Chapter 4: Jealousy for Village Road

Before lunch, Shola don waka go work, still never come back as food time reach.

My mother-in-law dey clear table, dey complain, "Food don ready, e never come. I still go feed him grandma. This boy dey wait make I carry food come. No be so."

She shake head, wipe sweat from face. My eye just shine. Opportunity dey.

"Mummy, make I carry the food go give am later."

She look me, confirm, "Sun dey hot o—sure say you fit go?"

I smile, wipe my face, "I dey okay."

As I nod, she smile. "Okay, but change your cloth. No wear skirt—the road no good."

The way she talk am, I fit feel say she dey try to protect me small. I rush inside, wear trouser and big t-shirt. For road, I ask people before I see where Shola dey. E dey work with cutlass. As e see me, e frown. "Why you come? Where mummy dey?"

"She dey house dey feed grandma. Abeg, chop first."

Shola nod, tell me make I wait for shade, say e go come when e finish.

I siddon for under mango tree. Breeze dey blow, leaf dey fall for my body. I see say most men dey work without shirt—na only Shola still wear shirt. Why e dey cover body like that?

For village, na normal thing to see men bare chest, but this one dey do like city man. I dey wonder if na for my sake or he dey hide something. After small time, Shola come. I give am towel, e clean body, then tell me make I turn back.

Me: "..."

I dey look am like person wey no understand, but as I confuse, e raise chin. "I see as you dey look those men since. Dem fine reach like that?"

Me: "..."

I choke small laugh, na jealousy dey show for him eye? For road go house, e see say I dey waka anyhow. "You twist leg?"

"No, na shoe dey worry me."

Soon we reach the rough part of road. Shola stop. "If you no mind, I fit carry you cross."

I do shakara, form hard babe. "No need, I fit waka."

I just talk sharp—then I regret. Opportunity waste! Now e go think say I no like am...

As I dey vex myself, I step on something, almost fall. Na so Shola catch me.

I grab the chance: "Abeg, fit carry me?"

For that small moment, my body melt for him hand. E grip strong, but soft, like say e dey tell me sorry for all the coldness. E no talk, just lift me gentle like say I be egg. Comments float:

[Main guy: heart just melt, wahala dey!]

[Wife dey look other men chest, main guy dey jealous!]

[Who send you make you no show your chest? Now she dey look others!]

[Main guy: make she see am well for house.]

[Supporting babe, abeg no hate main guy because e dey poor. E go soon hammer!]

[As supporting babe dey here, main guy don dey get sense, e dey shy.]

Shola carry me small, drop me. "I get work for shop later. You fit go house first."

For my heart, I dey wish make e hold me longer. But I still smile, wave as I dey waka go house.