Chapter 2: Okoye Compound No Be Home Without Love

The steward move fast, finish adoption paper for me. Oga for house dey run things—paper work done sharp sharp. E mean say matter serious.

Na so I find out who the young master and young miss be. My luck strong—no be small pikin fit enter this kain house.

The most powerful family for Palm Grove Estate—Okoye family twin brother and sister. Okoye mansion get marble floor, generator dey hum 24/7, but cold pass freezer inside. Chijioke and Morayo—fine twins, everybody sabi their face.

Now, I be their small sister, Ifunanya Okoye. From dustbin to Okoye compound—see as God dey run package. Dem give me name wey mean "love," e sweet me for belle.

But abeg, no envy me yet—

If you sabi book well, you go know say no be all wey shine na gold. Wait, story never finish.

Because these two na the biggest cannon fodder for one childhood-friends-to-lovers counterattack novel. All this fine and money na just camouflage. For story wey I land, dem dey suffer pass generator for fuel scarcity.

Dem get background and looks, but no complete family. True true, e hard to see papa and mama chop together for this house. Money full everywhere, but heart dry.

After Chief Okoye and Madam Okoye born them, dem divorce, run go meet their old lovers. Na Naija-style, big man marriage crash, everybody move on as if na ordinary business. Children dey carry am for head.

No be love, na transaction. Na so Chijioke and Morayo grow up inside empty mansion.

Wetin concern busy rich people with small pikin wahala? Dem no even send.

If love no dey, na only garri remain. Na so their heart harden like kpomo.

In short, Chijioke and Morayo, their character get as e be, one pass the other for wahala. For this Lagos, dem fit act film, drama go win award. Chijioke dey vex like say na him carry world for head; Morayo dey look person with eye wey dey beg for small attention.

Dem dey fight over small thing—remote, last spoon of ice cream, even who go first baff. E sure for them, their quarrel dey keep house noisy.

To make matter worse, dem jam the male and female leads—Ayo and Sewa—childhood friends from family of criminals. Street sharpness full their body. Dem sabi run game, package suffering as charm.

The leads purposely create chance to near the twins, then use dem against each other. For Lagos, na set-up. Dey act as if na love, but na plan to chop and run.

Chijioke dey form hard man, but any time Sewa show with smile, him body dey relax. You fit see say e dey try hold back but e no dey work.

Morayo, on the other hand, dey fall mugu for Ayo. Small praise, small eye contact, her heart don jump fence.

But dem no know, salvation na scam; the leads just use them climb. For Lagos street, dem go say dem chop breakfast—serious heartbreak. Na use and dump dem collect.

At the end, after using them finish, they just dump them. Dem waka leave Chijioke and Morayo, no look back. People dey wicked sha.

You know as Twitter and book club go dey hail drama—"So real! So deep!" Na only those wey suffer am know say the pain get level.

Omo, na headache matter. If na you, you go want make person use your family do reality show?

Even that imported SMA Gold wey nanny mix taste like plain water—no sweet, no love inside. I dey vex, face like I just chop expired agbalumo.

Na true, pikin dey express mind anyhow. Nobody go beat baby for house.

As I dey complain with my cry, my two saviours show. Dem shadow cover door, na so hope rise.

Nanny no understand the wahala. She dey look me, "Why you dey cry, madam?"

She dey beg with eye, as if I fit explain. E funny me.

But as soon as Chijioke carry me, I stop to cry immediately. For his hand, peace just enter my soul, like say na my real mama hold me.

Dem mouth open, eye big. Even steward for corner forget himself.

Her laugh get small envy. Everybody dey happy say small pikin no dey cry again.

He smile small, then force am away. You fit see say him dey try hold himself, but small happiness still leak come out.

"So troublesome. If you misbehave again, I'll send you back to the dustbin."

He try act wicked, but everybody know say na cruise. I no even fear am.

I just dey look am, my mind dey calculate. This one go soft if you press am well.

This boy wicked o! For Naija, we dey talk say, "Body dey pepper am." But I know say e go still smile.

I quick reach for Morayo to carry me. She shock, but her heart dey sweet. Her hand dey tremble small.

But Chijioke hug me tight, waka go. E dey claim owner. For him mind, nobody go snatch me.

"She dey sleep. Next time, you fit carry her."

E try play peacemaker, but I sabi say e just wan hold me.

Morayo eye dey red, she tap her foot for ground like person wey dey vex for market. "...She clearly want me. Give her to me."

Her voice dey break, but e show say she want small affection.

"You too clumsy. If you drop her nko?"

This one na pure exaggeration, but e dey ginger fight small.

"Chijioke!"

She shout, but e sound like pikin wey dey drag biscuit.

......

Na so family wahala dey start. But for my mind, I dey plan how I go protect them from book people.

As I dey hear the siblings argue, my eyes dey close, I squeeze my tiny fists. Sleep dey catch me, but my heart dey warm. These two, dem no wicked reach as book talk.

For this life, if you look beyond wahala, you go see say people just dey find who go love dem. I no go let the main characters mess them up. I swear for my mind, I go block any bad belle wey wan enter this family.