Chapter 5: Shame, Guilt, and the Palm Lounge Gig

I siddon dey replay everything wey just happen, my brain dey process like JAMB CBT center. Na the longest talk we don ever get for three years. E shock me because na she start the gist—normally, na me dey try greet her, but today, e be like say she get my time.

My mind begin dey wonder—she fit dey like me small? Maybe na sign? Hope dey try raise head inside me like small plant for dry season.

I shake my head. No be so e dey happen. She just dey friendly, I tell myself. I dey overthink small talk because na Halima. She dey treat everybody nice, abi?

Aisha, wey don high like say dem use bitters take bath her, waka come drag me. “Farouk, come jollificate with us!” She shout, dey laugh. She pull me go Ifeanyi table—na only two of them remain for there, dey do who go drink pass. I just weak.

I join, the three of us begin drink, play game. Shot for shot, laugh for laugh. Before long, the alcohol begin enter my head. My eye dey heavy, body dey float. The room begin spin small small.

My phone vibrate—na my mama dey call. For my house, if you miss mama call, na story for another day. The party noise too much, so I waka go private room, squeeze ear to phone.

She just warn me, “No drink too much o! Come house early. If you fall my hand, you go explain taya! No let me hear say you dey disgrace our family for outside.”

I laugh, tell her say no wahala. As I hang up, I stretch—

Na so my hand just brush person face. I shock, quickly use phone light. Na Halima I see, the light shine for her face, she look like fine painting. Her eyes closed, eyelashes long, skin brown, her lips red like zobo. She just dey breathe small small, like person wey dey dream. I dey look her, my heart dey jump. The whole world quiet.

The more I look, the more my mind dey fly. My body no gree stay one place, that ogogoro courage don climb my head again.

“Halima, I like you. I don dey like you since, since.” I whisper, my heart dey pound.

“Halima, abeg, be my babe.”

“If you no talk, I go take am say you gree.”

“Since you be my babe now, make I just kiss you small, e no too much.”

I pause, my mind dey shout make I no do am, but ogogoro don block my sense. Na so I thief kiss am, just small peck for lips. The world quiet. She move small, like say she dey wake up. Fear catch me, I jump back.

She talk something, but that time alarm sound outside—maybe from DJ console. I no hear anything again. My mind scatter. I just run, call Aisha and Ifeanyi—make dem help carry Halima come out. My hand dey shake.

DJ dey shout, people dey scatter table, security dey run up and down. Everywhere scatter. People dey shout, dey find where alarm dey come from. Waiter rush enter, dey beg, explain say person press emergency button by mistake. People come calm down, but the party mood don scatter. The enjoyment don spoil.

After the confusion, everybody just dey pack go house. The party don die. Ifeanyi help Aisha carry Halima enter keke. I follow Aisha waka reach her gate before I branch go my own house. My head still dey turn, the event dey play for my mind like Nollywood part one and two.