Chapter 5: Akara, Guesthouse Life, and Heartbreak

After divorce, I go south open guesthouse for small town.

The journey no easy, but I survive. I start small, manage money, struggle for months. The people for town dey welcome, dey help me settle.

The place dey warm for dry season, cool for rainy, people gentle.

Anytime rain dey fall, I go dey for veranda, dey watch children play. Market women dey laugh, elders dey gist under mango tree. The place calm my spirit.

As I dey stay with them, my mind begin settle.

Everyday, I go wake early, sweep compound, greet neighbours. I begin forget old wahala. My heart dey find peace small small.

Before one year, my small compound don get name, business come dey move.

People begin recommend me. Travelers dey stop, some go stay weeks. My guesthouse become home for many.

For morning, I dey fry akara, the smell dey call neighbors. Jide go dey chop am with pap, dey praise me, "Madam, this your hand sweet pass party jollof."

Jide na the most quiet guest.

At first, I dey suspect am. E no dey talk, e go stay inside, mind im business. Na musician e be, but nobody know.

He dey his room most times, no dey show face.

If e come out, na early morning or late night. E dey avoid people.

Only when people no too plenty, he go show for terrace.

Sometimes, if rain dey fall, Jide go sit for balcony, dey hum one sweet tune. I go peep, dey admire.

At first, I dey worry for am, so I dey check am small small.

If I no see am for two days, I go knock door, ask if e need anything. E go smile, say e dey okay.

One day, as I dey sun myself for yard, he waka come, smile small, ask:

His smile be like person wey just chop jollof. E calm me.

"I resemble person wey no fit move on?"

E ask am with style, like say e dey find my reaction.

I look up, surprise.

I no expect am at all. Na so my eye open wide.

He lie down for rocking chair beside me, relaxed.

He cross leg, put head for arm, dey enjoy breeze. I just dey look am.

"I hear you for phone."

E voice dey gentle. My heart skip. I shame small.

I shame.

I try hide face, but e don catch me finish.

Last night, I call my padi, mention Jide.

My friend dey tease me, I no know say Jide dey hear.

I talk, "This guy fine o. E go pain if e just waka go like that."

I laugh, but Jide hear everything. My face burn.

Na so e hear am!

I dey find ground to enter, but e just dey smile.

As I dey feel awkward, Jide ask, "You no be from here. Wetin carry you come open guesthouse?"

I no expect the question. E dey try change topic make I for no shame.

I just yarn: "Money too much, nothing to do!"

I laugh join am. He smile, e teeth white. Sun dey shine for him face.

He laugh, voice sweet die.

Jide laugh, the sound be like music. My mind rest small.

I look am, see better thing—

The way him body dey relax, I dey reason say na person wey no carry wahala for mind.

The guy rest head for arm, dey look sky.

E dey whistle small. The breeze dey blow, palm tree dey shake. I just dey watch am.

Jawline sharp, side view fine like sculpture.

For my mind, I dey reason: see as God take create person.

Obinna fine, but Jide fine pass!

Na true talk! Jide get one kind charm. The more I look am, the more my mind dey sweet me.

Maybe as I dey look am, he catch me.

Our eye jam. He smile small, I shy. I turn face, heart dey beat fast.

I no remember who look away first. But from that day, something change between us.

After that, if I dey near am, my body go dey do me one kind. Even breeze dey feel different.

The day everything change, I hike with Jide.

We waka go mountain top, dey gist, dey laugh. Rain start as we dey come down, na so we run home, soak from head to toe.

As we dey come down, rain just start.

The water wet us finish. We dey laugh, dey shiver, dey drag slippers.

We reach compound, everywhere wet.

I catch cold. Jide help me clean my feet, prepare small tea.

That night, I get high fever, break cup as I wan take medicine.

Na so my hand shake, cup fall, scatter for floor. I dey sweat, dey weak.

Jide break door enter!

He rush in, eyes wide, dey pant. Na fear I see for him face. He run come my side.

I no know if na my mind dey play, but as he enter, I see fear for his face.

For once, I see say he care. My heart melt.

But as he see me, he relax.

He hold my hand, check my head. "You dey okay?" I nod.

The sickness hold me strong. I dey bed for five days, na Jide nurse me.

He cook, clean, dey change cloth for me. I no believe say stranger fit care for me like that.

He move his things enter my room, na there I know say he be singer!

One night, I hear him dey hum sweet song for my bedside. I surprise, ask am.

"So you dey ready to move any time?" I ask as I hold hot water.

He just smile, collect cup from me. "Anywhere music dey carry me go, na there I dey go."

He no answer, instead ask, "You wan make I go?"

He dey wait for my reply, eye dey search my face.

I no reply.

My heart dey beat. I just dey look am, no fit talk.

He collect cup from me, kiss me sharp.

The kiss land, my head turn. I hold him shirt, dey shake.

His hot breath make my body dey shake. I hold him shirt, my heart nearly jump comot!

I no fit lie, I want more. I just dey smile anyhow.

After that day, na Jide be landlord for compound.

He take over everything—fix bulb, sweep compound, repair tap. Neighbours dey tease am, call am "Oga madam husband".

Change bulb, fix table, na him work.

If anything spoil, na Jide dey handle am. E get magic hand.

Guests dey tease am: "You sabi do everything, the beautiful madam suppose marry you!"

Sometimes, even children go ask, "Uncle Jide, when you go marry Aunty?"

Anytime dem talk am, he go ask me:

Jide go dey look me, dey smile, say, "If you run now, who go cook for me? Abi you wan chop only indomie?"

"When you wan marry me?"

Na the question wey no gree finish. I go laugh, dodge am.

I go just laugh am off.

I dey shy, dey play. But deep down, my body dey sweet me.

He no dey show say e pain am, but when people no dey, he go find me wahala!

For night, he go drag me, dey tease me, dey make me laugh till I forget all my stress.

Even if I beg, he no go gree!

He stubborn well well. I go beg, he go hold me tight, dey play rough.

I think say life go just dey go, but one day, Jide disappear!

No warning, no text. I wake, room empty. E pain me.

I ask guests, dem say:

I run round compound, dey ask question. Na so guests dey gossip.

"Where e wan go? With that kind fine face, and na musician, e fit don follow one rich woman waka!"

My mind scatter. I no even fit eat that day.

The room empty, no guitar sound, no faint hum for corridor. My heart just dey hang like generator wey fuel finish.