Chapter 4: Secrets and Small Gist

Morayo collect the fan from me.

Her hand cold, she nod thank you. As she collect am, she adjust the fan to face her lap, then smile wide, her eyes dey bright.

"E good like this, this small fan go do. I no dey even use AC for my room, your own dey get breeze, e no too hot."

She talk am like person wey dey used to manage. She press the fan button, breeze blow her face. She close eye small, as if she dey imagine sey she dey seaside. I laugh for mind.

She on the fan. As breeze blow, her small small hair for front just dey waka. She close eye, dey enjoy the cool air. The scene just dey full of young vibes. I dey about three meters away, but small scent just dey come my side—na Morayo own be that.

Her body dey smell like baby lotion and small soap. My mind wander go the time when I dey uni, dey share hostel with girls from different states. Na that scent dey always remind me of home.

We come dey gist, the thing come dey easy.

Her voice dey soft, laughter light. We dey talk about small small things—like how NEPA dey always take light when e dey rain, how landlord dey rush collect service charge for December.

As we dey talk, I find out say Morayo na 21, just finish school, study marketing. Her last semester, she no get class like that. Her school no too get level, so job no easy find. She come decide try do masters before she finish. She no pass, but she no wan give up. Her family support her, so she dey city, dey rent this cheap room, dey find work, dey prepare try again.

Her papa dey work for state civil service. She say her mama dey sell wrapper for Dugbe market. Na their small support she dey take survive. She dey apply for work everywhere, even try volunteer for radio station.

"If to say I get your ginger that time—if I try one more year—I for pass," I talk, dey remember my own.

I shake my head, laugh. For my time, I nearly give up, but my aunty encourage me say no let one exam defeat me. I share the gist, make her know say she no dey alone.

"Some of my people make am for second try, so you never far. If you try this year, you go make am," I encourage her.

I pat her shoulder small, just friendly. She nod, her face dey serious, but her eyes dey show hope.

She smile thank me. As she hear say I sef write masters exam before, we come yarn deep about am.

We talk about stress, how people dey look down on you if you no get job. I share my own struggle, how I sleep for friend house that year when I dey find work.

Later, we talk about Morayo boyfriend.

Her face change small as she mention am. She twist her fingers, look ground, but still dey talk.

Morayo and her guy na secondary school mate, both of them come uni for this city. Third year, the guy toast her, but she dey prepare for exam, so she dey always dodge.

She laugh as she talk am, say the guy go come wait for her outside lecture hall, dey bring gala and Lacasera. At first, she no gree, but e persist till she finally reason am.

During that time, pressure too much for Morayo. Her mates dey find work or dey do internship, but she force herself focus. Her boyfriend dey always encourage her. Small small, she begin dey reach out to the guy, dey talk her mind.

She say na that encouragement help her pass her final year project. She dey always pray for am, say na good guy, even though e stubborn sometimes.

Finally, Morayo gree date am.

She say e sweet her well, but she dey fear say her family no go gree. True true, relationship dey hard for Naija if your people no send the person you like.

But her family no gree for the guy work or background. Her mama dey always warn her say make she no follow person like that, say life go hard.

She say her mama dey use parable: "If goat follow sheep enter rain, na both of dem go soak." E pain her, but she still dey try balance her love and family wahala.

All her money dey come from her parents. Her boyfriend money no reach. Apart from rent, he dey smoke, drink, follow friends, dey do flex. His salary no ever do, na Morayo dey pay for am sometimes.

She say sometimes, she dey borrow him small money for bike fuel, or help am buy new slippers. She talk am with small smile, like say she dey pity the guy, but no wan let am go.

From there, I know say her boyfriend get im own house, no dey live here. Morayo dey always dey alone for her room, she never let am sleep over. Na why, after two months, I see the guy only few times.

She dey talk say her parents no go gree, so she dey protect herself and the guy from bad eye. She still dey loyal, but you fit see say e dey heavy for her mind.

But as I no too close to Morayo like that, I no fit ask why she no dey stay with her boyfriend save money.

For my head, I dey reason say if na me, I go don move in. But every family get their own rules. I no go put mouth for matter wey no concern me.

"That last time wey you see me dey chop with my boyfriend for kitchen, na him birthday. I cook small food invite am," Morayo add.

She smile, say she fry dodo, cook jollof rice and fish. Her boyfriend buy malt come. Dem just sit for parlour, gist about old school days.

I no too send Morayo love matter. Every babe get her choice for this age. Outsider no need ask, no even get right.

For Naija, if you too chook mouth for woman matter, you fit collect slap for free. I just dey observe, dey mind my own.

Maybe Morayo just dey protect herself, she dey do her own.

As I dey think, I see say she get sense. She dey act mature, no dey rush life.

After about ten minutes talk, we no dey awkward or quiet like before. I see say Morayo get sense, she dey try, she dey kind, she get manners.

Her laughter don dey loud small, her eye dey shine. She dey ask me about my work, my village for Ijebu. I dey reply, dey joke with her.

"I fit see the side room? I dey curious about the arrangement," Morayo ask, her voice dey beg small, eye dey hope.

She look towards the small brown door. She smile like pikin wey dey find extra meat for soup.

"No wahala."

I stand up, waka go her side. The side room door na just behind her. Morayo see me dey come, she sharply hold her towel for down, her eye look ground.

I laugh small, say, "No fear, I no go look."

"The door dey your back," I talk smile.

I use my chin point am, she nod, then shift for sofa so I fit pass.

She press her toe for ground, turn for sofa, face right. As she turn, she see the side room door behind.

She stand up carefully, wrapper still tight for her waist. She dey move gently like person wey dey tiptoe for night.

Morayo use left hand cover towel for top, right hand hold down, then stand up.

She dey careful, make towel no fall. She smile shyly, then look my face. Her body dey close to mine, I feel small heat.

That moment, we dey just thirty or forty centimeters apart. Morayo height reach my mouth. Her body dey smell sweet. I breathe in gently.

The room small, but breeze still dey pass through window. She dey smile, her eye dey shine, e make me wan smile too.

Morayo waka go side room door, me dey follow for back. The door get digital lock. I dey always lock am, so I step forward, use my fingerprint try open.

As I stand close to her, I notice small soap mark for her shoulder. She dey rub am with finger, then look my hand for lock.

Maybe because Morayo dey too close, I come dey nervous, my hand dey sweat because of heat. I try am two times, e no open. I hold the handle with left hand, start to type password, my right hand brace for wall beside door, form triangle. Morayo dey inside the space, stand for my front, her back touch door, she dey corner between me and wall.

For that space, e be like say time freeze. My heart dey beat, I dey feel her breath for my chest.

Na the closest we don ever dey. Her waist just two or three centimeters from me. My heart dey beat fast, password no enter first time.

I dey feel her presence, my hand dey shake small. The heat for the room no even help matter.

That time, my body react strong.

I swallow saliva, look ceiling, try focus. But the moment dey thick, like say tension fit cut with knife.