Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

The elderly Iyalaje waddled over, her face lit with excitement. "Ah, Temilade, you missed it!

Come and see drama!"

Temilade stepped down from the car and knew sleep wouldn't come easily tonight. The

humid air clung to her skin as she walked through the compound, her ears picking up the

muffled sounds of a heated argument ahead. As she approached the third apartment—two

doors before hers—she saw the commotion. A crowd had gathered, and it was clear now

what was happening.

Deji, a bachelor in the compound, stood in the center of the gathering, visibly agitated. His

girlfriend, Bola, was beside him with her belongings stacked nearby. Her mother, Mama

Bola, a stern-looking woman with piercing eyes, had come with her, bringing the final piece

of this dramatic puzzle.

The truth was out. Bola was pregnant, and her family had decided she should stay with the

father of her child, Deji. But Deji wasn't having it.

Deji: "You better take your daughter back to wherever you brought her from! I'm not ready to

be a father or settle down. I'm still struggling, and I have so much I want to achieve. I didn't

tell her to get pregnant for me! Did I say I wanted a child? Our agreement was to be

boyfriend and girlfriend—not this!" He gestured wildly, his voice rising. "Is she a chicken? I

just met her six months ago, and now she's already pregnant for me? Abeg, pack your

things! I barely take care of myself—I can't take care of another mouth."

Mama Bola wasn't one to back down. Her hands on her hips, she faced him squarely.

Mama Bola: "You dey deceive yourself. You no get money, but you get strength to dey knack

woman, abi? What happened to protection? Or you think she go lay egg for ground like hen?

Oloshi! You go take care of her whether you like am or not. They no born you well to

abandon my pikin. She go stay here, and if you try nonsense, you go hear from my boys. We no dey joke for my family. NonsenseTurning to her daughter, she added with a sharp tone, "As for you, Bola. Adojutini omo! You

see how I dey struggle to raise you and your siblings after your papa die. Now, see wetin you

use repay me. Well, it's your turn now. I don wash my hands. Na your life be this. I dey go."

With that, she stormed out, leaving Bola to face the consequences of her choices. Deji's

anger bubbled over.

Deji: "Follow your mama o! I no ready for this one oo!"

Bola stood firm, her face set in determination. "Is it like you're mad? Did I impregnate

myself? I am here to stay, and I will give birth to this child. You better start contributing

money because baby things are expensive now."

She bent to pick up her belongings and started moving them inside the apartment, but Deji

blocked her.

Deji: "Where do you think you're going? There's no space for you here!"

Ignoring him, Bola pushed past, struggling to get her things inside. The other tenants, who

had been quietly observing, began to intervene.

Iyalájé: "Deji, why you dey stress your wife like this? No be you two start am? You no dey

think before you begin waka this road? Abeg, carry her things inside. Who knows? Maybe

this child go even bring you better luck."

Despite the protests, Deji refused to cooperate. It took two other young men, who had

helped Bola carry her bags, to drag Deji aside and carry her belongings into his room. Deji

shouted, fumed, and flailed, but the crowd only laughed, teasing him mercilessly.

Iya Ola: "Deji, abeg no take my money elsewhere oo. I dey sell baby things for discount

price!"

As the laughter rang out, Deji hissed loudly and stormed into his apartment. Inside, Bola had

already started unpacking and arranging her things. He hissed again but said nothing,

retreating to his room.

Later, in the kitchen, Bola helped herself to the food he had left on the counter.

Deji: "You just reach here, and you don already start to chop my food. Nobody go tell you

before hunger go make you carry your bag comot for here!"

Bola didn't respond, chewing her food with deliberate slowness. Deji angrily dished the

remaining food for himself, muttering under his breath. He had been about to cook when her

family arrived, but now he had no appetite for the drama she brought with her. Still, heate—it was his food, after allBola: "So, you go still eat? Yeye man."

Deji ignored her and walked back to his room, slamming the door behind him.

When the drama finally quieted, the other tenants went back to their apartments, laughing

and gossiping about the night's events. Temilade watched from the sidelines, shaking her

head. Moments like this were why she always respected herself and kept her distance from

relationships. She was determined to save herself for marriage, but even she couldn't deny

how lonely it felt sometimes.

Her thoughts drifted back to the man she had seen earlier. She sighed, wishing he had said

something to her. Perhaps fate might still bring their paths together again.

With that hope lingering, she entered her apartment and closed the door, shutting out the world for the night