Chapter 5: Drawing Lines and Breaking Hearts

After that day, Tunde begin chase me harder—always bring bag, money, dey find talk up and down.

Sometimes e go buy suya for me, other times, e go bring coconut sweet. For corridor, e go shout 'Mimi, wait for me.' E no tire. I just dey look am.

If na my mama he dey chase, maybe e for work.

That one sabi all the tricks for this life. Me, I dey use style dey dodge. Sometimes, I go just dey pretend say I no dey hear am.

But my mama don see all those moves before; me, I don tire.

If you see wetin my mama don pass, you go know say Tunde na small pikin. I don see playboy wey dey kneel down for my gate before. This one na baby.

I look Tunde with eye wey no send, brush am off: "Your result too bad."

Na so I just talk am. Boys no dey like make you hit them where e pain.

Tunde look like say I wound am: "Mimi, no be everybody sabi book like you."

He talk am, voice soft. E pain am, but e no go show am for public.

"But you sabi draw."

I dey try cheer am, but my tone still dey dry.

His face change, the lazy look disappear as he sit up: "You really think say I get talent? Teacher talk say I just dey draw rubbish."

He dey wait for small encouragement. You know that thing wey boys dey do—act tough but want make you praise dem.

"Hmm."

I just hum, no too talk. I dey test am.

"No be laziness?" he ask.

He wan know whether na him really no get talent or na people just dey beef am.

Then he begin complain, say family no gree make him draw, wan send am abroad.

He dey form sad, say him papa wan make am study engineering. For Naija, art dey always get wahala for family meeting.

I cut am: "Okay, I dey go house."

No time for long talk. If you show too much weakness, person fit use am against you.

If he really be playboy, he suppose know say you no go show weakness for woman wey never like you. She go use am against you.

For this street, if you too soft, dem go chop your eye. Tunde still dey learn work.

"Mimi, you wan make I teach you how to draw?"

Tunde eyes na him best asset—deep, soft, like water after rain.

Any time I look am, I dey see small small hope. The kind eyes wey fit make girl forget home training.

I like fine things. I look am, smile: "Your eyes fine. Teach me how to draw your eyes."

I dey use am catch cruise. Tunde dey blush like JSS2 girl. Boys sef dey get soft spot.

His ear turn red, hand wey dey hold brush dey shake.

He dey try compose, but e no fit hide am. E shock am small say I even notice.

No matter how sharp he be, he still be eighteen—sometimes, real innocence go show.

At that age, even the hardest guy fit do mumu for babe wey he like.

I look his ear, laugh small.

He no know say na me dey use am catch cruise. I just dey enjoy the moment. In Naija, person wey sabi play game fit turn table.

Na this same guy say I go dey ground dey lick shoe?

Funny world. Dem go dey plan behind you, but for front, na another story.

No be anything—

If I vex, I fit finish person with just eye. But for Tunde, I dey just relax.

I compare his drawing with my own ugly one, sigh: "I no get talent for art."

My own be like map of Nigeria. I just dey laugh.

Tunde laugh: "Mimi, you too cute."

He dey try dodge the fact say my own work no fine at all. But I no mind. In Naija, small compliment dey cure big insult.

I drop the brush: "The painting dirty. I no like dirty things. Same for men."

I talk am, my eye sharp. Make e know say I no dey for dirty guy matter.

Tunde face change. He look my eyes.

He dey try decode wetin I mean. Boys sabi overthink when you talk like this.

I look the new painting he draw.

The eyes for the painting na my own.

He no fit look me direct, but for paper, he fit paint my soul. Na only for art some people dey fit talk truth.

Those eyes calm, no love, nothing.

No single emotion. I dey inside painting like stone. He no fit break my wall.

He force smile, rush comot.

I watch as he waka fast. For corridor, e no even look back. Na shame dey push am.

I feel wicked eye dey look me.

From corner, I see Amara, she dey burn me with eye. That kind look wey fit make water boil.

Amara dey eye the brush for ground.

She want make wahala start again. She dey wait for opportunity.

Tunde value him brush, but today he forget one.

For Tunde to forget brush, e mean say e pain am reach bone. Artists no dey forget their tool.

I pick am, throw inside dustbin.

I just fling am like say e be pure water wrapper. For this life, sometimes you gats throway old things to see new story.

Maybe another person go show next.

I dey wait for next challenger. My own be say make life no dull.

Hope say that one go get better gist.

For my mind, I dey arrange scorecard. If you dey boring, next!