Chapter 5: No Turning Back

The question choke me. Na question wey get meaning pass the surface. My heart dey race, I dey short of breath. How e go help?

The answer dey my eyes, my body. My lips dey tremble, my heart dey shout.

WhatsApp comments:

[I don tire abeg, make una hurry. I even buy data for this gist. Just kiss her, do am, finish...]

[Small sis no sabi, but cold flower, you no sabi? Stop to dey form innocent! I see as you dey draw her picture up and down—no be say you dey use her dress practice for night? You even wear am sotay e tear.]

[Na small sis first time come meet am—him mind dey happy sotay e no know wetin to do, e dey fear say if e show him real self she go run. Where my squad? Make una gum their mouth with super glue first!]

The WhatsApp crowd dey push story, like market women wey no get patience for queue.

"Amaka, you sure say you see who dey here?" The question hang for air. E dey test my mind, my sense.

I see am clear. Everything clear. My eyes no dey deceive me. My spirit dey reach out.

Na Lanre. No other person fit stand like this, with all him pride and cold face. Na him I dey find since. All the wahala, all the journey bring me come here. I dey ready.

"Amaka, if you provoke me now, no turning back o."

Lanre eyes dey red. Him voice low, but e serious. If I cross this line, e no fit gree turn back.

I bite my lip, I no fit hold myself. Blood taste dey my mouth, I dey shake. I dey beg for touch. "A'brother, you fit help me quick? I no go regret..."

The promise choke me. My eyes dey wet, my body dey tremble. Tears dey drop for my face. E hot, e cold. The tears mix with sweat. I dey lose guard.

Lanre eye don dark, like hunter dey hide for bush. E dey look me with hunger, but e still dey gentle, dey wait make I gree. Him rough finger wipe my tears, then touch my lips, blood stain small. E no even shake. E just wipe the tears away, then e thumb press my lower lip, stain e finger with small blood.

E bend down, lips jam my own. The kiss soft at first, then e deep. My whole world spin. Lanre dey hold me, dey guide me, no rush. The cold smell of shea butter just full everywhere for my head.

The room dey smell of love and peace. The kiss dey sweet, dey cool the fire inside me. Na so fireworks dey burst for my eye. Na real spark, like Christmas night for Lagos, when banger dey fly for sky.

[Cold flower too get skill—a kiss wey get blood and tears.]

[How big bro go wrong? Na love e love small sis too much. Instead make crazy male lead come hurt her, better say e act first, make her wife.]

[Kiss her sotay she faint, make she no ever think of another person.]

The crowd for WhatsApp dey shout, dey cheer. My spirit dey soar. My leg weak, I hold Lanre collar, wrinkle the cloth. The singlet rumple, but I no send. I dey hold am tight, I no wan ever let go.

"A'brother, abeg make we go bed. To stand like this... e dey tire me."

My voice low, but e get hope, get trust. I dey ready, I dey gree—no shame, no fear. For this world, na Lanre be my cool moonlight, the only person wey fit cool my body and calm my soul. Tonight, no shame fit hold me—na only him fit see my real self.