Chapter 1: Bush Confession

Since I land inside this Naija BL novel as the cannon fodder female supporting character, na so I dey hustle hard with my cutlass training—whether rain dey fall or harmattan dey blow dust, I no dey slack.

True true, for this kind life, if person no sabi defend herself, na gist dem go use laugh for beer parlour you go turn. The way I dey swing my cutlass, even old Mama Ebele wey dey sell okpa for junction dey hail me, say, "See as you dey handle am, ehn! Na real Igbo pikin!" Sweat dey always run my face, palm don strong sotay if I shake person, dem go shout, "Ah-ah! This one na real farmer hand." I dey chop yam and beans, pack better energy for my body, so say my arm fit strong, my back straight. Rain or sun, I dey show for practice ground.

After years of grinding, my skills climb up—I become the second-best fighter for our group.

My people begin dey look me with respect, even the young ones dey whisper, "Na she dey beat everybody o." I dey proud but still dey humble, because Naija compound life no get time for person wey dey form. If you no dey respect, dem go carry your matter reach elders meeting. So, I dey greet everybody, dey help carry water, dey join for night gist after training.

Of course, the best na my eldest senior brother, Ebube—the main pretty boy for the novel.

Ebube no be ordinary fine boy; na the kind person wey if he waka for village square, even married women dey peep, dey adjust their wrapper. Dem go pretend say dem dey buy pepper, but na Ebube dem dey eye. E get skin wey dey glow like say e dey chop only coconut oil and honey. Our elders dey always use am as example for Sunday evening when dem dey talk about good character and fine pikin. Dem dey say, "If Ebube greet you, na like angel pass."

I no gree for am at all, so I dey challenge am for sparring every time. But every single time, na me dey lose.

Omo, e dey pain me sometimes. After each fight, I go dey vex, dey suck teeth under my breath. But as e be, e go pat my back, tell me, "No worry, you go reach my level." Sometimes, I dey even wake for night, dey practice fight for my dream. One time, I even try copy e footwork for market, end up almost kick Mama Ngozi basket of pepper. Everybody laugh, but I no mind; na so person dey learn.

Senior brother na correct gentleman—calm, upright, always patient. E no just dey guide me for fighting, e dey even care for me well-well.

Na person wey go share last meat inside soup with you, no dey ever shout. E dey always calm, like palmwine wey never sour. If you get wound, na Ebube go bring hot water, mix small ogwu leaf, rub am for you. When person dey cry, na him hand go touch your back gently, say, "Ndo, e go better."

Anytime I train sotay sweat dey pour from my body, na so e go gently wipe my forehead and softly beg me to rest small.

The way e dey wipe sweat, na as if e dey handle glass cup. Sometimes, e go even blow breeze for my face, say, "Small madam, you too stubborn. No let your body break down." That kind softness wey dey rare for this our area. E dey bring me cold zobo sometimes, even add groundnut to make the drink sweet pass.

Senior brother too good abeg. E get small wahala sha.

E get as e dey sometimes. Like say e dey hide one big secret. If person joke with am, e go just blush, dey look ground like say e dey count sand. One day sef, when I try prank am, e almost faint, sweat just dey roll from e brow.

Every time we jam, e go dey blush, and even when e hold my wrist to correct my stance, e hand go dey shake small small.

If I talk true, sometimes I dey fear say e fit get fever, because the way e face dey red, ehn! But if I ask, e go just wave hand, say, "Nothing dey." My friends for training ground dey tease me, say, "Abeg, you sure say this Ebube no get soft mind for you?"

I no really understand am, but I no reason am too much.

For my mind, na just Ebube style be that. I carry the matter like joke, no let am heavy for chest. Na this my stubborn head.

Until one day, e call me go one small bush behind the compound.

That day, I just finish fetch water, dey try wash my hand for backyard when I hear Ebube voice call me from corner. E no dey ever call person for bush unless e serious. Na that kind bush wey old stories dey say ogbanje dey hide, but me I no too send.

The bush dey dark, but my senior brother stand there for white kaftan, hair tie with cowrie clip, whole body just dey shine like full moon during harmattan.

I almost think say na masquerade festival, because the way the moon dey bounce for e white cloth, my body just catch one kind cold. The air dey heavy, crickets dey sing, and I fit smell scent leaf wey breeze dey blow.

When e see me, e lips rise small, e eyes and brow soft with gentle smile.

You know that kind soft smile wey dey melt heart? Na so e smile, as if na me dey bring happiness for am. For that moment, I feel special small.

"You don come."

E voice low, get one kind husky sound wey person fit miss.

My ear pick the tone sharp. E sound like wetin I dey hear for night radio, those love song programs wey make people dey send shout-out.

