My first love

Chapter 6: Mrs. Adeyemi Came With Police

The okada man almost killed them.

Desmond didn't even negotiate price. He just shouted "UNIZIK gate! Fast!" and pushed Sharon onto the bike. He sat behind her, his NYSC khaki flapping, one hand holding her waist, one hand holding her puff-puff tray that they had carried from his lodge.

Sharon's heart was not beating for the kiss again. It was beating for Mama Nkechi.

Police. Mrs. Adeyemi came with police to their small puff-puff table? In UNIZIK?

"What does your mother mean by money ritual?" Sharon shouted over the wind. "Does she think my mother and I used juju on you?"

Desmond didn't answer. His jaw was tight again. The same jaw he had when he shouted at the driver.

When they turned into the gate, they saw it.

Crowd.

Big crowd. Students forming circle like they do when two girls are fighting. Okada men parked. Even the suya man left his suya.

In the middle of the circle, two different worlds were colliding.

On one side: Mama Nkechi. In her faded wrapper and slippers, her small face sweaty, holding her frying spoon like weapon. She was shouting in Igbo, "I no do any ritual! My pikin no do ritual! Na your son dey follow my pikin like fly!"

On the other side: Mrs. Adeyemi. In complete lace, gold earrings, dark glasses even though sun was not much. She was not shouting. She was speaking English like news reader. Beside her stood two policemen with black uniform, looking bored but trying to look serious.

And between them, on the floor, Sharon's cooler. Opened. Zobo spilled. Puff-puff stepped on.

Sharon saw her zobo on the ground and something snapped in her chest.

"MAMA!"

She jumped down from okada before it even stopped. Desmond fell small but quickly followed.

"Mama Nkechi!" Sharon ran into the circle, knelt beside her cooler. "What happened? Who poured my market?"

Mama Nkechi grabbed her hand. "Sharon! This woman came with police! She said we are holding her son hostage! She said we gave her son love charm! She said if we don't leave her son alone, she will lock us inside cell!"

The crowd murmured. "Charm? Which charm?"

"Na wa o, rich woman dey accuse poor woman."

"That corper na her son?"

Mrs. Adeyemi removed her glasses slowly. When she saw Desmond, her face changed from fake calm to real anger.

"Desmond! You left your PPA to follow this... this girl again? Do you know the Commissioner of Police is my friend? Do you know I can close down this whole illegal hawking business? This is a university gate, not Ochanja market!"

Desmond stepped in front of Sharon and Mama Nkechi. Like a shield.

"Mum, stop it. Stop it now. What are you doing here?"

"I am saving you!" Mrs. Adeyemi's voice finally cracked. "Since you returned from Canada, you don't pick calls, you don't come home, you follow this girl up and down like a houseboy! Yesterday you disrespected me in my own house! Today you sent back my driver! Desmond, I spent 20 million for your Canada school! Is this how you want to pay me? By marrying a puff-puff seller?"

Every student shouted "Ooooooh!"

Sharon felt ground open again. 20 million. Puff-puff seller. Those words in front of everybody who knew her.

She wanted to disappear.

But Mama Nkechi did not let her. Mama Nkechi stood up. Small woman, but her voice carried.

"Madam, with all due respect, my daughter is not puff-puff seller. My daughter is a final year Economics student with 3.8 GPA! The puff-puff you see is what is paying her school fees since her father died! You that spent 20 million for your son, did you spend it so he will learn how to insult poor people with police?"

One policeman shifted his leg. He didn't want to be in this family drama.

Mrs. Adeyemi laughed. Cold laugh. "3.8 GPA? And she is hawking? My son had 4.9 GPA in Canada. First Class. He has 800k job in Lagos. Do you think 3.8 and puff-puff is same level?"

Desmond shouted, "MUM!"

Sharon stood up slowly. She cleaned her hands with her jean. Her eyes were not crying. They were dry. Too dry.

She walked up to Mrs. Adeyemi. Close. Students held breath. They thought she would slap.

She didn't.

"Mrs. Adeyemi," Sharon said, her voice shaking but clear. "Thank you for coming. Thank you for bringing police to my small business. You are right. I am just a puff-puff seller. And your son is Canada First Class with 800k job. So we are not same level. I have always known. That is why I told Desmond we should be best friends only. I told him to go to Lagos. I told him to leave me."

She turned to Desmond. "Desmond, tell your mother. Tell her I told you to leave me."

Desmond was looking at her like she was stabbing him. "Sharon..."

"Tell her!" Sharon's voice broke.

Mrs. Adeyemi smiled, victorious. "You see? Even the girl knows. She knows she is not our class. Desmond, let's go. Enter the car. I have talked to your principal, you are no longer teaching in that bush school. From tomorrow you will be in Lagos for your new job orientation."

