Chapter 7: Seyi’s Real Game

The two buildings near school, na Ajayi family build am. Nobody fit try him for campus.

Everybody dey respect Seyi family. Even principal dey greet his papa like king. For school, na only him fit wear slippers for corridor and nobody go talk.

As I ask for seat change, form teacher quickly agree, school even give me scholarship.

Once I mention Seyi name, na green light. Scholarship come join, na so my respect double.

After school, as I dey pack my books, one wet kiss land for my neck.

Seyi sabi play rough. Na so e take dey show say he get power. Boys for class dey look, dey envy.

"Top students no need read, abi? Stay with me small tonight, abeg."

His babyish voice get small wickedness inside.

He fit use baby voice collect your ATM pin. Na so e be.

He bite my finger as I try stop am. His lips soft, eyes dey look my mouth.

If person see us, e go think say we dey act romance film. Na only God dey see real intention.

"Camera dey for class."

I remind am. I no wan make my matter trend for another group chat. This country, camera dey everywhere.

I look Seyi Ajayi, wey dey tempt person, stop am.

His eye dey shine, but I dey firm. For this Lagos, if you give boy inch, e go collect mile.

"Make we go your house then? Seyi lean close."

I smile, "Depends on how you try."

If you wan reach my heart, you must cross river. Seyi dey like challenge.

We don dey date on low for one month, and WAEC just remain one month.

Na coded something. Nobody sabi. For school, everybody dey guess, but nobody fit confirm.

I balance love and book, and even though Seyi Ajayi dey always carry my homework and books for different reason, I still dey number one.

Even if Seyi wan use my brain, my own no dey drop. Na so I dey take do.

Seyi no gree until my result drop. He know say nobody dey my house, so he follow me go.

Seyi sabi plan. He dey always wait for when I dey weak before he strike. Boys dey learn from am.

Seyi hate book, but once we reach house, I force am solve maths.

He go dey frown, dey drag leg. For him mind, na only party dey sweet. But I no dey joke with maths.

He dey look the formulas like punishment. "If I get am right, you go give me reward?"

Boys dey always want reward. Na so e dey be.

I nod.

He go shine eye, dey try finish everything fast fast. For small reward, boys fit solve world hunger.

He pour all him energy for the maths, then after he get am, he hold me. "Done. Tonight’s reward."

He grab me, dey smile. That kind boyish excitement dey sweet me.

Secondary school boys too get power.

Dem dey always dey rush things, like say time dey finish. I just dey laugh.

I allow myself enjoy am small.

No harm. My own be say, no let your brain dull.

But Seyi look my clear eyes, vex: "Mimi."

His face tight, e dey feel say I dey use am. I dey, dey watch.

"You fail this question."

I dey point the answer. I no dey let emotion cover my eye.

I mark the mistake for the last page.

Seyi just dey vex, but I no send. For me, book still first.

Seyi no dey hide laziness. He believe say him family always dey his back, so why stress?

He dey form big boy. For Naija, if your papa get money, you fit misbehave anyhow.

He start to form vex, hold my hands rough. "Book, book, Mimi, na only book you sabi. You no even like me."

Na so boys dey do, if dem no fit reach your mind, dem go dey try guilt-trip you.

But I no send am.

I dey look am like say na mosquito. If you no give me joy, abeg shift.

Why I go dey pet man wey dey throw tantrum?

Me sef get pride. If you too dey act up, I go just dey look you. For Naija, if you pamper boy too much, e go ride you.

Since na Amara send am come seduce me, na him suppose dey give me emotional value.

I sabi say dem dey plan. So why I go carry matter for head? If you no add value, shift.

Besides, him face too fine.

Sometimes, just dey look fine boy dey sweet.

I no even feel any wahala—let am skip breakfast, use body dey try force me care.

If you wan do hunger strike, na your pocket. For my mind, I dey laugh.

I touch his arm. His sweet eyes dey full of vex, one hand dey hold stomach as he turn face.

E wan form stubborn, but na childishness.

But he no realize—na only who fall first dey vex if you ignore am.

If na me first fall, maybe I for dey beg. But now, I dey win the game.

From beginning to end, I just dey look, dey watch am dey vex.

I just cross leg, dey scroll phone, dey pretend say e no dey there.

Anonymous person send me new video.

Phone vibrate, I open. My mind dey ready for another shocker.

The video full of familiar faces—na the same clique Amara gather to try spoil my name.

As I see their face, I dey count—Amara, Tunde, even one girl wey dey claim bestie.

"As expected of Brother Seyi—just show face and Mimi don dey fall."

Their voice dey loud, dey mock. I dey hear my own name like say na advert.

"Brother Seyi, how you take do am make Mimi beg teacher to change seat?"

Na gossip table. Dem dey share gist, dey plan move.

I hear Seyi Ajayi voice clear, with small pride: "I think say she go hard, but she come sharp sharp when I call."

I pause. The way he talk am, e be like trophy. Like say na game.

"Seyi, my cousin like you since. No fall Amara hand. When you go break up?"

They dey pressure am. Boys dey always brag for group.

Seyi raise brow: "After I sleep with her. She fine pass all those ones outside."

Na so boys dey yarn. No respect. My blood dey boil.

One glass fall for video.

Sound loud. Even for video, tension high.

Na Tunde scatter him drink.

I know say Tunde still get small conscience. Sometimes, even bad guy get limit.

Amara voice come: "You don dey fall for her? E don tey and her result never drop. I no sure say she like you at all."

She dey try protect her territory, dey suspect say plan no dey go as e suppose.

Bar music too loud, but Seyi words still sharp: "How I go love poor orphan wey no get papa or mama? She even deserve am? The cancer report dey ready—one month before exam, just watch me finish am."

The words hit me like slap. So all the love, all the pain, na plan. My chest dey heavy, but my eye dry—no single tear. I just dey look phone. Na so this life hard?

Anonymous sender ask me: [E don reach like this—you still like Seyi?]

For my mind, I dey process everything. Na here street sense start. For Naija, once your eye open, you no go close am again.