I nod, waka go meet am without thinking.

As I dey waka, my slippers dey make kpata-kpata for ground. Even the bush dey silent, like say e dey watch us.

"Senior brother, you wan show me new move today?"

I balance well, chest dey rise, eye dey shine. I ready, my body dey ginger. If e get new style, na me go master am first.

For there, e freeze, one kind awkward look cross e face.

Na the first time I ever see Ebube look like say e wan disappear. E head bend small, mouth dey move but no word dey come out.

Whatever e dey think, e make e ear tip red, even e pale knuckles sef dey blush.

E twist hand together, as if e dey fear something. Me sef begin dey worry. Maybe e get bad news? Or dem thief something for compound?

"Mm."

E answer with soft voice.

The way e talk, e no too clear. Na only person wey sabi Ebube fit hear am. My mind still dey hope say na fighting new style we dey talk about.

My eye shine with hope.

My chest dey drum. "Ehen, today go better!" For my mind, na new level I go reach.

After all, I don practice the old fighting forms reach thousand times. I dey eager to learn new one.

No be say I dey boast, but for my mind, if I fit learn one new trick, I fit shock everybody for next sparring. Na so I dey bite lip, dey ready.

As I dey look am, e face come redder.

E be like say e wan turn tomato. Sweat dey shine for e temple, even the cowrie for e hair dey shake like say wind blow am.

Then, as if e gather courage from my stare, e touch e waistband.

My own heart stop. For Naija, if person dey touch waistband for bush, na either e wan fight or e wan talk heavy matter.

Senior brother pinch e belt, gently pull am.

I dey blink, dey wait. Na so e slow slow remove e belt, as if e dey act film. My heart dey beat, I dey reason say maybe e wan show me hidden weapon.

E kaftan loose, slip from e shoulder, reveal skin wey white like fresh garri with small pink.

I shock. Sharp-sharp, I drag e cloth back up.

Omo! Wetin be this? I use one hand cover e chest, the other hand dey hold e kaftan. My eye wide like person wey see mami water.

"Wetin you dey do?"

My voice loud pass normal, even bush bird fly commot.

I look am with surprise.

Na question wey get full confusion inside. E eyes dey dodge my own, as if e know say e don mess up. For Naija, person no just dey open body for bush except na juju or serious wahala dey.

Senior brother gather e cloth, look small like say my action pain am well-well.

E bite lip, e hand dey shake. E just dey hold e cloth tight for chest, dey look ground. E body language dey talk more than e mouth.

But e force e self talk. "No be say your training don dey jam for bottleneck since?"

E voice small, like person wey dey confess. E no fit look my eye. I fit see say the thing dey worry am well.

"And so?" I just confuse.

I scratch head, dey wait for explanation. For my mind, I dey wonder if na new fighting ritual e dey try teach me. I dey suspect say maybe na some old Igbo charm or secret family style.

Wetin concern my progress with am pulling cloth?

I look left and right, dey hope say no elder dey around to catch us. Na wahala if dem see this kind scene for bush.

E feel say if e dash me e body, my power go just blow?

I dey try process the logic, but my brain dey jump. E for just talk make I drink agbo or eat alligator pepper!

Senior brother lower e eye, e dark eyelash flutter.

E dey look like small goat wey miss road. I dey pity am, but I still dey confused.

"So... I think say if we join body, e fit help you."

Na thunder strike me be that.

If dem ever talk of village meeting, na now dem go invite elders. My mind scatter. I even dey look sky, dey fear say rain fit fall.

E look me with serious face, my own face come dey hot like fire.

I dey sweat for everywhere. Even mosquito no fit bite me that moment, body dey too hot.

The word 'join body' just dey shine for my head like NEPA light.

That word na taboo for our compound o! If dem hear, dem fit carry kola nut go beg ancestors.

Na true, as the pretty boy protagonist, e get that special body.

For novel world, this na normal thing, but as Naija pikin, e still dey shock me. I dey remember say for story, Ebube na person wey get one kind aura wey dey make everybody dey craze.

Born with natural tempting body—the ultimate blessing.

Some people dey call am 'charm', say if you touch am, your life go change. But na only big man suppose get this blessing, according to the story gist.

But this one no be for side character like me o!

I dey always reason say my role na background waka pass. This kind offer na for main character, not for my small self.

Na the big man suppose enjoy this benefit!

As the book talk, na big oga dey collect all the sweet things. My own na to sidon dey look.

With that, I just turn, shout, "Abeg no try am!" then run commot like say masquerade dey chase me.

If you see how my slippers dey fly, even rat no fit catch me. I run reach main house before I even reason if na dream I dey. But my mind no rest—wetin Ebube really wan talk? I dey fear say this wahala never finish.