Chapter 5: Police Wahala, Lagos No Dey Forget

Halima’s screeching dey burst my ear.

She get voice like broken bell. I wan block ear.

I sneer, “Wetin you dey talk? Your wahala no concern me.”

I finally talk my mind. Some students murmur, others nod. Everybody sabi say she too like drama.

For my last life, na you truly spoil my future.

I think about all I lost. My anger dey boil, but I keep face straight.

If no be your greed and wickedness, how my life for turn so dark?

I grit teeth, no let her see my pain.

How my mama for die just to prove my innocence?

Her sacrifice too heavy, too painful to forget.

Remembering everything, I no feel pity for Halima now.

She want pity, but all I feel na cold anger. I harden my heart.

If anything, I wan laugh.

The irony nearly make me smile. See as life turn am.

She try fight me, but she no reach.

She scratch my arm, but I no feel am. Some girls hold her back.

Before e go worse, class teacher enter.

She waka in with her signature frown, head tie strong, eyes sharp like razor.

She tough: “WAEC dey come—wetin una dey do here?”

Her voice thunder. Everybody scatter to seat. Some boys hide phone.

“Go back, read your books!”

Nobody argue. Her word na law. Even stubborn ones gree.

Teacher na middle-aged woman, no tall but get authority. Just few words, everywhere quiet.

Her wrapper dey rustle, glasses low, always dey scan for wahala.

She scold us for being childish, dey waste precious exam time.

She list names, threaten to call parents if we no focus.

She even tell them to learn from me.

Some hiss, others look away. Halima dey burn with jealousy.

One troublemaker point at me. “Na Femi start am. Teacher, no cover for am!”

He dey cause wahala. Teacher eye am, tell am to shut up.

She raise eyebrow, come look me and Halima. She no ask what happen, just say both of us go office.

Her voice no get argument. She click tongue, motion us forward.

I no mind. In fact, I feel obedient.

I waka quietly, avoid Halima glare.

After all, for my last life, na only she try talk my mama down from roof. She post my mama’s blood letter online. As attention grow, she help find evidence for me.

Her kindness real. I respect her, even if I fear am small.

Halima scream like mad person, “You old witch, you just dey cover for Femi, that animal!”

She point, voice crack. Teacher ignore her, face strong.

“He get UI admission, you dey proud. You call us office to protect am!”

Some snicker. Teacher shake head.

Those wey no like me look me with pity, small mockery.

I keep chin up, refuse to show weakness.

To deal with mad person like this…

I wonder if teacher go vex. Halima no dey tire.

Teacher frown. “Halima, I no dey cover Femi because he dey brilliant. If he do wrong, I go punish am.”

Her voice low but strong. Nobody argue.

Halima point her swollen cheeks. “He slap me two times! Grown boy, hit weak girl—do you know how e dey pain?”

She sniff, rub face. Some students dey eye me.

I no deny. I reply, “But when you tear my book, you no look weak at all.”

My voice flat, but sarcasm loud.

Teacher look torn book, then slap marks, say sharply, “Both of you, office now.”

She turn, expect us to follow.

Her presence strong. Even after another life, I no fit look her eye.

I waka behind, dey look floor.

No wonder students fear her.

She be army general for wrapper.

But she quickly calm Halima.

She whisper something, Halima sniffle, quiet.

Halima eye me, storm out.

She slam door. Class exhale, relief.

For office, I explain what happen.

I talk straight, no lie. Teacher listen, arms folded.

Teacher look me, no too sure. “Femi, you suppose help classmate in trouble… But I no fit force you. At least, you for call police.”

Her words soft, eyes serious.

Seeing teacher on her side, Halima start dey proud. “My life don spoil, all because of you!”

She pout, act like only her dey suffer.

I shrug. “But teacher, I no really hear anything yesterday. If I no see or hear, how I for help?”

I keep voice level, no gree for bait.

“And see Halima attitude—if I help her, she fit turn blame me for being late, or even set me up.”

Words hang. Teacher frown, dey think.

Halima snap, “You animal! You think I wicked like you?”

She spit words. I just look away.

You worse. Call you animal na compliment. But I hold am for mind.

My lips twitch, but I keep quiet.

Teacher look Halima. “In that case, let’s call police.”

Office go silent. All eyes on Halima.

“Call police? No!” Halima panic. “If we call police, my life don finish! Who go pay for my dignity?”

She wring hand, tears dey flow. Teacher raise eyebrow, no impressed.

“The criminal wey harass you, na him go pay. You be victim, not criminal,” teacher reply sharp.

