Chapter 4: Family Pressure & Fake Love

Musa see am too, him face just dull.

E face fall like person wey lose bet. "No more disinfectant. I dey go bring another one."

I look the bottle for table—e still full. I wan talk, but Musa don waka go storeroom.

As him waka, e leg dey drag small.

I pick call, vex, voice no sweet: "Wetin?"

For phone, Tunde just dey talk anyhow:

"You chop pepper? No forget say I be your fiancé now. Na so you dey treat your fiancé? If you no calm down, I go report you."

I roll eye, wan break phone for ground.

"..."

Me and Tunde no fit gel. E say I dey too soft, I say e dey too stubborn.

This our engagement na just family wahala—dem wan use am chase Okafor family from Port Harcourt commot for Abuja market.

Me I no fit marry am for real.

But my parents say make I keep am coded.

I dey chop pepper, but no be the one for food. Na wahala dey pepper me.

Anytime I wan see Musa, I dey drive myself—no dey use driver.

As I remember the live comments, say I go lose Musa, Tunde go just carry am...

I just dey vex.

But I swear, Tunde no even like me.

Na just to play along for everybody sake.

We be like plantain and beans—just dey endure.

"Why you dey call me?"

"I get car race tomorrow. Abeg, pretend say you bring flower for me when I finish. I no go give you seat inside car, I no wan make you fear."

Before e finish, I don end call.

I no get time for him drama. To make the engagement look real, we dey always act for public, media dey carry am for head.

I forget say Musa fit know me, but e don sabi my identity.

So for him mind, maybe I be that kind babe wey get man, still dey follow another man?

My chest dey tight. Na that time, Musa come out, and I just wan explain.

Tunde message land:

[Your mama say you dey waka alone, Okafor family people dey look you, abeg no fall hand or I go vex die ahhhhh]

The thing wey I wan talk just hang for my throat.

My mouth dry. I look around sharp.

Musa sit down, ask me soft: "Wetin happen?"

I bite my lip, dey look am like say I dey beg.

Na only him fit understand. Musa check my ear. "E dey pain?"

No be say e pain like that.

But I nod.

That feeling of no fit talk... e choke.

"Make I do am gentle."

From there, Musa just dey handle me soft soft.

E use cotton wool, touch my skin gentle like say e dey touch pikin. From corner eye, I see as e wan blow my ear, but e just hold back, my mind just dey scatter.

"Musa."

He look up: "Hm?"

"Nothing, I just wan call your name."

My voice just dey tremble, but I no care. Musa just breathe out, heavy.

Him chest rise.

The air for the shop just heavy, like say rain wan fall.

E quickly put the jewelry, avoid my eye, dey arrange tools.

"Okay, abeg, as you dey go house, careful. No let water touch am, no smoke, no drink, no chop pepper or oily food till e heal."

He pause, like say e remember something.

"No let am swell again, abeg."

"If you get wahala, message me."

E no look my face, just dey pack things. Musa bring out him phone WhatsApp QR code, eye just dey shake small.

Before e change mind, I rush scan am, add am as friend.

To explain for WhatsApp sef dey sweet me, hehe.

My mood just clear.

Na as if fresh breeze blow away my wahala.

"Okay, I dey go."

"Mm, take care."

As I comot, I see live comments:

[Musa heart just dey break, e go sit for storeroom alone, no wan hear anything.]

[He don try convince himself to leave her, but as she just call him name, all him feelings burst out again, LOL.]

[Musa no even know say the engagement na fake. If babe just talk small, e go gree be side guy sharp sharp.]

[No be small thing, our loyal bad boy just dey humble—na him own inferiority be him dowry.]