Chapter 5: Wet Soap and Old Regret

After I dress finish, I lie down inside bathtub.

Hot water dey wrap my body, the smell of Dettol and old memories dey rise together.

Today, dem just deliver Musa property to me.

Just one hour ago, I still dey his grave.

But now, just wall dey separate us, and his voice clear like say e dey beside me.

"Ifeoma, wetin dey worry your fiancé sef?"

"I see the message wey dem send you. No be today e start, abi?"

"And that guy face..."

The thing I dey run from, na him he bring up again.

True.

Na no be the first time Tobi secretary dey send me this kind photo.

But so what?

I no send.

"Six years ago, my mama remarry one big man."

"Na business marriage, you understand? You just be coincidence, no dey carry yourself."

Musa probably no understand.

He quiet.

Only footsteps, soft and slow, from parlour reach bathroom.

Remembering his wall-waka just now, I frown, ask, "Musa, you wan peep me for bathroom?"

No answer, only tall shadow for glass door.

Since when ghost dey cast shadow? Abi na NEPA dey play with my eye?

I wonder, stand up, wear bathrobe.

But na Tobi I see as I open door—not Musa. Meanwhile, by now, e suppose dey hotel with secretary.

He hold one photo from Musa things, dey look me with one kind dark eye.

"I sick, you bring me medicine. I get date, you bring me condom inside rain. You dey follow me for six years, all because of this face?"

"Musa? Na the name wey dey your mouth every time you drunk."

Tobi words make my chest lock like padlock wey key loss.

I look instinctively at Musa, wey dey float come out from study.

But Tobi never finish.

He raise eyebrow, smile, talk anyhow.

"Where the person dey hide? Make e come out make I see am."

Tobi voice dey carry that Lagos boy pride, like person wey no dey hear 'no'. He fit dey suspect say na another man I dey hide. For my mind, I dey pray make Musa no decide show face for person wey no fit see spirit, before wahala go double. The air for bathroom just tight, e get that scent of wet soap and old regret. Outside, thunder threaten, but inside my chest, na bigger storm dey build.