Chapter 4: Mistake of the Past

[Hehehe, the male lead don really buy new underwear. The side character no even notice.]

[Amaka dull like goat, everybody sabi. Our Seyi baby na the sharp one. By the way, Seyi don enter male lead company—can’t wait for them to jam!]

[Sharp? Na she trip ten times first day, pour coffee for five men, vex three female colleagues, throw financial report for dustbin. Real wahala with zero sense.]

[Hahaha, finally person talk am! Female lead small fans too dey loud, male lead and side character fans no even get mouth.]

[Maybe na culture, but person wey no get sense no suppose be female lead.]

[I agree with the above, na my mind be that.]

[……]

Obiora na workaholic. When I wake, he don go. The other side of bed cold—just like him.

Sometimes I go touch the sheet, as if e fit tell me wetin him dey think. Na only the smell of aftershave remain for pillow. New underwear dey for bedside, big brand. I wonder who get time to dey buy designer boxers for man wey no even send me.

I just lie down, dey read bullet comments. Mosquito dey buzz for my ear, but na online wahala dey bite pass. E just dey funny, like say I dey watch live gist. My phone dey vibrate steady—group chat dey hot, bullet comments dey sharp like pepper.

[Amaka dull and lazy, just dey bed, while Seyi dey hustle. Plus, male lead see Seyi for work but waka pass—male lead, get ready to beg soon!]

[I just DM the author. Even though the story don shift small, e still dey head same way. Make we wait for beg-beg arc, lol.]

[When Amaka go disappear? Just to see her dey make me sick. Abeg, quick die.]

[Na by force to curse side character? When these primary school children go resume class?]

[I tire too. Side character no suppose die. She actually love the male lead, but day before her confession, she mistakenly call am ‘disgusting’ while he dey in heat, make am misunderstand…]

That last comment make me sit up well. My heart start dey beat again, old memories dey rush me like flood.

I remember—the day before I confess, Obiora and I go class reunion.

He drink too much, eyes red, try touch me.

But the alcohol smell strong, e make me wan vomit, so I talk,

“Obiora, no touch me. You dey smell alcohol. I dey feel sick.”

As I talk that last part, he freeze, eyes full of shock. Like say I pour cold water for him body.

[Lol, that time Obiora dey tipsy, na only ‘disgusting’ he hear. He think say Amaka hate am. As incubus, he always dey feel less, so that word just break am.]

[He dey in heat, no fit control himself, reach out to the person wey he love.]

[Na why Obiora no dey drink.]

[……]

My breath come dey quick, mind just dey replay that disappointed look for Obiora face that night. My chest dey rise, dey fall, as if mosquito bite me for heart.

Maybe na me misunderstand am all this while.

[Ahhh, why Obiora dey hide Amaka pictures? Why?]

[Because he love her, na obvious…]

[Sigh, male lead dey act strange—he don drive go Palm Grove Estate half an hour ago. Amaka dey danger.]

[Here we go! The hate ship go finally get their own big scene? Love and hate together—iconic!]

[No try am, the male lead na for Seyi baby. I no gree your gist.]

[Make una know, incubus male lead never touch your Seyi baby, even for the end. Na talk I talk.]

Bullet comments dey fly so fast I no fit even react, then Obiora rush enter room, press me for bed.

“Ama, my body just dey do me somehow…”

Obiora voice low, like thunder wey wan fall but never reach ground... This time, I no fit hide. Maybe na now our real story dey start. The kind tension wey fill the room, e strong pass NEPA transformer. For that moment, all the bullet comments, all the online drama, all the wahala just fade. Na only me and Obiora dey, Naija heat wave for night, and two hearts wey never settle since childhood. My hand shake small, but this time, I no go run. I look am—really look am—wondering if maybe, just maybe, the story never finish for us two.