Chapter 6: Slow Soup, Hot Revenge

I no know how I leave Halima.

My brain blank. Na nurse drag me comot, dey pour water for my face. My hand dey shake, my spirit dey fly. I no know if na dream I dey.

I just remember noise everywhere.

People dey shout, nurse dey run, security dey hold me. The hospital dey scatter. I dey hear my name, but I no fit answer.

When I wake, I dey bed.

The room cold, drip for my hand. Nurse dey check machine. I dey stare ceiling, dey pray say no be police dey wait for me. God abeg, make dem no carry me go Panti, I never ready for that kind wahala.

Doctor hold my result, eye dey look me somehow.

His face serious, he dey try form gentle. His voice low, like person wey dey carry bad news.

"Doctor, I go die soon?" I ask, voice low.

My voice small, almost like whisper. I dey fear say wahala don pass me.

Doctor shock, body shake.

He laugh small, say, "No be so. You get strong mind." I force smile.

"You don wake."

He talk, dey check my pulse. Nurse dey smile for corner, dey write something for file.

"No worry. Na dry weather and too much heat. Na why nose bleed. I go give you..."

He explain, I dey nod. My mind no too hear. I just dey happy say I still dey alive.

"Halima die?"

I ask sharp, my mind dey race. I dey fear say I go jail.

He pause, look down: "No, Mr. Ayo come."

He talk slow. Relief wash my body, but shame still dey.

"Okay." I turn back.

I roll for bed, cover face. Tears dey my eye. I dey feel pain, shame, anger—all together.

I never cry for long, but now my eye dey pain.

I cover face, try swallow cry. For Naija, woman suppose strong, but this one pass me.

When I first know say Ayo dey cheat?

I dey remember the signs—late call, lipstick for shirt, change for attitude. I dey curse myself for not seeing am quick.

Maybe na that day I leave lipstick for his neck playfully.

I remember the day, he laugh, say I dey naughty. But his eyes dodge my own, my mind pick small signal.

His answer shock me.

He talk sharp, say, 'Secretary almost faint, I help am. Maybe na there e happen.' I gree, but my spirit no rest.

"Secretary almost faint, I help am. Maybe na there e happen."

He talk like nothing, but my heart just shake.

That night, I no talk, just sit.

I dey mute, dey plan my own investigation. My heart dey cut, my hand dey cold.

I investigate, throw photo for his face, he slap himself, kneel, beg me not to go.

The day I show am evidence, he break down. He beg, cry, promise. I dey look am, my mind dey weak.

"Morayo, I mess up. Abeg forgive me. I swear if e happen again, make I die."

He beg me, tears full his eye. My heart soft small, but I still dey vex.

Young love dey sweet, hard to forget.

I dey remember our days for university—struggle, laughter, hunger, dreams. My body dey betray me; I gree, but my head no gree.

As I see am cry, I think say maybe I dey too harsh, he just make mistake.

I tell myself, 'nobody holy.' I try forgive am. I dey pray say he go change.

I deceive myself.

I close eye, hope say e go better. But deep down, my spirit know say something dey wrong.

We return to normal.

House dey bubble again. We dey laugh, dey cook, dey party. But trust no dey as before.

Nobody talk about am again.

I no bring am up, he no mention am. We dey pretend say everything pure.

But once man cheat, e no dey stop for one time.

I dey hear gist, see messages. I dey pretend say I no see, but my mind dey keep record.

Second time I catch am, he still dey beg, but this time, small impatience join.

He vex, say, 'Why you dey dig my phone? No woman perfect.' The begging reduce, the pride increase.

"Morayo, na business. Everybody dey do am. Why you no fit be like other wives, just close eye?"

He dey expect me to accept, say na normal thing. My heart dey bleed, but my face dey stone.

He even let the girl come meet me.

Na that day, the side chick waka come house. She greet me, eye me. I no talk, I just dey plan my own move.

I no talk, I just arrange make dem cut her tongue.

I make one call, arrange boys. After two weeks, news reach me say she no dey talk well again. Nobody fit trace am come my side.

From nothing to big empire, me and Ayo do many things wey no pure.

We run deals, pay bribe, do all the dirty work. Our hands no clean, but we rise together.

But now, as he don make am, he no fit run those things again.

He dey form big man, dey wear suit, dey talk grammar for boardroom. No more street, no more blood.

So na me be his shadow for back.

I dey clean up mess, handle business wey hand dirty. People respect am, but fear me.

He no ever think say I fit cheat.

He trust me, believe say I dey loyal. He forget say woman fit turn lion if you wound am reach.

After that, I know say young love no get value.

My mind dey change. I dey look am with different eye. Love don turn calculation.

E no fit stand time, e no fit fight temptation.

All those sweet words no get meaning again. Na only money and power remain.

I begin collect his assets, business small small.

I dey build my own, dey sign paper, dey move share. I dey plan for future.

I become the good wife he want.

I dey smile, cook, greet in-laws. Nobody know say my mind dey far.

I no send am again, no dey check where he go.

No more fight, no more question. I dey focus on my own.

I no love am again.

The feeling don die. Na only memory dey remain.

So he dey carry girls up and down, but none last pass six months.

Every three months, new babe go show. I no care. I just dey watch.

Until Halima. Dem don dey two years now.

She stubborn, she no wan go. She dey fight for her own. I dey watch, dey plan.

But say I no send his girls no mean say I go allow am use my past joke with another woman.

This one cross line. My pain turn anger. I dey plan my own revenge.

Ayo, you suppose collect.

My mind dey set, my eye dey red. No woman fit survive this kind humiliation and just forgive. I dey wait for my time. For Naija, revenge na slow soup, you go chop am hot and steady.

E never finish. Dem go soon hear my own story.