Chapter 4: Ifeoma’s Comeback and Showdown

"Hey, you dey come reunion too? Why you dey stand for outside?"

A tall babe, gap-tooth, her voice loud like bell. She dey bounce, dey smile, no know say my mind dey far.

I nod.

I just shift small, my hand tight for bag handle. Na so e notice my shyness, e smile more.

She open door, dey gist as she enter. "I no know your face—wetin be your name?"

Her question loud, everybody for corridor hear. Na so eye begin turn my way.

"Ifeoma," I answer.

Voice soft, I dey try hide my nervousness. But she dey friendly, so I relax small.

"Ifeoma… which Ifeoma?" She pause, then look me well. "Wait, you talk say you be Ifeoma?"

She squint, then her eyes open wide, mouth form big O. E be like say she see ghost.

Her voice loud, everybody for the room turn look.

One guy nearly drop drink, girls dey whisper. Some dey open phone camera, dey peep me.

Some people shock.

I see one babe mouth open, another one dey squeeze face, dey wonder if na me true true.

Some dey confuse.

Dem dey whisper, dey form like say dem no remember me.

Some just dey look me anyhow.

Their eyes dey scan me from head reach toe, like say dem dey search for old Ifeoma wey dey hide under my skin.

As dem dey look, I just greet dem calmly.

I nod, smile small. I greet, "Good evening." My voice steady, but inside me, I dey sweat.

One babe quick pull me sit down.

Her grip firm, her smile wide. "Ifeoma! Na me, Sade, your desk mate! You remember?"

Her eyes dey shine, full of nostalgia. She hold my hand, dey shake am up and down, like say she see lost treasure.

As I nod, she look me up and down, dey wonder:

She turn me left, right, even adjust my sleeve. "Ah ah, how you take fine like this?"

Her voice carry surprise, she dey almost shout. Everybody for table dey listen.

"See your face—like angel! Your waist small, pass my own. Abeg, tell me how you take slim down…"

She dey nudge my side, as if she expect say I go spill big secret.

Before she finish, another girl cut in.

Her voice sharp, the slim one whisper, "Sade, you dey craze? She no look like this before. She don do plastic surgery."

Her eyes dey judge, mouth dey twist like person wey chop sour mango.

"Ifeoma, you do surgery abi?"

She drag chair close, eye dey big. People dey lean in, dey expect gist.

"Ehn ehn, to fine like this no be beans. Money dey talk."

The one with Ankara scarf cut in, "She fit do am. No be today."

She roll eyes, as if she sabi how e take be. Some other girls dey nod head, dey add their own two cents.

I just smile small, "Thanks for the compliment."

I wink small, dey form like say I no dey bothered. My confidence dey protect me, make shame no near me again.

She frown. "When I compliment you?"

She vex, lips tight. I just raise eyebrow, dey enjoy the show.

"You talk say I fine and get money."

I nod, my smile still dey. E pain her, but others begin laugh small.

Room quiet for small time.

Na that kind silence wey dey follow drama. Eyes dey roll, some people dey try process wetin just happen.

After small silence, one guy try change topic.

E cough, clear throat, "So, how far everybody…" but nobody really send am. Gist still dey hot.

But before e fit talk, door open.

Door creak, all eyes shift. Two figures waka enter—tension dey rise.

Chijioke and Amaka enter, one after the other.

You go feel the hush for the air. Old memories dey float, I dey observe from my seat.

After eight years, Chijioke don mature. E calm, serious.

E wear native, agbada sit well for body. Beard connect, eyes get that kin wisdom wey struggle dey give man. But e still dey look my direction.

Amaka still dey lively, quick blend with everybody.

She carry herself like Lagos big girl, dey hug people, dey laugh, dey gist. Her perfume dey enter everywhere.

Suddenly, one person mention me.

Person whisper, but e loud enough—"Amaka, your sister dey here o."

Amaka first act like she no know. "Which sister?"

Her face blank, eyebrow raised. She dey act like say we no relate.

"Ifeoma."

The girl repeat, make sure everybody hear am. Sade squeeze my hand, dey watch Amaka face.

Na that time she realise. She look around, then bone face, "She talk say she go come, but I no believe."

She hiss small, then turn neck away, like say e no concern her.

"She don come." That person point me. "See am there."

Finger straight my direction, heads turn, spotlight land for me. My chest tight, but I smile.

