Chapter 7: The Cost of Comfort

I think say Tanira go happy.

For my mind, na big thing. She suppose hug me, smile, thank me.

But instead, her eye just full tears.

Her face just dey break. She dey cry, her voice dey shake.

"Brother Seyi, you fit give all your property to Morayo, but for me, only 20%..."

She dey count with finger, like say e dey pain her.

"Na so you see me finish?"

She look me straight. Her face dey hard. I no expect this side.

"You think say na money dey my mind? You know say I dey simple, I no dey look that side..."

She dey defend herself, dey beg make I understand her true mind.

"Wetin I dey reason na, between me and Morayo, who important pass for your mind."

She dey look me, wait for answer.

Hiss...

I just take small breath. I dey confused. I dey reason say, 'How woman dey think like this?'

I just take small breath. I no think am reach there.

I dey stuck—no idea wetin go make her happy.

"Tanira, no be like that. Even if I give you 20%, when company go public, your 20% go pass wetin Morayo get."

I try explain, use logic, but her mind no dey that side.

"No, I no care about amount—na who important pass for your mind..."

She repeat am. I dey see tears for her eye. She dey serious.

Her answer give me headache.

I dey rub forehead. This matter don dey pass my hand.

But I understand her.

Na emotion dey drive her. Woman heart, e deep.

For a while, I no know wetin to do.

I dey look window, dey wait for idea.

"Brother Seyi, since you dey reason am like this, abeg, make we just remove the belle..."

Her voice low. She dey beg. I dey fear now.

"No worry, after abortion, I go give you 100% healthy pikin."

She dey talk like say e easy. I dey feel cold.

"Even if you no love me reach Morayo, I go still love you."

She dey confess her mind. Her voice soft, but pain dey inside.

"I talk am before, I love you for you, not for your money."

She dey beg make I see her pure heart. Her tears dey rush.

As I see Tanira clear eye, my old face shame catch me.

I dey look ground. My mind dey judge me.

This kind pure girl rare.

Na real gift. I dey fear say I go lose am.

She carry my pikin, but I dey reason small shares—I no try at all.

I dey blame myself. I dey promise say I go do better.

As I think am, I strong my mind, raise four fingers: "Tanira, 40%. I go give you 40%, okay?"

I dey use my last card. I dey hope say this one go solve am.

Tanira just smile small: "Brother Seyi, you don explain shares and company tire, but I still no understand. All those things dey like breeze for me."

She talk am, dey laugh small. Her laugh no get joy.

"To talk true, sometimes I dey envy Morayo. You give her all the cash and property, show say she mean pass for you."

She dey open up. Her voice dey low.

"And me, na only paper shares..."

She dey shake head. I dey feel small shame.

As I hear am, I bring out bank card: "I really no get cash again, na only this card remain. I go give you now—e go make you happy?"

I try smile, but my mind dey worry. I wan do anything make her smile.

Tanira shake head, smile small: "Brother Seyi, you know how Morayo words pain me that day? She talk say the house na only her own, I no get right to enjoy, she even call police pursue me..."

She dey look me with small pain. That shame still dey her heart.

"I no really care about house, but the shame that day—I really feel bad..."

Her voice dey break. I dey see the wound inside her.

I blame myself inside.

I dey reason say na my fault. I no think am well. I dey promise myself say I go fix am.

That day, I rush sign agreement, forget this side.

I dey remember how I no reason the emotional part. Na just logic I follow.

Tanira na small girl, just early twenties.

She never see life. She dey carry hope, dey trust me. Now, shame don enter her heart.

To get that kind shame from Morayo about house—no wonder she dey reason am.

She dey protect herself. She dey fear future.

But me sef dey tight.

Shares never turn cash. House na property. I dey stuck between tradition and reality.

Company never list, shares no be cash, I no fit give her house.

No money to build new one, no property for my name for now.

Then, idea enter my mind.

Na now my brain clear. I dey reason family house.

"Tanira, how you see am—I go give you my papa and mama house, okay?"

I look her, smile. I wan show her say I dey serious.

"E go make you happy?"

I dey beg her with my eye. I dey show say I go any length.

Tanira look me surprise: "How now? Na your parents’ house—how I go collect am..."

She dey fear say e no right. She dey humble.

I wave am off: "No wahala. Wetin be theirs, na mine. No problem."

I dey talk big, dey assure her say nothing dey happen.

To clear her mind, I no let her refuse—carry her go papa and mama house.

I grab car key, call her. 'No argue, just follow me.'

Inside, I call my parents, explain.

I dey beg, I dey talk am soft. My mama dey shake head, my papa dey frown.

As dem hear say I wan give house, their face change.

My papa dey look ground, my mama dey fan herself hard. I dey feel their pain.

But as I talk say Tanira wan remove belle, after small wahala, dem gree.

At first dem refuse, but as I tell them say na only this go make Tanira happy, dem reason am.

"Sigh, just give her."

My papa wave hand, look sky. My mama dey wipe eye.

"She go give us grandson anyway."

My mama dey try smile, dey touch Tanira hand.

"Once woman born, her mind go calm—she no go get any other plan."

She dey talk from experience. My papa dey nod.

"By then, even if house dey her name, e still belong to Seyi family."

My papa dey comfort himself, dey laugh small. I dey thank God say wahala no too much.

My mama dey talk, dey try console herself.

She dey look window, dey say prayer for herself, dey hope say Tanira go be good wife.

My papa nod, gree with pain.

He squeeze my hand, tell me say, 'Seyi, na only you I get.'

Last last, as I insist, Tanira collect house.

We write paper, lawyer sign. I give her key. She dey cry, dey thank me. My parents dey look, dey try smile.

Of course, the 40% company shares and bank card I promise, I give her too.

I hand her card, she dey shake, dey smile. I dey see hope dey return for her face.

My mama dey right—once woman born, her mind dey house.

She dey focus on pikin and home. I dey rest.

So, no matter how much I give her, e still be my own.

Na only woman wey get pikin go hold house well. I dey comfort myself say nothing spoil.

Since e no be loss, instead make she dey vex, better to make her happy once.

I dey calculate—make everybody rest, make peace dey.

True true, after she collect everything, Tanira come lively again.

Her face dey glow, she dey cook, dey sing. My mind dey calm.

As I see her dey happy, my mind dey sweet me.

Na so I dey thank God. I dey feel like champion.

Everything set now—just dey wait pikin.

Nothing fit stop me now. Na so I dey plan big.

If all go as plan, company go enter stock market before she born.

Na double blessing for me.

I dey see my life dey turn for better.