Chapter 4: Pepper No Dey Finish

That night.

Sleep no gree me. My mind dey race, my chest dey heavy. Abuja night dey quiet, but my head full.

I call Halima. She pick almost immediately.

“Wetin happen?” Her voice lazy.

She sound as if she just dey relax with wine for hand. I fit picture her for bed, silk wrapper for body.

“Abeg, stop to dey buy trending slot.” I talk am soft.

If dem catch me beg, e go pain me, but I no fit do pass like this.

She pause, voice still light. “Why you dey dull? E pain you reach like that?”

She dey try tease me, but I no get mind for joke now.

“Wetin you want sef?” My voice no strong again.

I no get energy to form hard guy again.

She no talk for some seconds.

I fit feel her breathing for phone, small small. The silence long.

My voice don break. “You dey happy say dem dey drag me online, call me homewrecker, Musa Group stock dey fall—na wetin you wan?”

As I talk, my whole body dey shake.

Shame and anger dey fight for my chest. I no know which one strong pass.

How person go wicked reach like this?

I dey ask myself, no get answer.

After some time, Halima talk slow: “No cry, darling. You wan see me? I fit come now.”

She dey try form say na play, but I sabi say na her way to test whether I still dey care.

I open mouth, words no come out.

My throat dry. My pride dey choke me.

As I stand for balcony, night breeze just dey dry the tears for my face. Moon dey shine small, but my heart dark like inside pit. I be real mumu.

For love matter, even strong man fit weak. Na so dem dey talk for our side.

At last, only two dry words come out: “No.”

My lips dey tremble. My voice no even carry reach her side.

Halima repeat, her tone no clear: “No?”

She dey suspect say I wan give up for real.

“Wetin you mean, Musa?” Her voice cold.

Ice dey inside her tone. I fit hear her vex.

“I no wan see you.” With my last strength, I cut call.

Fingers dey shake as I drop phone. For my mind, na the hardest call I ever make.

I lie for bed, no fit sleep for long. I dey toss for mattress, pillow wet small. Night long, eye no close.

Trending topic still dey on top. Even for midnight, comments dey roll. People no dey sleep for this country.

My family people for WhatsApp group all @ me, everybody dey blame me. As if dem no dey ever face their own wahala. Everybody wan contribute sense.

Until one cousin send: [If you no fit hold Halima, abeg free the engagement. You know the wahala you dey cause?]

Everybody dey form adviser, but when e reach their own, dem dey hide.

Once that one start, others follow.

One female cousin put facepalm emoji: [Shame! Lose to pretty boy. If na me, I no go show face again.]

[All Halima money dey go that influencer. She ever spend kobo for you, cousin?]

[Just break up. E clear say Halima no like you.]

Family chat just turn to court. Everybody get judgment.

After that last message, group chat quiet. Nobody wan add mouth again. Dem dey wait my reply.

I just smile bitterly. No joy for that smile. Just pain and small shame.

If to say I fit swap fiancée, e for good. But na my papa still dey run Musa Group, and na only me be im pikin. He no go let opportunity to hold Halima family pass.

For this country, family business and marriage dey mix anyhow. Na so dem dey plan wealth.

I set group to Do Not Disturb, check my Facebook feed. I just dey scroll to distract myself, but e no help.

First post na group photo from one rich babe. All of dem dey shine, table full, champagne dey flow. For center—

Halima and Seyi. She just dey glow, skin like honey, smile dey scatter ground.

Halima just dey relax for Seyi hand, smile full everywhere. She dey shine as if nothing dey worry am. I just dey look the way her head rest for Seyi chest.

Her girlfriends just dey around, dey raise glass. All of them dey hailing her. You go think say na engagement party. Like wetin? True—like say dem dey announce relationship.

This one pass ordinary party. Na clear sign to everybody.

I just like the post, off my phone. For my mind, I dey reason say make I act mature. But my hand dey shake.

WhatsApp comments rush me like flood:

[Musa, abeg no sad. Heiress just dey form. We sabi say na you she love pass.]

[After her friend post that thing, she dey check every minute whether you like am.]

[She really wan see you. You refuse her last night, she almost cry finish.]

[Musa, abeg call am, talk say you dey jealous. She go rush come meet you.]

People just dey advice, but I no know who get good mind and who dey find gist.

I close my eyes, force the WhatsApp comments commot my mind. As I try sleep, their voices still dey my head.

I no know how long pass before I get up, body cold, send message to my lawyer: [Send me the breakup agreement. I go find chance give Halima.]

I dey breathe heavy as I send am. For my mind, na freedom I dey chase, but heart dey pain me.

I need one day to move my things quietly, make nobody disturb me. I no want wahala. My plan be say, pack out before anybody sabi.

After the party, I go take early flight comot for country. Waka far, go cool my mind, maybe Dubai or Ghana. Just leave matter for elders.

By that time, two copies of the breakup agreement go reach—one for my papa, one for Halima.

No way out for me again. I no wan fight family war.

If I stay, even if I no gree marry Halima, wahala no go finish. My papa go still force another troublesome woman on top me.