As dem talk am, both Amaka and Chijioke turn look me together.

E be like movie—two pairs of eye dey scan me, tension dey hang for air.

The light no too bright—I no see their face clear.

But I see shadow shift, their body language stiff. Na only voice dey carry the emotion.

I just see say dem freeze.

Dem no expect say I go show, dem surprise reach their bone. I just dey calm, dey wait.

One second… five seconds… ten seconds…

The room dey hold breath. Even DJ reduce volume, gist pause.

After like thirty seconds, Amaka recover. She waka come meet me.

Her shoe dey click, steps steady. She smile, but the smile dey sharp.

"Ifeoma?"

Voice sweet, but her eyes dey talk another thing. She try act cool.

I answer softly, "Mm."

I no raise voice, just small smile. For my mind, na old battle, I don win.

Amaka smile, voice full of pepper:

She brush my shoulder gently. "No wonder you no dey come back all these years—na surgery you go do."

She lean in, whisper, but e loud reach people hear. Her face dey shine, as if she wan show superiority.

"But I gats talk, now you really resemble my sister."

Her tone dey shade, but I catch the undertone. She dey try claim ownership for beauty.

One person for corner laugh, "She fit do am so she go look like you."

Another laughter burst, some people dey shake head, dey look Amaka, dey look me, dey compare.

When I fat, small resemblance dey with Amaka.

I remember old class photo—people dey say we resemble twins, but na only size dey different.

Now wey I slim, I resemble am even more.

Her jawline, my jawline—our papa handiwork show for face. Some people dey nod, dey point.

So as dem talk am, everybody dey look me one kind.

Some dey jealous, some dey wonder, some just dey eye us like say na competition.

Sade just talk, "Una no get eye? Ifeoma fine pass. No dey jealous person."

She snap finger, throw shade. I chuckle small, Sade always get mouth.

Amaka vex, "You dey mad? Why I go jealous her?"

She turn sharply, eye red. Her voice high. Sade just dey wave hand, dey laugh.

"Because she fine pass you after she slim down, shey you dey hear!"

The whole room burst, some dey snap finger, some dey hail Sade.

"You…" Amaka wan talk, then compose herself.

She breathe deep, adjust her dress. She no wan lose composure for public.

"Better sef—you never pick bridesmaid. Ify, be my bridesmaid."

She flash smile, teeth dey shine, but I see through am. Na test she dey test me.

I reply gently, "I don marry."

I raise my left hand, let dem see wedding band. My voice cool, but e shock people.

Amaka frown. "How I no hear say you marry?"

She hiss, cross hand for chest. Her pride no let her believe am.

"I just collect marriage certificate today. Never get chance announce am."

I wink, people gasp. Sade dey dance small, dey tap my shoulder.

Sade eye bright, "True? Why your husband no come tonight?"

She dey look round, dey hope say na fine bobo go show.

As I wan answer, that girl wey dey mock me before hiss again:

She cross leg, hiss long, eye dey turn. "Una believe her? After all the surgery, e clear now."

Her voice dey sharp, she dey look everybody, dey expect approval.

Person ask, "Clear say wetin?"

Another guy wey dey near cooler, raise eyebrow, dey wait for gist.

"She sabi say Chijioke like Amaka, so she do surgery to look like Amaka. She wan use am chase Chijioke."

Her mouth dey run, people dey listen, some dey nod. Sade dey squeeze face.

I look her straight, "I really marry. The marriage certificate dey my bag."

I no raise voice, just steady gaze. I dey make sure say shame go touch her small.

"You see am? She even ready with fake certificate. Her plan don show."

She dey loud, dey try pull crowd. My mind calm, I no fit waste energy argue.

Everybody face change to different things.

Some dey pity me, some dey suspicious, some just dey eye me dey wait my next move.

I no wan explain, so I stand up. "Make una enjoy, I wan commot small."

I adjust my wrapper, waka go bathroom. Head dey high, no shaking.

I look mirror, whisper, “God, no let shame catch me today.” After I tidy up for bathroom, I check my phone, see message:

My heart skip, I see "Wife, I dey here. Where you dey?" E come with smiley. I just dey blush like small girl.

[Wife, I dey here. Where you dey?]

I smile: [I dey come.]

I reply quick, arrange my hair for mirror, confidence dey my body.