Chapter 1: The Night Everything Scatter

The night of the graduation party, I carry the drunken campus belle go the school hard guy’s room.

As I struggle under her weight, sweat pepper my forehead. All those wey sabi for campus dey watch like vultures. To waka with person wey dey stagger no easy, especially when wahala dey follow her like mosquito for harmattan.

But my childhood friend mistook me for the campus belle.

I swear, as e take happen that night, confusion just full everywhere. Musa Sinian eyes red like person wey chop pepper, him dey look me anyhow. Even the school hard guy, Yao Ade, just dey shake head for corner, as if say na film dem dey watch.

Na so everywhere scatter that night.

True true, party wey suppose sweet turn asunder. Na so shout and quarrel begin, people dey point finger, even boys wey get sense begin form judge and jury. E be like say devil pass round small ogogoro inside everybody drink.

Everybody talk say na me spoil the thing between the school hard guy and the campus belle.

For campus, before sun rise, gist don full group chat. "Na Kamsi scatter am! She dey jealous, she carry Halima go wrong room!" I swear, even keke drivers dey gossip my name. Shame and guilt hold me like person wey fall for gutter during morning assembly—e just chop my mind raw.

So after we marry, no matter how I try, I no fit warm my childhood friend’s heart.

Marriage for Naija no easy, but e hard when person dey look you like say you thief am joy. Musa Sinian go dey house, but him heart dey for road. Even as I dey cook him best soup, ofe nsala, he go just dey push meat around, face far. For night, na silence dey sleep between us.

Until one day, I mistakenly hear am dey talk for phone for street.

The sun hot that day, I dey rush buy maggi for Mama Tega shop when I hear Musa voice dey scatter for street corner, sharp like who dey quarrel but still dey beg.

"As long as Kamsi fit happy, I ready to spend my whole life dey hold Halima."

Those words prick my heart like broom stick. I pause, my hand still dey inside nylon, maggi cubes press my palm. I try make sense of wetin I dey hear. E no clear. Na so I hide small behind cement pole, my heart dey beat like talking drum.

"Which kind wahala be this? Who wan marry bookworm?"

As he talk am, one aboki for junction just hiss, shake head. I almost burst laugh because the whole area just dey watch drama. "Na bookworm you marry, she go use book kill you!" another voice for street add join. But the words pain me, enter bone.

"She dey find pikin? I go give her one."

My ear ring as I hear that one. Na like cold water for my body. I squeeze the maggi so tay, one burst open. All the small small children dey run pass, dey shout. But my mind dey far. Wetin Musa dey talk for street dey scatter my chest.

Na so one kpa kpa car horn interrupt am.

The horn loud, like trailer brake for Oshodi. Everybody scatter for road, as one small red Toyota jam brake, the tire cry for ground. For Naija, if you no hear car horn, you never dey for main road.

My childhood friend sharply turn see me for the corner.

Our eyes jam. Him face pale, mouth open. For that second, all the vex wey dey him face turn to fear, like small boy wey teacher catch dey chop gala for class.

Sharp sharp, fear show for him face. He rush come my side, wan push me commot for road.

He no even reason, just waka rush me like say he be goalkeeper. "Kamsi, no stand for road like mumu!" he shout, push me. Him hand strong, but e dey shake small. I smell sweat and stress for him body.

Before you know am, car jam both of us, throw us fly for air.

I remember the force—na like NEPA wire shock me. My slippers fly commot leg, my nylon with maggi hang for air. People shout, some even dey record with phone. Next thing, everywhere blank.

When I open my eyes again, I land back for the night of graduation party.

I no even get time to adjust, na loud music and laughter fill my ear. My head still dey turn. Na the same blue and yellow party light, the same smell of fried chicken and perfume mix with sweat.

This time, I swear, I go help am get the campus belle wey him dey find.

I just hold ground. For my mind, I swear for my ancestors—this time, I go make sure Musa Sinian get the woman wey he dey chase. No wahala go make me dey beg love again.

As darkness swallow me, I swear for my spirit—if I get another chance, I no go beg for love again.