Chapter 4: Confrontations

He blow alcohol for my face, eyes red, dey look me. “Ifeanyi, I tell you say make you go?” The smell enter my nose, e nearly make me cough. I just bone face, no talk.

Private room scatter with laughter again. Everybody dey look us like say na Nollywood film dey happen.

I look am back, my own vex dey rise. My palm dey sweaty, heart dey pound like generator. “Abeg, na you go tell me when to go?” I talk am calm, my voice no shake. For inside, my hand dey ball into fist.

Tunde eyes open, mouth hang. E shock say I fit talk to am like that. Na the first time I show say I fit get mouth too.

As e see my own no send, Tunde push my shoulder, shout, “Ifeanyi, you dey craze? If you no explain, no try leave this room.” The push no heavy, but na the insult dey pain pass. Cutlery clatter for table as people shift, tension dey hang for air.

Before e finish, seven, eight big men rush enter hotel. All of dem wear Palm Grove Holdings badge. Their face hard, dem chest big, e clear say na bouncers.

So na dem get hotel too. The power dey their side. I dey calculate my next move.

Halima, the study group member, see say wahala wan burst, rush beg, “Abeg, we be classmates. No let small drink spoil everywhere.” She stand between us, her voice dey shake. For her face, you go see say she dey fear but still try make peace. She whisper small, “God no go shame us,” as she throw me one worried glance.

I know say she just dey try help, but I no get time to waste. My phone dey vibrate for pocket, my real meeting dey call.

“Sorry, Tunde, na true I get urgent matter. You don drink reach, abeg slow down. If una feel say I spoil mood, I go drink this cup of tea as apology. Abeg, manage am.” I pick tea cup, e hot small, my hand dey tremble, but I steady myself. My plan na to settle matter and escape.

I carry full cup of tea, wan drink am. My heart dey beat, but I gats keep cool face for them.

Before I sip, Tunde knock the cup comot for my hand. The tea pour for ground, glass scatter. Some people jump, others laugh.

“Ifeanyi, you dey form big man because you be civil servant? I no go take am this time. Wetin fit dey important for clerk like you?” As e talk am, people dey nod like say na truth.

Some people fear say fight fit start, rush try settle. One waiter dey beg, another dey pack broken glass. Security dey eye everybody, dey reason who go first throw punch.

Musa, class prefect padi, come too. “Ifeanyi, na you wrong this time. Just beg Tunde, make everywhere cool. No let everybody vex.” Musa voice low, but e dey squeeze my arm, like say e wan use sense drag me bow.

I nearly laugh from vex. So na me wrong now? For my mind, na Naija way—dem go blame victim join wahala.

Tunde no even see my face, still dey flex. “Ifeanyi, you know why better civil servants no dey show for reunion? Dem dey fear make people no dey beg dem for help. You think say you fit flex for my front? No try am.” As e talk, people dey hail am, some dey clap table.

I wan reply when another classmate try cool me. “Forget am, Ifeanyi, just beg Tunde. If you vex am, you fit lose your government job.” The person talk am as if na true power Tunde get.

I hiss. Lose my government job because of Tunde? If dem never high, I for think say dem don craze. As I dey reason am, my phone vibrate again. Time dey go.

I turn, tap the guy back, tell am make e rest. "No vex, abeg. Na only small wahala."

“Tunde, if na because I like your babe before dey worry you, make I clear you: I no send again. Everybody see am—I even forget her name. Since you no gree make I use tea beg, abeg, I fit go?” I talk am straight, no fear, voice steady.