Chapter 9: Choices and Moving On

After the party, my driver come pick me.

No public taxi today—na papa send his best driver, Musa, make sure I reach house.

Tobi just appear for my car window.

Like spirit, he just show, lean for the glass.

"I don send you list of universities wey your score fit reach."

He dey talk soft, but I know say na care dey inside.

"Check am—they all dey for university town."

I look am, confuse, then look Halima, wey just stand for one side, dey wait quietly.

The babe dey press phone, but her eye still dey find Tobi.

Tobi follow my eyes, frown.

Small jealousy dey show. Boys no dey hide am well.

"I see her dey trek for road recently. Since our house dey near, she dey follow me go back."

He wan explain, as if say na offence to dey waka together.

"No think too much."

E try reassure me, but me no dey send.

As we look am, Halima just lower her head, like say she wan hide.

Babe dey shy, but I sabi say she dey plan inside her heart.

Totally different from who she go be ten years later.

Na that time, e go hard to catch am humble. E go dey form madam.

She go dey drunk, vomit everywhere, come wear Tobi shirt for my bedroom.

That scene still dey my mind. I fit never forgive am.

"Anwuli, you no fit help am at all. But me, I different."

Her words always get sharp edge. Na competition life.

She go dey do victim for Tobi front, cry till her face red, even kneel down.

She sabi act movie for real life. Na her way.

"I no be like you. I fight for everything. Abeg, no spoil my own."

She dey always beg, but e be like threat join.

And Tobi, with dark face, go pull her up, hide her behind him.

That sight pain me pass anything. My own husband!

He go frown at me, like say I be stranger.

He dey take side, like say I no get sense.

"You really dey disappoint me."

As if na me be villain for my own story.

So, dem don dey close since long time.

Maybe I just dey blind all this while.

I just come back to reality, answer am gently—

I try gather dignity.

"I already get the university wey I wan go."

No need to argue. My decision dey clear.

I reject his help, think say he go understand.

If na before, I for reason am, but now, abeg.

But e be like say he no get the message.

He dey stand dey look me, like say he no believe.