Chapter 6: Compound Love

When we reach Chinelo house, the place small pass as I imagine.

Na two room face me I face you, compound full with children dey play ball. Fence no high, neighbours dey laugh dey gist. The house get old paint, but breeze dey enter the parlour well.

The parlour dey scattered small, children picture book and toys full the sofa.

One plastic chair bend for corner, TV dey shout Jenifa’s Diary for background. The egusi soup dey bubble for pot, pepper scent dey make my nose run, crayfish dey shout from the corner. I feel relaxed, like say I dey visit grandma for village.

Oh, I remember—Chinelo talk say she get small sister, never reach three years.

I hear small pikin voice dey sing, "Twinkle twinkle." Na so my heart melt.

"Nelo, you still dey vex for mama?" Chinelo’s mama bring out shoebox, drop am for table. "The shoes wey you like, I manage gather money buy am for you. Check whether na the right one."

Her voice dey soft, she dey expect make I jump for joy. Her eyes dey shine like mama wey just buy Christmas cloth.

I open the box, see one fake Loro Piana shoe inside.

E get as e be, but I appreciate the effort. Shoe still dey neat, the design na correct copy. I remember the original wey dey my old house, but this one get different meaning.

From one look, I sabi say na fake, because last week, my mama buy me the original, force me wear am go school every first Monday.

That original shoe na wahala on its own—e dey bite leg, but my mama say na fashion.

Even though I no like those shoes, I just dey obey her. That time, Chinelo see my shoe, check price online, come dey vex all day.

She dey bone face that day, but today, her own mama dey try give her joy.

"Nelo, na wrong shoe I buy?"

Her soft, careful voice bring me back. As I look her hopeful eyes, my heart just dey warm. "No, na just say my classmate get the same one. I fit choose another?"

I no want lie, but I no fit break her heart. I smile small, try balance the matter.

"Of course. Take my phone. After you choose, just put am for shopping cart. I wan go next door pick your sister."

She give me her phone, waka comot.

She trust me with phone. For my old house, phone na only for lesson or assignment. I dey feel important.

So, she dey always leave her small daughter with neighbour just to pick the elder one.

She fit dey do am because she no want make her pikin waka alone, or maybe she just wan see her smile after school. Either way, e sweet my mind.

But seventeen, eighteen years old girl fit take bus by herself since. She no really need to come every day.

I reason am—maybe na Lagos wahala or concern. Or she just dey try be good mama. Many mamas for street no dey do reach like that.

Na just to save one hundred naira bus money?

E fit be say she dey count every kobo, but love still dey front.

I look her phone—old model, screen don crack two places. Both wallpaper and lock screen na Chinelo and her sister photo. E show say Chinelo’s mama dey manage, but she really love her two daughters.

The smile for the picture dey real, no be photo studio pose. I just dey look, dey wonder how love fit dey strong like that even with small money.

Na so. This kind good mama go be my own from today.

I dey thank God say, maybe, now, I go sabi wetin e mean to get mama wey no dey count only money.