Chapter 6: Showdown and Hot Tears

That time, Halima look navigation and frown, “Traffic jam for rainy day dey tire person, especially when we go detour pick person. I just dey wish to remove these my heels.”

She just dey announce like say na her car. Kunle reply her, “Then remove am. Your flats no dey back seat?”

Halima nod and point behind her. “Aunty Morayo, abeg help me hand my flats behind this seat.”

As I look where she point, I see one white flat shoe.

My face just change. “Where the black flats wey I put here before?”

“Oh, so na your shoes, aunty?” Halima look surprised. “I dey wonder when I get extra big, old school shoes. Sorry o, Aunty Morayo, I mistakenly throw those ones away too. No vex, make Brother Kunle buy you new one just like that.”

She dey play with fire. Good. Very good.

I been wan hold myself till I reach house before I talk to Kunle.

But I no expect say person fit get mind like this. This one pass ordinary friendship.

If I still swallow this one, make I answer her surname. I dey feel like native doctor dey test my patience.

“Na to change shoe abi?” I grab two tissue, bend down, pick those shoes like say na dirty thing. I do am with style so she go feel am. The slap sound as the shoe land for her lap, make everybody for car freeze.

Then I fling am give Halima.

“Take! Change! Change am!”

“Ah—” Halima scream. Her voice high like cat wey jam electric fence.

As she dodge, the pointed part scratch her face.

Halima quickly hold her chin, panic catch am. The tears dey well for her eyes like person wey just chop pepper.

“Halima!” As Kunle see am, he stop car sharp, rush face her side. “You wound? Make I see.” His hand dey shake small.

Halima, with tears for her eye, remove hand. “Brother Kunle, my face don spoil? Wuwuwu, e dey pain me.” She dey cry like say dem thief her phone.

As Kunle see scratch for her chin, he face me, vex: “Morayo, wetin dey worry you? Halima just talk make you help her hand shoe—you dey craze?”

I no even talk, I just carry everything I fit reach, begin throw am for Kunle: “Hand shoe? I never even hand my mama shoe before. Who she be wey I go dey hand shoe for am?”

I really give una show, make una do drama for my car!

This car, na my money buy am for Kunle. Nobody help me hustle that money.

Last month, Kunle start new work. As intern, na 9-9-6 work style. I dey pity am, because he dey go work before cock crow, come back when mosquito dey sing.

I pity am, so I buy him new car.

All these new cars get city drive and camping mode.

I think say e go help his commute, and give am space to rest for lunch.

But I no know say he go use am dey drive another person up and down, and that person go dey use style oppress me for my own car.

As I no gree back down, Kunle raise hand shield Halima, voice high: “Enough! Me and Halima just dey go work together, nothing dey. Na me, about twenty days ago, see her for road—just poor small girl—so I tell am to follow me. She no beg me!”

As I hear that, I stop, slowly pick my bag from the seat. “Just dey go work together? Then make her come down now. She dey disturb my eye.”

“Rain dey fall outside—you wan drive small girl commot for car?” Kunle talk, try form calm. “From tomorrow, I promise, she no go follow me again.”

“Rain dey fall, so what?” I laugh small, raise eyebrow. “Na my car. I no need special day to drive outsider commot from my car.”

As Kunle dey protect am, Halima suddenly vex. “Aunty, abeg, if na age dey worry you, no use am pour for me. I no be your mate.”

Her mouth too sharp, e no get home training. Na so person go dey collect wotowoto for Lagos road.

See as she don turn victim.

She even dey insult my age. E pain me for bone.

True, I senior Kunle by five years. We meet online, then later for real. That time, age no matter, na love carry us go.

But when I first meet Kunle, I be their age too. I work hard, hustle my own, buy things for myself. Nobody dey do me like house girl.

“Yes, I dey twenty-nine this year. Some people sef no go reach twenty-nine.” I talk am with pride, no shame for my mouth. Age no be curse.

“You—”

I cut her again: “Even if she reach that age, with her level, na keke she go dey squeeze for rain. How she wan enter car wey another person buy, come dey form madam?”

Halima begin cry. E be like say her tears na password to Kunle heart.

As Kunle see her dey cry, his eyes red, he glare me. “You make her cry. You happy now?”

“Why I go happy?” I open my bag, bring out my phone, open calculator. “This small girl like throw away things, abi? All the cushions for car—four, all custom silk, ten thousand each, na forty thousand. The black flats for back seat, the ones she call old and big, na birthday gift from my papa—twenty-eight thousand per pair, no forget. And—”

“Enough.” Kunle cut me short, voice cold. “Morayo, I no expect say you fit do like this. Halima get boyfriend, and the guy no even mind me dey drive her go work, so why you dey vex? Men and women no fit be friends again? If you no like am, we go keep distance. But you come dey throw things, dey disgrace person for road, even dey use money insult people…”

Before he finish, I just slap am one hot one. My hand shock am, small mark show for face. Traffic even slow as one keke man look inside, wan watch drama.

“Who tell you say I get future with you?”

“Kunle, I dey tell you now: we don finish. Carry your small madam commot!”

Kunle head turn, but he just calm.

He say, “I know say na anger dey worry you. You no go hear anything now.”

With that, Kunle open umbrella, come down from car, walk go Halima side, look me: “Calm down for car. When you ready, come meet me. Halima dey her period, she no fit touch rain. I go carry her go house first.”

For my mind, I dey laugh—so, na so e easy to choose person? Rain go still wash away all these their fake drama. I just sit down inside car, dey count wiper dey clean windscreen, dey wonder how life fit change for one rainy afternoon.

As the rain beat the roof, I dey ask myself—na so person dey lose love for Lagos?