Chapter 4: Street Love and Betrayal

As I expect, as I waka come out school gate, I hear okada sound.

Okada dey roar, dust dey fly. Boys dey shout, "Clear road!" Sunkanmi park am for gutter, him yellow hair shine for sun. Him shoe dirty, but him swag no dey fall hand.

Sunkanmi with him yellow hair and cigarette for mouth, jump come down from bike.

He use one hand hold Morayo waist, other hand dey snap finger. Girls dey peep from school fence, dey gossip.

Morayo run go meet am, hug am well, dey introduce, "Ikenna, see your brother-in-law, Sunkanmi."

She dey laugh, her teeth dey flash, eye dey shine like person wey win lottery.

"I no dey go house with you again. Sunkanmi go carry me."

She talk am like say na normal thing. She no even look my face well.

I just nod. "No wahala. I no go study with you for weekend again. Make una enjoy."

I carry my bag strong, try arrange my face make e no show say I dey feel anyhow.

This time, anyhow she wan live her life, e no concern me.

I just dey tell myself, "No be by force. If she wan waka, make she waka."

Sunkanmi happy, pat me for shoulder. "You wise. From today, na your brother-in-law dey your back."

He dey form big brother, but I know say if wahala start, na him go run first.

I just shift small. "Una enjoy. I dey go house."

I no even wait make dem answer me, I just waka slow dey observe my shadow for ground.

That time, Morayo own cause big wahala.

Her matter enter every meeting for compound. Even market women dey talk, "That fine girl wey dey follow yellow hair, she don spoil finish." Rumour fly like mosquito.

Her mama dey come meet me every time—sometimes beg me to look after Morayo, sometimes blame me say I no tell her on time—dey make me feel guilty and worried.

She go dey cry for my mama room, dey say, "Abeg help me, no let my only pikin waste." Sometimes she go even give me fufu, dey beg me to watch her.

And Sunkanmi too dey find trouble. The worst, him and him boys break my leg.

That day, I dey come from extra lesson. Dem corner me for junction, one slap land for my neck, another kick my shin—my leg twist, pain bite me like scorpion.

Even on JAMB day, I use crutch enter hall.

People dey look me, dey whisper, "See Ikenna. Wey him leg dey?" I no even fit write well, sweat dey my face.

At last, I only enter one last-class university—not even those top federal schools.

Dem post me go one private school wey nobody sabi. My uncle dey try encourage me, but e dey pain me.

Me wey always get best result for school, teachers dey always say na me go enter UNILAG or UI.

Teacher Saka, our maths teacher, dey always call me "professor." People dey expect big thing from me.

But last last, I turn ordinary like others.

Na so people begin treat me like say I no get head again. My mates dey move ahead, me I dey struggle.

Na that one pain me pass.

Sometimes I go dey ask God, "Na my destiny be this? Wetin I do?"

This time, I swear say I go break that curse and collect the success wey suppose be my own.

For my mind, I dey pray say make this chance no waste. I go stand gidigba, no let woman matter scatter my head.