Chapter 2: Wardrobe Wahala

Inside darkness, I just jump comot from the person wey dey beside me.

I nearly trip for leg of chair, na only God save me. I hold my chest, ask, “Who you be?”

My voice low, panic dey worry me as I dey look the shadow for front.

Soon, one deep, clear voice answer, “Kunle.”

The voice steady, as if the person no even dey fazed at all. I shock. Kunle—na Tobi roommate.

I remember say the first time I see am, e dey wear that same brown slippers. I don see am small times when I dey come visit Tobi for Palm Grove Estate.

That estate gate sef, dem sabi yarn plenty story for there. The guy dey always bone, quiet, e no dey easy to talk to. Any time we jam, na only nod we dey nod, we never talk before.

As I think about wetin just happen, my face come dey hot with shame. I just dey stammer, “Why you come Tobi room?”

I dey find place hide my face, e be like say ground suppose open make I enter. Even my spirit dey sweat. “To borrow charger.”

E answer straight, no story.

But me, my body dey shake. That time, na almost naked I dey.

Man and woman, for dark room, alone…

If Tobi enter see us, even if I jump enter River Niger, e no go clean my name.

Fear catch me, I grab my cloth and phone, rush enter wardrobe.

My leg dey shake so tey hanger for wardrobe dey jangle. The way I tiptoe, even film people never see am before. “Abeg, no let Tobi see me. I dey beg you,” I whisper give Kunle.

Kunle no talk for like two seconds, then e waka come close wardrobe, gently close the door for me.

I hear im slippers for tile, and the way e close door gently, e be like person wey sabi cover pikin for night. Na that time, the main door open.

Tobi waka enter.

E on the light, everywhere bright.

The bulb na those yellow ones wey make everywhere warm, make my heart dey beat anyhow. “Ah-ah? Kunle, wetin you dey do for my room?”

Kunle pick charger from table. “Just come borrow charger.”

“Oh.”

Tobi answer am normal, nothing special.

“By the way, you see Ifeoma? She tell me say she dey come.”

“No see am.”

I dey inside wardrobe, sweat dey my back, fear dey catch me.

Today na our one year anniversary.

Before I finish work, I text Tobi say I get surprise for am tonight.

E dey do overtime, so I get enough time prepare.

I even light small scented candle, arrange teddy bear for bed, spray that my vanilla perfume wey Tobi dey like. My plan na to surprise am as e reach house.

I no know say everything go turn to comedy.

“My computer dey misbehave. You fit help me check am?”

“No wahala.”

As Kunle follow Tobi commot, I sharply come out from wardrobe, wear my cloth, carry my things, run commot quietly.

I still dey look left and right like thief as I dey waka for corridor. I no even lock the door again, my mind just dey on escape. As I dey waka for corridor, my heart still dey race. If Tobi ever hear this gist, na my village people go use am laugh.