work and how the dog skin take dey neat.

I dey reason say e fit true. The way she dey cut meat, e no normal.

Small Baba laugh.

He dey shake head, dey tap my back. I dey fear.

"That babe don go prison, abi?"

He dey look me with one kind eye. I dey nod, dey pretend say I no care.

Fear catch me, but the drink dey heavy for my body.

My hand dey shake, but I dey try hide am.

"I don go prison too—you dey see am. Cell small, you no fit take big step. As she dey waka, every step na the size of cell tile."

He dey demonstrate, dey laugh. I dey watch am, dey remember how Morayo dey waka for house.

He laugh dey loud, his face dey blur.

I dey see two of am. My head dey spin.

"No wonder you fit get fine babe. Na the trick be that. I know. If you don comot, you go do anything make you no go back."

He dey talk true. Prison dey change person. I dey think, dey nod.

"Tell me, if I tell that babe for your house say I know she kill dog, then I try rough handle her, she go fit call police?"

He dey look me, dey wait answer. I dey confuse, my mouth dey heavy.

I try stand, but I fall for ground. Everywhere dark.

I hear him laugh as my eye close. My mind dey float, I dey fear, but I no fit move.