Chapter 9: Rain and Regret

Second son for Adeyemi family don single again.

Na headline for local gist. Everybody dey talk. Some dey use my name cook gist for parlour.

All the rich boys gather for karaoke lounge, dey drink anyhow.

Men full everywhere, bottle full table, smoke dey rise. Dem dey show teeth, dey yabb.

Dem just collapse for sofa.

Music dey background, one dey shout for mic, another dey dance as if e dey do audition for Nollywood.

Nobody sabi time when one person waka bring out phone.

Na gist go scatter peace. Dem always dey ready for news.

“Wetin dey! Gist dey oo!”

Everybody raise head. Na big matter.

That shout wake some people.

One boy drop bottle, another adjust cap. Dem ready.

“That oga for Sani family show face for Makurdi!”

Na shock. Dem dey look each other. Some dey doubt.

“And he rush come back with private jet this night!”

Na big man talk. Private jet no be small pikin matter.

One just wave hand, half sleep:

“Lie. Dem talk say he dey abroad dey treat himself. Never see am for ten years.”

Na so Naija rumor dey fly. Person fit dey for Abuja, gist go say e dey Canada.

“Na true, e dey trend for Facebook.”

Social media dey scatter everything. Dem pass phone round.

Phone dey pass hand to hand.

Na like evidence. Everybody dey zoom, dey check.

Room wey quiet before don hot.

People dey shout. Some dey call girlfriend, some dey record voice note.

“Na true, and he even carry one girl, talk say he rush come carry her go abroad.”

Another angle. Everybody dey speculate. Some dey jealous.

“Tsk, PR no even get time to respond. See as e urgent.”

E mean say matter big. Even media no fit contain am.

“Make I see, make I see.”

One dey drag phone. Na fight small remain.

“Tsk, this girl... why she resemble somebody...”

Face dey familiar. People dey guess.

“Brother Wale, Brother Wale!”

One tap Olawale. Him face dey cloud. He dey lost in thought.

One push Olawale. “See the girl wey Sani carry. No be aunty?”

Dem dey use style yab am. Everybody dey look Olawale.

Olawale don already wake before.

But he no too like Sani family wahala.

He no dey like make another person get upper hand for gist.

“How e go be your aunty.”

He dey try deny, but him eye dey betray am.

He collect phone, vex. “Your aunty no fit even comot Makurdi, talk less of abroad...”

He dey talk tough, but as him eye dey focus, him hand dey shake.

But as he look the picture once, he freeze.

Na so everything still. Silence full room.

Rain dey pour for airport.

Na heavy rain, as if sky dey pour blessing for another person head.

Under black umbrella, the man tall, face cold.

Face dey sharp, eye dey serious. The kain man wey fit command respect for boardroom.

He cover the girl for him hand well.

Na protection. The kain love wey dey show without word. Olawale dey notice every detail.

But Olawale know Ozioma shape and hair colour too well...

You fit hide from world, but no fit hide from person wey sabi you from pikin. E pain am.

No possible.

Olawale hand dey sweat. The world just shift. E dey see double.

Olawale throw the phone for ground.

Anger choke am. E pain pass insult. Phone scatter, screen break.

How Ozi Ozi go sabi person like Femi Sani?

The question dey bite am. Jealousy dey burn. E dey imagine wetin him miss.

Tonight she even invite am come her house.

E dey remember her text, her call. E dey pain am say he no dey there.

She never see am for one month, she miss am die.

Olawale dey realize too late. Sometimes, na when river dry, person dey value water.

Olawale bring out cigarette.

He dey shake. The lighter dey fall for ground. He still light am.

Light am.

Drag long, puff deep. E dey try clear head, but e no work.

Bring out him own phone.

E dey scroll contact list. My number still dey under "Ozi Love."

Scroll reach Ozioma number, just wan dial.

His finger dey shake. Hope dey his chest.

See the time.

3:00am. Night long, hope thin.

Three for morning.

For Lagos, na only trouble dey waka that hour. But Olawale still try.

Forget am. This time, she dey sleep.

He drop phone, but hand dey hover. Old habit hard to die.

But—

For inside him chest, small hope still dey. He wan try again.

No matter the time, Ozi Ozi dey always pick him call.

He dey believe say she go answer. He dey believe old love fit still work.

Olawale light phone again.

Final try. Na now or never.

Dial.

Ringtone dey long. The world dey hold breath.

“Sorry, the number wey you dial no dey available.”

Na so silence enter. Rain still dey fall. For the first time, Olawale know wetin loss mean for true. The world just quiet, only him dey hear him own heartbeat. For this Naija night, hope lock gate.

For Lagos, rain fit wash gutter clean, but e no fit wash pain from heart.