Chapter 3: The Truth Unfolds

Song no mean much to me.

But na me write am. I write am for am.

I plan say I go play am for am when I wan tell am say I like am next week.

Because one time, he talk say: "If person ever write song just for me, e go too romantic." Na that word make my heart dey dance for days.

I hold that word for mind for long, even though I no too sabi compose music.

Just like I no even like music, but I still choose music college because of am. My mama no understand why, but I just tell am say na music dey hungry me.

Even though... I no dey talk.

The tears wey dey my eye finally fall, burn my hand, I just shrink. The thing pain me reach bone.

I look am, shock: "You sabi?"

He talk with vex: "So what if I sabi? Na just song. Aisha, e worth am like that?" His face dey like person wey dem slap yam for head.

"Today competition mean plenty for her. E go affect her scholarship. She dey suffer, she dey try." Tunde voice low, but he no look my face. E dey clear say he no want me challenge the matter.

"You suppose call her out like that, disgrace am?"

"You wan make she no fit show face for school again?"

"You wan make dem dey call her 'song thief' forever?"

I pull him hand, beg: "But na my song. I spend one month write am."

"You know, that time I get malaria, fever reach 39°C, but I still force myself finish am. Na you I write am for." I use sign language talk am, my face red, hand dey shake.

He just wave me off: "Okay, okay, I go tell her make she apologize later. E do?"

"I no want that!" I sign am strong. My hand dey like person wey dey dance bata for stage.

I grab him hand, drag am back.

He try pet me, when I no gree, he shout.

"Aisha, abeg rest! You know say you no dey talk, abi? Even if na you write the song, who go believe say mute person fit write this kind thing?" Tunde look me up and down, as if na stranger stand for him front.

Suddenly, I loose him hand. My finger dey shake, my mind blank.

When Tunde turn to this kind person?

"I believe."

One tall, slim guy waka come, stop for my front. He dress neat, perfume gentle but sharp for my nose.

He look Tunde, then give me one soft smile: "I believe say na you write am." The way he sign, e sure pass as e talk.

Tunde mouth open: "Senior Musa—" For school, Musa na legend, him word dey carry weight pass principal sometimes.

"I sabi sign language. I go help you translate." As he talk, he gently hold my hand, dey lead me go stage. His hand warm, steady.

Tunde just block us: "Senior, you dey mistake. Na Halima song, no be her own."

"Her major na music therapy. She no even sabi compose." Tunde dey talk as if e sure for am, voice dey loud.

"Aisha, abeg stop this wahala. I no suppose shout for you before. Abeg, come back."

"No be that suya spot for Wadata you dey always wan go? I go carry you go now." Tunde dey use old memory drag me back, but my mind don pass suya since.

I tap Musa hand, make he free me.

He look me, frown, like say dey ask if I really wan follow am. Him eyebrow raise, he dey wait my answer.

I no answer, just sign strong for Tunde: "I no dey make noise. If na my song, na my own. If she wan win, make she use her own song."

After I sign finish, I turn drag Musa go stage. My leg dey strong, even though my inside dey shake.

Tunde call me many times, last last shout: "Aisha, if you climb that stage today, no talk to me again!" Him voice loud, other students begin look our side.

Musa grip my hand tight pass before, like say he fear make I run. But na me dey pull am go.

But I no run. My leg strong as I waka reach stage. Stage light dey blind me, but I hold ground.

Na there I notice everybody dey look us. People dey whisper, dey snap us with phone. I fit see lecturers for front row, dey talk low.

Dem give Musa microphone.

"Small wahala just happen now. I think say we suppose pause the award ceremony."

"This student just talk say the first prize song, Halima 'Heartlight', na her own dem thief am."

Everywhere scatter. Whisper, shock, wahala everywhere.

"How e go be? Senior Halima na best for composition department. She no fit thief song."

"True, Senior Halima dey proofread that day. I see am. Na this same song."

"And just now, Senior Halima talk say na person wey she like she write this song for."

"How e go be thief? Abi na the person wey she like dem thief too?" One voice from back add, crowd begin murmur.

Halima suddenly tap microphone begin cry to Musa: "Senior Musa, I know say you popular, but you no suppose run me down just because you feel my song beta pass your own." Her voice break, she wipe eye, na real performance.

Musa just give small sneer, him deep voice just dey ring for my ear.

Funny enough, e come dey make sense for my eye. Even as wahala dey, my heart dey beat say maybe truth go fit show.