Chapter 3: Discovery

As I dey lose patience, my babe finally come out. She dey hold one small girl hand, the girl wear dance cloth. For the other side of the girl, one tall man dey—maybe na the girl papa. The man waka go one Mercedes wey dem park for road, open door, signal make the girl enter. The girl wave my babe goodbye.

I try calm myself, dey reason say maybe na true, nothing dey happen. She still dey smile, dey play with small pikin. I even dey shame small for suspecting her.

So na just student parent she dey with. Maybe I dey overthink. Maybe the pill matter self na misunderstanding. Everybody wey sabi my babe dey talk say she simple, she dey behave. I even sabi am pass anybody—she go blush if she just hear dirty joke. How she wan take cheat?

I remember how her friends dey hail her, say she too dey form good girl. Sometimes, she go just cover face like say she never hear those things before. Na that memory dey pain me now.

As I dey think am, guilt dey catch me. But the next thing wey I see nearly make me faint. After the small girl enter car, the man use body block the window, then put hand enter my babe shirt, squeeze her breast—twice. My babe just dey laugh, slap him hand playfully. See as dem dey, e clear say no be today.

My hand begin shake. I nearly bite my tongue. Wetin I dey see so? My eye clear? Even as traffic horn dey blast for road and one gala hawker dey shout for distance, everything just slow. My heartbeat loud for my ear, like generator dey drag for background. For that moment, the whole of Lagos just freeze. For Lagos, na street sabi street, but this one na premium heartbreak.

For this Lagos, heartbreak fit reach your bone marrow. Tonight na my turn.