That was the final straw.

Desmond looked at his mother. Then at Sharon. Then at Mama Nkechi who was holding Sharon's hand.

Then he did something nobody expected.

He removed his NYSC cap. And his NYSC crested vest. Folded it neatly and gave it to one of the policemen.

"Officer, hold this for me. I don't want to disgrace the uniform."

Then he went to Sharon's cooler, picked the puff-puff that was not stepped on, dusted it small, and put it in a nylon.

He started hawking.

"Buy puff-puff! Sweet puff-puff! 100 naira! If you buy, you support a First Class student! Buy puff-puff!"

The whole UNIZIK gate went silent. Then burst.

Students screamed! Girls shouted! Some started clapping!

"Desmond!"

"Corper dey sell puff-puff!"

"Love na wa!"

Mrs. Adeyemi's mouth opened. Her dark glasses fell.

"Desmond Adeyemi! Are you mad?!"

"No mum, I am in love!" He shouted back, still holding puff-puff. "You said Sharon is embarrassing? Okay, I am now embarrassing too! If police want to arrest puff-puff sellers, arrest me too! I am now a puff-puff seller!"

Mama Nkechi, who was still angry, suddenly laughed. She couldn't help it. She laughed and shouted, "Buy from my son-in-law! He dey sell sweet puff-puff!"

Sharon laughed too, with tears. She collected the nylon from him.

"Desmond, you are mad."

"Mad for you," he whispered, close to her ear, so only she heard. "Best friends don't do this, remember? So I am no longer your best friend."

The two policemen looked at each other, dropped the NYSC vest on Mrs. Adeyemi's car, and walked away. Even police know when to not put mouth in love matter.

Mrs. Adeyemi was shaking. Not with anger again. With shame. Because students were now videoing. One girl was already on f*******: Live: "UNIZIK corper selling puff-puff for love!"

She entered her car and slammed door. Before car moved, she wound down glass and pointed at Desmond.

"You will regret this. When this girl leaves you for a Yahoo boy, you will come back to Lagos and kneel."

Then she left. White car speeding out of UNIZIK gate.

The crowd clapped. Some students came to buy puff-puff not because they were hungry, but because they wanted to support love.

Sharon and Desmond sold everything in 20 minutes. Everything.

When crowd left, it was just three of them: Sharon, Desmond, Mama Nkechi.

Mama Nkechi packed the empty cooler, looked at Desmond's sweaty face, and said, "My son, you try. But you no sabi fry puff-puff. Come to house, I go teach you. But first, go and bring back your NYSC vest, you don disgrace uniform finish."

They all laughed.

At home that evening, Mama Nkechi cooked jollof rice. Small house, but she cooked like Christmas. She gave Desmond big plate.

"Eat. You need strength. Puff-puff business is not for lazy man."

Desmond ate, sitting on the floor in Mama Nkechi's small parlor. No AC. No dining table. Just mat.

After food, Mama Nkechi went outside to wash plates, giving them space. She knew.

Sharon was washing her hands in a small bucket. Desmond came behind her.

"You were brave today," he said.

"You were madder," she said.

He held her from behind. His hands around her waist, his chin on her shoulder. In Mama Nkechi's parlor with the curtain as door.

"Sharon," he whispered, "this morning in my lodge... I kissed you. I didn't ask if you liked it."

Sharon turned in his arms. Their faces close. Jollof rice smell between them.

"I liked it," she said small. "But Desmond, if we do this... your mother will not let us rest."

"Let her not rest then. I am tired of making her rest while I am restless."

He kissed her again. Slower this time because Mama Nkechi could enter. One hand on her waist, one hand holding her cheek. He kissed her like he was promising.

Sharon kissed back, but then pushed small.

"Desmond, my project... Chapter Two deadline is next week. And Chiamaka..."

"I know. I will help. As your... what are we now? Not best friends again?"

Sharon smiled, shy. "I don't know. What are we?"

He smiled too. "We are puff-puff partners."

They both laughed, but Desmond kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips again.

Outside, Mama Nkechi was singing loudly while washing plates, pretending not to hear anything.

But inside, Sharon's phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

She opened it.

It was a picture.

Picture of Desmond in Canada. Hugging a white girl. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Both in winter jacket, kissing.

And message under it:

*"You think you know him? Ask him about SOPHIE. Ask him why he really left Canada. - From a concerned friend"*

Sharon's blood went cold.

Desmond saw her face change.

"Sharon, what is it?"

She showed him the phone.

When Desmond saw the picture, his whole face turned white like his NYSC vest.

"Sharon, I can explain..."

To be continued...