Chapter 9: Sun, Suya, and a Shattered Hope

Orientation camp no easy. Even with all my ginger, I tire. Sun dey roast everywhere, sweat dey run for my back, but I still dey push.

Aisha wey no dey handle sun, don black, dey complain. Ifeanyi dey para for WhatsApp steady: “I no fit. These people wan kill person with activities.” I just dey laugh.

We three plan to chop together again. Since Halima pay last time, I wan return favour. I message her—she bounce me. No wahala, na so e be.

I just feel am—she no send me at all. If school fine boy no reach, who I be? I begin reason the kain guy wey Halima dey like. Person wey fit get all the shine, but still dey carry mind give another person. I no even get mouth to talk how I feel.

Crush wey no get hope, abeg, I begin free the matter. Make my heart rest. If I hear say Halima dey any side, I no go. I dey dodge her, dey protect myself.

Later, Ifeanyi yarn me say Halima don move on, dey focus for competition, dey win trophy, no get time for relationship. I just let am be.

I no see Halima till semester finish. When Christmas break reach, na still me, Ifeanyi, Aisha dey waka together. Halima no join. Ifeanyi say she go come two days later, so we just dey wait.

After New Year, holiday still remain small, boredom dey kill me for house. Netflix tire me, I just dey scroll phone up and down.

I see one suya flyer for table—Palm Grove Suya Couples’ Meal Half Price! My eye shine, hunger dey worry me. I snap am, post for WhatsApp status: “Palm Grove Suya Couples’ Meal Half Price! Who wan pair with this single guy?”

Within two minutes, my comments just full like rain for July.

Aisha: “You and all this awoof. No be better make you chop with me for full price?”

Ifeanyi: “Make we pair up?”

Friend 1: “You go follow guy go?”

Friend 2: “Stop to dey fish—no single babe remain. Your bait no dey work.”

Me: …

Before long, Halima shock me—she message me for WhatsApp direct. The message short, but my body vibrate.

Halima: “When?”

Farouk: “?”

Halima: “No be you say you dey go chop suya?”

Na that moment, the heart wey don cool since half year start dey beat like say dem dey drum talking drum for inside chest. I no know why she wan chop with me, but I no fit talk no. Opportunity wey I dey pray for since.

Farouk: “When you free?”

Halima: “Anytime.”

I check time—8:30 PM already. Brain dey reason, make I no rush.

Farouk: “How about tomorrow afternoon?”

Halima: “Okay.”

I dey look chat, dey smile like mumu. Even my younger cousin notice, dey tease me. For my mind, I dey reason maybe she no hate me like that. Maybe all that bone face before na because she dey heartbroken. My hope dey rise like agege bread.

I dey hum, dey plan outfit for the suya date. My cousin call me, say make I come do extra work for her friend. I no too wan go, but when she raise price: “10k if you run am.” I no reason am, just carry bag, rush go.

Money dey sweet, and the hope of dinner with my goddess dey boost my morale. I run the job, collect 10k. That night, I no fit sleep. I dey hold my phone like say na newborn baby, dey wait make tomorrow quick reach.

As day break, I dey change cloth, dey comb hair, dey arrange shoe. I dey edit, delete message to Halima, dey overthink. At last, I send: “You don wake?”

But…

Na joke?

She delete me…

Yes, just like that—she delete me. Block, vanish, silence. My hand dey shake, my chest dey pain. I dey wonder, dey vex, dey laugh myself for my foolish hope. The more I happy before, the more e pain me now. Life just dey play me whot. My head dey turn. I no still understand—why she run me street like this? My hope crash like okada for pothole. I just dey stare phone, dey ask God, ‘Na my village people dey do me?’ The question dey hang for air, no answer—na so my single life continue, dey wait for next round.