Chapter 4: Separation Signed

Akinlolu send Ngozi out. She look unwilling, but respect for senior wife no gree her stay. Door close, silence land.

Akinlolu and I face each other. He break silence first.

Eyes dey scan my face, searching for small softness. He no see am.

"How long you don plan this your resignation?"

He dey test water, voice sharp like blade.

"Half a year."

I talk am, eye steady, no weakness.

"So you don ready for divorce since half a year, no be so?"

He wan hear confession, as if e go change something.

I no answer.

No need waste words. Matter don pass explanation.

He laugh coldly. "Funmi, which right you get to ask for divorce?"

Laugh short, dry. E dey pain am, but e no wan show.

I look am. "Is there any sense in talking about this now?"

Tone flat. For Yoruba culture, when woman talk like that, na final be that.

"True, no sense."

He surrender small, but pride no gree beg.

He bring out divorce agreement from drawer. "Set any terms you want. But one thing: I no wan make anybody talk say Ngozi be husband snatcher. Our divorce must remain secret. In fact, I no even want anybody to know say we marry before."

Hand shake small. Even paper look tired. Secret, secret—na so we live am, na so e go end.

I glance through agreement, nod. "No wahala."

No time for story. I dey think of tomorrow already.

I pick pen, add another zero to property share.

Number long, but I no blink. After all the years, small reward dey needed.

Akinlolu look at me, mocking. "Funmi, na only money dey your mind?"

E dey try pain me, but I just smile. Money na protection for Lagos woman.

I curl lips. "After all these years, na you sabi me pass."

Voice cold, but small fire dey inside. Sometimes, na only money go follow you cross bridge.