Chapter 5: Akara, Apologies, and Small Tension

"Ah ah, who I hear dey shout like man?"

My sister waka come out guest room, hair scatter, eyes still dey sleep. As she see me, she shock, then relax.

She rub eye, adjust wrapper. Na her signature 'I no send anybody' look.

"I think say na another person."

She side eye me, mouth twist.

I just dey laugh. "You think say na one of your small bros, abi?"

She just arrange her hair. "Wetin you dey talk? I be better person. Why you come?"

Her voice get that fake vex—she dey try form gentle before family.

"Uncle Femi family dey. Papa say make you come house chop tonight."

I dey happy, "Your phone no go, dem go shout for you when you reach."

I dey add small pepper—make she feel say everybody dey wait.

As I dey talk, Halima come out master bedroom, don dress. She wear simple white and grey loungewear, clean and fine.

Her hair packed for bun, lip gloss soft. She dey move like person wey never see stress before.

As our eyes jam, everywhere just get small awkward.

She nod, I nod, but nobody talk. The air thick like ogbono soup.

My sister no notice, just talk, "She dey stay here for now."

She dey form hostess, like say na airbnb she dey run.

She enter bathroom, leave me and Halima.

Her slippers dey make clap sound for tiles.

I just smile awkward, go sit for parlour. Halima follow, begin pack bottles and ashtray.

She dey waka soft, dey arrange bottle like bartender.

I wan help, she stop me. "Sit, I go handle am."

Her voice gentle, hand wave make I no stress.

As she dey clean, she talk, "Yesterday na my birthday. We party too late, no clean up. My house dey renovate, so I dey manage here."

She pause, arrange glass. She get way wey she dey talk—gentle, mature.

She look me. "Sorry, I forget say you fit come. About just now..."

Her eye dey search my face, like say she dey check if I vex.

She pause. "I go careful next time."

She dey serious, like person wey no wan offend.

I just answer, "Na my fault, I for knock."

My eye dey ground, voice low. For Naija, if you jam person for wrong place, na you suppose greet sorry first.

This kind wahala don happen before. When she dey SS2, she sleep for our house. I no know. One Saturday, I wear masquerade mask, rush enter my sister room, wan scare her as payback. As I reach bed, something no gel. I see Halima face. She open eyes, shock, jump up. I shock too, just apologise, run.

That Saturday, my sister laugh sotey she roll for ground. Halima no talk, but I know say e pain her small.

After, my sister laugh die for dining table. I shame for Halima front, rush finish food, run outside.

That memory still dey hot, anytime I remember.

That one na years ago, now e just dey funny me.

Now, I fit laugh—life no too hard again.

I see half cake for dustbin, I just say, "Happy birthday."

I smile, eye dey corner. For my mind, I dey reason if I suppose sing birthday song.

Halima stretch hand. "Where my gift?"

She talk am playfully, eyebrow dey up.

"Eh?" I shock.

I look around, dey find excuse. My pocket empty.

"I no bring. I go make up next time."

I dey reason say maybe suya or small cake for Shoprite fit work.

She laugh. "Na joke. Your wish na the best gift."

Her laugh soft, e wash my mind like breeze after rain.

She look me, eyes dey shine. I look away, change topic. "Why you sleep master bedroom?"

She drop bottle, adjust top. Her voice calm.

"Your sister say na guest room you dey sleep, your things still dey there. I no wan move your things, so I use master room."

She dey show respect—no wan scatter my things. E get as e sweet me.

When I finish NYSC, my parents force me come work family business for six months. Company near my sister place, so I stay here. Later, I go north, now I just come back.

That six months na wahala, but I learn how to handle Lagos traffic, how to dodge area boys, and how to buy correct bread from Agege.

Halima sharp, she finish clean quick. She sabi housework—unlike my sister wey dey scatter everywhere.

If na my sister, plate go dey kitchen for two weeks.

Halima finish, bring first aid box, squat for my front. "Make I see your leg."

She dey talk like doctor—no time for shyness.

I shock for her care, I hide my leg, "No worry, I fit do am."

I dey shy, my leg no too fine.

"I study medicine, I sabi pass you. Relax."

She dey smile small, her face dey warm.

She look me, her eyes clear like stream for night.

Her gaze dey steady, hand gentle. I surrender leg give her.

Under her eye, I just nod.

I dey feel small, like patient for clinic.

She study medicine for university, but her hand wound, e no affect daily things, but she no fit use scalpel well again, so she change course. My sister tell me before, I feel bad for her—real talent lost.

Her story pain me. Person wey get dream, but life waka another road.

Now, Halima roll up my trouser, see big bruise for my leg. E bad small.

E be like yam wey dem just peel. I dey shame.

Her hand fine—long, slender, fair. Her touch dey careful, like nurse wey dey treat small pikin. Her warm finger touch my wound gently.

She use cotton wool, dab the place, her perfume dey mix with Dettol.

"E dey pain?"

I hiss, nod. "Small."

Na pride no wan gree me talk truth.

Maybe na the alcohol smell, but I just dey feel somehow. Where she touch dey tingle.

My body dey send signal, my heart dey beat fast. Her face close to my own.

She wan rub medicine, my sister come out, just finish bath.

Her towel dey for neck, she dey use phone, dey scroll.

"Wetin happen?"

I dey stammer, but Halima answer, "He kick table leg by mistake."

Her voice steady, no shake.

My sister eye dey Halima hand, she frown, squat, push her aside. "Na me go do am."

She squeeze face, use hand move Halima small. My sister strong, she dey show say na her house.

Halima shift, eye down, dey look my sister hand, her lips tight, small vex show.

For her eye, I see say she no too happy, but she hold am.

My sister rub medicine anyhow—sharp sharp. She go carry tissue.

She dey rough, the pain increase. I lock jaw, no wan shout.

I expect am, so I collect medicine, rub another layer myself.

I dey careful, dey pat the place soft, so I no cry like pikin.

My sister, slow to reason, suddenly ask, "Why you shout just now?"

Her eye dey me, eyebrow up.

I blink. "Erm... I see cockroach."

Na lie, but for Naija house, cockroach story dey always work.

Halima face hard to read. I just look away.

She dey chew her lips, but I act like say I no see.