Chapter 4: Chess Move No Be Ludo

Bullet comments dey rush:

[Morayo get brain, sha.]

[No forget, she be Abuja big girl. For house, na private lesson everywhere. Our Meibao na only herself she get.]

[Morayo get family, our Meibao get system. To swap her physics competition result, e balance.]

If I wan follow their logic, na to throw away my family join. As if say person choose where dem born am.

From that day, Halima dey even worry about my study pass the teachers.

E funny. She dey act like say she be my manager. Sometimes she go bring pen, sometimes small snack. She go dey ask me questions wey even my mummy no dey ask.

Every week she go ask, “Morayo, you sure? If you get that competition slot, na real genius you be.”

She dey test my confidence, dey see if I go slack. I dey give her small smile, dey hide my real feelings. For this life, you no suppose show weakness for opponent front.

“Morayo, just dey focus. I go dey bring food for you.”

She go dey smile like angel, dey drop lunch for my table.

Na that day I begin suspect say something dey. But I just thank am, dey chop my own food. She dey watch my reaction, dey check if her plan dey work.

Everyday, she dey push me to study hard.

If na person wey no get mind, e go think say na friendship. But for Naija, you gats wise up—no let person use you shine.

If no be those bullet comments, I for no even suspect Halima.

Na their wahala dey open my eye small.

“How Morayo go chop this kind food?”

Tunde push the lunch for my table go Halima side, bring out one fine hot food flask from him bag.

Tunde be like school celebrity—tall, fair, always dey smile like MTN advert. All the girls dey trip for am, even teachers dey hail am for assembly.

“Morayo, abeg chop my food—no be every day person dey get this kind chef for free, na love I use cook am!”

I nearly laugh as e say 'love lunch.' For Naija school, if boy cook for you, na big thing. Some girls go faint.

Tunde.

The male lead for bullet comments.

Tunde wey girls dey chase, but na only Halima dey reason am for serious level. I sabi say e get one kind silent beef wey dey run between them.

Na the same guy wey Halima dey crush for.

He dey sit for my front, hope dey shine for him face. “Morayo, try am. If you no like, I go learn another food.”

Tunde dey show confidence, like say na him be master chef for Africa Magic kitchen. All the small small girls for class dey look, dey giggle.

Halima stand beside me, body stiff like stick.

I notice her fist dey squeeze her lunch box. Her face dey set—na real Naija babe wey no wan lose.

She pick her lunch box, face shame, dey grind teeth. “Tunde, abeg free Morayo. She dey prepare for exam. Your grades dey bottom—you go just slow her down.”

You suppose see the way Tunde face fall. But Halima still dey hold her ground, voice steady. She dey fight for space, even if e no easy.

Halima stand well, look Tunde for face. “Morayo no dey date anybody now.”

Her voice loud, no fear.

Her voice scatter everybody brain. Boys for back begin whistle. Some girls dey side-eye Halima, dey size her up.

People begin gather. “Halima, na Morayo and Tunde matter be this. Dem be padi since small.”

Some people even dey take odds for back. Na so gossip dey grow for Naija school—once gist start, e no dey finish.

“If dem wan date, e no concern you. Abi you wan drag Morayo with Tunde because you be seatmate?”

Everybody just burst laugh.

Even cleaners wey dey sweep corridor stop to listen. Na so drama dey sweet for afternoon.

Halima face don red. “So what if dem be padi since? Morayo, even if you get options, abeg face your book. Guys full everywhere. Good grade mean more choice.”

Her words strong, like advice wey mummy dey give daughter. I just smile, dey hide my surprise.

[Ah, see female lead wey get sense!]

[She sharp—one stone, three birds.]

[She make Morayo focus read, later swap her result, and even make male lead dislike her, so e go easy to swap love.]

[She dey build her strong woman level. Once she win gold for competition, na real big girl.]

These bullet comments sha, dem sabi arrange strategy pass politicians.

I never understand before why Halima always dey drag Tunde.

But now, e clear. All her wahala dey make sense—na chess she dey play.

When dem dey clean, she go call am lazy.

She go dey find Tunde trouble for anything—one time, na just because he no sweep well, she go dey talk say he no get sense.

She go dey yarn say na only money Tunde get.

She no dey hide am—every chance, she dey talk say Tunde dey use money buy attention.

Now I see am—she dey try make am dislike her, so e go easy swap love later.

I for no notice if no be all the drama wey dey unfold. Na real Naija plot twist.

“Halima talk true.”

I carry the lunch wey dey my front, throw Tunde own for dustbin. “We go be independent women. Na ourself sure pass.”

My voice firm—make nobody think say na only guy matter dey my head. Even Halima eye flash with surprise.

Tunde dey look him lunch for bin, face strong. E vex but no fit shout. The 1.8m guy stand. “Morayo, you just rubbish my feelings like this?”

Na so boys dey take heartbreak personal. I just dey watch as e struggle to form hard guy.

“My grades bad, so I no reach your level? If you no like me, I go tell your parents make dem cancel the childhood engagement!”

I shock small—childhood engagement? E reach that level? Na Naija, na any family fit arrange that kind thing.

Tunde waka comot, face red.

Everybody for class dey look, dey whisper. Some dey pity am; some dey laugh.

Halima panic small, but she arrange herself sharp. She rush explain, “Morayo, no be so I mean. I no wan scatter you and Tunde.”

She dey sweat small, but she still dey form strong.

“You… you no suppose throw away the food wey he make for you.”

She talk am soft, like say she dey beg. For Naija, food no dey waste, but me, I gats make statement.

“I know you no mean am, but e really dey distract me now. I gats focus. Nothing pass to win.”

I dive back into practice, dey wait for the main show when competition results drop.

My mind no dey rest, but my face dey calm. Inside, I dey wait for the next wahala.