Chapter 2: Pepper Soup and Pepper Heart

Na Seyi carry me go drink.

If you get friend like Seyi, you nor go ever dey lonely. Na real man, e go show for you when world dey fall.

Him say e rare for me to chop breakfast (breakup), say if I no drown my sorrow, e no go fair after all the love wey I show for three years.

We reach bar, I no even sabi the name—just see as people full everywhere, loud music, pepper soup dey smell for air, the aroma sharp, dey bite nose like small ogogoro.

Bar full of light, noise just dey everywhere.

People dey laugh, some dey do 'cheers' with Heineken bottle. I just dey look, my mind still dey far.

Seyi tap glass with me, dey try ginger me: “No wahala, Amara fine no be small, you don knack—na win be that! With your salary, you no fit maintain babe like her. Just thank God.”

I glare Seyi small. "Guy, abeg, no use that kind mouth. Person heart dey pain, you dey talk knack."

I down my drink, frown for Seyi. “No dey talk about her like that.”

Him smile, raise hand. “Okay, make we drink.”

He sabi when to calm down. Real padi.

Music loud die.

Na Burna Boy jam dey blast. One babe dey whine waist for corner. Everybody dey inside groove except me.

Seyi dey force me drink, but him no sabi drink at all. After small, him don dey talk like person wey dey sleep.

I just dey help am hold cup, make e no pour for trouser.

Me, work dey wait me tomorrow.

You know as 9-5 dey. Boss nor dey hear say heartbreak hold you for neck. Na report dem want.

I look group chat, client message never answer, I just sigh. Person wey dey hustle no fit use drink drown sorrow.

Seyi still dey tell bar girl, "Bring one more." Na so I dey pay for am. E fit say na him dey help me, na me dey spend.

After I drop Seyi for him house, I enter keke go house.

Keke dey vibrate as if e wan scatter. My phone dey buzz, but I nor dey look. Street light just dey blink, everywhere quiet.

Truth be say, I wan cry, but I hold am.

Na so men dey do for this country—hold body, no show weak point. E no mean say e no pain o.

I still wan text her, but I hold myself.

My thumb dey itch, but I dey use sense. If I text am, she go know say I still dey feel am.

Wetin pain me pass be say, I just dey feel like mumu.

The kind mumu wey dey buy birthday gift for person wey fit buy Dubai.

I even dey save money, dey plan buy house put her name.

You see plan? I dey plan like family man, dey save small-small. If Seyi hear, e go laugh say na Fela song I dey play.

Because she dey always talk say her family poor, say she no dey feel safe.

She fit dey act like say na rent dey worry am. I go dey think say I be hero.

But three years, all the love na fake?

The thing dey bite me for heart. E dey feel like when you put hand for pocket, money no dey.

She say “don play reach,” just like that?

E dey pain pass if dem carry your food for front of you.

I rest my head for window, road dey shake my head anyhow.

Harmattan breeze just dey slap my face. I fit taste sand for mouth.

Finally reach house.

Gate dey creak as I push am. Security man dey doze, him just wave torch for air, no even open eye.

As I come down, harmattan breeze just blow, my head con dey spin.

My chest cold. I dey reason if na fever or na heartbreak dey make my body heavy.

I just sit for road, dey wait make I sober small before I climb go upstairs.

I no even dey look anybody. I just dey watch sky, dey pray make sleep carry me.

But no too long, person waka come, block streetlight.

First thing I see na shoe—correct designer, black patent. E shine under streetlight.

I look up, na Amara face I see.

I blink, think say na dream. The same babe wey break up with me by text, dey stand for my front like say na delivery she come do.

She don change to black dress, hair dey wave for her back, expensive jewelry just dey shine for her body.

Necklace dey glitter, e be like person wey just come down from private jet. The way her perfume dey fill air, e pass anything I ever smell for Shoprite.

She dey look less and less like my own level.

I remember how she dey wear my oversized tee for house, dey laugh say "I be your wife." Now, na real madam she be.

She look me from top.

Her eyes dey sharp, lips tight. E no be the soft Amara wey dey laugh for my parlor.

“Why you dey like this? You no fit let me go?”

I shock, words no come out.

My mouth dey dry. I dey look her like mumu.

Her eyes cold, like say she no know me again.

Before, she dey always smile, if our eye jam, she go rush come hug me, dey tease, “Odogwu, you love me pass yesterday?”

Her laugh fit cure headache that time. Now, e dey like she lock her real self inside wardrobe.

