Chapter 7: Moi-Moi in the Rain

After that day, not only the study prefect, but all the boys for class just avoid me more. As if say I carry one kain sickness. If I waka enter, dem go shift chair. Girls go hush if I near them. The girls too no even want talk to me.

If I talk, dem go reply me short short. Everybody dey form busy. Everybody like people wey dey cheerful. But me, my own body just dey dull. I dey waka like person wey dem pour water. No energy, no smile. People dey dodge me.

Like steamed moi-moi wey dem put for pot before e rise—my body just dey heavy. Sometimes, I dey imagine myself as that moi-moi inside leaf, dey sweat, dey wait for somebody to chop am. No fine, no sweet, just dey corner dey waste.

I dey reason say maybe na my fate be this. I go just dey my lane. Still, I no try lose weight again. No energy remain for diet. I no dey see reason. Food sef no sweet again.

The only time I try na because my crush for Tunde strong pass my love for food. That one pass now. My heart no dey beat for am again. But now, I no like am again. I try forget. If I remember, I go just shake head and face my book.

After I hold tears all day, I think say maybe Mr. Biggs egg tart go help me feel better. As I buy the tart, I hope say the sweet go make my mind calm. But as I chop, nothing change. The more I chew, the more my chest dey pain me. The sugar no reach where e suppose reach.

Some kind shame, food no fit wash am comot. I learn say some things, only time fit heal. I dey just dey count days.

Friday, for PE, homeroom teacher rare allow us relax. Everybody dey happy. We dey play football, run small. For once, nobody dey shout at me.

But as we dey play, rain start fall heavy. Harmattan no gree wait, rain just begin drop like say God dey vex. Thunder loud, people dey scream.

Everybody rush go entrance to hide from rain. You go think say na relay race as people dey dash entrance. I still dey field, dey try waka reach shade.

I never even leave field when my knee fail, I fall hard. My leg twist, my knee scream. Na so I fall land ground, my uniform collect red sand, rain dey pour for my face. Sand dey stick to my skin, cold dey bite me, uniform muddy everywhere.

As the bone snap back, pain just mad. Tears rush my eye. My voice no gree come out. I lie for side for rubber track, pain no let me stand. I dey try roll, but pain dey bite me. Rain dey beat me like say I offend am.

Until two legs stop for my side. Shoes fine, white and blue. I just dey hope say na person wey go help me. I just hold one trouser leg by reflex. My hand dey tremble. Rain dey soak my body. As I open mouth to talk, rain enter my mouth, I choke. I cough. Water wan drown me.

"I no fit stand... Abeg, help me." My voice break, pain full my words. I dey look up, hope dey my face.

The person pause. For two seconds, nothing happen. My hope dey hang. Few seconds later, he pull leg from my hand. He shake me off like say I be dirty rag.

"No." The voice cold. E shock me. Na Tunde. The pain double. Na Tunde voice. My heart break again. Even rain pause for my ear.

Zainab wey dey beside am just laugh. Her laugh loud. She cover mouth, but people still hear. "See her! Na why I dey tell am, make she no dey do like say she fit run. I talk am, make you no lose weight. Now see, you no even fit run, you fall."

Her words sharp, people dey giggle. Shame wan swallow me.

Tunde hold umbrella, use am cover Zainab for him chest. The umbrella big, two of dem dry, me I dey under rain dey shiver. Only their shoe tips small wet. Their uniform still neat, shoe just dey shine. Me, I be like person wey dem soak inside gutter. E make me, wey rain don soak finish, just look more wretched.

I fit feel eyes for me. Some dey snap with phone. I wan vanish.

Tunde face just blank, no emotion at all. No smile, no frown. Just dey look like say I no exist. He waka pass me, no even look down. His shoe no touch me, but I feel am for my chest. Him cold voice just lost inside the rain.

I dey hear am faint. Rain dey drown the words. "I no fit help you."

E pain me reach bone. I wan shout but my throat tight. Even though rain dey enter my mouth, my throat still dry like say I wan cough. I dey swallow saliva, but nothing dey go down. So dry, I no fit shout for help again. I try open mouth but na small whisper dey come out.

I just dey try stand by myself. My hand dey shake. I dey roll for ground. My skirt dirty, sand and mud everywhere.

I hear people for entrance dey talk. Dem dey point, dey gossip. "She no dey pretend o. She really no fit stand. Make we help am?" One girl dey pity me, but nobody gree move. "If you wan play hero, go."

Dem dey fear make dem no join my shame. "Who talk say I like fat girls?" That one loud. People laugh. Tears wan drop from my eye.

After about seven, eight minutes, I finally manage sit up. My leg still dey pain me, but I use hand push myself up. Skirt tear small, I no care. But I still no fit stand. Pain dey hold me down. But I stubborn. I just dey think of home.

I just sit for rain, dey endure. My teeth dey chatter. My hand dey shake. I dey count seconds. I try distract myself with thoughts of Grandma's yam porridge for house. I dey imagine say e dey hot, pepper plenty. That na the only way I fit hold myself. If not, pain and people eyes for kill me. If not for that small hope, I for don cry die.

Last last, na me use hand support myself stand up. As I drag body, nobody help. People just dey watch. I dey fight tears. People still dey talk for entrance. Some dey laugh, some dey whisper. Nobody gree help.

I no even get mind look back. I just keep eye front. Na so I waka like soldier reach security post. I waka go security office, borrow phone, call say I sick make I go hospital. Voice low, but dem believe me. I limp enter keke, tears for my eye.

Blow after blow. For my mind, e be like say God just dey use hammer arrange my life.

When Grandma hear say I dislocate knee, she swear say na because I too fat, my knee no fit carry me. She vex well. She say I no go chop swallow again. Na so so green tea and oat she dey give me. She lock bread inside cupboard.

She start dey control my food, say she go help me lose weight once and for all. She dey measure rice with cup. If I ask for extra, she go hiss. "If you touch that bread, I go use cane chase you!"