Chapter 2: System Palava and Lost Hope

Timi don run comot from house again.

Omo, e don turn sport for am. Even my neighbor Mama Sade don dey ask me if na hide-and-seek be our family business. "Aunty Ifeoma, no be so person dey train pikin o!" she go talk, shake head.

This one na the third time for this month.

My phone sef don dey tired of me dey call police upandan. Every time I dey write report, dem just dey look me with pity eyes.

I find am since afternoon, no see am. At the end, as I no get any clue, I call out the system—wey suppose dey on break—

For my mind, I dey reason say system fit vex. Even conductor for danfo no like last minute passenger, na so e be.

Anybody wey dem force do overtime last minute go vex, na so e be.

True talk. Ask mechanic for Ladipo market, e go tell you. You go see dem dey curse for under motor, dey talk say, "Abeg, make una no come disturb me for night."

The system no different.

As e show, the system voice loud for my phone, like when MTN dey send promo message. E start to dey talk anyhow.

Omo, e open mouth waaa, begin drop shade like Lagos traffic officer. E be like say e don tire for my matter.

“Seriously, Ifeoma, you be the worst host wey I ever get.”

If system fit roll eye, e for roll tire. Even the voice get one kind hiss, as if I be wahala. For my mind, I dey beg make e no vex too much.

“How long e don reach? Timi wahala value still dey over the limit…”

Omo, even system sef dey keep scorecard for person headache. My own be say, how wahala take dey reach value? E be like NEPA bill?

“Tell me, how you take manage make am vex for you reach this level?”

I just bow my head, keep quiet.

Shame catch me. I no fit even look system for face. My people for home dey talk say, "When old man dey ask question, pikin go bow head."

The system talk true.

E pain me to admit, but e true. I don dey feel like mumu since.

I really no sabi anything.

Sometimes, you go dey think say you sabi life, but life go just show you pepper. I remember how I think say my own go better pass caretaker for the original story, but e be like say na the same soup.

Three years don pass.

Time dey fly o. I dey remember the day wey I first reach this house—na harmattan, cold dey cut person, but I still believe say love and patience fit heal everything. Na so I dey write prayer points up and down.

The word wey Timi dey tell me pass any other one na ‘hate.’

E dey pain me. For person wey never even get pikin before, to dey hear hate every time dey break body.

He hate to see me.

E dey act like say if my shadow near am, e go melt.

He hate to talk to me.

If I greet am good morning, na hiss I dey get.

He hate when I near am.

E go look me with that side eye wey Lagos big girl dey use for area boy.

Hate, hate…

Sometimes, the word go just dey ring for my head like mosque bell early morning. E go reach point, I go dey hear am even for sleep.

Maybe as the system see as I just dey dull, e calm down small.

E still get small human feeling, abi na AI feeling. E voice come soft small.

E send address enter my phone, come dey talk soft.

My phone vibrate, I see location for map. System no too dey gentle, but e try that day.

“Hey.”

E pause, voice no too hard again. For my mind, I dey thank God.

“He dey here.”

E sure me small. At least e no talk say e disappear enter thin air.

“No worry too much. You no go lose am.”

That one calm me down small. For Naija, if person talk say you no go lose pikin, na hope be that.

“Make I check him emotion value—”

System dey do like say e get thermometer for person mind. If na real life, I for ask am make e help me check my own join.

The system pause.

E shock small. I hear digital gasp for background.

After small time, e just ask, “Wetin dey happen?”

My own heart begin pound. Hope say nothing spoil?

“Why Timi heartbeat con dey rush, wahala value dey drop fast?”

E shock me. E be like say na jazz dem use.

“No be sign say something touch am so?”