Chapter 3: Gbege for Tobi Bed

I wake up for Tobi Okoli bed, my body just dey pain me.

The mattress soft, but my back still dey ache. Cold from AC dey bite my skin small. I try stretch, leg dey weak. My mouth dry like person wey run marathon for sun.

As I dey look ceiling, my brain dey slow to process.

Light for room dim. The sound of generator dey hum faintly for outside. I dey try remember how I waka enter this bed, memory just dey hang.

All the gbege from last night just rush enter my head.

I remember small small, person dey whisper for my ear: "Baby, abeg no cry."

And some other shameful things.

The voice dey echo for my ear, like say na bad dream. I dey try push am comot, but e no gree go.

I cover my ear, try block all those voices wey dey disturb me.

But e no work.

Na so my chest dey rise and fall, sweat dey my forehead. I wan cry, but tears no gree come.

Worse, the person wey dey near me notice as I dey move, come hold me tighter.

E press me enter im chest.

Im voice still dey heavy with sleep: "Baby, you don wake?"

The way im hand hold me tight, like say e dey try protect me. I dey confuse, my heart dey jump.

I hold my breath, I no fit look up.

If he know who I be nko?

My mind just dey flash warning light: "Wetin you go do now?" My mouth dey dry, I dey sweat under cover, dey pray make ground open swallow me.

Tobi get babe.

Na im talk am by himself.

Last weekend, as we go house chop, Mama and Papa dey talk about Musa family pikin wey dem just born. From there, na marriage talk start.

Of course, dem start with the first born.

Mama dey worry: "Tobi don reach twenty-five. You no get babe wey you like?"

We just finish food, dey relax for parlour.

I dey play game for sofa, Papa dey hold Mama—old couple, dem no even send us.

Dem dey laugh soft, old love way. The TV dey play Yoruba classic, but nobody even hear the sound.

Tobi answer: "Yes."

Na the way he talk am, e soft, but sure. I just freeze. No be small matter o.

I just win level for my game, during cutscene, I look Tobi, dey wonder.

My brother fine, get better character, family dey okay.

No girl go see am and no wan follow am. Even church aunty dey try set pikin for am. If to say na village, dem for don bring am wife sharp sharp.

Girls dey rush am since we small.

Even secondary school, dem dey write love letter give am. Me sef dey form bodyguard then.

He never like any of them.

Anytime dem ask am, he go just smile, dodge the question.

Okoli family no need arrange marriage, all those rich girls wey dey try dem luck, all of them fail.

Last Christmas party, one senator daughter carry homemade cake come, still nothing shake Tobi.

So, who be the person wey he like?

I dey reason am, dey bite my lip. No sign, nothing. Me sef dey feel somehow.

I blink look am: "Brother, who be the babe? I sabi her?"

He just look me, no talk anything.

Im eye just dey shine, but e no smile. I dey wait, my heart dey beat.

I no gree, I still dey disturb am: "Who? Who? Who be your girlfriend? How you take hide am since?"

Everybody for parlour just dey look us. My cousin throw pillow hit me for leg, "Abeg free am, joor!"

Tobi just vex. He hiss, "Who be my girlfriend no concern you."

E pain me small, but wetin I fit do? Na so e be sometimes for house.

I touch my nose.

Serious matter, Mama and Papa dey pressure am to marry, he come dey use me do scapegoat.

Me sef dey ask God, “Na so e go be?”

Na me dey suffer.

Family talk dey tire me. After a while, I just bone, focus on my phone.

Na so siblings dey far as dem dey grow old.

All those childhood memory just dey come and go. Before, we dey play ten-ten together. Now, everybody dey on im own.

He no even wan tell me if he get babe.

Even small secret, he dey hide from me. Na so life just change.

But make I leave who the babe be for now.

Sometimes, you go dey wonder, but the real wahala dey for corner.

The main wahala be say, Tobi hand no dey behave.

My skin dey tingle. I dey sweat for inside, dey wish say make breeze blow me vanish. Na wa o.

As I dey inside im hand, I no fit even move.

My breath dey short, heart dey beat kpim kpim kpim.

From where I dey, he no fit see my face.

I dey thank God say e dark small, so he no go catch who I be.

Im voice still dey lazy from sleep: "Baby, e still early."

His hand rub my arm softly. Na wa, I no fit shout. I dey shiver.

Wetin be 'e still early'?

Which kain early, abeg?

I just freeze.

Time just dey slow. I dey count second for my mind.

He think say na im girlfriend dey with am.

Na so dem dey do every day?

If na so love sweet, I no sure say I want am o.

If I look up, wahala go burst.

I dey pray for inside, "God abeg, make Tobi no look my face."

He never notice yet.

Maybe because I quiet, he think say I dey okay.

Just as he wan turn look my face—

Na my spirit almost fly commot. I dey hold breath, dey plan escape.

I sharply roll go one side, bury my head for pillow.

Quick sharp, before e fit see me finish. My heart dey jump like ogene drum.

"Hmm?" he just make small confused sound, then laugh low. "You like am like this?"

He come near.

Na im chest dey touch my back small. The laugh weak, but sweet. I no fit talk.

"Baby, call me brother."

Ewo! My brain wan explode. Which kain play be this?

Ah! Abeg, no call me that!

That one scatter my brain. If na play, I no dey play this kind play.

Wetin dey worry una couples sef?

For Lagos, dem go say, "Problem no dey finish." But this one pass problem o.