LOVE AFTER THE PAIN

Chapter 2: Learning To Breathe Again

At 5:15 AM the next morning, Chioma woke up not with Emefiele black suitcase full but with wrapper still light and rust gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside. The key was under her pillow with scan picture? No, scan picture was Ade story. Her key was under pillow with Lekki event center hall receipt 200K with stamp at 10 AM that owns hall even Yaba court knows.

The van was supposed to be at Event Center before six-thirty. It was 5:15 AM. Cynthia with Ikoyi shop and two freezers and father landlord who wanted to show Ade shop and make her leave Femi was coming at 6:00 AM with van driver with paper. But Chioma did not have to go to Ikoyi shop. Chioma had to go to Lekki event center hall with 1000 white chairs arranged in perfect rows not scattered with glass doors that shone under evening light with small yellow bulbs that David bought for night grand opening.

She breathed at 5:16 AM. First breath after love died at 12:00 AM midnight. How to breathe when love died at 11:47 PM to 12:00 AM with zip sound at 11:52 PM and gate sound at 11:56 PM and danfo sound at 11:57 PM? How to breathe with one room empty with bed that cost 45K not 90K from Yaba market with cot 45K not 90K inside house since yesterday 3:12 PM?

At 5:17 AM she stood and counted her breath like she counted 181K plus 15K bonus minus landlord debt 108K plus Yaba clinic fan plus van plus pure water. One breath. Two breath. Three breath. Three breaths equals she is alive. She is alive with wrapper light but gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside.

At 5:20 AM she boiled water not with gas but with small stove that Emefiele left because Emefiele took black suitcase full with white shirts folded like he folds bribe money but left stove because stove is old like his promises. Old stove with black nylon empty like his promises on divorce day. She boiled water for tea with Lipton that cost 500 Naira not 150K gold wrapper.

She remembered Ade with scan picture in wrapper with four stones and baby girl waving at 24 weeks and 5 days and cot 45K not 90K and Yaba one room gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside. Ade learned to breathe again at 7:08 AM with cot inside house and baby kicking strongest at 10:14 AM thank you for cot 45K not 90K after cot entered house yesterday. Ade learned to breathe with gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside.

Chioma learned same at 5:25 AM. She put hand on chest with heart beating like drum but not tired drum. Drum that beats after love died. Drum that beats for Lekki event center hall with 1000 white chairs arranged perfect rows. Drum that beats for December wedding booking 500K deposit at 3 PM yesterday. Drum that beats for CEO clients January booking. Drum that beats for influencers posting with 20 new DMs. Drum that beats for David boss husband who bought small yellow bulbs for night grand opening and said "Chioma, you own this hall forever because 200K receipt with stamp at 10 AM won over 400K bribe without stamp at 4 PM even Yaba court knows."

At 5:30 AM her phone rang. Not Emefiele with black suitcase full in danfo at 11:57 PM. Her phone rang with David in black Bentley suit? No, David boss husband not black Bentley suit. Alexander is black Bentley suit for Amelia story. David is boss husband with small yellow bulbs crown for Chioma story.

David called at 5:31 AM and said, "Chioma, did you breathe again this morning after love died at midnight with black suitcase full? I know Emefiele left at 11:57 PM with black suitcase full from Yaba one room with wrapper light. I know because I am his boss. He told me he left. He told me with 400K bribe receipt with no stamp only signature of oga at top personal that failed. He told me he left because you have Lekki event center hall receipt 200K with stamp that owns hall even Yaba court knows and he has 0% father for CEO dream like Jason 0% father for Blueberry empire dream."

Chioma breathed again at 5:32 AM on phone. She said, "David, I am breathing at 5:16 AM first breath, 5:17 AM second breath, 5:32 AM third breath with you on phone. Wrapper still light not heavy with receipt 200K with stamp. Rust gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside at 12:03 AM after love died at 12:00 AM midnight. Van must be at Event Center before six-thirty? No, that is Ade story with Cynthia and Ikoyi shop and two freezers and father landlord. My van is Lekki event center hall van with 1000 white chairs."

David said, "Chioma, come to Lekki event center hall at 6:00 AM not 6:30 AM for morning light not evening light with small yellow bulbs. Morning light with glass doors that shone under morning sun again not evening light. Come with wrapper heavy today not light with receipt 200K with stamp. Come with cot 45K not 90K story? No, cot is Ade story. Come with key inside not padlock outside."

At 5:45 AM Chioma bathed with water that was boiled at 5:20 AM with old stove that Emefiele left with black nylon empty like his promises. She wore wrapper that was heavy today not light? No, wrapper still light but heart heavy? No, wrapper light with Opay 763K three months ago but now wrapper heavy with Lekki event center hall receipt 200K with stamp and 1000 white chairs arranged perfect rows and December wedding booking 500K deposit and CEO clients and influencers.

She left Yaba one room at 5:50 AM with rust gate locked from outside? No, she locked from outside with padlock? No, she learned to breathe again with gate locked from inside with key inside not padlock outside but she is leaving now so she locks from outside with key outside? Confusing. She locked with key she has, not landlord key. She is the one with key not landlord. Not father landlord with Ikoyi shop and two freezers.

She entered danfo at 5:55 AM with conductor shouting "Lekki! Lekki! Enter with change!" with market women with gala sellers with okada noise outside even at early morning. Danfo not with black suitcase full like Emefiele at 11:57 PM but with wrapper heavy with receipt.

At 6:15 AM she arrived Lekki event center hall. Glass doors shone under morning sun not evening light with small yellow bulbs that David bought for night grand opening. Glass doors shone with morning sun with 1000 white chairs arranged in perfect rows not scattered because she arranged from 7:10 PM to 8:00 PM fifty minutes yesterday grand opening night.

David was there at 6:16 AM with small yellow bulbs in hand for night but morning now. David said, "Chioma, you learned to breathe again at 5:16 AM, 5:17 AM, 5:32 AM, 5:45 AM, 5:50 AM, 5:55 AM, 6:15 AM. Seven times breathing after love died at midnight with black suitcase full. Payment owns hall even Yaba court knows that receipt is her receipt too. You paid 200K first payment for Lekki event center hall and owns hall even Yaba court knows even Lekki court knows even Banana Island court knows. Oga at top with agbada and cap and big belly bigger than watermelon who collected 400K bribe at 4 PM after Chioma 200K receipt at 10 AM gave 400K bribe receipt with no stamp only signature of oga at top personal that receipt failed Chioma receipt with stamp won that is why you have Lekki event center with 1000 white chairs arranged."

At 6:30 AM Chioma breathed again deepest breath. Not light wrapper but heavy wrapper with hall forever. Love died at 12:00 AM midnight but breathing again at 6:30 AM morning with glass doors shone under morning sun with small yellow bulbs for night but morning light now with David boss husband beside with 1000 white chairs arranged perfect rows with gate locked from inside? No, glass doors open for clients.

Learning to breathe again is not forgetting black suitcase full at 11:57 PM. Learning to breathe again is counting breath with receipt 200K with stamp that owns hall even Yaba court knows.