Chapter 2: Pepper and Palava

I rush go tell my roommates wetin I discover.

As I dey enter room, dem dey gist dey laugh, but once I talk, everywhere quiet small. The way dem take look me sef, e be like say I carry wahala enter room.

"E fit be say pervert dey target our hostel. Recently, my panties always—"

Before I fit finish, Aisha roll eye, adjust her wrapper, then hiss: "Ngozi, you suppose go see doctor for head. Last time you accuse us say we dey touch your panties, now na pervert story you dey bring? Why e be say na only you dey always attract wahala?"

She cover her mouth like say she shock.

"You sure say you no get disease? I hear say some dirty sickness dey make person dey smell anyhow..."

As she talk am, the other two roommates shift comot from my side sharp-sharp, like say I get leprosy.

Dem carry leg waka, dey form busy with phone, but I see am for their face say dem dey fear. Person go think say I dey ooze poison. Funmi squeeze sanitizer for hand, rub am like prayer, then shift chair small-small, dey eye me like say I be ghost.

My body dey shake with anger.

"Aisha, you use toilet brush wash your mouth this morning? Your mouth dey smell pass soakaway."

Everybody burst small laughter, but dem still dey pretend like say dem no hear. Me sef, e dey pain me say I go dey use mouth fight my own girls for room.

"Oh, e pain you abi?"

Aisha toss her new braids, smile like say she wicked.

"You dey wear all those ashawo panties everyday—who you dey do show for? We be correct babes for here, no use your rubbish drag us join."

As she talk finish, the other girls shift even more. Hostel leader Funmi come talk, her voice small:

"Ngozi, maybe you suppose comot from here small? My mama talk say that kind disease fit spread through cloth..."

For Naija, once person talk say her mama talk, e mean matter don serious. Everybody go gree, even if e no make sense. The way dem look me, e be like say na me be devil for room.

As person support her, Aisha chest come rise. She pick one disinfectant from table.

"Abeg, since we dey share room, make I disinfect you first!"

Before I know, she pour one sharp-smelling liquid full my body.

As my roommates dey shout, I grab Aisha hair drag am enter bathroom.

For my mind, e be like say spirit just carry me. I no even reason say dem fit report me. For Naija hostel, if you no strong, dem go ride you tire.

"Ngozi, leave me! You dey craze?"

Her scream full everywhere. I no send, I on tap with one hand, direct shower straight her face.

For one second, water no gree come. My heart dey beat—if tap fail now, na disgrace. But as water burst out, I smile.

"Eye for eye. Make I wash that your dirty mouth."

Water dey splash everywhere, even Funmi dey shout from corridor say make we calm down.

I adjust the water.

"And flush whatever dey your head join."

"Help... glug... help!"

Funmi wan come near, but I just look her one kind.

"You want your own wash too?"

For Naija, if person dey fight, na so people go dey form referee, but nobody really wan chop stray.

I release Aisha only when her braids don glue for her face, mascara don flow like gutter water for rainy season, black lines full her face. She just fall for ground dey cry.

"Wuwuwu..."

She dey roll for ground, dey sob. Small pity wan catch me, but I bone face. Make she learn.