I go shake head, say no, she go dey tickle me till I gree.

Sometimes, she go lie on top me, dey play with my beard, dey call me "old papa."

Now, all those memories just dey pain me.

Dem dey cut like blade for my chest. I no fit even look her eye well.

I take deep breath, swallow my tears, try talk normal:

“Why, abeg?”

Voice quiver, but I no let am break. If she go wound me, make I at least keep small respect.

She no answer, just wave hand.

Her hand fine, nails painted—no be all those home manicure. Na real salon work.

Big black G-Wagon drive come from junction, park near us.

Engine dey hum like lion. My neighbor for upstairs fit come downstairs come snap picture.

Door open, people come down. One girl with red hair waka come meet me, stop, ask:

The girl get piercing for nose, eye dey sharp like person wey sabi run levels.

“Broke guy, you still remember your grandaunt?”

I look well, try remember.

Her voice remind me of old time. My mind dey search memory.

“Zainab?”

Her laugh burst out, she clap hand. "You try, you try! You still get sense."

“Ehen, you remember! I think say you don forget.”

Zainab shift, hold Amara for hand.

E be like dem dey close. Zainab just dey shine teeth, Amara dey look ground.

Her face still dey shine like before, just like four years ago.

You know all those stubborn rich kids? Na so Zainab be. Always get wahala.

I meet Zainab that year wey I dey year two for University of Makurdi. I dey do part-time as lesson teacher.

I dey hustle to pay my own rent. Na so my neighbor introduce me to their family.

Zainab na my first student.

Small pikin, but wahala big. Her mama say make I help her for math and English.

Her family get money, but her brain no dey follow, stubborn join.

The kind stubborn wey if you say A, she go shout Z.

First lesson, she behave.

Dem get AC for every room, I dey enjoy. She answer question, smile.

Second lesson, wahala start.

She dash me five thousand, say make I cover for her if she skip class, then try jump window go party.

I surprise. Me wey dey hustle, but conscience dey my body. Five thousand fit buy new shoe, but I no collect.

I no collect the money, but I no fit stop her.

She waka go. I just dey look her, my heart dey beat. This pikin go spoil my hustle.

I fear, I call her mama.

If you see the way her mama carry cane, na so I shock. This woman no dey play.

Surprise, the woman strict die.

Zainab chop slap, dem lock her for house.

Since then, she dey vex for me.

Anytime she see me, na side-eye. I dey feel am for bone.

She come my school dey disturb me, dey shout say I go pay, say make I beg her.

One day, she block me for library, dey talk say "No worry, one day I go show you pepper." Her wahala na premium.

But as lesson teacher, if pikin skip class, I suppose inform parent.

Na so my own mama train me—if you see bad, talk am.

Say she chop slap pass my plan, but I no do bad.

My hand clean. E pain me, but na life.

So I ignore her, act like she no dey.

If I see her for corridor, I dey dodge. I nor want wahala.

She sef stop to show face.

I think say she don forget.

Me, I just dey reason my own—school, hustle, survive.

But I no believe say na so we go meet again.

Life na small world. I dey wonder if na film we dey act.

Zainab see say I remember, just dey point Amara. “Na my sister, you know? She date you to get back at me.”

My head spin. All this while, na revenge script I dey act?

Amara frown, like she wan talk, but no talk.

E be like her mind dey heavy. I fit see small tears for her eye, but pride no let am drop.

But me, I don understand everything.

My brain just clear. Like NEPA light come back after one week. Dem say, person wey no get guard, na im dey chop breakfast for junction.

I just laugh.

I no fit cry again. I just dey laugh like person wey win lottery of pain.

I look Zainab, ask, “So now, you don do your revenge, we don balance?”

She dey look me, surprise dey her face. She nor expect say I go take am calm.

Zainab pause, shock.

She look Amara, look me, then just shift leg.

She frown, think, then nod. “I think so. At least, I don vent. But you no vex?”

Her voice dey low. Na real confession.

I shake head, smile wide. “Nothing dey vex me. Bet na bet.”

If na local man, na there fight go start. But I don tire.

“Okay, I dey go house. Ladies, enjoy.”

I just waka go.

My shoe dey knock ground, but I nor look back. Man no go die for heartbreak.

As I dey climb stairs, I still hear their voice small:

Zainab voice loud pass harmattan wind: “No be so, this guy no even sad. This one no pure. Amara, you no get level again? Three years, and he no fall for you at all?”

I just shake head. Na so life be.