Chapter 5: Public Packaging

“Why you come second cafeteria today?”

Na loud voice I hear for my side. Then, one deep, cold male voice answer,

“The air fresh here.”

For Umuola campus, second cafeteria na where people go flex. If person like Musa Ifedolapo show, e mean gist go spread. I fit hear girls dey whisper already.

“Make we find window seat!”

Halima dey do busy-body, she go even push people comot for her way.

“Hi, this seat free?”

I look up slow. Opposite me, Halima dey wink anyhow. She sabi say I dey crush on Musa Ifedolapo. As she see chance to interact with the male god, Halima even happy pass me. She sharply answer for me: “Yes, yes, yes! Sit, abeg! Sit near Kamsi!”

Halima no dey waste time. If to say na market, she for be chief marketer for her village.

Musa Ifedolapo look me for confirmation: “E okay, Ifedike classmate?”

Ifedike classmate? See as e dey form distance. Who be the person wey last night dey call me Kamsi up and down? Dey pant, dey call. Dey whine, dey moan. Chai… e too hot.

I just nod cold too. “Mm.”

I add small side-eye to spice am, make e feel am.

As expected, e mind dey cry:

[Kamsi dey cold for me.]

[I do something bad?]

I just dey laugh low for mind. E sweet me to dey hear as e dey worry.

Musa Ifedolapo and e roommate Ochuko sit down with their tray. E face dey dull, e cold energy just dey fly.

Ochuko notice am sharp. “Guy, wetin dey sup?” As e dey chop e meat pie, e talk: “You dey sick?”

Ochuko na real Warri guy, e no get filter. If e see gist, e go enter.

Before Musa Ifedolapo fit talk, Ochuko introduce am: “I tell you say you dey too young to dey like this. All those cold shower wey you do last night, even strong body go tire.”

Halima eyes open wide.

Halima like aproko. If dem drop small gist, she go turn am to news bulletin.

Ochuko explain: “E just be neat freak.”

Neat freak?

I just blink.

My mind dey process am. I dey imagine Musa dey wash hand after every spoon, dey wipe table like person wey dey expect ogboni meeting.

That time, Musa Ifedolapo just dey look me codedly.

[Kamsi fine when she dey smile.]

[I no be neat freak, na Ochuko dey talk rubbish.]

[If no be say my Kamsi dey hug me anyhow, I for no go baff cold six times. Sweet suffer.]

Six times? Cold shower?

I shock for inside, still dey peep am.

For this weather, cold shower no be beans. If person baff cold six times, e mean say something dey run the person belle or e dey chase wahala. E too funny!

[See as Kamsi look me again. This one alone don make my day.]

[I hope she go look me again tomorrow.]

E pain me small say I no fit just burst laugh, but I hold am.