Chapter 5: Halima No Dey Fear Anybody

Next morning, after my meeting, as I reach office, Ifedike bring Halima come.

I just dey look two of them. The way Halima waka dey bounce, e be like person wey no get wahala. Ifedike face dey serious.

"Halima," Ifedike voice low, "apologize to your aunty."

He talk am like person wey don warn pikin for house before bring am come greet neighbour.

Halima waka come with that her sweet smile, voice like sugar. "Sorry, aunty. Na my fault for last night. No vex for me. I still dey young, dey talk anyhow. Abeg, just see am as small pikin talk, ehn, aunty?"

Her eye dey shine, but I see small fear. I just nod, I no gree smile.

Ifedike remind am, "Change the contact name."

He talk am sharp. No room for argument. Halima quick bring out phone, change Ifedike name to 'Uncle Ifedike' for my front.

She even turn phone show me, "See, aunty, I don change am."

"No let this kind thing happen again," Ifedike talk, then add, "Go back to work."

He dey firm, no dey play. Halima turn her face, but she still dey form.

"No," Halima come my side, bend down, hook her arm inside my own. "I still get plenty to yarn with aunty. Girl gist—you no fit join. Go out first."

She dey play, but the shade dey deep. I just dey look Ifedike face. He frown small.

Halima leave my arm, stand well, put hand for my shoulder. "Wetn? You dey fear say I go bully aunty? I bad reach like that?"

She dey yarn as if say na play, but the thing dey pain me.

"Abeg, aunty strong pass me, and she even senior me. How I go fit bully who senior me?"

She talk am, but her eye dey measure me. I no reply.

"Go on, abeg."

Ifedike waka commot, but he eye still dey her body. As if say e dey warn her for mind.

Just then, Ifedike phone ring. As usual, work no dey finish. He just talk one word give me, eye Halima well, then comot.

Na so e dey always happen. Work, work, work.

As door close, Halima waka sit for my front, dey look my office up and down.

She cross leg, open file, like say she wan gossip.

"This your office big o. True career woman."

Na mock she dey mock me? Abi she dey praise me? For this life, some praise dey get snake under.

My mind just dey vex. I hold my pen tight, dey count one to ten for mind—make I no disgrace myself. I talk coldly, "I dey busy. Abeg, comot."

Halima just drop, "I like Uncle Ifedike."

She talk am as if na normal thing. For my office. I no even raise head. "I know. But I dey busy. Abeg, comot."

She shock small, then ask, "I just talk say I like Uncle Ifedike, you no even shake?"

She dey expect fight. I no gree. I just weak, even dey laugh small. "Because you no be the first person wey wan be Ifedike side chick."

I talk am with chest. Na truth. Man like Ifedike, e too dey gentle, e too dey take care. Women dey rush am. But me? I be original owner.

Man like Ifedike, even after marriage, women still full everywhere dey chase am.

E no dey shock me again. If person wan take my man, dem go work hard. E no dey easy.

Of course, men sef dey try chase me.

I be correct woman. I dey hot. So na balance.

Me and Ifedike sabi this one, but since five years wey we marry, our mind always dey together, our direction na the same.

I talk am true. Wetin join us na deeper. We dey move together, like yam and oil. No matter the wahala.

Whether na me or Ifedike, we dey see each other loyalty for this marriage.

Halima never see am before, but I know say she go learn by force.

But Halima different.

Her stubbornness dey another level. She no dey see boundary. Her eye dey red for Ifedike.

She believe am too. "You no think say I be like those other women, abi?"

She dey test me. She wan see if I go shake.

She chuckle, that her young person boldness still dey. "Morayo, I no be like them."

She raise shoulder, smile. As if say na bet she dey make.

"Make we bet. Three months—I go win Uncle Ifedike. I go show you pepper, aunty."

She dey shine teeth. I just dey look am, dey laugh for mind.

"If I lose, I go comot from here, you no go see me again."

Her mouth sharp. As if say na only her dey control her fate.

"But if you lose, you go divorce Ifedike, give am to me."

She raise eyebrow, "You fit try?"

Na so this girl dey craze. I just smile, remind am, "Your real competition no be me, na those other side chicks."

I no give her time. I dey busy. I no get energy for small pikin wahala.

Halima raise chin. "Uncle Ifedike no like them."

She dey talk am like say e sure for her.

"E like you?"

I ask am with calm face. Make she talk truth.

"He just never like me yet." She yarn with full chest, "Na why I want make you give me three months."

She dey reason say love na by gra-gra. E go shock am.

"Do as you like." I lower head, continue my work, no send her again.

I no get her time. My paper dey wait. If she dey serious, she go learn sense one day.

"Just dey watch." She hiss, waka comot.

I just shake head. Small pikin and her wahala.

My anger just rise again. I throw my document for table.

I no fit shout for this girl, but I dey reason Ifedike. How e take allow this kain thing reach here?

Wetin dey worry Ifedike sef?

He no fit settle small matter?

I buzz my assistant, Kamsi, for intercom: "From today, no let Halima enter here again."

Kamsi answer, then explain, "She be just intern, she no even get access reach here. Na only because Mr. Ifedike bring her today she fit enter."

I just sigh. My office, my peace. Nobody go use me play again.