Chapter 1: Graduation Night Confession

The night of our secondary school graduation party.

That night, as the sweet pepper soup and loud music dey make everywhere bubble, the air thick with suya smoke and sweat, girls dey dance, boys dey shout. I come dey high, my head dey swirl. Na that kain moment person dey open mouth confess all the things wey dem hide since. As I dey float for inside ogogoro courage, I use the chance confess to Halima—the campus queen wey dey scatter everybody mind, fine girl wey dey walk like breeze. She sef don high, her eye dey shine like torchlight for NEPA blackout—sharp, no hiding place. For the spirit of that night, I even sneak one quick kiss from her mouth, my chest dey pound like generator wey no get silencer. My palm dey sweat, cup almost fall for my hand.

My mind talk say she don blackout, say the alcohol go wash the memory comot for her head sharp sharp. I rest.

But over one year later, as we dey do truth-or-dare for hostel, everybody don high on cheap wine, person ask her that kain question: “Halima, when you get your first kiss?”

She just throw me one kain side-eye, her brow squeeze, vex still dey her tone: “The night of the graduation party.”

My body freeze. Na so she remember everything… My heart cut like NEPA light. I nearly drop my cup. For my mind, wahala don land. The kind fear wey catch me that moment, I no go forget. I come begin reason say, for this life, nothing dey ever truly hide.