Chapter 3: Ibadan Sun, Jealous Hearts

Chinedu dey follow Okoli Yanli waka for Ibadan, the load for him shoulder dey heavy, him dey regret say no be Chijioke come instead:

For Ibadan sun, Chinedu dey sweat, carry big nylon bag, dey follow Yanli like loyal dog. Ibadan sun dey burn like pepper, okada horn dey shout for every corner. He dey mutter for mouth, 'Chai, this Lagos sun different o.'

"The fan for here fine o. Make we buy thirty-six give all the academy teachers and classmates."

Chinedu dey always like to dey do mathematics. E dey chop Yanli money well.

Chinedu quick count, e no add up:

He count with finger, frown, 'Oga, na thirty-seven, not thirty-six.'

"Academy get thirty-seven teachers and classmates. Why buy thirty-six?"

Okoli Yanli use fan knock Chinedu head:

He playfully knock am, 'You no dey hear word? Always dey run mouth.'

"You dey craze? You wan give one to that Oko boy too?"

The name 'Oko boy' hang for air. Chinedu just press mouth, no talk.

Chinedu just dey follow, e no understand oga. Before, two of them dey play well.

E remember when dem dey play draft together. That time, everything soft. Oga dey laugh, no get wahala. Chinedu dey miss am.

When dem first start school, teacher dey hail oga say he get sense, fit read family book once, no dey forget. Nobody for school fit beat am.

Oga dey always dey first. Even for inter-house sports, him dey win relay. Oko Chijioke dey always look up to am.

Of course, that time, Young Master Oko no fit beat am too.

Competition dey, but na friendly one. Oga go dey boast, 'Na me be number one.'

Oga go lie down for city babe lap, dey drink, dey happy:

Sometimes, oga dey do as if city babes dey worship am. E dey do big boy, dey show muscle.

"Oko Chijioke fine and get sense, but e jam me. Sigh, poor boy wey just sabi book no get future."

E talk am with pride, but small jealousy dey the voice. Everybody dey know.

But later, that Oko Chijioke wey dey read hard, come pass am.

Wahala start that time. Competition turn to rivalry. E dey pain Yanli small, but pride no gree talk.

Oga no too happy again.

Oga begin dey keep face. When people mention Oko Chijioke, he go just change topic.

But oga too get sense, sabi trick.

Oga sabi use brain well. If you no wise, e go run you street.

When Lilian come, oga get plan sharp sharp.

He dey always dey plan how to win. He see say Lilian dey hard, so e plan new test for her.

He tell Lilian make cake and moi-moi, say na for academy night food.

Na so Lilian rush go market, buy beans, rice, sweat tire. E think say oga wan do surprise for am.

Lilian think say Young Master Okoli dey value her.

She dey smile, dey sing for kitchen, dey arrange things well. Chijioke dey look her, dey shake head.

She happy, no even ask servant help, wash three mudus honey date, ten mudus rice, dey watch fire for two night, wrap am for fresh banana leaf, carry am go herself under hot sun.

Her hand dey pain her, but hope dey inside her mind. She dey pray say oga go appreciate her.

Oga no even send for sweet things; he just wan use am do yeye for Oko Chijioke.

E plan am sharp. Na to show Oko Chijioke say e sabi woman pass.

As Lilian bring am, oga just throway am for her front.

He no even look her eye. Just talk, 'Drop am for ground.' The thing pain her well.

He think say Oko Chijioke poor, he go pick am chop.

E dey reason say Oko go rush chop like beggar. But Oko get pride too.

But before Oko Chijioke come, Lilian don vex dey cry.

Lilian dey wipe tears, dey wonder why life hard like this. Even breeze wey dey blow no fit cool her body.

Na Oko Chijioke no fit hold am, pick the moi-moi, clean banana leaf, chop am:

Oko look her, smile, clean banana leaf well, chop, nod. 'E sweet,' he talk am with meaning.

"E sweet well."

His voice gentle, e dey comfort her. Even Lilian dry small tears.