Her voice no get argument. Some teachers peep in.

After years for small town, she sabi how to handle drama.

She fold arms, wait for Halima.

Halima eyes dey run. She no answer.

She look me, look floor, confuse.

I support teacher. “Teacher dey right. Make we call police. Whoever guilty, arrest am, punish am.”

My words surprise even me. I watch Halima.

Halima no want, but if she refuse, gist go follow am.

She bite lip, know say news dey fly for area.

Na so small town be. Victim na woman, but in the end, people still blame am.

Even when she right, crowd still find fault. Ewo! See as life turn am.

Why she no be saint? Why she get flaw? Why she no be angel?

People want perfection, forget we all be human.

“Fine…” Halima gree, weak.

She sniff, defeat. Teacher nod.

She and I follow teacher car go police station.

Ride quiet, tension thick. I dey look window, no look her face.

After we explain, police quick start investigate.

Officer, big man with tired eyes, dey jot, dey ask question. Halima answers dey shake.

No concern me—I no even be bystander.

I sit for corner, silent, dey watch drama.

After small check, police let me go house.

Dem stamp paper, wave me go. I breathe, relief flood me.

Halima vex, grab officer sleeve, shout, “Officer, Femi spoil my future! How he go free?”

She raise voice, hope for support. Officer no even blink.

“You dey cover am because he brilliant?”

Officer glance her, then me, shake head.

Police just look her, but act professional.

He talk, “Femi no commit any crime. He just waka pass, no even notice you dey attacked…”

Voice steady, almost bored. E don see too many cases.

Halima cut in, “He dey pretend! When I dey call for help, I see am look back! He see me for danger! He ignore me!”

She stamp foot, voice rise again.

After many interruption and her attitude, officer face harden. “Even if he see, law no force person to risk life. Not acting hero no be crime.”

He lean forward, voice deep. Room quiet.

“If agbero get weapon, saving you fit put am for danger. Best thing—call police, shout from distance—if he even see am.”

He turn to me, nod small. I stay silent.

“Whether he see or not, no be for you to decide.”

He close file, end matter.

Police just shake head.

He look tired, like person wey don see all human wahala.

Maybe he dey think: with person like Halima, better no help.

Some people na wahala, no matter your good mind.

Halima no get wetin she want, she throw self for floor, dey cry: “You dey bully me because I be woman!”

She wail, kick ground. Officer no move.

“Femi no save me, so na him fault!”

She roll, hair dey fly. Police dey laugh small.

“My life don spoil! He go pay! He must take responsibility!”

She slap ground, face twist with rage.

She roll like wild pig for mud.

People gather for door, dey whisper, some shake head, some dey laugh.

Officer face cold. “This na police station, no be market.”

He stand, arms fold, dare her to continue.

“You fit be victim, but if you continue make noise, we fit detain you. Na your first warning.”

His words cut noise. Halima freeze, realize danger.

He reach for handcuffs.

She jump up, dust body, suddenly calm.

Halima dey shake, get up, sob quietly.

Her tears turn sniffle. She sit, arms fold, dey eye floor.

She gasp like she wan faint.

She glance wall clock, pretend lose balance. Officer ignore am.

Police sigh. “We go catch criminal. You go get justice.”

He soften voice. She just nod, still dey pout.

I dey hide smile. Watching her suffer dey sweet me small.

After all she do me, I almost laugh. I hold am, no want more wahala.

After that, Halima stay for station to give more information about criminal.

Officer give me release slip, tell me go home. Halima no even look my side.

I follow teacher car go back school.

Ride silent. She offer chin chin, I refuse politely.

Before I come down, teacher talk serious, “Femi, even if you get UI admission, no relax.”

Her voice gentle but firm, like mama advice.

“Enter university no mean you slack. For new place, people smart pass you.”

She look me over glasses. "No go fall my hand for there o!"

“No let small thing distract you, hear?”

I nod, grateful.

She strict, but she care.

She be closest thing to family outside my mama.

I nod, “I understand.”

She smile, eyes warm small.

I go back class.

Classmates dey look me, nobody talk. I focus on book, ready leave drama behind.

I think say e don finish.

For brief moment, I hope peace finally come.

But next day, she bring police enter class again, point at me.

E be like say everything return to beginning.

My heart sink. Sometimes, for this life, no matter how you try dodge wahala, trouble go find you. But this time, I ready. Ready to face anything, but always with my head held high and my mother's spirit by my side. Because in this life, if you no get strong mind, Lagos go swallow you.