Chapter 2: Livestream of Heartbreak

I know say I must do something.

Inside boot, my leg dey cramp, sweat dey my face. My spirit dey shout for rescue, but my body no gree move. I know say if I no act, dem go use my car finish cruise.

Na my account. If this thing continue, and real nonsense show, dem fit even arrest me.

I dey reason police matter—if dem carry me go station, how I go explain say na my own babe dey knack another man for my own car wey camera dey record? Shame go kill me before court case.

I cough small.

I summon courage, clear throat. My cough na small, but e loud for car like thunder. Na so dem jump, their eye wide.

Sharp sharp, the two for back seat jump up like say dem see masquerade.

Na real fright. The guy shout 'Jesus!' My babe body stiff, sweat for face. Dem look round, dey wonder if na ghost dey follow dem.

My babe see me, her face turn pale. She shout, “You no dey work?”

Her voice crack, her face white. She dey try package, but her hand dey shake. The kain fear wey catch her, e fit cure malaria.

I say, “Today na your birthday. I take time off to surprise you.”

My voice low, but e carry all the pain. As I talk, champagne bottle dey my hand, ring for pocket, rose for boot. Na this moment I know say heartbreak get different levels.

See as I reduce finish. I plan everything, take half day off, na so e end.

My heart don break finish, my chest dey flat—like groundnut shell wey dem don lick finish. All my big plan, na dust remain.

Wetin shock me pass be say I no even vex. No anger for my mind.

I reason am—no be anger dey worry me again. Na only cold for my soul. Sometimes, pain pass vex.

Because I believe say: As long as you never marry, na another person wife you dey follow.

Old men for village dey talk am: 'If you never carry bride price reach her papa, any man fit chop your soup.' I just dey nod for myself, dey repeat the proverb for my mind.

After today, no way I fit propose.

For my mind, I cross my heart—no be this one I go kneel for again. God forbid bad thing.

For my eye, she don be another man wife.

I look her, no see my babe again. Na another man property I dey look. Even if dem beg me, I no fit collect back.

And just now, I check livestream—over one thousand people dey watch…

I open stream app, see number. My body cold. Which kain family I get wey reach one thousand? Who share link? Dem wan kill me finish?

For room wey suppose be only relatives and friends, with password, to reach that number? Wetin that one mean?

E mean say story don waka. Even my primary school teacher fit dey watch. My cousin from London fit dey follow. Shame don mature for my head.

E mean say all my old classmates, company people, aunties, uncles—somebody don invite everybody wey dem know.

Na so WhatsApp group dey work. If dem drop link for Alumni group, na finish. Even my old neighbor wey dey Canada fit dey see am.

Family, work, school—everywhere don cast.

E be like say I no go fit show face again. Even my mechanic go greet me with 'Oga Proposal!' next time.

As I dey think, group of people come out from stairs for my babe company parking lot.

I see small crowd for staircase, dem dey hold phone, dey talk, dey point. Some dey whisper, some dey laugh with wicked smile. One woman dey point, dey shout, "Ewo! See drama!" as dem dey snap picture.

Dem no dey find car. Dem dey hold phone, dey look our side.

Dem come for reality show. Nobody dey search key or dey find Uber. Dem dey find better gist to carry go WhatsApp.

E clear say dem come down to watch live drama.

Some dey even try snap picture. Na so Naija dey do—if drama dey, dem go find am. My shame dey run shift for car park.

My babe panic, see the people outside, beg me, “Abeg, no cause scene yet, my colleagues dey outside. Abeg, no disgrace me.”

Her voice low, her eye dey beg. She wan cry but pride dey hold her. She dey shake head, dey use hand cover face. I dey pity her small, but my own pain pass.

I look her. “You still dey worry about shame?”

My own voice dey low, but e heavy. I dey wonder if na this kain thing dey move people. After all, na she bring disgrace first.

She say, “Since you don catch me, no need pretend. Make we break up. I deserve better.”

Her voice cold like iced water. She dey talk like say na job interview she fail. For her mind, na me still dey hold am back.

I ask, “How I take wrong you?”

I no shout, but my inside dey boil. Na simple question, but the answer dey cut me more.

She wear her cloth, enter driver seat, on car.

She no waste time, just dey arrange her dress, no look my side again. As she on engine, she dey tap steering like say she dey vex for herself.

As she dey drive, she talk coldly, “You be good guy, I no go lie. But I just feel say I deserve better. Woman wey don enter Benz, no dey go back Keke.”

She talk am with confidence, like say na national anthem. My heart dey break, but I just dey look her. Na true, for Lagos, some babes na Benz be their own Green Card.

The guy dey dress up too. Na then I notice something important.

The guy dey fix him trouser, him shirt almost tear. As him raise hand, I see wetin I no suppose see.

Wedding ring dey his finger.

E shock me. Married man dey do all this one? My own shock wear coat.

I point am, ask, “Na this one be ‘better’?”

I raise hand, point ring, my voice shake. Na only God know say my hand no fit slap am that time.

My babe answer me coldly, “If you know say him dey give me two hundred thousand naira every month, you go still talk?”

