Chapter 4:

Ochuko na the most famous male voice actor for dubbing world. Him voice alone fit make person forget wahala. People dey always rush him skits online, e get plenty fans for all social media. Ochuko big, dark, and him laugh dey shake room—if e talk, even okada man go pause.

I meet am by luck for uni when both of us still dey learn voice acting. We dey sit together for back, dey laugh anyhow that time.

He vex, talk say:

"Abeg, my Morayo voice sweet die! Na Tunde no get ear or e just dey find wahala?" His Pidgin always dey sweet, like person wey chop correct starch and banga.

I just melt, dey sniff, promise say I go hold my bro leg forever. Na only Ochuko dey ginger me, no dey judge.

Before I fit talk, Ochuko don drag me enter game, match us with Tunde. He no even wait for me to balance headset.

I begin dey fumble with the controls. My hand dey shake, my heart dey jump like generator for rain.

But na pure packaging—I no sabi play at all. All my show-off na zero—score be 0–5. I dey sweat for palm, dey press anyhow.

Tunde voice just blast for headset, teeth grinding:

"Abeg, uninstall. If na so you sabi feed enemy, go play for small pikin game." His tone sharp, you go think say e wan tear person.

Comment section scatter. The chat dey hot, people dey drop clap emoji.

"Brother Tunde step on bad luck tonight o. E teammate dey suffer."

"The enemy must be babe again. She go soon apologize with fake voice?"

Ochuko wan burst, dey shout for phone. "Talk back now! Why I carry you come? If you no reply, dem go roast you finish tonight!" His voice dey high, e dey sound like person wey dem seize remote from.

I gather mind, wipe sweat from my brow, heartbeat dey drum for my ear, open mic, but because I don dey chop insult all my life, I just dey stammer, before I finally squeeze out:

"So nko?" I force my voice make e steady, but e still sound small.

Ochuko nearly choke, start to laugh, slap table. "See, repeat after me. I go talk, you go follow."

I nod like chicken, dey copy am, voice still dey shake:

"You chop my rice? Why you dey put mouth for my matter?"

"If you no fit bear me, abeg, pass front."

"Who send you talk? Why you dey shout?" I add small laugh for ending, just to dey try.

As we dey run the lines, Ochuko just keep quiet. Silence just land. I confuse. Wetin happen? I dey look screen, dey wait for another round of shout.

I dey look screen, na so Tunde voice, now dey somehow gentle, enter:

"Sorry."

For screen, e ear just dey red. The guy wey dey always get mouth, suddenly mellow.

"Next round? Make we duo queue?" Him voice no get all the gra-gra again, just soft.

Inside me, my heart dey do one kind, like say I just win small lotto. For once, e be like say my voice get small power.

I nearly drop my pad for ground—Tunde, the king of savage, dey beg? Na my voice do this?