Chapter 7: Bayo’s Final Move

"Sade, no do yourself like this," Bayo waka come, gently collect phone, lock am for fridge. "Nobody fit force you—not even yourself."

He do am sharp, no warning. The fridge na black, e get code. Sade shock, her mouth open. Everybody gasp.

"Bayo..."

Her voice soft. E be like say na only Bayo fit talk to her. She dey melt.

"Sade, I wan talk."

Bayo eye her, voice calm. The whole room dey quiet. Na like say director call "action" for final scene.

He bring out white flower from sleeve.

E do am like magician. Na real lily, e fresh. Some girls dey awe. Sade dey surprise.

"Sade, that year for school, your birthday, you want lily. I broke, I no fit buy anything. I think say na luck—you no complain. But now I know, na because... you too good."

E dey talk slow, emotion full voice. Sade dey blush, eye dey wet. Na old love matter dem dey dig.

Sade just dey look am, shock.

She cover mouth, shake head. Her friends dey sigh, dey squeeze hand. Drama dey sweet them.

"Sade, you remember before graduation, you talk say you go wait make I marry you? That day, e be like say chain saw cut my chest, pain reach everywhere. After that day, I no chop, I no sleep for seven days. I lose plenty weight. Na death I near before I find energy: I must hustle, make money, ride cloud come marry you."

He dey cry small, voice dey tremble. Some people dey wipe eye, even Sade dey sniff. Na real Nollywood moment.

Me sef shock.

I dey look Bayo, I dey look Sade. Na like say I no dey the room again. E dey pain me, e dey sweet me. My own wife, another man dey toast her for my front.

The fridge na just for drink—black metal box with tinted glass door. I fit see phone screen dey flash inside, but no sound.

I dey curse my luck. If to say I reach fridge before Bayo, maybe I for don end this matter.

"Sade, even as you marry, I don decide. I go ignore world talk, face wahala. I want you know: I get everything now. Even this lounge na my own. I don come back."

E yarn am with pride. Some people clap, some dey blow kiss. Na wah!

Sade burst cry.

She cry, tears full face. Her friends gather her, dey pat back. The thing dey pain me, but my mind dey with my mama.

Truth be say, if Bayo talk this kind thing give me, I fit cry too.

If na me, tears go drop. The thing touch person. But na wrong time, wrong place. My mind dey hospital.

But those tears suppose dey for hospital.

Na so I dey reason. Sade mama dey fight for life, but na here she dey shed tears for old flame. My mind dey break.

"Bayo, I don marry. Why you dey stress?"

Sade voice low, e weak. She dey try form loyal, but the crowd dey push am.

"Sade, I just wan make you know—I never forget wetin you tell me, and I don do am."

Bayo dey press, e voice gentle. E dey try win am back.

"Bayo, e too late."

She try end am, but crowd dey "awwwn." Na drama dey reign here.

"Sade, best time to plant tree na ten years ago. Second best na now."

Everybody shout "Awww!" Sade cover face, dey sob. Some dey hug, others dey video. Na show.

"Bayo."

"Sade."

"Bayo."

"Sade."

"Bayo—"

Na so dem dey do call and response. The thing dey pain me. I dey burn inside.