Chapter 4: Hiding from the Peacock

For the months wey follow—Time dey waka slow, but wahala still dey. My senior sister dey watch me like hawk, no gree make I near Okonkwo Ifeanyi lane.

My senior sister carry me waka everywhere, dodge any place wey Okonkwo Ifeanyi fit show face. Even market, she dey follow me, dey check corner, dey ask, "You see that guy shadow?" If yes, na u-turn be that.

She too dey careful. Dem say person wey snake bite before dey fear earthworm.

Okonkwo Ifeanyi and me, na heaven and earth difference. No be today e start. Him own level, my own level—dem far like Oshodi and Banana Island.

Okonkwo family young master—na government pikin, close to local chief, real big man. Dem dey respect am for mosque and church. Even Alhaji and Chief dey greet am.

Me? Just half-legitimate daughter for the Adeyemi family, face ordinary, I like food, I lazy join. Dem dey call me food ambassador—anywhere better chop dey, you go see me.

For party before, if we jam—

I dey always be the main person, I dey one corner, him no even send me. He dey shine for centre, I dey drag jollof for back. E never greet me, even when my shoe cut for corridor.

Plus—Na seven years, Okonkwo Ifeanyi don show say he no even like me. Seven years na long time, ehn. Na so e dey. No love, no wahala.

Even if we jam, wetin go happen? My mind no even dey go that side again. E dey pain but I don move.

My senior sister talk with meaning, "You still small, you no understand." Her eye dey sharp, she dey talk like person wey know future.

"Even if he no like you, e no stop am to dey sleep with you for seven years."

The way she talk am, my skin crawl. E pain her for chest. Her nose flare, the way she dey vex for Okonkwo Ifeanyi clear die.

She dey look me, dey pity me, like say I be chicken wey dem go roast.

"If he self don come back from another life, who know if he go come find you again."

Her voice low, like person wey dey pray inside mosque. That kain fear no be here.

But to come back no be like say you go buy extra meat for market—no be everybody get that luck. Life no be magic, abeg. No be everybody get second chance.

I just wave her worry. "Abeg, Morayo, leave that thing. Make I chop my suya in peace."

On top road, we jam some big girls wey I no too gel with. Those kain girls, their nails long, their perfume strong. Dem dey always look person from head reach shoe.

My senior sister just dey smile, dey greet everybody. Her voice dey sweet like agege bread. She dey package, dey shine teeth.

When those girls waka, she sigh, "All these women, na only dream dem get, but dem still dey suffer."

She dey pity them small, even though she sef dey hustle for love.

But when she hear say Okonkwo family cousin send their daughter come city, her face change. You go know say wahala dey when Morayo face shift like that. She close her bag, adjust scarf.

That family branch dey far for Makurdi, them don poor well. As their skin thick, dem send their pikin come city, hope say she go marry well. Na hustle, but nobody fit blame them. Na so e be for this life.

The girl, Amaka, look gentle and weak, but her back straight, dey make person pity am. Her eye big, she dey wear wrapper well, her voice low, but if you look well, na lion dey hide for sheep body.

Okonkwo Ifeanyi mama get soft heart, she carry am put for house. She dey act like Mama Charity. Any small thing, she go call "my pikin." Amaka begin dey glow small small.

My senior sister just roll eye, no talk anything. Me self no too send to ask more.

I just dey chop chin-chin, my mind far. If person no ask me, I no go talk.

Dry season still dey, everywhere fine. Sun dey burn, but breeze dey cool. Compound neat, trees dey wave. Good days just dey fly pass.

Before I know, the day wey my senior sister dey fear reach—

I for no even remember, na Morayo dey count date for calendar.

Na Mama Chief birthday party. Na big event—caterer come, musicians dey play. Even old men wear their best agbada. Everybody gree say na better woman. Jollof rice dey smell everywhere, fried plantain full plate.

Dem tie ribbon for my waist, my senior sister hold the other end tight. She dey shine eye like bodyguard. She no wan take chance at all. She dey watch sand clock, dey count when I suppose jam Okonkwo Ifeanyi for last life.

I dey sweat, she dey whisper prayer, dey check time. My mind dey fly.

After some time, she breathe out. She smile, say, "E be like say trouble don pass."

E be like the main wahala don pass. My mind just relax small, I fit breathe.

I fit relax small. I untie my shoe, flex leg. Ribbon commot from my waist, I dey smile.

Dem untie the ribbon for my waist. My sister wipe sweat from forehead, dey thank God for mind.

I go toilet, but as I turn corner, I jam person.

Na small space, I dey hurry. Before I fit sidestep, my body jam body. My heart beat fast.

One guy wey fine like gold—if you see am, e go make you forget yourself. Him perfume dey fresh, skin dey glow. Na big boy wey chop correct food.

As him see me, e look shock for one second. E resemble as if him spirit just fly commot body. E stare long, I dey confused.

As I waka pass am, he call me, "Adeyemi Anzhu." Him voice deep, carry weight. Everybody for corridor hear am.

"You hate me reach say you no even wan look my face?"

I freeze, leg stiff. My mind dey replay the name for ear.

I turn back, confuse, look the guy for face. I dey try remember if na dream I see am last night. My eye dey search him face, e dey familiar.

He frown. "Why you dey pretend for me?" His brow fold, e voice no soft at all.

"You don dey dodge me since—no be say you no wan see me, just like for the last life?"

I open mouth, no words come out. My mind dey calculate: which last life?

"Too bad your wish no come true."

The air cold, the corridor empty. Na only me and am, but e be like say crowd dey watch us.

As I hear all these coded talk, I come understand. Na that moment my mind click—so na Okonkwo Ifeanyi be this. My heart skip beat.

He dey taller than I remember, skin smooth, voice mature. The guy fine like spirit.

Na so I dey look am, dey count all the women for party wey dey eye am.

My senior sister talk wrong—no be say na him dey sleep with me for seven years, na me dey sleep with am for seven years.

I nearly laugh but fear no gree me. Wetin person no go see for this life?

As I no answer, Okonkwo Ifeanyi voice cold pass before. The voice cold like AC for church. My body dey shiver.

"You dey run from me like say I be snake or masquerade?"

I think of the last time masquerade chase me for village, my leg begin dey shake.

"You no even fit talk to me?" E dey look my mouth, dey wait, but my lips tight pass kpof-kpof.

His hand grip so tight, knuckles white. His sharp eye dey on me, vex just dey show for face.

If to say na another person, e fit slap me, but e hold am back. E just dey shake small.

But honestly, I really wan pee, and my senior sister warn me make I no talk to am. My bladder dey shout for help. My sister instruction still dey ring for my head.

I just run. No look back, just waka sharp. My slippers nearly cut.

Okonkwo Ifeanyi shout, "Adeyemi Anzhu, we be husband and wife before! Even if I offend you, we no fit be friends?"

His voice dey echo for corridor, people dey peep. I cover face, waka fast.

He stand there, tall and slim, face like say dem offend am. If you see as breeze blow him agbada, you go pity am. Small boys dey look am with respect.

I no even sabi wetin he want. My mind dey race: Na apology, na friendship, or na wahala? Na friend he really want?

For Naija, na so dem dey start story.

But as I dey breathe, I know say this wahala never finish.