Chapter 4: The Crown Prince and the Outcast

Chisom no lie. In fact, Tobi Adeyemi start to dey bully me even earlier than last life.

From the first day for school, e no give me breathing space. Even for assembly, e go eye me anyhow.

For school, boys surround me, press my head inside sink, dey laugh anyhow.

Dem carry water, pour for my back, dey shout, "Omo rich girl, show yourself now!"

As I dey nearly faint, person hold my neck, pull me up. Na Tobi Adeyemi, he dey smile like devil.

The smile e dey give me ehn, e fit freeze water. "If na my family money you dey find, no wahala."

"Drink all the water for toilet. Every sip, I go give you hundred thousand. How e be?"

Him boys dey shout, dey laugh.

Dem dey clap, dey hail am. Na so dem dey take shine for school.

I look Tobi Adeyemi.

My eye red small, but I no gree cry. I bite my lip, taste small blood, but I lock my tears inside. For this Lagos, if you cry, na you lose. I dey wonder whether na the same person wey marry me for last life be this.

For last life, this same guy wey tell me ‘I love you’ with soft voice, now dey show me real wickedness.

The wahala too much, but na so life be. Only God dey see front.

But Tobi Adeyemi eye no dey my body at all.

As he dey form bad guy, e mind dey somewhere else. I dey notice am.

He dey look past me, dey focus on person wey dey behind.

Na that moment I realise say the matter dey bigger than me.

I know say na Chisom Okonkwo dey bend down dey scrub floor behind me.

Her hair dey shine, na new attachment she fix. She dey arrange herself well.

"No be Chisom Okonkwo be that?"

One of the boys point her out. Dem eye dey sharp.

"Why she still dey clean floor?"

Boys dey whisper, dey wonder whether na punishment she dey serve.

One of him boys explain: "Na Chisom Okonkwo mama dey clean school. She dey school for day, dey help her mama for night."

Dem dey talk like say na movie gist.

Small surprise show for Tobi Adeyemi face, then pity.

He no dey quick show emotion, but as he hear, e like say something touch am.

He shout give Chisom: "Abeg, cold too much. Stop all this cleaning. Nobody go check am."

His voice soft this time. Even the other boys stop to dey make noise.

Chisom stand up, her black hair fall for her shoulder, her fine face just dey stubborn.

She wipe hand for apron, raise head, but her eye still dey shine.

She shake head. "I no fit."

Her voice small, but e strong. Everybody pause, dey look am.

"If dem come check and see say floor dirty, dem go cut my mama salary one thousand naira."

Her words heavy, e hang for air.

"I know say one thousand no mean anything to person like you, but to us, na food money for one week."

Na true talk. Even me reason am, my chest tight.

She bend down, continue cleaning.

People just dey look. Some dey nod. Others dey hiss.

Truth be say, Chisom dey plan. Out of all the floors, she come clean the one wey Tobi Adeyemi dey. She even loose her hair, position herself well, make sure she fine.

E show say she sabi strategy, e no be today her eyes dey sharp.

Unfortunately, Tobi Adeyemi fall mugu.

The boy too get soft spot for people wey dey hustle. Na im weakness.

True true, Tobi Adeyemi waka go, help her stand up, collect rag from her hand, throw am give him boys.

"You people, help her finish this cleaning."

His boys look confused, but nobody fit argue.

He look her hand, red from cold, think small, then put him coat for her body.

Na the first time boys see am do that kind thing. Everybody dey shock.

"This night too cold—how you dey go house?"

His voice gentle. E get as e be.

"I go use bicycle."

Her voice low, almost like whisper. She try form strong, but I fit see say cold dey bite her.

"You dey ride bicycle for this kind weather?" Tobi Adeyemi shock, then talk, "Wait for me downstairs. My family driver go drop you."

Him word no get option. Once he talk, na final.

Chisom, with Tobi Adeyemi protection, waka comot.

She waka with small pride for body, as if she win lottery.

Before she go, she look back, give me one wicked smile as I dey for where water don full my body.

Her eyes dey shine with victory. As if she dey tell me, "You see am? Table don turn."

Soon, everybody don go, na only me remain for sink.

The place quiet, only the sound of leaking tap dey drip.

I stand up, use my sleeve dey wipe water from my hair.

I dey think of my next move, no time for tears.

"Take this."

Cool voice sound for my back.

The voice calm, but firm. I turn with small hope.

I turn. Na our class prefect, Halima Sanni.

She slim, her hijab dey always neat, even when rain dey beat everybody for assembly ground. Eye dey serious but soft. Her presence dey always bring peace.

She quiet, always dey read, always wear long sleeve no matter the weather.

Some girls dey gossip say she dey hide scars. Nobody sabi her full story.

Last life, she also try help Chisom when dem dey bully her.

I remember am well. She be the only person wey fit stand up to Tobi small.

She give Chisom towel, encourage her to report Tobi Adeyemi.

Her voice dey gentle, always dey encourage people for back of class.

But Chisom slap her hand away.

She just bone face, throway towel.

"Wetin you sabi? Na my brother be that."

Her words sharp, like say Halima be nobody.

That time, Chisom still dey hope say Tobi Adeyemi go like her.

She dey chase dream, no get time for poor person advice.

After that, Halima mind her business.

She just bone, no dey involve herself again for school wahala.

Later, near graduation, Halima kill herself.

Na sad news. E pain everybody. But e be like say nobody see am coming.

Na that time we find out say her family poor die, grandma dey sick, papa dey gamble and beat her, even try sell her to pay debt.

All those things wey she hide with smile, na only God know wetin she pass through.

Now, she stand near me, give me clean towel.

She stretch hand gently, eye full of small concern.

I pause small, then collect am.

As my hand touch the towel, e be like small warmth enter my body.

She no talk, just waka go, maybe she feel say nothing to talk to rich pikin like me.

Her footsteps soft, she no look back.

As she dey waka go, I suddenly shout.

My voice break the silence. I no fit let her just waka like that.

"Prefect."

She stop.

Her back straight, she no turn, but her ear dey listen.

I scratch my head. "I just transfer come, I no sabi road. Where canteen dey? Fit carry me go?"

My voice soft, I dey try hide the shakiness. For my mind, I dey hope say she no vex.