Lilian just smile inside tears, small shame catch am:

She dey hide face, but joy dey inside her. She try form strong, but her voice dey tremble.

"I pick those honey dates one by one, remove all the seed."

She dey proud of her handiwork, but pain still dey. Oko smile back, 'You too much.'

As two of them dey smile, oga feel like say date seed dey block him chest, e dey pain am.

He just dey cough, dey try hide face. For him mind, he no fit talk say jealousy dey worry am.

But as teacher yarn say make friends, he still invite Oko Chijioke enter boat go listen music.

Teacher force am, say, 'Oya, make peace, una be brothers.' Yanli squeeze face, but no fit argue.

Oko Chijioke just look city babe, step back, bow small:

Oko do small bow, show respect. City babe dey smile, dey form gentle.

"Oko don engage already."

He talk am, voice clear. People surprise, whisper dey go round.

City babe come sigh: 'To see gold easy, to see true love hard.'

Everybody pause. For Naija, true love na big something. City babe just dey shake head, dey look Oko with pity.

Remembering this, Okoli Yanli bite teeth, hiss:

As Yanli dey remember, him vex dey show for face. He no fit hide am.

"Oko family poor, dey stingy. Their fiancée go run commot the night she marry enter. Who marry that mumu Oko go suffer. E never even hold woman hand before. How he wan take pamper woman?"

He dey yarn for Chinedu, but na himself him dey console. Chinedu just dey look am, dey nod.

As he dey think of Oko Chijioke dry ways—and all the things oga buy for Lilian. The wine na at least twenty years, wedding dress na Ibadan embroidery, bridal keke ten craftsmen rush am. Even if na angel from heaven, e no go reach this one.

Yanli dey boast, dey count all the money e don spend. Chinedu dey help am count, dey hype am more.

Chinedu quick praise am:

'Na so, oga! You try well well.'

"Who marry enter Oko family na widow be dat. Oga na the one wey sabi love, if not, why Lilian go suffer save money to marry you? Before Oko family get money marry, your pikin with Lilian go don dey buy groundnut for street."

Chinedu voice dey loud, everybody for shop dey hear am. Dem dey laugh, dey hail Yanli.

Oga happy as Chinedu talk, close him fan, but form like say e dey worry:

He smile, but try hide am, form say e no too send. But inside, ego dey sweet am.

"I no too wan marry, but as I see say she dey serious, I go just do am. Once she enter, I go calm her, she go dey loyal."

Oga dey plan how to control Lilian. Chinedu dey laugh, 'Oga, you wise!'

Chinedu ask:

'But oga, that time wey you send me to go collect money from Lilian, you no fear she go vex run?' He dey reason am.

"But why oga send me go collect Lilian money ten days ago? You no fear say she no go marry again?"

Yanli stretch leg, lean back, shake head. 'She no get choice,' he talk.

Okoli Yanli smile small:

He do corner smile. Even toothpick for him mouth dey shake.

"Her aunty no go keep her as extra mouth. She no get where to go. If she no marry me, who she wan marry?"

He dey sure for himself. Chinedu dey nod, dey tap leg for ground.

Chinedu reason am, agree say oga get sense.

He no argue. Na so dem dey reason for Naija—who get hand, get voice.

The goldsmith shop manager next door see Okoli Yanli dey spend, come advertise:

Goldsmith uncle waka come, face full of smile. 'Oga, come patronise us na! Our gold dey shine, your wife go fine like queen.'

"Oga, come check our shop. Buy five gold set for your wife—the work fine well."

The gold glint under sun. Yanli dey tempted. Chinedu dey press hand, 'Oga, buy am for madam, she go respect you forever.'

As goldsmith dey knock, he look up see for the iroko rack…

The breeze blow, bell dey ring for distance, like say spirit dey call for better ending. Even for Ibadan market, story dey continue. Everybody dey wait for how Lilian journey go finish, whether na Oko or Okoli house she go finally call home. But for this Naija, even the gods dey watch—who sabi endure, who go win love, and who go chop last.