Chapter 2: Rain, Lies, and a Five-Star Truth

Na Tobi Adekunle talk say make we travel cheap.

E yarn say make we dey adventurous. "No be every time person go dey form ajebo," e talk. E say struggle dey sweet after, say e go show say love dey real.

He say we still dey young, all this suffering go turn better memory for us.

E talk am like sey na training ground for future—like sey na this experience go make us strong couple. But for my mind, I dey reason: suffering no dey sweet, abeg.

But deep down, I sabi say na because him no get money.

Na money matter dey ground. Even as e dey form big man, na pocket dey control am. For Naija, you sabi say packaging dey plenty, but wallet dey empty.

But I no wan wound him pride, so I just follow am—enter slow train, then one chance bus.

I carry my own load, dey smile fake smile, dey act like sey I no mind. But inside, I dey calculate my next move. I know say Naija man pride dey fragile. I no wan be the babe wey go make am feel less.

At last, for one day wey rain no gree stop, dem throw us commot for bus halfway.

Rain dey soak our bag, conductor dey shout, "Una, abeg, come down! No be my fault, o!" We waka for muddy road, all my fine white sneakers don turn brown.

Tobi Adekunle carry my bag for one hand, use him jacket cover my head, him own body dey soak.

He use one hand dey shield my face from rain. Even as he dey shiver, he still dey smile, dey try do strong man for me. "If to say NEPA dey try, maybe rain for no too worry us," he joke, shaking head at Lagos wahala.

"Morayo, where you go sleep tonight? Make I first drop you."

E try form gentleman. For Naija, no matter how broke, boy go still dey show say e dey responsible. E voice dey low, but I sabi say e dey worried.

I pause.

I reason small, my heart dey beat. E dey look me with hope, maybe say I go pick correct place.

I no tell am say my papa don book better hotel for me.

If I open mouth talk say my papa get hotel for me, e go feel say I dey show off. I swallow the truth, dey form humble.

With the rain wey dey fall, I no fit leave am for one yeye guesthouse.

I look the way e dey hold my bag, water dey drip from him eyebrow. I no fit leave am. My conscience dey prick me.

So I just smile, "I forget book hotel. Abeg, just book me for where you dey stay."

I form like say I be street babe, but my mind dey cry for AC room, hot shower. I twist my mouth, dey try smile.

Tobi Adekunle squint as breeze dey blow. "Where I dey stay no too good, and e far. You sure say you wan follow me go?"

E check my face as if e dey find clue. Him voice dey tremble small. Na Naija boy style, e dey try warn me without making me fear.

I nod with confidence.

I force laugh, try make am feel better. Even as I dey shiver, I stand strong. "No wahala, I dey with you." Na so I give am hope.

After we waka reach the dirty roadside inn, both of us don soak finish.

We enter reception, aboki dey watch Indian film for small TV. The mat for entrance dey smell, but we bone. Our eye just dey red from cold.

Inside, Tobi Adekunle just remove him T-shirt, show him correct body.

I pretend say I no see am, but my eye dey look from corner. Him chest get small scar from childhood football, e dey flex muscle like say na gym.

"See this perv," I talk, my face don red as I turn away.

I use pillow cover my face, but my mind dey jump. For Naija, girl go shy but still peep.

Tobi Adekunle just dey shine teeth. "So you dey shy? You no like to look?"

E use deep voice, dey tease me. Him laugh loud, na that kain laugh wey fit make person weak.

Everywhere just change.

Air dey thick. The rain outside dey sound like drum. My skin dey tingle, my body dey tense.

I bow my head, no talk.

I dey bite my lip, dey fight smile. My heart dey beat scatter.

Tobi Adekunle put him big hand for my neck, dey rub am small small, voice low:

"Morayo, you cold?"

E voice deep, like person wey just wake from sleep. The way e touch me, e soft, e gentle. My body dey answer am before my mouth.

Him manly smell just surround me, my body get goosebumps, my head dey tingle. The room dey smell of rain, small sweat, that smell wey dey come from man wey just waka under sun. Na that raw Naija smell—mix of Rexona and rain, with small scent of ogogoro from last night.

Shy, I nod small.

I look ground, my hair dey cover my face. E fit no see my eye, but e sabi say I dey blush.

Next thing, Tobi Adekunle just pull me enter him hot body.

E carry me like say I no heavy. I fit hear e heartbeat, steady, strong. I melt inside am.

"Morayo, make I warm you..."

Na so e whisper for my ear. E hold me close, e rub my back, body dey press my own. Rain dey beat window, but I no dey feel cold again.

From there, everything scatter.

We no even reason. Touch turn to hold, hold turn to kiss. Before I know, everything don move fast. Na as if world stop dey exist, na only two of us dey.

But the more e dey scatter, the happier I dey.

My heart dey dance. I dey laugh, I dey feel alive. For that moment, I believe say nothing fit break us.

Even as I dey under am, I still dey think:

I dey imagine our future—wedding for our parents' compound, children wey go carry our name. For my head, na love story wey no dey end.

Na so e be for childhood sweethearts. We no even need talk love—friend go just turn lover, one day we go marry, waka life together.

I dey remember all the time wey we dey chop puff-puff after school, dey talk dream for gutter side. My mind dey sweet me.

If no be am, na who?

For my mind, I believe say na destiny. God no go allow our matter scatter.

...

But now, I don realize say I dey fool myself.

My head clear like morning after rain. All the fantasy, na wash. I just dey pity myself.