Chapter 6: Biro Break, Heart Break

"You see something for my face?"

Tobi cold voice just bring me back to real life.

The voice hard, no dey smile. Na so I jump, almost fall pen.

"No, no!"

Words rush out. My heart dey drum. I dey pray make ground open.

I jump, words just dey fall from my mouth.

E be like say I drink too much coffee. I dey try compose, but my mouth no dey hear word.

"So why you dey look me since?"

The question hook me. I dey find words—wetin I go talk?

"I just dey reason—if your babe wan come back, you go gree?"

Na my mouth run am. I no plan. Now wahala don land.

My mouth run pass my brain. As I talk am, I regret.

I wan swallow my tongue. For my mind, I dey beg God make Tobi no vex.

Tobi face, wey already cold, just freeze more. He press lips, talk slow:

The silence wey follow choke. The biro for him hand dey bend small. He talk like say he dey warn thief for night.

"Heh. I go finish am. Make she no try come back."

The thing land like curse. Voice cold, eyes sharp. Even the pen hear am.

He just break the biro—kpra! Biro ink stain hand, but e no even look.

The pen snap—kpra! I just dey look, dey wonder if my own heart go break join.

My body shake, I remember our online love.

For my mind, I dey beg God make nobody link me to the heartbreak video. Guilt dey hold my neck.

After we set couple status, wahala just dey follow us. One time, enemy marksman run mad, dey talk rubbish about me. Tobi no talk, just dey type like machine.

I remember the game—when wahala start, Tobi no talk plenty, but him action dey loud. E dey protect me for every game, as if na real life.

Within minutes, marksman die sotay him score enter minus. Later, the other team start beg, dey apologize. Na that time Tobi stop.

Na only then he cool. Before that, I fear say e go break phone. People dey talk say Tobi dey hold grudge like old Yoruba aunty.

Guy no dey forget grudge.

If you offend am, just dey pray. This one no dey forgive easy.

"I wish you luck, sha. Haha."

I laugh, try hide tension. My body dey hot, but my mouth dey do "e no mean".

I laugh, try change topic, focus on my notes.

I put head down, dey pretend say I dey read. My heart dey jump, but I dey act strong.

Tobi just look me one kind, bring out another biro, begin spin am, no talk again.

He no send me again. I dey try focus, but for my mind, my body still dey run. Na so law class dey turn love class—wahala no dey finish.

Law class don end, but my own wahala just dey start. As I pack my bag, Tobi eye still dey burn my back—this one no go end here.