Chapter 7: New Beginnings and Heartbreak Gist

When admission letter finally land like miracle, I see say me and Aisha both enter Benin University. Na dance we dance, plan to celebrate our friendship. Happiness full our body.

For mall, we jam Ifeanyi. Before you know am, our two turn three, we enter suya spot, begin chop suya, onions, dey gist. Ifeanyi happy pass us. “Now I fit dey roll with una again! Good say I jam una—una for no invite me?”

She dey blend well, her laugh dey loud, her gist dey sweet. Like Halima, she sharp, na Halima bestie. She enter Ibadan University, wey dey cross river from Benin University. No wonder happiness dey her body. Me sef happy, e good to get close friend near.

“Sorry, bro, almost forget you,” I talk, dey yarn play.

She eye me sharp. “Farouk, I be babe—who you dey call ‘bro’?”

I raise hand, laugh, 'No vex, madam!'

Aisha eye her, like say she dey remember something. “Why you dey shop alone? Where Halima, campus queen?”

Ifeanyi sigh, look left and right before she talk. “She? She don go Ibadan already.”

“But school never start na, why she rush go?” Aisha press.

Ifeanyi look our face, lower her voice. “I go tell una, but no spread am.”

We nod, eye wide, ready for gist. Ifeanyi clear throat, dey form elder. “Halima just break up, she rush go early to clear her head.”

“Break up?”

“She get boyfriend?” Me and Aisha talk am together. The surprise catch us well.

“Yes, the guy run her street.” Ifeanyi shake head, her voice low. The matter pain her too.

I shock, still pain dey my chest. The babe wey I dey crush on, another guy wound am. My heart just dey do me one kind. I dey feel somehow, like person chop too much pepper.

“Sigh, nobody get perfect life,” Aisha talk, voice low.

“She talk say she like the guy since. E pain her well,” Ifeanyi add, eye soft.

“Na our class guy?” Aisha ask, her face dey serious.

Me sef open ear, dey hope say na no. I dey reason Halima matter.

“No sure, maybe not,” Ifeanyi shrug. “But e pain her reach bone.”

No wonder she bounce the school fine boy that day. Her mind dey another place. The guy mess up, break her heart.

Remember how she dey soft with me for party, I almost think say hope dey. My body just weak, my mind dey turn.

We chop, gist, drink, then waka go house. For my mind, the story dey replay.

Few days later, Ifeanyi travel go her village for summer, Aisha go visit family for another city. Me, I just dey waka city, dey bored, dey miss my guys.

Everyday, na my house, my aunt house, my grandma house—dem dey look my face like say I dey disturb dem. I dey help for kitchen, dey wash car, dey do errands. Life just dey go.

Finally, time reach for university orientation camp. My mind dey ready, new life dey front.