Chapter 7: The Pressure Cooker

After that, Tobi Adeyemi wahala just increase.

The boy no dey tire. Na so e dey find new way to disturb my life every week.

The food wey house help pack for me, when I open, na thumbtack full inside.

I nearly chop am, but na God save me. The pain for my chest, no be small.

My cleanser and toothpaste, na dead spider dey inside.

I shout that day, almost faint. The thing dey make me weak, but I bone face.

My dresses for wardrobe, cigarette burn everywhere.

The finest ones, na there e aim. If you see the holes, you go pity me.

Anytime I look up in shock, na Tobi Adeyemi evil smile I go see.

E go stand for corner, dey cross hand, dey look me with bad eye.

He mouth me: [Amara Adeyemi, you deserve am.]

Him lips dey move, but sound no dey come out. Only me dey understand.

Tobi Adeyemi think say I go cry.

Na him dey wait for tears. E dey expect make I kneel beg.

But I just pour away the thumbtacks, throw the spider for dustbin, fold the burnt dress, keep am.

I remember my mama prayer: "No weapon formed against you go prosper." I just clean mouth, bone face. I no even let e see any weakness. Na so e begin tire, dey confuse.

So, Tobi Adeyemi smile begin fade.

E dey try act hard, but the thing dey pain am for inside.

He dey look me, almost bite tongue: "Make I see how long you go fit dey pretend."

Na challenge e give me. But my mind strong.

……

But this time, even as I dey bear Tobi Adeyemi wahala, all the Adeyemi family resources na my own.

I dey use the soft life enjoy small. Na only Tobi dey vex. The rest no send.

I no need go school for day then come help my adoptive mama for night again.

Na so I get time to read, to sleep, to think about my own life.

Instead, house help dey care for me, driver dey carry me, my own na to focus on my book.

Na so my grades dey fly. Teachers dey hail me.

Last life, if I wan buy extra textbook, I go save for months, dey hide from my adoptive papa wey fit use my money buy drink or gamble.

This time, I fit walk into any bookshop, buy anything I want. I dey even dash Halima textbook.

But now, my wardrobe full of designer dress, my jewelry box na gold and diamond, all from Mama Adeyemi—no need spend my own money.

Even the ones I no wear, I dey dash house help. Dem dey thank me, dey pray for me.

Every month, I dey collect fifty thousand naira cash for pocket, and one debit card wey get hundred thousand naira limit. If I finish am, I just tell butler, in thirty minutes, dem go refill am.

Na only for magazine I dey see this kind life before. Now, na my portion.

The hard life wey I suffer last time, na Chisom Okonkwo dey bear am now.

E dey pain me small, but na so life turn. Person no fit get everything.

I dey see am dey sleep for class, because she dey help her adoptive mama for night, no dey rest at all.

Her face dey dull, she dey yawn, dey struggle to keep eye open.

She stop to dey do homework, dey submit empty paper.

Her grades dey fall. Teachers dey complain. Some dey ask if she sick.

Last life, na black coffee I dey use survive, if sleep wan catch me, I go use compass dey pinch myself, anything to read book.

My palm still get small scars. Na only person wey no wan give up fit understand.

But Chisom, as she don live soft life before, she no get that kind drive, she no even care about school.

Her body no fit adapt to suffering again. Mind no dey strong.

To her, to become Adeyemi family fiancée better pass to enter UNILAG or UI.

As long as Tobi dey her side, school no mean anything.

So, all her energy dey go on top how to make Tobi Adeyemi like her.

She dey buy perfume, dey borrow clothes, dey form gentle girl. Everything na for Tobi.

She no dey listen for math class, dey write diary for Tobi Adeyemi.

Her notebook full of love letter. Teacher fit catch am anytime.

She dey dodge dance rehearsal, dey sneak out go look stars with Tobi Adeyemi for night.

Even the security man don dey notice say two shadow dey waka up and down for school field.

At the end, just before dance performance…

Her face swollen, she dey try hide am. I fit see say her heart dey break.

She dey outside rehearsal room, dey cry.

Na that her signature cry. She go bite finger, look up, tears go roll slow, like say na movie.

I sure say Chisom don study how main character dey cry for idol drama: she go look up small, tears go full her eye but she no go let am drop.

Her acting don strong, she fit win AMVCA award.

As expected, Tobi Adeyemi see am.

E dey always waka that time, dey find who to help.

Once he ask her wetin happen, her tears finally drop.

She grab am, her voice dey shake. E resemble how pikin dey run to mama after teacher flog am.

She rush enter Tobi Adeyemi arms, dey sob.

She bury face for him chest. Tobi dey pat her back, dey ask questions.

"Tobi, I miss my chance to perform."

Her voice dey break. Audience for their mind go wan hug am.

"All the girls for class fit perform—na only Amara say make I no join…"

She dey point finger, her eye dey red. Some people dey peep from window.

Tobi Adeyemi already hate me, so he vex instantly.

E no need reason am, just anger fill him face.

"Why?"

E voice sharp, e face strong. E dey ready to fight for her.

Chisom bite her lip, dey try hold tears, but tears no gree stop.

She look ground, her hand dey shake.

"She talk say my mama na cleaner, my papa na security."

She drop the words slow, like say dem heavy.

"Say I no even get money buy costume, say I no deserve go stage."

If na old women dey, dem go say, "Chai! Wickedness dey this world."

Tobi Adeyemi face just dey dark.

E fit squeeze palm, knuckle dey show.

He look at the crying Chisom, talk low: "Na just costume? I go buy am for you."

E voice gentle, e try calm her. Others dey look with envy.

Chisom shake head, act like innocent flower: "No, one costume na eight thousand naira. I no fit collect that kind expensive gift from you."

She dey play humble card. Na her way.

Tobi Adeyemi vex and pity her join.

He no fit understand why people dey wicked like this.

"So na Amara do you like this?"

His brow raise, eye red. Other boys dey nod, dey talk for back.

He just talk am from anger.

E forget say na his own sister. For him mind, justice important pass anything.

Chisom shake head, tears dey drop: "After all, she be your sister, Adeyemi family young madam."

She dey try paint the picture well, make sure Tobi vex reach the bone.

"Your family donate building for school, your papa na honorary director. Even if teachers hear say she dey bully me, who go fit talk…"

Everybody dey listen, na true talk. Rich people hand too long.

Dem no notice say journalist wey come school for interview dey pass.

The man carry small recorder, e ear sharp.

Journalist sense gist, come close, like shark wey smell blood.

You know say for Naija, once journalist smell wahala, dem no dey miss am.

"Bullying? Which kind bullying?"

E voice loud, e dey ready to record evidence.