I dey ready to run, even if e go pain my family.

---

Everything move well. My lawyer dey sharp, my packing smooth. I just dey count hours.

...

For the party, I pick my suit well.

I wear agbada sharp, but for this event, na English suit dem prescribe. I select my own, silver colour. My tailor for Wuse swear say na only me get this silver suit, but see as Seyi dey wear the same, e pain me.

As I enter the hall, friends greet me. One guy nudge me, “No babe tonight? Make I borrow you my sister?”

I just laugh, shake head. For our side, na normal cruise.

I think am. “No need. Alone no dey shame person.”

If you waka alone, nobody go drag you for gist. Dem go even respect your confidence.

“True. Woman sef dey spoil gist sometimes.” He laugh.

We both laugh, clap each other back small. Men dey find way make gist soft.

Suddenly, everywhere scatter.

For Abuja, once VIP enter, everywhere dey pause. Even music dey lower.

We look.

—Halima, wear tight red mermaid gown, shape just dey show, neckline dey shine, walk in with Seyi. Her eyes dey look ground, lips red, teeth white.

As she enter, all eyes focus. Even the MC pause. Some girls dey whisper, guys dey whistle low.

Na them be centre of attention.

If you see Seyi hold her, you go think say na king and queen enter.

Ah...

Na so my chest tight. But I hold face, I no wan show pain.

So when Halima talk say she go follow Seyi, na this party she mean.

All the signs dey clear. I just dey recall our last talk.

My eyes catch Seyi suit.

Silver, just like my own. The kind insult wey dey sweet person wey wan pepper you.

Na the same suit as my own—silver.

When I buy am, dem tell me say only one dey for country.

My tailor swear say na exclusive. I dey reason how Seyi take get am.

Seyi come order his own overnight?

This one dey show say Halima dey plan am since.

Halima just wan disgrace me.

My mind dey boil. People dey look, dey wait for drama.

True, as Seyi see me, im face change.

He dey vex, but e dey try hide am. I see small fear for im eye.

He face Halima, talk something, then waka come my side, dey vex. “Guy, you check wetin I wan wear, come copy am? We be men—e reach like that?”

Everybody just dey wait my reply. If na Lagos, fight for don start.

People gather, wan see drama.

Some dey snap, some dey record. Abuja people like drama pass party jollof.

My friend shock. “No talk that kind thing...”

He wan stop wahala before e start.

Seyi hiss, “You just dey jealous as Halima dey treat me. Your own move no make sense, and you no even fine reach me.”

His voice loud. He dey find supporters.

My friend whisper, “He fine pass you o.”

He dey use style tease me, but na cruise.

Seyi, vexed, waka go meet Halima. “Halima, your fiancé na waste. He no deserve you at all.”

He talk am loud so everybody go hear. E dey pain me, but I just smile.

Halima eyes just dey my body, then she smile small.

That small smile, na code. Only me sabi wetin e mean.

WhatsApp comments burst:

[Heiress don smile! She still believe say Musa look best for that suit.]

[She dey fall for am, no lie.]

[See am? Eyes no dey lie. Heiress and Musa, 99% sure—who wan bet?]

[Wait... heiress dey try provoke Musa to surrender, then...]

If na sport betting, people for don place odds.

Before I fit reason that last comment, microphone come on.

MC dey clear throat, everywhere hush.

Everybody look.

Halima family’s senior secretary hold mic and card. “Thank you all for coming. We get big announcement—Miss Halima and board don decide, 2% of Halima Group shares go free for Mr. Seyi.”

The announcement choke everybody. Mouth open, hand dey cover mouth.

Everywhere shock.

Even old men dey adjust glasses. Na big money dem talk so.

I look up, shock catch me.

I no believe my ear. I just dey reason, wetin Halima dey do?

Halima get shares, but I no know how much. Another 2%—for her future husband. Even just 2% of Halima Group na heavy money every year.

She give am to Seyi.

My mind dey swirl. If na me, e for make sense, but to Seyi?

And announce am here, now.

Everybody dey whisper. Some dey snap, some dey update status.

WhatsApp comments dey mad:

[Na this be the heiress big move! Musa, everybody dey laugh am. E go beg her now.]

[Wetin Musa dey wait? Heiress love am die. Just give Seyi one slap, hug heiress, tell her say you love her. The shares go still be your own!]

For this Abuja, everything na calculation. Who win, who lose, na news.

As everybody dey look me with mocking eyes, I waka go meet Halima.

My chest dey pump. My leg dey heavy, but I no fit show weakness.

Her eyes follow me reach front.

She dey try read my mind. But this time, I no dey play.

I stop for her front.

Her perfume just dey enter my nose. I force my face hard.

She look down, lips curl small.

She dey wait for my move, but I no go dance her tune again.

I smile too, every word hard for my throat:

“Breakup agreement dey come. For this Abuja, person wey no value peace, na wahala go follow am.”

As I waka go, Abuja night breeze just dey slap my face, but e no cold reach my chest.