Chapter 7: Segun’s Last Stand

I jump wake.

Na sweat dey my face, pillow soak. I check time, see say sun never full. My heart dey race.

Open my eyes, I see familiar chin and Adam’s apple.

Na Segun. I first think say na dream dey continue, but as I see him face, I know say wahala dey.

The smell for my room na Segun favorite sandalwood, with small lemon join.

The air fresh, but my body tense. I remember say na him dey buy that incense anytime e travel.

I almost forget—Segun sabi my door code.

I dey curse myself, 'Why I no change am?' But as I see him leg for my carpet, fear catch me.

As e see say I don wake, Segun just move come down, dey laugh as e try kiss my mouth.

E dey do as if nothing spoil. Smile dey him face, but na only my pain dey shine.

I quick turn face, push am, run go other side of bed.

I almost fall, but I balance quick. I dey breathe fast.

Segun pause, then laugh at me:

"Why you dey shy all of a sudden?"

E dey form say na play, but I dey vex. My hand dey shake under blanket.

I no answer, just cover myself with blanket.

I dey squeeze the edge, dey wish say blanket fit carry me disappear.

Segun dey drag blanket, dey scold:

"Sade, you don dey bold now abi? No tell me goodnight last night, even off your phone go sleep! Now you dey hide from me?"

E dey play rough, voice dey up. I dey pray make e go. For this life, boys fit forget your pain sharp.

E sharp, enter blanket join me. Before I fit react, e don hug me tight.

I dey try struggle, but e just dey laugh, dey hold me like say nothing happen.

"See, how many times I go tell you—no dey skip breakfast!"

E voice carry small care, but I no dey moved. Hunger no even enter my mind.

"I run for thirty minutes this morning to buy you moi moi and akara, wait for queue tire! You wan get up chop now, or make I chop you first..."

I dey roll my eye, dey hiss under breath. Na joke e dey make, but I dey fear wetin e fit do.

Him breath close, hand dey move.

Na so my skin crawl, I dey look for escape. No be only 'chop.' I dey form stone for body.

Na im I wake up, struggle hard, but with my 1.6 meters, I no reach 1.88 meters guy at all.

E dey pin me, e big pass me, my fight just dey make am laugh.

I no just understand wetin dey worry am. E don get Amaka, so why e dey disturb me?

My mind dey race. I dey think say, 'Which kain wahala be this?' E dey confuse me.

After all the struggle, I still no fit free myself—e just hold me tighter.

I dey struggle, dey kick leg, dey twist body, but e no gree let go.

"Wetin do you now?"

E dey act innocent, voice dey soft. But I know say e sabi wetin e do.

"You dey vex say I no carry you go party last night?"

E dey raise eyebrow, dey look me. I dey look away.

I no talk.

My lips dey pressed, eye dey ground. My pride dey hold me.

E bury head for my neck, dey laugh:

I dey feel him breath, e dey tickle me. But I dey stone.

"Make I guess—your friend don tell you abi? Na just play we dey play, you go dey jealous? Why you still dey behave like before, dey vex anytime I near another babe!"

My anger dey boil. I dey remember everything Mumu show me for phone. E dey act like say I dey craze.

Anger dey my body, I no even know where to start.

My blood dey hot, my body dey vibrate. I dey bite my tongue, dey hold tears.

I remember wetin I learn for NYSC camp, I just knee am for him thing. As pain catch am, I jump from bed.

Na so I use all my vex, aim straight. E shout, bend, hold body. I no even pity am.

I smile small for mind—make e feel small pain for all the one wey e give me.

"Sade!"

E voice high, e dey struggle. I dey run go wardrobe, dey find coat.

Segun hold him teeth, face red.

I dey see sweat for him forehead, e dey curse under breath. I dey happy say I get small victory.

I quickly wear coat on top pyjamas, run go parlor.

I dey lock door behind me, dey breathe fast. My mind dey run marathon, but I feel small safe.

I no want stay same room with am, especially not my bedroom.

I dey sit for edge of chair, dey pray make morning reach quick.

Small time, Segun come out too, face show say e vex and tire.

E no talk, just dey throw leg for corridor, dey hiss. E dey look me like stranger.

After small silence, like say e remember something, e ask:

"You take that medicine yesterday, abi? No come give wahala, I no fit explain to your parents o!"

E voice serious. E dey act like say na only him dey care for my life. I dey roll eye.

E waka go dining table, carry kunu cup, stretch give me:

"Abeg, chop something before you vex finish. Your belle no too strong."

Na the same kunu wey e buy for me since I get ulcer. I dey remember, but today, I no dey moved.

I no answer, no collect am.

I cross arm, dey look TV wey no dey on. I dey form stone, no allow eye meet am.

Segun hand, still dey hang for air, before e finally lose patience:

E dey wait, but as I no move, e vex.

"Wetin be your problem sef? Sade, even if you wan vex, at least get reason and limit, abi?"

E dey shout now. Voice don go from sugar to pepper. I dey nod, dey squeeze face.

I answer am cold:

"I no reach."

My voice low, but e sharp. Na all my pain I pack for that small sentence.

Segun vex, slam kunu cup for table. The drink splash everywhere, stain my wrapper.

E use power, the cup burst. Kunu pour everywhere, e no send. E dey breathe heavy.

E eyes red, e dey shake. If to say na before, I for rush clean am. Today, I just dey look.

"Wetin you mean? Who you be, Sade! Because we sleep together once, you think say you fit control me? You no know say e dey suffocate person?"

E voice loud, e dey pace up and down. The anger real, but e no reach my own pain.

E tone harsh pass any way I don ever hear before.

I dey remember Segun as soft boy, but this one, e dey show another face. I dey look, dey wonder who e be.

Immediately, tears just rush from my eye, no warning.

I try hold am, but the tears just dey fall. My face soak, my chest dey hot.

All the shame and pain from yesterday come back.

Everything join—his words, his actions, even the crowd wey dey laugh yesterday. I dey break inside.

Segun shock as I start to cry, e no even know wetin to do.

E freeze. E dey look me, mouth open. I dey wonder if e go say sorry or just waka.

E try apologize, frustrated:

"Sorry, I drink too much last night. Wetin I talk just now na by mistake!"

E dey fidget, dey scratch head. I no dey hear am. My own pain pass sorry.

E squat near me, try wipe my tears, but I dodge.

E hand hang for air, e dey beg with eye. But I just move back, dey hug myself.

E hand just hang there.

I dey sniff, dey wipe tears, dey wait make e commot.

As e wan try talk again, e phone ring.

I dey thank God for that interruption. I dey count my luck say e no get reason to continue.

E check am, face change, quick stand up, dey go:

E see name for screen, him face just change. E no look back, e dey rush out.

"I get urgent matter. Abeg, calm down! You don enter university, still dey behave like pikin—who go fit tolerate you for future?"

The insult loud. My heart dey cut. But I just dey mute, dey gather strength.