Chapter 2: No Pity For Street!

Just now, my village fiancé, wey dem betroth me to since I small, come see me.

You know, this engagement thing no be my making. Na my papa and him own people arrange am. So as I dey inside my air-conditioned parlour, I just dey hear sound of footstep for tile. I look up, see this boy. Boy wey tall reach 1.8 meters, but him dey wear jogger pants wey no fit am—

Him trouser short, ankle dey outside like person wey borrow cloth from small pikin. See as e leg dey show, like fowl wey dem just pluck feather. My eye catch am and I no even fit hide my disgust. The kain suffer for him body, ehn? If I cough, breeze fit blow am. Na wah o.

As I look down—

Na one white canvas shoe him wear, the shoe don almost tear finish. The thing be like say the shoe na from secondary school days, e don chop better sufferhead. One side even dey open, like mouth wey dey beg for garri. I try hide my face, but inside me, na only 'chei!' dey run my mind.

E be like say e don old reach.

The shoe just dey shout 'help me' with every step. Even my own cleaner no go fit wear that kin thing. I sigh, take style shift leg, make shoe no near my own designer slippers. Na so Lagos life dey treat person, I reason am.

Disgust just rise for my mind. I look up, see the boy face, e dey restless. “You dey talk, but na beg I dey hear. Wetin you really want?”

My voice no soft at all. I just dey size am, dey wait for am to talk true. He dey sweat small, even though AC dey blow.

“I…”

Him voice dey tremble, like person wey dey hide from thunderstorm. I just dey look am, make I no commot for myself.

Just ordinary question, but the thing weigh am down. He dey drag him shirt, dey try talk again.

He twist the shirt for hand, knuckle white, like say na life-and-death matter. The shirt sef don old, I see small patch for the side. I almost pity am, but pride no go let me show am.

“I—I wan beg you make you sponsor me for secondary school, because of… the engagement wey dem do for us when we small.”

He talk am with voice wey low, like say if he shout small, the engagement go scatter. My heart soft small, but I still hold face.

“Later… I go find way pay you back.”

He add am quick quick, voice shaky. No be say I even dey expect am to pay back, but I like as he try hold pride. For my mind, I dey reason say this boy dey different from all those leeches wey dey find babe wey go feed dem.

As he finish, the boy sharply look ground, like stray dog wey dey wait for owner, e whole body just dey dull.

The kin pain I see for him posture fit make stone pity am. I almost feel for am, but I tell myself say na street smart girl I be.

But before I fit talk, my maid, Morenikeji, come near, whisper for my ear:

Morenikeji tiptoe come, face lean close, voice as low as rat dey chop rice. Her eye dey shine, like person wey just win bet9ja.

“Madam, I don talk am, this engagement no get head.”

She click tongue small, like say she know pass everybody. I just dey look her for corner eye.

“He never even do engagement proper, he don dey ask for money. Who know how greedy he go be later?”

She twist mouth, roll eye for the boy. Her own dey even pass me. I dey wonder if na for me sake or for her own pocket.

“E no be like Young Master Bayo, wey always dey think of your own good.”

She say that one, voice sweet as honey, as if she dey sell Bayo for market. That one na correct Lagos boy, always dey greet elders, dey bring gift come my mama house.

“You fit use this chance talk to Oga make him break the engagement. Then, nothing go stop you from following Young Master Bayo.”

She finish, dey wait for my reaction. I know say her heart dey beat, she wan see if her plan go work. Small smile dey play for her mouth.

I agree with her, I wan talk, but suddenly plenty comments just flash for my eye:

Na the kin thing wey dey happen for film, comments just dey rush my eye. E shock me.

[The guy really dey suffer. He finally get mind ask the young lady for help, but e no sabi say na only rejection dey wait am.]

[The guy get pride and dignity. If no be say e dey desperate, he no go use that engagement take beg for money.]

[LOL, the main babe dey plan well—she dey trick the young lady make she break the engagement, but na she go help the guy for back, because she sabi say the guy get better future and she wan use the kindness collect return later.]

[But the young lady go end up broke, forced to sell herself to pay debt, and last last, she go die for nothing.]

My skin prick like mosquito bite—who dey talk for my head? I freeze. My hand dey shake small. No be say I believe all those tori, but e dey pain me say my own story dey end like that for stranger eye. Inside me, something dey boil.

For Lagos, if you no plan A to Z, na you go turn headline for wrong reason.