Her face dey stone, no remorse. She talk am like say na normal thing for Lagos. As if two hundred thousand naira na pocket change.

I shock.

Mouth open, word no come out. For Lagos, even two hundred naira dey pain me, not to talk of two hundred thousand. The thing choke me.

For online, two hundred thousand no be big money. But for us, na big thing—my salary just pass sixty thousand.

Na so reality slap me. Social media dey lie, but for street, money dey talk. My hard work for office, na mumu work be that.

Even my car, ten million, na loan I take buy am.

Each month, bank dey collect their own, I dey manage fuel, dey calculate how I go buy next data bundle. She dey collect two hundred thousand from one man, still dey use my car for bonus.

The guy finish dress, look me, say, “Guy, I know how e dey be. Just talk your price, I go pay make you two break up quietly. No go talk anyhow.”

The way the guy dey talk, e be like person wey dey buy tomatoes for market. 'Just talk your price,' as if na commodity dem dey price.

I look am. “You wan buy my silence?”

My face no show emotion, but my mind dey boil. I dey try maintain small dignity wey remain.

He say, “No be buy silence—just make sure you no talk.”

He raise hand, dey use finger tap dashboard, dey look me like say I be small pikin. His voice low, but e get warning inside.

My babe park for company building. Benz dey executive spot, wey dem mark ‘Internal Parking Only. No Parking.’

The car park shine, big Benz dey for corner, no other car fit park there. Everybody for office know say na oga spot be that.

No doubt, na his own.

If police come now, dem go ask if na company motor be that. The guy sure for himself, him no dey fear security.

She turn warn me, “No try revenge or disgrace me. He be deputy MD from headquarters. You no fit fight that kind person.”

Her face hard, voice sharp. She dey warn me like say she be lawyer. Deputy MD, na title wey dey open door for some people. But this kain matter, title no dey save anybody.

I shock.

I open mouth, no word come out. For my mind, I dey reason: na human being, no be God. Deputy MD, but him blood still red.

I no fear any so-called deputy MD, but my babe colleagues don see the livestream.

This kain matter, everybody don see am finish. Even if I close mouth, story go still fly. Office gist dey spread faster than fire for harmattan.

As dem sneak come down watch, and viewers don plenty, branch and headquarters don see am finish.

E mean say, even people wey dey head office, wey never see my babe before, don get her full gist. Shame no dey finish for this Lagos.

This guy deputy MD work no go last.

Na so things dey be. Once wife, branch, and head office hear am, na HR go send query sharp sharp. Sometimes, na pride dey kill man pass the matter itself.

Even if I keep quiet, this matter go reach his wife—maybe she even dey watch livestream now.

I dey pity the wife. Na big woman, for her mind she dey home dey relax, no know say social media dey cast her marriage.

Abeg, na deputy MD wife. For company with plenty workers, who no get her contact?

Once this kain gist land, even security man for gate go get full details. Nothing dey hide again for this Lagos.

Na so, the guy phone ring.

The ringtone loud, the whole car shake. He look phone, fear catch am.

He look screen: ‘Wife’ dey call.

His face change, he try form calm, but sweat dey his forehead. The name wey flash na 'Sweetheart,' but I know say na madam.

He decline, send text: “Busy now, call you later.”

He rush send message, hand dey shake. He dey try cover lie with another lie. My own eyes just dey look am.

As he cut, another call enter—‘Chairman’ this time.

Phone vibrate again, bigger wahala. 'Chairman' na person wey get power pass. This one pass relationship wahala.

He no fit ignore chairman, but he dey fear.

He dey look phone like say snake dey inside. If he pick, story fit change; if he no pick, trouble still dey.

My babe dey panic, “Na chairman. You suppose answer—maybe na important work.”

Her face dey pale, her hand dey tremble. She dey beg am with eye, dey shake like leaf for rainy season.

He glare me, grit teeth, “Forget am, I no fit risk am. I fear say chairman go talk rubbish.”

He dey look me with vex, like say na my fault. The kain pride and fear wey dey inside his voice, e fit make goat talk.

He decline chairman call too, send same text.

He press 'Decline,' quick send 'Busy now' again. My mind dey shout 'Ojoro!'

No doubt, both wife and chairman dey watch livestream.

As he dey sweat, I know say na so all of dem dey watch live. My own shame don turn national news for company.

He off phone sharp sharp, “I go call them later. I go talk say phone die, I just charge am.”

He dey whisper, dey blow small breeze for phone like say na true. Lie dey fly for car like mosquito.

My babe nod. “E go work. Good excuse.”

She dey support am, dey encourage am for lie. Both of them dey form teamwork inside disgrace. Na wa!

I just sigh.

As I release deep sigh, na so all the pain and wahala hang for my chest. Man pikin fit plan, but na only God dey settle matter for this life.

He no suppose off phone at all.

If to say he no off am, maybe things for still...

Now, na silence remain. My heart dey heavy, but small breeze enter car, dey blow my shame round the seat. As I sit for back seat, my plan and my pride don scatter for road—Lagos no dey pity anybody.