Chapter 1: The Pill Box

My babe and I don dey together for more than one year now, but she never allow me touch her at all. She always dey talk say she be traditional girl, say she dey conservative, say her most precious thing na only for marriage she go give am. I believe her.

Sometimes, when I dey gist with my guys for beer parlour, dem go dey hail me, say I get correct babe, say all this our Naija girls don spoil finish but I get one wey dey still hold herself. E dey sweet my belle that time. You know say for our side, person wey hold body dey get respect. My mama sef like her, dey always pray for us. So I dey reason say God really butter my bread.

Until I see one box of emergency contraceptive pills inside her bag.

That night, rain dey threaten to fall; PHCN don seize light as usual, so I dey use torch. I dey find her charger for her bag, na so I see the box. My hand first shake. The kind cold wey catch me, e be like say NEPA wire touch me. Even sweat wey dey my armpit dry sharp-sharp. I just mutter, "Ah, Mama, wetin my eye dey see so?" as I stare the pill box.

The box clearly talk: Two pills dey inside. Take the first one within 24 hours after unprotected sex, the second one 12 hours later. But as I check am, one pill don already miss. My head just dey turn. I freeze.

My heart begin pound like generator wey no wan start. I no fit shout because my mouth dey dry. This one no be mistake o. Na who chop the first pill?

Na that time wey the sound of water for bathroom stop—my babe don finish bath. I quickly return her bag the way I see am. But my mind no gree rest at all.

I use my left hand take rub chest, dey whisper, "God abeg, make e no be wetin I dey think." But e no gree comot for my head. Everywhere just dey somehow.

Yesterday, she tell me say she dey go chop and watch film with her bestie. She no come house till almost midnight. E fit be... The more I think am, the more e dey pain me. Jealousy and wahala just dey worry me.

I dey try reason say maybe e get one better reason, but my mind dey do me anyhow. As I sit down for parlour dey press phone, I dey wait for her to come out.

She come out wear her pyjamas, I come ask her like say nothing dey, "So, which film una watch yesterday? E sweet?"

I smile small, dey look her face, dey watch whether she go lie. For my mind I dey say, "Just talk true, abeg."

She pause, dey use towel dry her hair. "We just pick any one. We dey gist so tey, I no even remember the film." As she see say I wan continue the matter, she just quick talk, "Abeg, leave that one. I get class early tomorrow, I wan sleep."

She waka go room, her face no even change. As she dey go, I see say her back dey straight, no wahala for her body. I dey there dey look like mumu.

She turn waka go, she no even see as my face don change. That night, sleep no near my eyes at all.

Mosquitoes dey hum for my ear, but I no even send. My eyes just dey ceiling, dey count shadow. For Naija, if wahala hook you, even sleep sef go fear you.

For this Lagos, heartbreak dey wear fine cloth—na me dey wear am tonight.