Chapter 2: The Proposal

As we meet for café, Halima even fine pass how she look for video.

Her abaya clean, perfume gentle, and she sit with back straight like person wey mama train well. I just dey watch am, dey wonder how life fit deal person like this.

I dey sip cold malt, dey use spoon chase meat pie crumbs for plate.

I think say maybe she wan make I follow am go chief’s court, or even help am find who dey try harm am.

But I no expect the first thing wey come out from her mouth:

"Mr. Tunde, I wan beg you make you marry me."

For inside café, my mouth open. Na so my jaw drop, if fly pass, e for enter. I nearly drop my spoon. Other people dey laugh for their own table, but me na my heart dey beat.

I shock, words no gree come out.

"This na our first time wey we dey meet..."

She cut me, "Third time."

"Okay, count the two video calls join, na three. Still no too plenty."

I try laugh, but voice dry.

Halima press, "You go gree or not?"

I quiet.

She frown. "Na because I blind?"

I quick deny am. "No, no be that one. The thing be say, we no know each other."

I try explain, but inside me I dey find my own excuse.

She sigh. "I tell you before, stranger safe pass for me."

Her sigh get weight, the kind wey person dey use carry all her pain throw for one sound.

"Why?"

"Because stranger no get anything to gain from me."

Then she start to talk her story.

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Halima's story:

My name na Halima. Halima na my mama surname—my papa no dey.

She talk am like person wey don tire to explain her life. For this Nigeria, if person talk say papa no dey, e get plenty meaning. I nod, dey listen.

My mama die three years ago, leave me alone.

I just be one blind girl, but after my mama die, she leave plenty money for me. So I turn blind girl with money.

As dem dey talk, 'person wey get money dey get wahala.' The money turn to curse for me.

When I be sixteen, my family people dey fight who go be my guardian. I know say all of them dey eye my money, na the money dem want.

If you see as dem dey drag matter for family meeting, you go think say na chieftaincy title. I dey listen as she dey talk, dey imagine all the fake smile wey family fit give when money show.

All their fight and wahala push me enter depression.

That time, I get suicidal thoughts plenty times. I even stand for window one time.

But na my cousin pull me back.

Na only him for my family treat me well, e don tay.

When I small and I no fit see, na him dey read storybook for me.

I like their brown cat, but the cat wild, always dey waka. Any time I come, na my cousin go find the cat so I fit touch am.

He always treat me well.

Sometimes, if my mama dey busy, na him go cook small indomie for me. When rain dey fall, e go carry me stand for zinc verandah, so the sound go sweet my ear.

Na him tell me say, once I reach sixteen and fit handle my money, I no need guardian by law.

Na that time my other family people leave me, even though dem no happy.

My cousin stay, always dey with me, dey care for me like when I small.

That period, I just lose my mama and depression dey finish me. If no be him, I for no survive.

Sometimes, na only his voice dey bring me back when my mind dey dark. E go play radio, dey gist me old story. One time, e even learn how to braid hair small just to make me smile.

After secondary school, I no go university. My cousin encourage me make I still dey learn or at least dey go out, but I no get the mind, I just dey house dey dull.

At first, everything still dey okay.

But after I reach eighteen, I notice my cousin change. He still dey good to me, but e no pure like before.

He begin touch me, sometimes by mistake, sometimes e sure say e mean am. Even the way he dey breathe near me change.

Blind person dey feel air well. Even if I no see, I fit know when atmosphere change if we dey alone.

I begin fear, I start to avoid am.

He notice. I fit sense say e dey pain am.

But na my cousin. No matter how, e no dey right—law or no law.

And I dey grateful to am. My own na family love, nothing more.

Two months ago, he tell me say e like me. I tell am straight say e no go work.

I feel the pain for am, but I no get choice.

After some days, e dey form like nothing dey—dey crack dry joke, dey play Naija music for background.

I happy. I dey fear to lose the only family wey dey treat me well.

...

But since then, my sickness come worse. Before, doctor give me fluoxetine and olanzapine, and my mood dey get better small small.

But lately, I just dey fall, chest dey pain me, headache dey worry me.

When I call you that day, I already suspect my medicine get wahala.

And e true.

As she finish her story, she just hold cup for hand, dey trace the rim like person wey dey find answer from empty tea.