Chapter 3: Awkward Room, Hidden Desire

My room na the master room, bathroom dey close. Morayo own dey inside, so she must pass my door to reach bathroom. Her room dey the last end, and the place outside her door dey dark. From my room reach there, na about three or four meters of darkness, so I no too dey see well from my angle.

That corridor dey always get cold breeze, especially for evening. Bulb wey caretaker put don dey faint, e just dey blink like disco light sometimes. If person waka for there late night, e go feel like say ghost dey watch am.

I just freeze. I no expect—self, I no even fit imagine say for this dark corridor, one slim 20-year-old babe, wrap pink towel, go dey waka come meet me.

E shock me well. Na only for Nollywood film person dey see that kind thing. For my mind, I dey pray say make nobody see us.

Morayo see me too, and she realize say I dey go bathroom too. She just pause.

Her eye big, like say she dey calculate her next move. E be like say both of us dey think the same thing—who go first use bathroom? Or make we both waka back?

For almost five seconds, we just stand dey look each other.

E be like time stop. I dey hear my own heartbeat for my ear. Morayo dey bite her lip, I fit see say she dey shy.

She no far from my room—just about two meters. Both of us dey almost same distance to bathroom. As we look each other cloth, we sabi wetin each of us dey plan.

For my head, I dey calculate: if I rush, she go feel say I no get home training. If I delay, I go miss my baff turn.

Na that time, front door open—person dey come. E fit be the other roommate.

As the door creak, breeze blow enter corridor. My palm dey wet, heart dey beat kpom-kpom, as we dey look each other for that dark corridor. If dem see us like this, na another story go start for compound.

That kind awkward moment, as we dey like that, we no fit make she see us.

I sharply turn back. As my room door still open, I just slide enter, wan close am.

I no even think am, na reflex just make me run enter. I dey pray say Morayo go fit save herself too. See me see wahala—how I go explain if dem catch us like this? Na only God fit judge.

"No close am, abeg, make I enter too." Morayo block door, follow me enter my room.

Her voice low, almost as if she dey beg me. She squeeze her bucket for hand, dey look ground. E show say she trust me small, or maybe na only option she get.

As we close door finish, we hear say the front door for parlour don close.

That sound give me small relief. I fit hear key dey turn for lock. The whole house come still again.

We come dey hear noise—na the other roommate.

Her slippers dey drag for tile, she dey carry plastic bag, maybe she go market. Her voice loud, she dey talk for phone. "Na who put fish for my freezer?" I hear am dey complain.

"Why she come back early today?" I talk casually.

For my mind, I dey vex small. Na Friday, person suppose dey enjoy peace, but see as she don scatter our plan.

"Maybe she wan cook for parlour," Morayo add. "She go soon start dey wash pot, dey wash vegetable again."

She say am with small laugh. E be like say she dey try calm herself. I notice she dey peep me, like person wey wan know if she fit trust me for this matter.

Me and Morayo stand for door dey look each other. E just dey awkward. None of us expect say the roommate go just land come dey cook immediately.

I no fit look her for eye too long. The way she hold her towel, e show say she dey pray make e no fall. My own hand dey shake small.

"E be like say she dey parlour now," Morayo talk softly. Her voice sweet and calm. "This one don red o. We dey trap for here. If we commot now, she go see us like this."

The way she dey talk, you go pity her. For Naija house, if person see you commot from another room, before you know am, gist go full compound. Reputation matter well for here.

From my room to Morayo own, you must pass parlour and kitchen. If the roommate see Morayo commot from my room like that, explanation no go dey.

I dey imagine the kind story wey go spread if that other babe see us. I know say caretaker sef go hear am before evening.

I look Morayo as she hold door, her armpit dey clamp the towel tight, she dey look small nervous.

She dey twist her toes for ground, face dey shine from heat. I fit see goosebumps for her arm, na fear dey make am shiver.

As I no talk, she come whisper, "E be like say I go hide for your room small."

Her voice almost low reach whisper. I nod, try smile say make she no fear. Na so both of us just dey my room dey stand.

Before I wan baff, I just dey watch WhatsApp video, dey relax. But now, as Morayo dey my side with only towel, my body no fit calm.

My head dey hot, my hand dey sweat. The room come dey smell like soap and small powder, na her scent full everywhere.

Who go fit hold body for this kind thing?

I dey ask myself, na real temptation be this. I just dey remind myself say na my neighbor be this, make I no go fall hand. For my mind, I dey pray make time quick pass.

I look Morayo, breathe in deep, hold am, then slowly let am go.

My mind dey wander. I dey count ceiling, dey look floor, just dey try distract myself. But still, my eye dey always go her side.

"Just sit down small," I tell am.

I use my hand show her the edge of my bed, my voice steady but for inside me, everywhere dey boil. She look me, then the chair, then back to me before she nod.