Chapter 5: Table For Four

That night, I go drink with my guys, come house late.

Bar full that night—bottle dey everywhere, Burna Boy dey blast for speaker. We gist, dey laugh, dey yarn about politics and wahala for country. For mind, I dey try forget my own wahala.

Ifeoma dey call me anyhow, I no pick. Last last, I off my phone.

Her call dey ring like police siren, but I just look am, hiss. I sip my Orijin, off phone, face my friends.

This time, na she dey wait for me for night.

I enter house, everywhere quiet, light still on for parlour. She sit for sofa, face hard, eye red. You know that kain way woman dey wait for man—trouble dey.

I small drunk, but I no gree make she help me.

She come meet me for door, dey try support me, dey talk say, "Baby, come let me help you." I just wave hand, shake head.

I push her hand, hold wall enter bedroom, just fall for bed.

My head dey spin, my cloth dey smell drink, but I no send. I just off my shoe, face pillow.

Ifeoma no dey ever gree make I sleep with outside clothes—she dey talk say e dirty. I dey always obey her rules. But she, she ever obey my own?

Many times she go even dey use hand drag cloth from my body, dey frown. But today, I just ignore am.

I sleep deep.

Dream no even near my eye that night. Just pure darkness, no wahala, no Musa.

After that day, Ifeoma start dey pamper me.

She go dey fry egg for kitchen, dey sing Davido song, dey call me 'babe'. Even my work shirt she dey iron sharp sharp, dey put perfume join. If I dey look am, I go wonder if na my wife be this or another woman.

Every morning, she go make breakfast, dey send me message for work, sometimes if I work late, she go bring food for me.

She go even add note inside cooler: 'For my love, Chuka.' Sometimes she go drop plantain extra, dey add Fanta. Colleagues for office go dey tease me, say I dey enjoy.

Like say she wan show with action say she don change.

Neighbours begin dey notice. Mama Nkechi for block C talk say, "Ifeoma don dey do house wife full time o! Chuka you lucky." I go just smile, dey wave.

Until today. I close from work early. She talk say she never chop continental food for long, say new restaurant dey nearby, make we try am.

Her voice sweet for phone: "Baby, I see one place for Instagram, make we go try am, abeg."

I gree, waka go there after work.

As I dey drive, my mind dey reason say maybe today go sweet, maybe wahala don cool.

I reach small early, dey look menu, I raise head see Musa and Ifeoma dey enter together.

My eye clear—na them! Dem dey talk dey laugh, Ifeoma hand for Musa shoulder as dem waka enter. My heart just dey beat small small.

I pick my phone, send message.

I just type, 'You don reach? I dey inside.' No reply.

As Musa sit down, he talk, “Sorry I burst your date o. I just dey pass, I don dey reason this place since. So I follow Ify come. Hope say you no mind?”

He dey talk as if na him pay rent for the restaurant. Ifeoma dey smile, dey look me. For my mind, na fight I dey hold back.

“No wahala,” I answer, voice flat.

I adjust my shirt, smile like say nothing dey.

“How about I pay for today, make up for am.”

He raise hand, dey call waiter, dey form like correct guy.

He smile, “By the way, Ify buy me that suit last time, I never even thank her.”

He dey talk am, dey look me for eye. Ifeoma dey shift for seat.

I look Ifeoma. So she really buy am that suit.

The thing pain me, but I just dey calm. My hand dey under table dey clench.

Ifeoma face small tension, “Na coincidence today. Musa no be outsider—more people, more groove.”

She try form as if e no mean. But I sabi say she dey fear wahala.

Musa just dey shine teeth, pat Ifeoma for shoulder, “See as you dey fear? Chuka and me don know since. Wetin dey bad if we chop together?”

He dey talk, dey smile, dey try form say all of us be one happy group.

Ifeoma throw me look, dodge him hand, “Abeg, just dey talk, no dey touch anyhow.”

She use eye warn am small, but Musa just dey laugh. You know all those padi wey no dey hear word.

He shock small, raise brow, look me for eye, “No wahala, make we order. My treat—order anything.”

He dey do big boy for table. Waiter dey look all of us, dey wait for order.

Ifeoma open phone, dey scan menu. “I go order well, o.”

She dey scroll, dey look picture. Sometimes she go show Musa, dey giggle.

Musa bend look her phone, their head nearly touch.

E be like say na dem be couple, I come be extra.

If person enter restaurant, dem go think say na I be friend of the family, no be husband.

Dem dey laugh dey gist, dey order. Musa look up, talk like host, “Chuka, you see anything? Make Ify add am for you.”

He dey try form say he care, but e dey pain me.

“Wait first.”

I stand, wave one babe for entrance—slim, wear long dress, hair full for back.

My move shock Ifeoma small. Musa dey look as the girl dey waka come.

She waka come, dey smile, “Sorry I late.”

Her voice soft, smile sweet. She smell like vanilla, her bag dey fine, make up fresh.

I pull chair for her. “No wahala, we just order finish. See if you want add something.”

I dey talk soft, dey look Ifeoma for eye. The air for table change small.

Ifeoma eye her up and down, face don change. “Baby, who be this?”

Her voice low, but you go hear am. She dey eye me, dey eye Halima. I just smile, dey enjoy the show.